Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

Once Upon a Christmas

  • TV Movie
  • 20002000
  • GG
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
890
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
Once Upon a Christmas (2000)
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Family
Santa is discouraged by a lack of Christmas spirit and wants to quit, but his daughter, Kristin, begs for one more chance to prove to him that there is hope for the world.Santa is discouraged by a lack of Christmas spirit and wants to quit, but his daughter, Kristin, begs for one more chance to prove to him that there is hope for the world.Santa is discouraged by a lack of Christmas spirit and wants to quit, but his daughter, Kristin, begs for one more chance to prove to him that there is hope for the world.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
890
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Tibor Takács
  • Writer
    • Steven H. Berman
  • Stars
    • John Dye
    • Kathy Ireland
    • Mary Donnelly Haskell
Top credits
  • Director
    • Tibor Takács
  • Writer
    • Steven H. Berman
  • Stars
    • John Dye
    • Kathy Ireland
    • Mary Donnelly Haskell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

    Once Upon a Christmas (2000)
    Once Upon a Christmas (2000)
    Once Upon a Christmas (2000)
    Once Upon a Christmas (2000)
    Once Upon a Christmas (2000)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Dye
    John Dye
    • Bill Morganas Bill Morgan
    Kathy Ireland
    Kathy Ireland
    • Kristen Clausas Kristen Claus
    Mary Donnelly Haskell
    Mary Donnelly Haskell
    • Rudolfa Clausas Rudolfa Claus
    Liz Torres
    Liz Torres
    • The Tooth Fairyas The Tooth Fairy
    Robin Avery
    • Sandmanas Sandman
    Penny Blake
    • Elf #1as Elf #1
    Rachelle Carson-Begley
    Rachelle Carson-Begley
    • Harley Jonesas Harley Jones
    • (as Rachelle Carson)
    Douglas Campbell
    • Santa Clausas Santa Claus
    André Carthen
    • Principal Marshas Principal Marsh
    Michael Gilden
    Michael Gilden
    • Dunderas Dunder
    James Kirk
    James Kirk
    • Kyle Morganas Kyle Morgan
    Grant Linneberg
    • Coach Zaneas Coach Zane
    Elizabeth Prout
    • Mrs. Morganas Mrs. Morgan
    Jennifer Prout
    • Young Brittanyas Young Brittany
    Kirsten Zien
    Kirsten Zien
    • Brittany Morganas Brittany Morgan
    • (as Kirsten Prout)
    Nicole Robert
    • Charleneas Charlene
    Rebecca Toolan
    Rebecca Toolan
    • Mrs. Clausas Mrs. Claus
    Wayne Thomas Yorke
    Wayne Thomas Yorke
    • Uncle Johnnyas Uncle Johnny
    • Director
      • Tibor Takács
    • Writer
      • Steven H. Berman
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    Twice Upon a Christmas
    5.3
    Twice Upon a Christmas
    Holiday in Handcuffs
    6.1
    Holiday in Handcuffs
    A Christmas Romance
    6.1
    A Christmas Romance
    Naughty or Nice
    6.4
    Naughty or Nice
    Christmas Cupid
    5.4
    Christmas Cupid
    Mistletoe Over Manhattan
    6.1
    Mistletoe Over Manhattan
    Christmas Belle
    5.0
    Christmas Belle
    My Santa
    5.5
    My Santa
    Eve's Christmas
    5.8
    Eve's Christmas
    Annie Claus Is Coming to Town
    6.1
    Annie Claus Is Coming to Town
    Sound of Christmas
    6.4
    Sound of Christmas
    Mom and Dad Save the World
    5.3
    Mom and Dad Save the World

