Booky & the Secret Santa (TV 2007)

Booky does everything she can to make an enjoyable Christmas, for her family, during the depression as her father is out of work.

Director:

Peter Moss

Writers:

Joe Wiesenfeld, Bernice Thurman Hunter (novels)

Stars:

Rachel Marcus, Megan Follows, Stuart Hughes

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rachel Marcus	...	Booky (Beatrice Thomson)
Megan Follows	...	Francie Thomson
Stuart Hughes	...	Thomas Thomson
Dylan Everett	...	Arthur Thomson
Sarah White	...	Willa Thomson
Noah Ryan Scott	...	Jakey Thomson
Emilia McCarthy	...	Laura
Kenneth Welsh	...	Mr. Eaton
Nahanni Johnstone	...	Anne Westover
Jane Sowerby	...	Aunt Susan
Libby Adams	...	Ada-May
Miles Potter	...	Henry Westover
Diane D'Aquila	...	Mrs. Eaton
Johnie Chase	...	Foreman #1
Zie Souwand	...	Reindeer #1

Storyline

The Thomsons - parents Thomas and Francie, and children Willa, Arthur, Beatrice (nicknamed Booky) and Jakey - are a loving working class family living in Depression era Toronto. In the lead up to Christmas, Thomas loses his job as a harness maker for the Eaton's company as the company is moving into the motorized age in an effort to keep up with the times; Eaton's is facing as challenging a time as any business during the Depression. Thomas' job prospects in this changing time are not good. Ironically, Eaton's has a Christmas Fund where each child in the city whose father is not working is eligible for a Christmas gift from the company. Because of the Thomson's new situation, Booky risks losing her best friend Laura Westover, whose snobbish and social climbing mother wants her daughter to associate with a higher class of friend. By happenstance, Booky befriends Mr. Eaton, the owner of the Eaton company. Because of circumstances, Booky, who knows Mr. Eaton was the Eaton's Christmas ...

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | parade | christmas parade | santa claus | children | 

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Genres:

Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 2007 (Canada)

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Booky II, Platt Productions, Shaftesbury Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

In a scene between Booky and Mr. Eaton where they are sitting on a bench outside the Nut Shoppe, the scene cuts between shots of Booky face on and Mr. Eaton face on where the back of Booky's head is seen. From the front, Booky's toque is not covering her right ear. From the back, Booky's toque partially covers her right ear.

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Connections

Follows Booky Makes Her Mark (2006)

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Soundtracks

"What's Up?"
Written by Jack Trombey

User Reviews

Glad this was repeated on Christmas Day, 2008!

What a sweet period piece this is. Perfect for Christmas and thoroughly feel-good all around, even though it is chockablock with impossible events. It is almost a fairy tale, but that doesn't matter, it's the feeling we get from it that counts. I hope that people everywhere could see this, not just Canadians, but certainly this film would be of particular interest to people in Toronto.

The character Booky is the sweetest child imaginable, what great casting. Set design seems authentic, for as much as I know about the 1930s. This movie is at least as much about the late, lamented T. Eaton Co. as it is about a girl trying to save her family from poverty, unemployment, and the prospect of no Christmas! I think that Canadians may have a few poignant memories of Eaton's thanks to this movie.