Plot development that could only be the work of pure movie magic advances so briskly that within minutes the narrative has advanced beyond exposition. There are no surprises, and nothing we haven't seen or heard before, in the music, characters, dialogue, cast, or acting. Where the scene writing is concerned, some moments that play out in this feature could be swapped with those of other TV movie holiday films - and romantic comedies at that - with little or no loss of cohesion or fidelity. Make no mistake, if you've seen any of this picture's brethren, it's not entirely wrong to say you've mostly seen them all and can readily predict the story that will unfold. This isn't to say it's bad, though. After all, there is no intent except warmhearted, kitschy entertainment, and in fact, so long as you can abide the ham-handed contrivances that border on smarm, there's more to like than not. 'Dear Santa' is really rather enjoyable.
For all the heavy-handedness and indelicacies, there's mild fun to be had here. Unremarkable though the characters are, they have just enough personality to be engaging. Less than revelatory, scenes are lightly amusing nonetheless. And, credit where it's due - the cast certainly lean into the heartfelt charm, good cheer, and occasional interpersonal drama, making these roles as believable as they could be with suitable poise and nuance. That especially goes for Amy Acker as protagonist Crystal, a somewhat naive but well-meaning young woman from a privileged life who slowly learns life lessons and finds love. And Patrick Creery is wonderful in the supporting part of Pete, a spark of joy as the bubbly chef who quickly becomes Crystal's close friend. Why, even in a still smaller role, Gina Holden holds her own as antagonistic Jillian, leaping into the spite of the character. Honestly, even with the nature of 'Dear Santa' being what it is, seeing the cast at play rather makes it worthwhile.
Side note: with a few little adjustments, it's easy to imagine this holiday romcom turned into a psychological thriller, and that's a twisted bit of fun in and of itself.
Sure, it's hardly perfect, and far from an essential tour de force. It's less than original in the broad strokes, and the camp is a tad overwhelming at times, to say nothing of the artificiality. It's maybe even a little longer than it needs to be, by at least 5-10 minutes. I don't think there's any risk of 'Dear Santa' being called a "modern classic" any time soon; anyone who isn't already on board with the type of feature it represents won't find anything to change their minds, and can safely pass on by. But for those open to all there is on hand - the good and the bad - there's enough earnest heart here to be well worth a look. Frankly, this is actually much better than I had expected. I began watching with the assumption it would be all but excruciating in its ham-fistedness, yet despite definite touches of inelegance - I kind of love this. Sometimes a bit of brazen feel-good wholesomeness is just what is called for, and when it's done right - well, no one is more surprised than I am.
Nothing remarkable, but well made - to my delight, 'Dear Santa' is pretty good when all is said and done. I wouldn't say you need to go out of your way to watch it, but if you come across it, these are 90 pleasant minutes.