Review: “Defending Santa” (2013)

Fancy banner done in a navy ground. On either side, Hollywood red curtains tied back with pearl-white cords. In the center of the banner are four gold-navy-&-red art deco-styled brackets framing out the words “Books by Alicia Presents” (in gold), an art deco element beneath, then “Christmas Romance Reviews” (in pearl white).

Basic banner of navy ground and very light gold art-deco brackets in the upper left and bottom right corners. In bolded pearl white, a movie title is written. This one says, “Defending Santa.” Beneath it, in gold, is the date (2013) the movie came out sandwiched between two gold art deco elements.

~ A Courtroom Christmas That Could’ve Been Saved by Better Casting ~

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Dean Cain as “Sheriff Scott Hanson”
Jud Tylor as “Sarah”
Jodie Sweetin as “Beth”
John Savage as “Judge Arthur M. Willis”
Gary Hudson as “D.A. Robert Walker”
Bill Lewis as “Kringle”

Location: Mammoth, California

Platform: Tubi

Date: November 20, 2025

Classic Cinema Scale: Fancy banner with a thick gold border. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Classic Cinema Scale.” Beneath it, three film reels—the top in gold, middle in silver, bottom in bronze. Each has words done in navy. For the gold reel, “Golden Age Worthy: Exceptional performances, chemistry, and production that capture the magic of classic Hollywood.” For the silver, “Matinee Material: Good entertainment with solid elements, though not quite reaching classic status.” And the bronze, “B-Movie Blues: Missing the mark despite potential.”

B-Movie Blues — Detracting performances sink what could’ve been a decent holiday film

Tissue Box Scale: Fancy banner with a thick gold border. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Tissue Box Scale.” Beneath it, a column of tissue boxes, all in red, gold, and navy—the top is a single box, middle is two, bottom is three. Each has words done in navy. For the single box, “One Box: Keep a tissue handy, but your makeup is safe.” For the duo, “Two Boxes: You’ll definitely need those tissues, but you’ll still be presentable after.” And the trio, “Three Boxes: “Is pepperoni okay?” territory — don’t even bother with mascara!”

One Box — Surprisingly emotional testimony scene will catch you off guard

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I typically like Dean Cain. But within the first minute, I wasn’t holding out hope — the actress they paired him with was already grating on my nerves.

Unfortunately, that first impression proved accurate.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Reality Check: “Mammoth” refers to the real-life town of Mammoth Lakes and nearby Mammoth Mountain in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada region — a major mountain resort community known for skiing and snowboarding.”

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Classic Connection: This premise would’ve made a delightful quirky comedy in the Golden Age. Jimmy Stewart or Clark Gable could’ve played the straight-man sheriff beautifully, and ANY female actress from that era would’ve elevated the Sarah role considerably.”

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Dean Cain delivers his typical steady, reliable performance. The man playing Santa (Bill Lewis) absolutely shines — he makes a GREAT Santa and plays his part to perfection.

Jodie Sweetin (whom I hadn’t seen since her ’90s “Full House” days) does well, seeming natural and unforced. I’d like to see her in other projects to better gauge her abilities. (Funny observation: her mannerisms kept reminding me of Andrea Logan White!)

However, the actress playing Sarah struggles considerably. Her voice grates (when she isn’t speaking so softly you can barely hear her lines!), she lacks emotional range, and her reactions feel off — one scene where she’s knocked to the ground, her laughter seems almost drunk.

The deputy’s performance proves equally problematic, with overdone delivery that sounds like yelling rather than speaking.

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Mostly courthouses, hospitals, and police stations — none decorated for Christmas. For a holiday film, the festive atmosphere is sorely lacking.

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Sarah’s lawyer wardrobe features asymmetrical cuts and ruffled flounces throughout. Her closing argument top was particularly horrendous — covered in mismatched bows with ruching around each, creating the appearance of a sewing machine malfunction that destroyed the fabric.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Fashion Pro Tip: It’s generally wise to avoid clothes that look like the sewing machine malfunctioned mid-production.”

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “The Romance Formula” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Standard setup: Santa’s in legal trouble, widowed sheriff reluctantly helps, sheriff promised dying wife he’d find a mommy for their daughter, and his old flame happens to be a defense lawyer.

The pieces are there, but the execution falters.

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Decent enough — Sheriff Hanson knows how to kiss.

However, Sarah comes across stiff and uncomfortable, undermining the romantic moment.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Christian Corner” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

They pray to God, and the prayer gets answered. Interestingly, the film seems to attribute some of God’s omniscience and omnipresence to Santa, though Santa himself isn’t worshipped or prayed to.

Overall, it’s acceptable family viewing.

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This could’ve been a decent show with different casting in two key roles. Dean Cain and Santa Bill Lewis deserved better material — or at least better scene partners. As it stands, I won’t be watching again.

The plot also has some confusing timeline issues — I was 56 minutes in before realizing a whole YEAR had supposedly passed while Santa was in a coma.

And how exactly does “Santa woke up from a coma” lead to a full-blown trial? The narrative gaps are distracting. (Or maybe my attention was distracted.)

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, is the words, “Highlights” that’s sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Dean Cain’s steady, reliable performance
Bill Lewis makes a perfect Santa
Jodie Sweetin’s natural performance
Surprisingly emotional courtroom testimony
Premise had real potential

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, is the word, “Lowlights” that’ sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Sarah’s grating voice and stiff acting
Deputy’s overdone, yelling delivery
Zero (or few) Christmas decorations anywhere
That sewing-machine-malfunction blouse
Confusing timeline and plot gaps
No detectable romantic chemistry

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Personal Notes” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

How does Dean Cain keep getting himself into these awful Christmas movies? He’s a genuinely decent actor who deserves better material — or at least better co-stars. The premise here wasn’t bad; the execution just couldn’t overcome the casting missteps.

I did appreciate Santa Bill Lewis, though. When you find an actor who embodies Santa perfectly, it elevates every scene he’s in. If only that magic had extended to the romantic leads.

Have you watched this courtroom Christmas tale? Share your thoughts on whether the premise deserved better execution, and your favorite on-screen Santas in the comments below!

Related topics: Christmas movies, Dean Cain, Jodie Sweetin, Santa Claus films, courtroom drama, California Christmas, holiday family movies, single father romance, seasonal entertainment

This review is the final installment in “BBA’s 12 Days of Christmas Movie Reviews.”

Thanks so much for exploring romances in a different format during my favorite time of the year. Check back every Wednesday (at 11 a.m.) for my regular blog posts.

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Color photo of me, Alicia, authoress and writer of this blog. Because these specific posts are all about Christmas romance movies, I enhanced my photo with a Santa hat and with a bough of holly bracketing the bottom right. In the center of the holly bough are two candy canes crossed like lovers in a romantic embrace. (See what I did there? 😊)

Alicia Strickland

As a romance novelist with expertise in fashion, interior design, and a deep love of classic Hollywood, I bring a unique perspective to holiday romance reviews. Join me in exploring the magic (and occasional missteps) of Christmas movies!

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Alicia Strickland

Hi! I write across multiple genres under various pen names. But for nonfiction, I write as myself. As a designer with a love of Old Hollywood and all things creative, I bring diverse perspectives to my storytelling... and to my blog. In the unlikely event that I’m not writing, I enjoy crafting, gardening, or spending time with my flame-point Siamese, Hunter.

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