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Desperately Seeking Santa

Desperately Seeking Santa

Romance · TV Movie · 2012

Jennifer, a young, ambitious executive running promotions at a failing Boston mall comes up with a genius promotional gimmick to save her workplace and position herself for advancement: hold a "Hunky Santa" contest to replace the old Mall Santa. David, a local man trying to save his family's pizzeria, ultimately wins the contest and sparks fly between him and Jennifer. However, complications ensue when it comes to light that the company Jennifer works for is the same one trying to run David's family out of business.

Movie details

Desperately Seeking Santa

2012 Romance · TV Movie 1h 27m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

Jennifer, a young, ambitious executive running promotions at a failing Boston mall comes up with a genius promotional gimmick to save her workplace and position herself for advancement: hold a "Hunky Santa" contest to replace the old Mall Santa. David, a local man trying to save his family's pizzeria, ultimately wins the contest and sparks fly between him and Jennifer. However, complications ensue when it comes to light that the company Jennifer works for is the same one trying to run David's family out of business.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Desperately Seeking Santa?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Craig Pryce

Written by

Michael J. Murray

Laura Vandervoort

Laura Vandervoort

Jennifer Walker

Nick Zano

Nick Zano

David Morretti

Paula Brancati

Paula Brancati

Marissa Marlet

John Bregar

John Bregar

Neal McCormick

Patrick Garrow

Patrick Garrow

Edgar Hillridge

Natalie Krill

Natalie Krill

Brittany

Gerry Mendicino

Gerry Mendicino

Mr. Moretti

Court is in session

Put Desperately Seeking Santa on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.