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I Believe in Santa
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Festive holiday romance has mild language, drinking.
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I Believe in Santa
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Not for young kids
What's the Story?
When divorced mom Lisa (Christina Moore) meets single lawyer Tom (John Ducey) on July 4 at the start of I BELIEVE IN SANTA, they know right away they're interested in each other. Tom is great with Lisa's daughter, Ella (Violet McGraw), and seems like the perfect partner. Lisa's best friend, Sharon (Lateefah Holder), and Tom's best friend, Assan (Sachin Bhatt), support their relationship. But there's a hitch, which Lisa discovers several months later when Christmas season rolls around: Tom is a Christmas fanatic who still believes in Santa. Deciding they can't let this ruin their budding relationship, Lisa agrees to join Tom in his annual Christmas festivities, which involve major decorating and daily outings. But eventually it all proves too much for Lisa, and she calls it quits. Will they be able to get over the hump of such a difference in beliefs and continue their relationship?
Is It Any Good?
Offering a twist on the usual holiday romance, this movie uses a relationship as the premise to question the meaning of Christmas (rather than vice versa). I Believe in Santa's idea that Santa is a global presence who transcends country and religion, and who transforms our world into something magical for a season every year, is given relatively serious debate among characters. On one side is the man who would rather be wrong having faith in something magical; on the other, the woman who thinks that Santa is a lie and has come to represent base consumption. It's almost enough to make you believe, or at least want to.
What's not so believable is the relationship between Tom and Lisa. Real-life husband and wife Ducey and Moore show surprisingly little chemistry in this film. The lack of any genuine desire keeps the film family-friendly but also kind of a dud in the romance department. And the Santa debate could be inappropriate for younger viewers. Religious viewers might take issue with the comparison between believing in Santa and believing in God. Best friends Sharon and Assan seem scripted solely to complement the main characters and provide diversity, as we don't learn much about them, especially Sharon.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their own feelings about Tom's passion for Christmas and his belief in Santa in I Believe in Santa. Do you believe in Santa? Why, or why not? If you did when you were younger and don't anymore, why did you stop?
What are some of this film's messages about Christmas? What do the holidays mean to you?
The actors who play Tom and Lisa are married in real life. Could you tell? How do you think this affects their acting?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 14, 2022
- Cast: Christina Moore , John Ducey , Violet McGraw
- Director: Alex Ranarivelo
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Holidays
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: mild language
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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