    Storyline

    Edit
    Widower Bill Morgan took in his loser brother-in-law, Uncle Johnny to his cynical, materially spoiled brats Kyle and Charlene, who never need long to chase each new au-pair screaming, while Bill spends all his time on business and a budding affair with a close, equally workaholic spinster colleague. The kids' misbehavior and disbeliever comments on a 'Santa Smells' website got them struck from the Northpole Christmas gifts list, like so many that Santa refuses to go on and leaves on his and Mrs. Klaus's first Hawaian holiday. Firstborn daughter Rudolfa was waiting to succeed and turn Christmas into a creepy prank festival, but her gentle younger sister Kristen begs a change to save Christmas be redeeming the Morgan family. So she reports as new au-pair, who wins the rascals over, finally helped by Johnny, who fears eviction. However Rudolfa has an evil plan, exploiting Bill refusal to pit up a Christmas tree and a crucial business presentation. —KGF Vissers
    • christmas
    • sabotage
    • party
    • jealousy
    • fraud
    • 12 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Can Santa's daughter turn naughty to nice and save Christmas?
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Family
      • Fantasy
      • Romance
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • G
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      When Kristen has frozen time, the flames are completely immobile. However, the smoke continues to blow out of the windows.
    • Quotes

      Uncle Johnny: Kristen says every day should be like Christmas.

      Harley Jones: Oh, what a lovely thought. But when would people work?

    • Connections
      Featured in Cinematic Excrement: Once Upon a Christmas (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      It Must Have Been The Mistletoe
      Performed by Mary Donnelly Haskell & Marc Cory Lee

    User reviews16

    Review
    Top review
    3/10
    For Kathy Ireland devotees, Christmas freaks, and royalists.
    You've heard of "King Midas In Reverse"? Kathy Ireland is Orson Welles in reverse - meaning to say the swimsuit model-cum-actress-cum-designer-cum-Christian's never done a movie as BAD as her debut ("Alien From L.A."). "Once Upon A Christmas" continues this tradition, though not alas for lack of trying.

    This TV movie is based on the premise that Santa Claus has become disillusioned with his day job, what with so many naughty people in the world and anti-Kringle websites ("Jingle bells, Santa smells..."); but his good-hearted daughter Kristin (Kathy, but who else?) still feels there's a chance for December 25, so she agrees to try and change the mind of the Morgans, with the future of Yuletide at stake. But the father (John Dye) is business-minded, his children are avaricious and intent on getting rid of every potential substitute mum, and their uncle (Wayne Thomas Yorke, in the movie's best performance) is hardly the ideal guardian. Plus our heroine's sister is little more than the Grinch in human form...

    All of which could, in better hands, have proven to be a decent little seasonal movie; it certainly has good intentions on its side, and isn't too shameless in its pitch for the "Touched By An Angel" audience (I knew John Dye had been on it, and I bet myself that Kathy had also been alongside Roma Downey at one point. I was right). But better writing and directing (Steven H. Berman and Tibor Takacs respectively) would have helped, with the amusing earlier scenes at the North Pole wiped out by the poorly handled climax; decent special effects - Kathy's sleigh ride makes "Superboy" look good - and child actors who can actually act wouldn't have gone amiss either. For a movie that's supposed to be about restoring the Christmas spirit, this is fairly low on spirit itself; it's never really as heartwarming as it should be, and depressingly short on humour as well (the villain gets surprisingly little time, with the emphasis on the family).

    Kathy Ireland is, however, endearing (as well as looking a treat throughout - as the credits point out, "Special Thanks to The Kathy Ireland Signature Collection"), and the movie is more bearable than "Ernest Saves Christmas" or the "Miracle on 34th Street" remake. It would be nice to think that the sequel ("Twice Upon A Christmas") is an improvement, but I'm not holding my breath. (For those wondering why this is good for royalists, a certain Edward Wessex is one of the executive producers. Well, he has to do something...)
    helpful•4
    6
    • Victor Field
    • Dec 14, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 18, 2016 (Belgium)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A Christmas Story
    • Filming locations
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Ardent Productions
      • Legacy Filmworks
      • Lincoln Field Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    ABC Family’s Full ’25 Days of Christmas’ Lineup: What Will You Be Watching?
    Nov 4TVovermind.com
    Merry Christmas! Holiday Films On Netflix
    Dec 25WeAreMovieGeeks.com

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The 10 Most Anticipated Marvel and DC Movies
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.