Help for the Holidays

"because elves, after all, deserve happiness, too"

2012 1h 24m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 67

FamilyFantasyTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Although she loves Christmas, Santa’s elf Christine (Summer Glau) wonders if there could be more to life than making toys in the North Pole. When Santa receives an emergency wish from a little boy in Los Angeles, he puts Christine on a special assignment, sending her to L.A. to give the VanCamp family—mom Sara (Eva La Rue), dad Scott (Dan Gauthier), and their two kids Ally (Izabela Vidovic) and Will (Mason Cook)—a holiday wake-up call. Will Christine fail her assignment and be sent back to the North Pole for good, or will the VanCamps come to their senses about the meaning of Christmas?

“because elves, after all, deserve happiness, too”

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Where to watch · US

UP Faith & Family Apple TV channelSubscription

UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel Subscription

Cast

Summer Glau
Christine Prancer
Dan Gauthier
Scott Vancamp
Eva LaRue
Sara Vancamp
Izabela Vidovic
Ally Vancamp
Mason Cook
Will Vancamp
Jessie Lande
Gabby
John Brotherton
Dave Gabriel
Steve Larkin
Santa

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bradford May
Writers: Abbey Cleland, Bob Sáenz, Abbey Cleland
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bradford May, shot by Maximo Munzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lawrence Shragge. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Craig Bassett shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Summer Glau and Dan Gauthier and Eva LaRue carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "because elves, after all, deserve happiness, too".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2374486 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bradford May directs. Maximo Munzi behind the camera. Lawrence Shragge scores. Craig Bassett cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 14 years ago.
3Directed by Bradford May, shot by Maximo Munzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Lawrence Shragge. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Craig Bassett shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Summer Glau and Dan Gauthier and Eva LaRue carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "because elves, after all, deserve happiness, too".
8IMDB entry: tt2374486 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 67 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.