Location: North Pole, Santa’s Workshop: Stable Master John delivers the bad news to Santa and Mrs. Claus: Prancer’s hoof is badly injured and he will NOT be flying on Christmas Eve. Flying with one reindeer missing would throw the sleigh’s equilibrium off, put undue stress on the other reindeer, and take days longer to deliver all the presents. Christmas must be cancelled. Santa and Mrs. Claus stare John down and demand he find a solution!

Location: Buckley Falls, Alaska: Annie is at the bank. Her late dad is the reason there are reindeer in this area, but the mortgage needs to be paid and the bank cannot wait any longer. Knowing she may have no choice but to sell, Annie meets with Reginald Buckley, a wealthy land developer who’s been pushing Annie to sell and will bulldoze the ranch to suit his plan, reminding her that if the bank forecloses, she will get nothing. She has until Christmas to decide.

John is desperate for a replacement reindeer and Randy, the Workshop boss, suggests “…you know, that Buckley Falls reindeer ranch in Alaska…?” But when John doesn’t explain himself very well, Annie kicks him out of her house, and with Mrs. Claus not taking no for an answer, John must think of a way to convince Annie and Madison of the importance of his mission. When John insists he knows how to save the ranch and makes a magnificent presentation to the bank, Annie is impressed and quite smitten with him.

But, when Frankie, Madison’s favorite reindeer, goes missing, the thieves are not who you think they are, and Annie is at her wits end and accuses John of working for Mr. Buckley and lying to her. When John finds a telltale sign of who stole Frankie, he takes immediate action to not only make things right for Annie and Maddie, but also to save Christmas for thousands of children all over the world.

Annie (Hilarie Burton) and John (Gabriel Hogan) are well-matched and their interactions are believable with good on-screen chemistry. Little Maddie, played by Lola Flanery, is so adorable and a good convincing actor. You will love to see how this little girl wins the heart of a wealthy, self-centered selfish man through her little act of kindness that turns life around for everyone. The casting is excellent, the music perfectly sets the mood, and the script is well-written.

Thanks to the positive, professional elements, this film is Dove-approved for All Ages.

The Dove Take:

This is a delightful Christmas-themed movie, with some charming fantasy thrown in that will be enjoyed by anyone who wants to believe in dreams coming true, with appearances by Santa!