This Christmas movie was cute, fun and sparkling. Sure, it's not perfect. It's a TV movie, for heaven's sake. But you'd have to be a real Grinch not to be charmed by it.
I'm a sucker for fantasy movies such as this. I'm sure this premise has been done before and since (movies like "Elf" and "Noelle" come to mind). But it still feels somewhat fresh and original. You have our imminently likable heroine Annie, the daughter of Santa Claus, experiencing her requisite month out in the real world before deciding whether or not to commit fully to life in the North Pole, similar to what the Amish do. Of course, everyone she meets in the grungy, real world of Los Angeles is touched by her infectious enthusiasm and her simple, naive Christmas spirit. Throw in nice guy toy shop owner Ted as an obvious potential love interest and slimeball fake love interest Dean, plus sweet motel owner Lucy and her adorable daughter Mia, and you have all the makings of a satisfying, breezy, feel-good Chrismas tale and love story.
Maria Thayer was absolute perfection as Annie. She was cute, spunky and endlessly upbeat and positive. She perfectly embodied the wide-eyed innocence of someone who had never experienced the real world, as well as someone who was far wiser, in her own way, than those hardened, urban souls around her. Thayer reminds me a lot of Alicia Witt, who has been far more successful in Hallmark-esque rom-coms such as this. I'm sad that her career apparently didn't take off more than it did, because she definitely has a lot more to offer than the roles given her would suggest.
The supporting characters were good too. Sam Page as Ted was great, portraying the cynical, grouchy owner of a failing toy store, while still coming across as handsome, likable and relatable. Ryan Bittle as the poser Dean was sufficiently smarmy and sleazy for us to really dislike him. Nay Nay Kirby as Mia was cute as a button, as all kids in such movies must be.
Okay, the script was a little rough around the edges in spots. I felt like the romance between Annie and Ted was rather underdeveloped. I wish they had had him show more emotion about his failed marriage, which seems to be the genesis of his curmudgeonly attitude. It needed to be made more explicit. A few heart-to-heart talks between Ted and Annie about such past issues would have done wonders to establish an emotional connection between the two of them. What this story required was a clear delineation between the fake, manipulated romance between Annie and Dean and the real, heartfelt connection between her and Ted, and sadly, the screenwriters dropped the ball on that one. The whole transition of Amy, the mean girl in the Christmas pageant, from bully to nice girl, also wasn't handled well. It seemed too abrupt and unbelievable. I would've preferred that Mia petition Annie to let Amy have her own solo in the production, which is what she really wanted.
Minor flaws aside, I think this movie is as enjoyable a Christmas movie as I've seen in quite a while. The production values may not be quite as high as for some other Christmas fantasy movies, such as "The Santa Clause", or "The Christmas Chronicles", but I'll step out on a limb and say that this movie deserves a place along side them as a perennial Christmas favorite.
I'm a sucker for fantasy movies such as this. I'm sure this premise has been done before and since (movies like "Elf" and "Noelle" come to mind). But it still feels somewhat fresh and original. You have our imminently likable heroine Annie, the daughter of Santa Claus, experiencing her requisite month out in the real world before deciding whether or not to commit fully to life in the North Pole, similar to what the Amish do. Of course, everyone she meets in the grungy, real world of Los Angeles is touched by her infectious enthusiasm and her simple, naive Christmas spirit. Throw in nice guy toy shop owner Ted as an obvious potential love interest and slimeball fake love interest Dean, plus sweet motel owner Lucy and her adorable daughter Mia, and you have all the makings of a satisfying, breezy, feel-good Chrismas tale and love story.
Maria Thayer was absolute perfection as Annie. She was cute, spunky and endlessly upbeat and positive. She perfectly embodied the wide-eyed innocence of someone who had never experienced the real world, as well as someone who was far wiser, in her own way, than those hardened, urban souls around her. Thayer reminds me a lot of Alicia Witt, who has been far more successful in Hallmark-esque rom-coms such as this. I'm sad that her career apparently didn't take off more than it did, because she definitely has a lot more to offer than the roles given her would suggest.
The supporting characters were good too. Sam Page as Ted was great, portraying the cynical, grouchy owner of a failing toy store, while still coming across as handsome, likable and relatable. Ryan Bittle as the poser Dean was sufficiently smarmy and sleazy for us to really dislike him. Nay Nay Kirby as Mia was cute as a button, as all kids in such movies must be.
Okay, the script was a little rough around the edges in spots. I felt like the romance between Annie and Ted was rather underdeveloped. I wish they had had him show more emotion about his failed marriage, which seems to be the genesis of his curmudgeonly attitude. It needed to be made more explicit. A few heart-to-heart talks between Ted and Annie about such past issues would have done wonders to establish an emotional connection between the two of them. What this story required was a clear delineation between the fake, manipulated romance between Annie and Dean and the real, heartfelt connection between her and Ted, and sadly, the screenwriters dropped the ball on that one. The whole transition of Amy, the mean girl in the Christmas pageant, from bully to nice girl, also wasn't handled well. It seemed too abrupt and unbelievable. I would've preferred that Mia petition Annie to let Amy have her own solo in the production, which is what she really wanted.
Minor flaws aside, I think this movie is as enjoyable a Christmas movie as I've seen in quite a while. The production values may not be quite as high as for some other Christmas fantasy movies, such as "The Santa Clause", or "The Christmas Chronicles", but I'll step out on a limb and say that this movie deserves a place along side them as a perennial Christmas favorite.