One thing that Hallmark is doing so well this Countdown to Christmas season is making sure that they are doing everything to not be the same thing over and over again. They’re making sure that there are new twists and that the stories are fresh and new.
Letters to Santa is an example of this. So often we don’t see parents separated and how things are for kids around the holidays. So often we don’t see how things are working trying to put a family back together and keep the holidays alive for kids. It was a lesson on communication, helping others, jumping to conclusions, and just why you shouldn’t pretend to be Santa.
But does that mean that I think that this movie should have been a Countdown to Christmas movie? Well…
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Recently separated Rebecca (Leclerc) and Enrique (de la Fuente) struggle to navigate their new family dynamic as the holiday season approaches. For the benefit of their two kids, Izzy, (Taylor Pezza) and Sam, (Kellen Raffaelo) they attempt Christmas as usual, but it’s impossible under the awkward circumstances. When they take the kids to visit Santa, Izzy and Sam cleverly notice that Santa’s beard is real. Challenged about his authenticity, Santa gives them a magic pen and tells them that if they write him a letter from the heart, that their wishes just might come true. Convinced he’s the real Santa and not just an imposter, the kids rush home to try out the magic pen. They are beyond excited when the next morning a cute puppy named Noel shows up at their door, proving to them the pen works. With all the excitement the children decide to up the power of their wishes and look to the magic of Santa’s pen to help bring their parents back together. As they get closer to Christmas and the family unit still at risk of falling apart, the children start to wonder if the magic of Santa’s pen is strong enough to grant them the biggest wish of all – having their family united again.
WHAT IT’S GIVING: Intentions
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE: Rafael de la Fuente was the Dad we all want. He was kind and gracious and filled with love for his kids. He really was just so good and his character was just so committed to family.
MY GRINCH-ISH THOUGHTS: Christmas isn’t always the easiest time of the year. It’s a time of the year where we have to examine who we are, what we have done, and who we can be to those who are around us. It’s the time of the year where we are going to be judged by family and friends.
When we’re kids, Christmas is the most exciting time of the year. It’s moments where you get excited over the small things and the big things. It’s the moments where all you want is these amazing gifts, and some of them aren’t monetary.
But just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean that all of the issues of the year fade. Rebecca and Enrique’s issues haven’t faded. The two are separated because of a choice that Enrique made and the way that it made Rebecca feel. Now, NGL, I would be PISSED if I was Rebecca and Enrique did what he did.
But what we’re reminded of is that it’s the kids that suffer with indecision. There are a bunch of mistakes that can be made, even in the best of intentions. Why? Because that’s just what they are – intentions. And when it comes to intentions, Rebecca and Enrique have the best of intentions.
Enrique’s Mom isn’t going to let her grandchildren suffer. She knows that the kids want their parents back together and she knows that she wants them to have a great Christmas. So, she devises a plan to make sure that they have a great time, but again, we go back to intentions.
There isn’t a person in this movie that doesn’t have the best of intentions, but the issue is that with all of these intentions, the communication is just the worse. And the people that suffer? The kids. The kids are the ones who are having the hardest time dealing with everything.
I won’t say that people don’t see that, because they do. But even then, everyone seems to be falling short on dealing with it. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out how that works, because honestly – it’s a lot to unpack.
As you watch Letters to Santa, you can’t help but feel for the family and the kids, but that doesn’t mean that this movie was great. I mean it was good. But that being said I do now understand to a point why it is that sometimes you should really keep certain things away from the holidays.
Now, I know that I gave Hallmark all the props for continuing to be innovative, but honestly, this movie just depressed me. It made me sad. I felt no Christmas cheer. I was sad. I was meh. I wasn’t entertained. I wanted to cry and I wanted to have a way to talk to someone about how we really shouldn’t have movies like this as holiday movies.
Yes, I do get that these things happen. I really do. Maybe this movie can serve as a lesson to parents out there, on how you’re affecting your children with your decisions.
But what I think it will do is make people turn off the television right now. No one wants to be any more depressed than they are at this time of the year.
CHRISTMAS CHEER: 🎄.5