Santa, Jr.
Where to watch
United States3 ways
Via 
JustWatch · can change anytime.
The premise
Father Christmas's son tries to follow in his father's footsteps, but gets arrested while delivering presents.
How unusual is it?
Very. Santa is real, mistaken identity, Santa himself and an actual miracle all turn up in one movie — the strangest 7% 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's son being placed under house arrest at a lawyer's house
- Christmas Powder used as a memory-wiping agent similar to Men In Black
- The Naughty or Nice list being an electronic handheld device called the NON 7.9
- An elf who wears a 'union suit' and complains about labor conditions
- The protagonist catching a criminal and then stealing his Cadillac to use as a sleigh
- A magical hotline to the North Pole that requires dialing 464646
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 28 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Time & season3
Romance5
How it ends3
Why we’d put this one on
Nick Stabile plays Santa's son, arrested in San Diego after being mistaken for the Christmas Bandit, a burglar robbing homes in a Santa suit. Lauren Holly is the skeptical public defender who ends up hosting him under house arrest. Weirdness 8, and the gadgets are pure 2002: a Naughty or Nice list that is a handheld device called the NON 7.9, Christmas Powder used like a Men in Black memory wipe, and a North Pole hotline you reach by dialing 464646. At 5.4 it is dated and goofy, but Judd Nelson turns up too, and the catch-the-real-crook plot keeps it moving.
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 begins with Chris Cringle Jr. being apprehended by San Diego detectives Norm Potter and Darryl Bedford during an early attempt to deliver presents. Mistaken for the 'Christmas Bandit,' Chris is booked into jail where he insists on his identity as Santa's son. Susan Flynn, a public defender with a personal distaste for Christmas due to past trauma, takes his case. Due to Chris having no legal address, a judge remarkably orders him to be placed under house arrest at Susan's residence, fitted with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. While Chris is confined, the real Christmas Bandit, Wally Fisk, continues his crime spree, complicating Chris's legal situation. Chris is soon joined by Stan, an elf who arrived via the chimney, though they have lost their reindeer, Farley, and their sleigh. To prove his identity and spread joy, Chris uses his 'Naughty or Nice' list (the NON 7.9 version handheld device) to identify local children and their specific wishes. Susan and the detectives begin to suspect Chris might be telling the truth when they distribute the 'evidence' toys and find they perfectly match what the children wanted. Meanwhile, a romance blossoms between Susan and Detective Bedford. The plot reaches its climax when Chris and Stan track the real bandit to the docks. Chris uses magical 'Christmas Powder' to incapacitate the criminals and clear his name. In the resolution, Chris realizes that the Christmas spirit is found in selfless acts of kindness. He and Stan transform the bandit's stolen Cadillac into a magical flying vehicle to finish the global delivery route, leaving Susan and the detectives with their memories of the event intact as they celebrate a restored sense of holiday wonder.
Beat by beat
Opening
Chris Cringle Jr. is arrested in San Diego and mistaken for a serial burglar known as the Christmas Bandit.
Inciting Incident
A judge places Chris under house arrest at the home of his public defender, Susan Flynn.
Midpoint
Stan the elf arrives to help Chris, and they use a high-tech 'Naughty or Nice' list to prove Chris's identity to the neighborhood kids.
Turning Point
Detectives Bedford and Potter distribute the impounded toys as 'evidence,' only to realize the gifts perfectly match the children's secret wishes.
Climax
Chris and Stan track the real Christmas Bandit to the docks and use magical Christmas powder to subdue him.
Resolution
Chris and Stan fly off in a modified Cadillac to finish delivering presents, having taught Susan and the detectives about the true holiday spirit.
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 8, it lands among the strangest 7% of Hallmark movies we've scored.
Top 7% weirdest
Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 7%.
The backstory
- Music by Ken Thorne.
Santa Jr. is a 2002 American made-for-television romantic comedy Christmas film starring Lauren Holly and Judd Nelson. It premiered on Hallmark Channel in 2002. As of 2009, it was shown in the 25 Days of Christmas programming block on ABC Family, but it was not part of the block in 2010.
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 Santa, Jr. belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Weirdest Hallmark MoviesScores 8/10 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 Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“I'm not Santa Claus. I'm his son.”
— Chris Cringle Jr.Explaining his identity to the judge in court. “You told me to be totally honest.”
— Chris Cringle Jr.Defending his claim of being Santa's son to his lawyer. “When a person goes that extra mile for someone else and they have nothing to gain... that's the Christmas spirit.”
— Susan FlynnExplaining her realization of what the holiday is actually about.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Chris Cringle Jr.
LeadSanta's Successor
EarnestMagicalMisunderstoodHonestDarryl Bedford
Love interestPolice Detective
Arresting officer and Susan's romantic interest
DutifulRomanticOpen-mindedWally Fisk
AntagonistCriminal
Identity thief/rival
GreedyArrogantSusan Flynn
SupportingPublic Defender
Legal counsel and host
SkepticalProfessionalChristmas-hatingKind-heartedStan
SupportingElf
Family employee and mentor
GrumpyLoyalResourceful
Questions people ask about Santa, Jr.
Where can I watch Santa, Jr.?
Santa, Jr. is available via YouTube TV, UP Faith & Family Apple TV Channel, and UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel . Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Santa, Jr.?
Santa, Jr. runs about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and was released in 2002.
Is Santa, Jr. a Christmas movie?
Yes. Santa, Jr. is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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Data and sources
Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .