Secret Santa

TV Movie
20032003
1h 40min

Newspaper reporter Rebecca Chandler, who feels she got no fair chance to prove her worth in her three years career, looks forward to a Hawaian holiday with her fiancé Ryan, but instead of a ring he brings her- walking or... Read allNewspaper reporter Rebecca Chandler, who feels she got no fair chance to prove her worth in her three years career, looks forward to a Hawaian holiday with her fiancé Ryan, but instead of a ring he brings her- walking orders, he found better. So she accepts again to be the bachelor on... Read allNewspaper reporter Rebecca Chandler, who feels she got no fair chance to prove her worth in her three years career, looks forward to a Hawaian holiday with her fiancé Ryan, but instead of a ring he brings her- walking orders, he found better. So she accepts again to be the bachelor on duty in the Christm... Read allNewspaper reporter Rebecca Chandler, who feels she got no fair chance to prove her worth in her three years career, looks forward to a Hawaian holiday with her fiancé Ryan, but instead of a ring he brings her- walking orders, he found better. So she accepts again to be the bachel... Read allNewspaper reporter Rebecca Chandler, who feels she got no fair chance to prove her worth in her three years career, looks forward to a Hawaian holiday with her fiancé Ryan, but instead of a ring he brings her- walking orders, he found better. So she accepts again to be the bachelor on duty in the Christmas season, and write the annual romantic non-news feel good-story... Read all

Director
- Ian Barry
Writers
- Beth Polson
- Robert Tate Miller
Stars
- Jennie Garth
- Steven Eckholdt
- Charles Robinson(as Charlie Robinson)

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

Awards
- 3 wins

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Director
- Ian Barry
Writers
- Beth Polson
- Robert Tate Miller
All cast & crew

See production, box office, & company info

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Newspaper reporter Rebecca Chandler, who feels she got no fair chance to prove her worth in her three years career, looks forward to a Hawaian holiday with her fiancé Ryan, but instead of a ring he brings her- walking orders, he found better. So she accepts again to be the bachelor on duty in the Christmas season, and write the annual romantic non-news feel good-story, once more about the elusive Secret Santa in small-town Hamden, where the Christmas spirit it said to last all year. Bad luck follows her from Indianapolis: her car breaks down, she can only get lodgings in a home for the elderly without Internet, and nobody wants to help her unmask the secret Santa. Soon she guesses it must be the only rich philanthropist, but the popular Mr. John Martin Carter doesn't grant her an interview and isn't tricked either, in fact meets her at the worst repeatedly without her knowing him, until he arranges to be presented at the mayor's Christmas party, then invites her for dinner and proves a charming widower, yet denies being secret Santa, causing her boss to panic and explode. After more bad news and another red herring she is resigned to return defeated... —KGF Vissers

christmas

Taglines
- She set out to uncover Santa...and discovered the best gift to open is your heart.
Genres
- Drama
- Family
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
This was Barbara Billingsley's final acting role before her death on October 16, 2010.

Goofs
John Martin Carter hands Rebecca the same glass of apple cider twice at the mayor's Christmas party.

Quotes
Russell: Giving is its own reward.

Connections
References A Christmas Story (1983)

Top review

Wonderful feel-good holiday movie

Rebecca is tired of reporting on 'fluff' stories for the Indianapolis Sentinel. When her editor wants her to do a story on the 'Secret Santa' who gives anonymous gifts to people in the small town of Hamden, she doesn't want to do it, until she realizes that she can prove herself by making the story more than a fluff piece. (A last-minute change of plans also helps.)

After some misfortunes, Rebecca starts getting to know the people of the town, and she suspects the 'Secret Santa' is one of the town's richest men, a lawyer named John Martin Carter. There are plenty of clues, but getting to the real answer is not easy. She gets splashed by a careless driver ... in this type of movie, when a young woman despises a young man, you can almost predict what is going to happen.

Jennie Garth was great. Not only adorable and sometimes funny, but also determined, and quite pretty too. There were lots of good performances, including Charlie Robinson as an employee at a rest home, who, despite his image as a comic actor, gave one of his best performances ever later in the movie when he wasn't even being funny. Also good was Barbara Billingsley as one of the rest home's residents who teaches Rebecca a lot.

The movie was sometimes funny, but it was also touching. And it was appropriate for the whole family, with a TV-G rating, a rare thing these days on broadcast TV.

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