The Santa Con

The first temptation was to define the film as really great. A predictable reaction when you rediscover actors as Barry Watson or Melissa Joan Hart , each performer for series of your youth. Or for the admirable work of Wendy Williams. Or the proposed bizarre relation between a jail director and his "guests". In same measure, the story is so unrealistic than it becomes...charming. And it reminds, a little a good slice of Charles Dickens. But the lead virtue is result of the courage to be more than a nice Christmas film. To be a lovely film about family, duty and faith. And that defines it, real, as a great film.

This is a bit of an unusual story for Christmas. It's not about snowmen and trees and skating. It is about two men who try to straighten out their lives as they help each other, one more than the other.

The con man is slick, but he comes to realize that his lies hurt people, especially the one he told a little boy.

It's not a typical romance story and in addition to that it takes a few turns along the way. The acting is OK. There's a few good humorous moments but also some drama.

Try this movie for something different in the way of a Christmas story.

I love a good Lifetime Holiday movie, and this one hits all the right notes. It's clever, fun, and actually keeps you watching, which is more than I can say for some of the other Holiday channels out there. Melissa Joan Hart delivers like she always does, and Barry Watson as con-man Nick DeMarco is honestly fantastic. The whole cast fits perfectly, and the vibe is just right for a Holiday surprise. Great movie, start to finish.

I came across this movie by accident just looking for Christmas movies to watch, and my standards were low just because I've seen sooo many Hallmark/TV Christmas movies that are painfully over-acted with surface level plots, but I seen Jalleel White and Mellissa Joan Hart so I just played it.

From beginning to end I was hooked into the storyline that was so refreshing and actually very funny. Melissa Joan Hart was great, as was the other cast. This was a Christmas movie that actually had substance, and the character development with the main character was so well done. By the end of the movie I was grinning because it was so refreshing and enjoyable to watch. A Christmas movie well done

Con-man Nick DeMarco (Barry Watson) sweet-talks his way into parole. He's picked up by his sister Rose (Melissa Joan Hart) who is tired of his antics but must fulfill their mother's dying wish. She works at the mall and gets him a job as the mall Santa. Little Billy Guthrie wants Santa to bring his parents (Melissa Sagemiller, Scott Grimes) back together after his father's many drunken outbursts. In a rush to get out to the race track, Nick agrees to the wish without listening to the boy. Rose is infuriated and confronts his callousness. He is called to fulfill the wish and he uses all of his con skills.

I really like the premise. It has loads of wacky possibilities. Being a bad contractor is not one of them. It's trying to be wacky fun but it is more off-putting than anything else. It's the start of a downward spiral. Nick stops being likeable as the constant lying takes a toll. I don't want to go back to her drunken husband or the lying con man. It would nice if the husband's problem is something other than alcoholism. The serious condition really clashes with the attempts at lighthearted humor.