Review: “The Real St. Nick” (2012)

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, “The Real St. Nick.” Beneath it, in gold, is the date (2012) the movie came out sandwiched between two gold art deco elements.

~ When Holiday Magic Meets Psychiatric Reality (and Both Lose) ~

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

Torrey DeVitto as “Kate Bryant”
Callard Harris as “Nick Claus”
Roma Maffia as “Tanya”
Kenneth Choi as “Jack”
Matthew Felker as “Spaulding Tyler”

Location: Pine River, California

Platform: Tubi

Date: March 19, 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 — Infantile execution that makes you grateful when the credits roll

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!”

Zero boxes — Not a single tear to be found

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

When a Christmas movie opens with references to English princesses, my American patriot heart immediately cringes.

As someone wholly devoted to our Founding Principles, I’m vehemently against monarchies — especially English ones.

This inauspicious beginning proved prophetic for what followed.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Reality Check: Pine Rive doesn't appear to be a real California location, though there is a place called River Pines in Amador County, near Fiddletown.”

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Classic Connection: With better execution, this quirky premise could’ve worked in Hollywood’s Golden Age. Imagine Cary Grant as Nick, showcasing his impeccable comedic timing, opposite Irene Dunne or Myrna Loy as Kate. Grant excelled at this type of whimsical comedy — unfortunately, this version never captures that magic.”

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

While Torrey DeVitto and Callard Harris create passable chemistry, the material is so weak that evaluating their connection feels pointless.

DeVitto handles crying scenes competently, and Harris manages his role adequately.

The real standout? Roma Maffia, who never disappoints. Whether in Double Jeopardy or Profiler, she brings authenticity and groundedness to every role. Even in this cheesy disaster, she remains professional and engaging.

The Jack Nicholson impersonator, however, proves incredibly annoying — though given my feelings about Nicholson himself, perhaps I’m biased.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco quote marks in top left and bottom right corners, done in red and shadowed in navy blue. The banner reads: “ 'Snails are just slugs with a trust fund' — Kate’s observation about escargot provides one of the few genuine laughs in this unfortunate production.”

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

Kate’s kitchen offers impressive size, though the hideously modern décor leaves much to be desired. The hospital setting dominates most scenes, limiting decorative opportunities.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Décor Pro Tip: Even psychiatric ward patients can create festive atmosphere! When the hospital residents decorate with Santa’s help, the results look perfectly festive — proving that Christmas spirit transcends circumstances.”

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

Hospital settings dictate most wardrobe choices: professional suits for Kate, scrubs for staff, and casual wear for patients.

Nothing particularly memorable.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Fashion Pro Tip: Business attire demands nylons! You simply look unkempt without proper legwear covering uneven skin tone — even with a tan, professional polish requires this essential element.”

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.

Kate saves a jogger from a falling boulder, only to have Nick push her to safety while taking the hit himself.

His resulting head injury leads him to believe he’s Santa Claus.

As his psychiatrist, Kate works to restore his mental health while finding herself falling for her unusual patient.

Standard damsel-in-distress setup with a psychiatric twist.

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

I may have missed their first kiss due to sheer disinterest in rewinding.

What I did catch was a later kiss featuring wide-open mouths attempting to swallow each other whole — exactly the kind of excessive technique that undermines romantic moments.

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.

Here’s where things get peculiar.

The film discusses Roman Saturnalia and Diwali in relation to Christmas but somehow never mentions Christ as the Reason for the Season they keep referencing.

Curious omission, wouldn’t you say?

Content concerns include mild swearing and inappropriate references to hookers during a Rorschach test scene with the Jack Nicholson impersonator.

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

Oh my. This is genuinely bad — and I mean infantile.

After the disaster of Small-Town Santa, I’d hoped for improvement. Instead, this might be worse.

The terrible modern Christmas soundtrack grated throughout, and while a few mild laughs emerged, the overwhelming cheesiness and inanity made me grateful when it finally ended.

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.

Roma Maffia’s consistently solid performance
The snail/slug quote
Kate’s kitchen size (if not décor)
Decent crying scenes from DeVitto

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.

Infantile script and execution
Terrible modern Christmas music
Annoying Jack Nicholson impersonator
Christmas discussion minus Christ
Excessive kissing technique
Opening princess reference

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.

Roma Maffia remains the bright spot in this unfortunate production. Her natural, down-to-earth quality shines through even the weakest material.

I’ve admired her work since Double Jeopardy and Profiler, and she doesn’t disappoint here — she’s just trapped in a movie unworthy of her talent.

Have you subjected yourself to this holiday misfire? Share your thoughts on what separates quirky Christmas charm from plain old inane in the comments below!

Related topics: Christmas movies, holiday drama, Santa Claus films, psychiatric hospital stories, Roma Maffia movies, Christmas romance, seasonal entertainment, holiday movie fails

This review is part of “BBA’s 12 Days of Christmas Movie Reviews” series. Check back daily for a new review!

Love Christmas movies? Don’t miss a single review! Sign up for my newsletter (below 👇) to get notifications of new posts and exclusive holiday movie insights!

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!

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

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.

Want to stay updated? Sign up for my newsletter(below 👇) to receive exclusive content and be the first to hear about new releases!

YOU MIGHT LIKE