Christmas at Cartwrights (which is sometimes sold on Hallmark DVD collections under the name of Santa's Secret for some reason), is a decent but ultimately forgettable and unremarkable hallmark Christmas movie
If you're a fan of the genre, the movie plays out as expected with nothing that stands out. The writing is fine, the acting is fine, the pacing is fine, the music and scenery are fine. It's all so cookie cutter that this movie is easy to consume and easy to enjoy if you like Hallmark style holiday movies
The main character, Nicki, played by made for TV Christmas regular Alicia Witt, is a down on her luck unemployed single mom who stumbles her way into being a department store Santa thanks to a guardian angel played by Wallace Shawn
Nicki has a daughter who is trying to read and surprise her mom by reading the Night Before Christmas as a present. I actually found this to be one of the better and more endearing side plots I've seen recently in these types of movies.
The main love interest is the manager of the men's department at the department store. Of course the tension becomes when Nicki has to lie to her male lead about not being Santa and he inevitably finds out.
Alicia Witt isn't my favorite of the Hallmark regulars but she plays her role adequately - though her fake Santa voice was so obviously fake that someone should have picked up on it.
The only thing that bothered me about this movie was the sheer number of very obvious plot holes. All of these movies require some level of suspension of disbelief but this one is over the top. Nicki is shown eating lunch in a packed cafeteria in her Santa outfit, which should make it obvious she's a woman (one would have to pull the beard down to eat). Apparently she is getting paid (she is shown catching up on rent) but that shouldn't be possible without someone finding out she's a woman.
If you enjoy the genre you will probably find this one to be worth your 84 minutes but there's really nothing memorable here.
If you're a fan of the genre, the movie plays out as expected with nothing that stands out. The writing is fine, the acting is fine, the pacing is fine, the music and scenery are fine. It's all so cookie cutter that this movie is easy to consume and easy to enjoy if you like Hallmark style holiday movies
The main character, Nicki, played by made for TV Christmas regular Alicia Witt, is a down on her luck unemployed single mom who stumbles her way into being a department store Santa thanks to a guardian angel played by Wallace Shawn
Nicki has a daughter who is trying to read and surprise her mom by reading the Night Before Christmas as a present. I actually found this to be one of the better and more endearing side plots I've seen recently in these types of movies.
The main love interest is the manager of the men's department at the department store. Of course the tension becomes when Nicki has to lie to her male lead about not being Santa and he inevitably finds out.
Alicia Witt isn't my favorite of the Hallmark regulars but she plays her role adequately - though her fake Santa voice was so obviously fake that someone should have picked up on it.
The only thing that bothered me about this movie was the sheer number of very obvious plot holes. All of these movies require some level of suspension of disbelief but this one is over the top. Nicki is shown eating lunch in a packed cafeteria in her Santa outfit, which should make it obvious she's a woman (one would have to pull the beard down to eat). Apparently she is getting paid (she is shown catching up on rent) but that shouldn't be possible without someone finding out she's a woman.
If you enjoy the genre you will probably find this one to be worth your 84 minutes but there's really nothing memorable here.