Cancel Christmas
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The premise
Santa Claus discovers that children have become too greedy and must prove otherwise before his favorite holiday is canceled. His mission is to teach two incorrigible children the importance of charity.
How unusual is it?
Very. Santa is real, magic, mistaken identity and Santa himself all turn up in one movie — the strangest 3% of everything we've logged.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
ShowHide
Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- Santa is governed by a corporate board of directors
- The elf Randal goes undercover in drag as a woman named Randine to manipulate a father at an airport
- Santa's face magically changes in every photograph taken of him
- The antagonist's entire villainous motivation is based on not getting a pony when she was seven
- Santa uses a magic cell phone that only rings when he successfully reforms a child
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 33 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Time & season3
Characters7
Why we’d put this one on
Judd Nelson plays Santa Claus, who is hauled before a corporate board threatening to retire him because kids have gotten too greedy. To save his job he goes undercover as a school janitor named Kris Frost to reform a few troubled boys. Weirdness 9, and the board-of-directors framing alone is wild, plus an elf named Randal who goes undercover in drag as Randine, and a villain whose entire grudge is not getting a pony at seven. At 5.4 it is rough around the edges, but the premise is a gift. A perfect bad-movie night with a forgiving crowd.
How it all plays out
Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.
Full story (spoilers)
The film opens at the North Pole, where Santa Claus is confronted by a corporate board led by the icy Constance. They argue that children have become greedy and that Santa is no longer effective, leading them to 'cancel' the Santa portion of Christmas. Santa invokes 'Paragraph Four' of his contract, giving him thirty days to prove he can still inspire the true spirit of giving. He is assigned three 'hellions' to reform: Farley Morgan, a wealthy prankster; Steven Rojack, a follower; and Adam Claymore, a boy embittered by a car accident that left him in a wheelchair and killed his father. Santa and his elf, Randal, travel to Earth undercover as 'Kris Frost' and 'Mr. Elfman,' taking jobs as janitors at Riverbrook Academy. They rent a room from Jeannie Claymore, Adam's mother and a teacher at the school. Kris begins his mission by observing the boys' behavior, eventually catching Farley and Steven in a superglue prank. Instead of reporting them, he coerces them into helping him build a wheelchair ramp for Adam. Meanwhile, Kris takes a side job as a mall Santa, but he refuses to ask children what they want, instead asking what they want to give. This causes a media frenzy when a reporter, Eric Simms, discovers that Kris's face appears differently to everyone who looks at him. As the deadline approaches, the boys' hearts begin to soften. Steven sells his beloved drum set to fund a high-tech 'Mobius' wheelchair for Adam, and Farley begins to reconcile with his neglectful father, Charles. In a bizarre subplot, Randal disguises himself as a woman named 'Randine' to guilt-trip Charles Morgan at the airport, successfully convincing him to prioritize his son. On Christmas Eve, the boys surprise Adam with the new wheelchair and Farley gives Adam his dog, Kip. The magic phone rings three times, signaling Santa's success. In the final resolution, Santa saves his job and melts Constance's heart by finally giving her the pony she was denied as a child, while it begins to snow for the first time in decades.
Beat by beat
Opening
The North Pole board, led by Constance, attempts to forcibly retire Santa for failing to curb children's selfishness.
Inciting Incident
Santa and Randal go undercover as janitors at Riverbrook Academy to reform three specific troubled boys.
Midpoint
Kris Frost becomes a media sensation as a mall Santa who encourages giving over receiving, while his physical appearance shifts magically in photos.
Rising Action
The boys are caught in a prank and forced to build a ramp for Adam, leading to an unexpected friendship.
Climax
Steven sells his drums to buy Adam a high-tech wheelchair, and Farley gives Adam his dog, completing their transformation.
Resolution
Santa's contract is renewed 'in perpetuity' after he gives Constance the pony she wanted as a child.
Did you know?
A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.
At a weirdness score of 9, it lands among the strangest 3% of Hallmark movies we've scored.
Top 3% weirdest
Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 3%.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Cancel Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Weirdest Hallmark MoviesScores 9/10 on our weirdness scale — comfortably in the strange end.
- Craziest Hallmark MoviesWild enough in premise to make the all-time list.
- Best Hallmark Christmas MoviesIt is, of course, a Christmas movie.
- Weirdest Hallmark Christmas MoviesA Christmas movie strange enough to make the weird list.
- Hallmark Supernatural MoviesHas a supernatural element.
- Hallmark Dog & Pet MoviesA four-legged matchmaker.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“The true spirit of Christmas is the giving of oneself. That message is being lost. Children today worship money.”
— Santa ClausArguing with the board about the state of the world. “I'm never doing drag for you again. My calves still hurt from the high heels.”
— Randal ElfmanAfter tricking Farley's father at the airport. “A gift from the heart is more valuable than a gift from the store.”
— Kris FrostTeaching a child at the mall the meaning of giving.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Kris Frost / Santa Claus
LeadJanitor / Santa Claus
WisePatientMagicalObservantJeannie Claymore
Love interestTeacher
Landlord and friend
KindProtectiveHardworkingConstance
AntagonistBoard Chairperson
Boss/Overseer
ColdCorporateBitterPony-obsessedRandal Elfman
SupportingJanitor's Assistant / Elf
Assistant and best friend
SarcasticLoyalTech-savvyWilling to wear dragFarley Morgan
SupportingStudent
Target of reformation
WealthyPranksterLonelyAthletic
Questions people ask about Cancel Christmas
Where can I watch Cancel Christmas?
Cancel Christmas is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Cancel Christmas?
Cancel Christmas runs about 1 hour and 27 minutes, and was released in 2010.
Is Cancel Christmas a Christmas movie?
Yes. Cancel Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .