Finding Santa

Almost everything in this movie seemed forced, or put differently too much by the formula. The concept itself was a stretch. Who cares who sits in the sleigh in a town parade? Certainly there would be a few reasonable candidates as long as it's not Clint. I think Clint was a combination of an attempt at humor, and justification for needing Ben so badly. Neither of these totally succeeded.

Other things were forced as well. The theme seemed to be Follow Your Heart, which is so well-worn in Christmas stories. It was a little overplayed. I venture that most people have occupations that are not their dream in life, but then the purpose of these movies is to distract us from reality.

Even the climax, just before the ending was forced. I won't say what it was.

Jodie Sweetin was OK. Eric Winter was a little better, but the romance wasn't fireworks worthy. Jay Brazeau was also good as the mentor for aspiring Santas.

Just a totally side comment that applies to almost all of these Christmas movies. The directors just don't seem to understand winter conditions, especially sunlight. It's 5:30 in the morning in Massachusetts and its' broad daylight - no not in late December. People walk around in winter climates with snow on the ground or falling from the sky, but coats wide open and scarves that don't cover anything. People leave their front doors wide open for extended periods during a snowstorm. Anyone who lives there wouldn't do these things. (But then so many of these movies are shot in warm weather and the actors are sweating.)

There were some tender moments, even the ending to a certain extent. There was a great deal of Christmas spirit and a passable romance. If you like the usual fair of Hallmark Christmas, you may enjoy this.

This Hallmark holiday romance features Jodie Sweetin ("Full House") as Grace, the person in charge of a small town's Christmas celebration, including the parade. Everything is on schedule until the town's Santa breaks his arm. Grace auditions many possible replacement Santas, but she deems them "unsuitable." There seems to be only one solid choice to don the whiskers this ho-ho-holiday, but he may be unwilling. What will she do?

Sweetin is adorable in this role. She is cast opposite Eric Winter, who plays Ben-the son of the sidelined Santa. If you are familiar with Winter's character on "The Rookie", this role shows an entirely different personality. The two of them work well together.

Though much of the story is formulaic---including the subplot about finding one's passion--- it is nevertheless a heart-warming seasonal offering.

But that's the usual expectation for a Hallmark movie. I decided to watch because of Jodie Sweetin and I like seeing Eric Winter as a romantic lead. He has a charm about him. A bit slow and plot was a bit forced but I can look past it given it's expected.

The music spoilt everything. It is too loud and irritating,

I didn't really feel the chemistry between the actors. Also the storyline had some glitches for me, such as the whole "i want too décide my own life", the parents never really spoke nor pushed him. There was no back ground on the characters to better understand them, so I felt it a bit harder to engage with them.