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The Santa Box
Family Christmas Theatrical Release
102 Minutes
November 13, 2020 from Excel Entertainment
Summary
Salt Lake City – Writer, Director and Producer Spanky Dustin Ward in partnership with Covenant Communications and Excel Entertainment announced today that he new film, THE SANTA BOX, will open in local Megaplex Theatres on Friday, November 6. Covenant Communications served as the production company with Ron Brough as executive producer, and Excel Entertainment is distributing the film in theaters.
Ward had been working on the idea and screenplay for the film over the past couple of years, but it was earlier this summer that the actual production shifted into high gear. “We shot the film in early August at several locations along the Wasatch Front,” said Ward. “And that was after only about three weeks of pre-production time, including casting and rehearsals! But everything fell perfectly into place to get THE SANTA BOX produced in time to release it for this Holiday season.”
THE SANTA BOX tells the story of teenager Kallie Watts. For the past five years, Christmas has spelled disaster for her and her family. When a fire leaves Kallie and her widowed mother homeless just before the holidays, there’s only one conclusion: Kallie is cursed by Christmas. When Kallie and her mother relocate to a small California town, Kallie is confronted by her worst nightmare come true: a town overflowing with holiday decorations and Christmas cheer. Kallie’s life is soon changed forever by the gift of a Santa box. When she lifts the lid, she rediscovers the magic and true meaning of Christmas.
THE SANTA BOX features mostly local talent, including Shawn Stevens as Otto, and newcomer Cami Carver as Kallie. “Playing Otto was something completely new for me, but it was a role I wanted so much,” said Stevens. “The Otto character is an 85-year-old German immigrant, and naturally, Spanky originally wanted to cast an actor who was around that age. But, luckily for me, with the help of an amazing makeup artist, Vanae Morris, I was able to convince Spanky that I could pull-off a great performance of an old German man. And the character was an absolute joy to play.”
“For the role of Kallie, we auditioned dozens of young actresses and Cami originally auditioned for a different role, but she absolutely knocked our socks off!” proclaimed Ward. “We instantly knew she was our Kallie.”
In addition to the two leads, THE SANTA BOX features 20-plus major characters and dozens of extras. “Filming during this crazy time brought some unique challenges, but we acclimated to it very quickly,” said Ward. “Everyone on the production team strictly adhered to safe production guidelines implemented by the health officers we had on set. Thanks to those practices, everyone in the cast and crew stayed healthy and the production went off without a hitch.”
For more information on THE SANTA BOX, visit IMDB.
Movie Trailer
My Review
THE SANTA BOX is a charming movie about the spirit of Christmas. A single mother and her teen daughter (who hates Christmas) move to a new town and find themselves in the middle of a bit of a feud with their neighbor. One woman has been trying to buy a house on property she wants to develop for profit, but to do so she has to get the older man (the new family's neighbor) who lives there evicted. It's a short and sweet movie that those who enjoy Hallmark or Disney Chanel movies may enjoy.
I thought there were some good moments in the film and lots of good messages about different beliefs, the main theme being forgiveness. It's a family friendly film, even if a bit cheesy, and a heartwarming story. There are some elements of Christianity, but nothing pushy. The main focus is on the teen daughter, her mom, her mom's love interest, the elderly neighbor, and the mother and daughter who seem to cause most of the strife in the town and at school. The ending is sweet and full of Christmas cheer.
This film could have used a bit more fine tuning. There were different prop and wardrobe issues, particularly for being set in December. Some of the acting was overly dramatic. Parts of the plot weren't realistic. Otherwise, I think it would be on par with a Hallmark movie or similar.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an overall enjoyable movie that could be watched as a family during the Christmas season. Would recommend to those who enjoy Hallmark movies.
Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary viewing through the publicist, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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