Finding Santa

6.5/10 · 2,174 ratings20171h 24mChristmasWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

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The premise

Grace is thrilled to be taking over the town's Christmas parade, but when the man playing St. Nick breaks his arm, she needs to find a replacement, even if the replacement is unwilling.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — Santa himself and an enemies-to-lovers arc keep it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The existence of a high-stakes 'Santa School' with a refresher course and a motto: 'Find the jolly!'
  • Ben's novel is described as 'The Outsiders, but with zombies.'
  • Grace tricks a man into a multi-state kidnapping-by-Uber to save a parade.
  • A Santa candidate (Jim) asks a child about the square footage of their property and zoning permits when they ask for a pony.

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 35 to find more movies that do the same thing.

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)
Grace Long runs a year-round Christmas store in Green River, Connecticut, and is organizing the town's 50th Annual Christmas Parade, which has just been selected for a national broadcast by 'Good Day, USA.' The town's success relies heavily on Tom White, a professional Santa who runs a local Santa School. Disaster strikes when Tom falls and breaks his arm, leaving him unable to perform. Desperate, Grace learns of Tom's son, Ben, who was fully trained at the Santa School but left for Boston to pursue writing. Grace travels to Boston and finds Ben working as a rideshare driver; he initially refuses her request, stating that Christmas 'isn't his thing.' Grace tricks him into driving her back to Connecticut by requesting a long-distance Uber ride. During the journey, they are forced to stop at a Santa School to pick up supplies, where Ben's proficiency in 'Santa skills' like Gaelic greetings is revealed despite his reluctance. A sudden snowstorm strands them at the home of Ben's friend, Amy. While there, Ben sees Amy's sick children are heartbroken about missing Santa, so he dons his father's suit to surprise them, rediscovering the joy of the role. Upon returning to Green River, a misunderstanding occurs when Ben overhears Grace saying she would do 'anything to protect her legacy,' leading him to believe her interest in him was purely transactional for the sake of the parade. Ben prepares to leave for Boston, but a heart-to-heart with his father—who finally gives Ben his blessing to be a writer rather than a Santa—changes his perspective. Meanwhile, Grace realizes she has been neglecting her own passion for painting to fulfill her parents' expectations. At the last second, Ben replaces the incompetent Mayor's son, Clint, as the parade Santa. The film concludes one year later with Ben and Grace co-authoring a children's book, where Ben uses the book's dedication to propose to Grace.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Tom White, the town's professional Santa, breaks his arm, threatening the success of the 50th anniversary parade.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Grace travels to Boston and tricks Ben White into driving her back to Green River via a rideshare app.

  3. Midpoint

    A snowstorm forces Grace and Ben to stay with Ben's friend, where Ben puts on the Santa suit for the first time to cheer up sick children.

  4. Climax

    After a misunderstanding, Ben almost leaves, but returns at the last minute to replace the disastrous Clint as the parade Santa.

  5. Resolution

    Ben proposes to Grace through the dedication of their new children's book a year later.

35 tropes in one movie

We counted 35 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.5 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.5567

Higher-rated than 56% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Finding Santa belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Find the jolly!”
    — Tom WhiteThe motto of the Santa School.
  • “I'm a rideshare driver. Gotta pay the bills, right?”
    — Ben WhiteExplaining his life in Boston to Grace.
  • “You're so afraid of facing the reality that you're not happy with your own life choices, that you spend every waking moment trying to force me to change mine.”
    — Ben WhiteDuring the central argument at the Ugly Sweater party.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Grace Long

    Lead

    Christmas Store Owner

    OrganizedArtisticLegacy-drivenDetermined
  • Ben White

    Love interest

    Uber Driver / Aspiring Novelist

    Romantic interest and son of the town Santa

    CynicalTalentedReluctantKind-hearted
  • Clint

    Antagonist

    Mayor's Son

    The 'bad' replacement Santa

    ArrogantIncompetentLazy
  • Tom White

    Supporting

    Santa School Instructor

    Ben's father and Grace's mentor

    JollyTraditionalInjured

Questions people ask about Finding Santa

Where can I watch Finding Santa?

Finding Santa is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is Finding Santa?

Finding Santa runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

Is Finding Santa a Christmas movie?

Yes. Finding Santa is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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Data and sources

HallmarkDB catalogue. How we research filmsData refreshed .

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Sources:IMDbTMDB