After watching as many Christmas films as I have, you tend to notice commonalities between them.  Most of this I have already touched on in other reviews, but a rather obscure one are Santa Claus’ (Michael Gross) reindeer.  If you have grown up with the holiday, you will likely be familiar with their names: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and, of course, Rudolph.  We know the last one best from the carol, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”  The earworm of a song reminds us of Rudolph’s fame, but you rarely see him or his shiny nose in cinematic format.  Outside of the 1964 film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, name the number of cinematic representations of the most prominent sleigh puller.  If any of them are named at all, it is usually the others on the list.  I suspect that this has more with filmmakers not wanting to do the special effect for Rudolph’s glowing red snout.  Indeed, today’s entry, Becoming Santa (2015), a rare appearance by the formerly picked on reindeer, shows him just once.  The rest of the time excuses are made for him, saying that he only shows up on Christmas Eve before buggering off somewhere else for the other 364 days.  None of this has anything to do with the birth of Jesus, but what else is new?

What is about to be new in Becoming Santa is Connor (Jesse Hutch) and Holly’s (Laura Bell Bundy) apartment.  While she is at work as a veterinarian, the toy developer is decking their home out in festive regalia as only a Christmas enthusiast can do.  He has a reason for wanting to surprise her with the decorations.  As she is looking around in wonder, he tells her of his intention to marry her.  It is not an official proposal, however, because he first wants to ask her father for her hand.  To this point, she is all excitement.  However, as it sinks in that he wants to visit her parents and meet them for the first time this Christmas, she is panicked.  There is something about her family that she has not told him.  While her parents go by the names Jessica (Meredith Baxter) and Nick, Connor had always assumed the family name Claus to be a coincidence.  In reality, Holly is the daughter of Santa and Mrs. Claus.  Holly also has some of their “magic,” being able to talk to and understand animals, as well as making incredible things happen with the twinkling of her fingers.  Connor probably wishes he could have some of those powers, even if he is not yet aware of them.  He is struggling at work with the children of the digital age who are decidedly uninterested in his wooden dog on wheels when they have technology at their disposal.  Because of his failure, his boss cancels the office Christmas party, and his co-workers blame him.  It is on that unhappy note that Connor and Holly depart for the North Pole, though it takes several planes of decreasing sophistication to get to somewhere in Northern Canada, I guess.  In any case, they are picked up by Mario (Gabe Khouth), the head elf, to drive the rest of the way.  Drive is the wrong word.  Knocking Connor out with some spiked hot cocoa, Mario’s red truck flies the rest of the way to Santa’s workshop.  Connor awakens as if nothing happened and is introduced properly to the family.  Though it is painfully obvious what is going on, and Jessica and Nick do not do much to keep up with the charade, Holly continues to quickly change the subject whenever something Santa-adjacent is mentioned.  Another stressor appears when Jack Frost (Tony Cavalero) visits on Connor and Holly’s first evening.  It is awkward because Jack and Holly had been an item, and everyone had expected them to get married.  It is also clear that Jack still has feelings for Holly, but she fervently reassures Connor of her love for the toy maker.  He needs such reassurance because he is working up the courage to ask Nick about the possibility of marriage to Holly.  Before talking, Nick offers Connor a beverage, having to see to a matter prior to their discussion.  Connor opens what he thinks is a bottle of sherry, but it teleports him to Santa’s workshop.  Immediately, alarm bells go off and everyone realizes that he has finally figured out the situation.  Instead of being angry for not having been told this fact, he is overjoyed to be marrying into this family.  Indeed, so excited is he that he wants to have the wedding on Christmas Day.  As expected, Jack is not happy by this development and does what he can to sabotage the short engagement period.  During the coming days, the Claus family puts Jack through a series of tests.  Once more, Holly has not told Connor another salient fact: the person she makes her husband will be in line to be the next Santa Claus.  He takes the activities for mere fun, but finds himself unable to do things like slide down chimneys, walk undetected through the workshop, or eat the requisite number of cookies.  As before, Jessica is encouraging her daughter to tell the truth, but she is beaten to it by Jack.  Connor is flummoxed by the prospect of one day becoming the magical gift giver.  Emerging from the bedroom, he sees Jack with the rest of the family, presumes they do not need him, and departs without telling anyone.  In a letter he leaves for Holly, Connor explains that they will all be happy without him.  Jack takes advantage of the opportunity to make his own proposal, but she eventually turns him down.  Instead, she plans to take on the Santa mantle herself.  Yet, she is not to be alone.  Back at work, Connor realizes he has the skills needed to fill the post.  He returns to the North Pole, and we end him and Holly joining Santa on Christmas Eve.

There is no time like Christmas Eve for Becoming Santa.  Even Rudolph shows up for the event.  Hence, you have Jolly Ol’ St. Nick, flying reindeer, a bag full of presents, and everything else that is specious about this aspect of how so many celebrates Christmas.  This version of the man in the red suit does have one good Christian thing to say, though.  Initially, when Connor finally learns the truth, he wonders about people he thinks should be on the naughty list.  Nick replies by saying that everyone deserves a second chance.  This is how God treats us.  If there was no forgiveness for our sins, humanity would be in a lot of trouble.  We are all sinners, and since sin means separation from God through a permanent death for the unrepentant soul, what hope would there be without His mercy?  This is part of the message of Christmas, and you can hear it in carols like “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”  After all, one of its lines is, “Born that man no more may die.”  This is not referring to temporal immortality, but an eternity with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.  This sounds fantastical, but I would posit that it is more plausible than a man in a red suit living in the North Pole and delivering gifts on a flying sled pulled by reindeer.  Now, you can accuse me of a lack of faith.  Interestingly, this topic, too, comes up in the film.  Holly is described as having kept the faith and not fallen into doubt regarding her family’s destiny.  That struck this Catholic as being as fantastical as all the Santa stuff.  God knows we all have doubts, particularly about Him.  Following Christ is not a straight, undeviating line to the Father.  There will be bumps and sidetracks.  Faith is about finding your way back to Him, sort of like how Connor and Holly find their way back to each other.

Can I say that Becoming Santa is a metaphor for Faith?  Yes and no.  When viewed properly, almost anything can be seen through the prism of God.  This is why I have The Legionnaire in the first place.  At the same time, this movie is a bunch of harmless nonsense, and it seems silly to make such comparisons.