“Random Acts of Christmas” is a holiday film that promotes the spirit of Christmas and I recommend it!
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TITLE: Random Acts of Christmas
FILM YEAR: 2021
DURATION: 1 Hr., 29 Minutes
COMPANY: Lifetime Television
Directed by Marita Gabiak
Written by Barbara Kymlicka
Produced by Navid soofi
Executive Producer: Timothy O. Johnson, Joseph Wilka
Supervising Producer: Oliver De Caigny
Music by Russ Howard III
Cinematography by Mike Kam
Edited by Devin Taylor
Casting by Lindsay Chag, Judy JK Lee
Production Design by Heather Coutts
Set Decoration by Natalia Peixoto
Starring:
Erin Cahill as Sydney Larkin
Kevin McGarry as Colin Hauer
Jaden Oehr as Oliver Larkin
Hamza Fouad as Andy Cooper
Patrick Duffy as Howard
Jaclyn Sith as Lauren Larkin
Catherine Lough Haggquist as Perry
Paralee Cook as Beth
Inspired by a story idea following random acts of kindness at Christmas, a journalist reconnects with an old flame in her home town.
With last year’s reviews featuring a lot of holiday films from Lifetime Television, I just realized that this nearly two weeks of covering holiday films, this is the first Lifetime Television film that I am reviewing for 2022 and this is “Random Acts of Christmas” from 2019.
The holiday telefilm is directed by Marita Grabiak (“9-1-1: Loen Star”, “Baby, It’s Cold Inside”, “Fit for a Prince”) and written by Barbara Kymlicka (“Winter Castle”, “Becoming Santa”).
The film stars Erin Cahill (“Power Rangers: Time Force”, “Resident Evil: Vendetta”), Kevin McGarry (“Saw 3D”, “Open Heart”), Jaden Oehr (“Charmed”, “Riverdale”), Hamza Fouad (“Riverdale”, “DC Legends of Tomorrow”, “Helstrom”), Patrick Duffy (“Dallas”, “Step by Step”, “You Again”) and Jaclyn Smith (“Charlie’s Angels”, “The Bourne Identity”, “Nightkill”) and Catherine Lough Haggquist (“Motehrland: Fort Salem”, “Angels in the Snow”, “Supernatural”).
The film revolves around single mother Sydney Larkin (portrayed by Erin Cahill) who takes care of her young son Oliver (portrayed by Jaden Oehr).
Sydney is a TV news writer who is looking for her big break and her boss tells her that she wants her to break the story of who is the Secret Santa. The Secret Santa has been making huge
And needless to say, there is competition with another writer, Andy Cooper (portrayed by Hamza Fouad).
While Sydney was hoping that her boss would take one of her stories, knowing that this may land her a major job, she tries to look for Secret Santa and Sydney’s mother Lauren (portrayed by Jaclyn Smith) also tells her to believe in herself and do what she does.
While working on the story, she bumps into another guy, Colin Hauer aka “Cole”.
While talking with Cole, Cole tells her that he is a freelance writer and she explains to him that she hopes to find who the Secret Santa is that is making wonderful things happening throughout the city.
In truth, Cole is the Secret Santa, who happens to be a wealthy owner of a Christmas business and with his secretary Howard (portrayed by Patrick Duffy), but he wants to bring the spirit of Christmas back to the hearts of children and make people excited about Christmas. But seeing the good of Sydney, he sees a quality in her that attracts him to her.
And so Cole, wanting to help her out in getting the big job, two make a pact to work together in trying to uncover the identity of the Secret Santa. But also a way for Cole to be closer with Sydney.
But how long can Cole keep his secret from Sydney and will it affect their growing friendship?
“Random Acts of Christmas” is an entertaining holiday film about two people who have dreams and aspirations.
Sydney is an aspiring television journalist who is seeking her big break (and her boss wants her to discover who this mysterious Secret Santa who has been bringing the Christmas spirit to the city) and when she was feeling down and out, she confides to Cole, who tells her that he is a freelance journalist like her. But in truth, Sydney’s major story is about him. She doesn’t know that Cole Howard the journalist, is actually Colin Hauer, the owner of the Hauer Christmas Decoration company, one of the largest Christmas decoration companies in the country.
As Cole brings the spirit of Christmas back in full force throughout the city with his act of kindness, he finds himself falling for Sydney (and the two falling for each other), but doesn’t know how he can tell her the truth that he is not a journalist and that he is the Secret Santa?
It’s a very good story and it was great to see TV legends Jaclyn Smith and Patrick Duffy in this holiday telefilm.
But it was also good to see actress Erin Cahill in annual Christmas roles since 2016. Having watched her back when she was a Power Ranger, it is cool to see her now become an actress appearing each year in a holiday film such as “Sleigh Bells Ring” (2016), “Last Vermont Christmas” (2018), “Hometown Christmas” (2018), “Christmas on the Range” (2019), “A Timeless Christmas” (2000), “Everytime a Bell Rings” (2021) and “Christmas Bedtime Stories” (2022).
The same could be said about actor Kevin McGarry who has also been actor that has become a familiar face in holiday films since 2017. From films such as “A Song for Christmas” (2017), “Winter Love Story” (2019), “Christmas Scavenger Hunt” (2019) and “A Very Corgi Christmas” (2019).
Both talents had very good chemistry and made this film entertaining. “Random Acts of Christmas” is a holiday film that promotes the spirit of Christmas and I recommend it!
