Holiday movies are a strange beast. You know exactly what you’re getting into before the first frame even flickers onto the screen, yet we watch them by the dozen every single December. It’s comfort food. But then there’s A Christmas Kiss II, a movie that feels like a fever dream of tinsel, high-stakes elevator encounters, and surprisingly decent chemistry. Most people stumble upon this sequel on a lazy Sunday afternoon while scrolling through ION Television or Lifetime, expecting a cheap knockoff of the 2011 original. What they get instead is a weirdly charming, often overlooked gem of the "mistaken identity" romance subgenre.
Honestly, sequels in the made-for-TV Christmas world usually fail. They’re either retreads of the first plot with a different cast, or they lose the magic entirely. This one? It keeps the magic. It basically takes the "strangers in an elevator" hook of the first film and turns the dial up.
The Weird Logic of the Elevator Kiss
Let’s talk about that inciting incident. If you’ve seen the first A Christmas Kiss, you know the drill: a chance encounter in an elevator sets the stage for everything. In A Christmas Kiss II, we meet Jenna (played by Elisabeth Harnois) and Cooper (Adam Mayfield). Jenna is a passionate assistant with big dreams, and Cooper is the wealthy playboy who happens to be the brother of her boss.
They meet in an elevator. It’s decorated for the holidays. Naturally.
Then, the "kiss" happens. It’s supposed to be this spontaneous, magical moment under the mistletoe, but let’s be real—it’s kind of a HR nightmare by modern standards. However, in the logic of holiday cinema, it’s destiny. Jenna doesn’t realize who Cooper is, and Cooper is immediately smitten by this mysterious woman who doesn't treat him like a millionaire. This sets up the classic "Secret Boss" or "Royal in Disguise" trope, even though he isn't a royal. He's just rich. Very rich.
The movie works because Elisabeth Harnois actually sells the internal conflict. She’s not just a cardboard cutout of a "girl with a dream." She has a personality. When she realizes that the guy she shared a life-changing kiss with is actually her boss’s brother—and technically her superior—the panic feels somewhat earned.
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Why the Casting Matters More Than the Script
Most critics would look at the script for a movie like this and see a sea of clichés. They aren't wrong. But casting is the secret sauce. Adam Mayfield, who many might remember from All My Children, brings a certain sincerity to Cooper. Usually, the "rich playboy" character in these movies is either a jerk or a wet blanket. Mayfield plays it with a sort of "golden retriever" energy that makes the romance feel less predatory and more like a genuine connection.
The supporting cast helps ground the absurdity. You’ve got the overbearing boss, the quirky best friend, and the requisite "mean girl" or rival love interest. It’s a formula, but it’s a formula that ION has mastered.
Think about the production design for a second. These movies are shot in the middle of summer, usually in places like Simi Valley or outskirts of Los Angeles. You can almost see the actors sweating under those wool coats. Yet, through the magic of color grading and a truly excessive amount of fake snow, A Christmas Kiss II manages to look like a New York City winter wonderland. It’s aspirational. It’s what we want Christmas to look like, even if we know it’s just polyester and soap suds.
Breaking Down the "Second Movie" Curse
Why do people keep coming back to this specific sequel? It's been out since 2014, yet it shows up on "Best Of" lists every year for cable holiday fans.
The original 2011 film had Laura Breckenridge and Brendan Fehr. It was a massive hit for ION. When the sequel was announced, fans were skeptical. Usually, when you change the entire main cast, the audience revolts. But the director, Kevin Connor, who has a massive filmography of TV movies including The Librarians and Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, knew how to pace this. He didn't try to make a masterpiece. He made a holiday movie.
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One of the biggest misconceptions about this film is that it’s just a copy of the first one. It isn't. While the elevator kiss is the bridge between the two, the dynamics are different. The first movie was about a woman finding her voice. The second is more about a woman finding her worth in a world that sees her as "just an assistant."
Key Themes You Might Have Missed
Behind the glitter, there are actually a few decent themes worth noting:
- Professional Identity: Jenna is constantly struggling to be seen as a professional, not just an ornament in the office. This is a recurring struggle for many women in these films, but here it’s tied directly to her romantic interest.
- The Weight of Expectations: Cooper is trying to live up to a family legacy he doesn't necessarily want. It's a trope as old as time, but it works here because his chemistry with Jenna feels like his "escape."
- The Magic of Anonymity: The film suggests that we are our truest selves when no one knows our name or our bank account balance. That first kiss was "real" because there were no labels attached to it.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re planning a marathon, you can usually find this on Amazon Prime, Hulu, or aired on repeat on ION during the "25 Days of Christmas" style marathons.
When you watch, look at the background. The sheer amount of Christmas decor in every single frame is staggering. There is no such thing as a "plain wall" in this universe. Every surface must have a garland. Every corner must have a tree. It’s part of the charm. It’s maximalism at its finest.
Also, pay attention to the music. It’s that generic, upbeat holiday orchestral music that feels like it was composed by an AI before AI was even a thing. It’s perfectly tuned to make you feel slightly nostalgic and very hungry for gingerbread.
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Real Talk: Is It Actually Good?
"Good" is a relative term. Is it Citizen Kane? No. Is it better than 80% of the filler movies that Netflix pumps out every year? Honestly, yeah. It has a soul. It doesn't take itself too seriously.
The pacing is snappy. You never feel like a scene is dragging on just to hit a runtime. That’s the benefit of the TV movie format; they have to account for commercial breaks, so every ten minutes or so, there has to be a "hook" to keep you from changing the channel. This results in a movie that is surprisingly hard to turn off once you start it.
Your Holiday Viewing Strategy
If you want to get the most out of A Christmas Kiss II, don't watch it in isolation. It’s a vibe.
- Watch the 2011 original first. You need the context of the elevator "legend" to appreciate why the second one is leaning so hard into the trope.
- Invite a friend who loves to snark. These movies are 50% about the romance and 50% about pointing out the hilarious logic gaps, like how everyone in NYC apparently has a 4,000-square-foot apartment on an assistant's salary.
- Check the ION schedule. There is something uniquely satisfying about watching this with the original commercials. It adds to the "stuck at home during a snowstorm" feeling.
- Focus on the chemistry. Seriously, watch the way Elisabeth Harnois and Adam Mayfield look at each other. It’s better acting than this genre usually demands, and it’s why the movie has staying power.
The next time you see this title pop up in your streaming suggestions, don't dismiss it as just another "Part 2." It’s a foundational text in the world of cable holiday romance. It proves that you can change the cast, keep the gimmick, and still end up with something that feels like a warm hug. Or at least a very enthusiastic kiss in a decorated elevator.
To truly appreciate the evolution of this subgenre, look up the filmography of the production company, MarVista Entertainment. They are the quiet giants behind dozens of these films, and seeing how they refined the "Christmas Kiss" formula over the years gives you a weirdly fascinating look into the business of holiday cheer. Go find the movie on your favorite streaming platform and pay attention to how they handle the "big reveal" at the end—it's a masterclass in low-stakes tension.