Holiday in Santa Fe (2021 Lifetime)
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Cast: Mario Lopez, Emeraude Toubia, Aimee Garcia
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Lifetime)
Casa de Milagro is a family-owned business that makes holiday ornaments and décor, inspired by Mexican Christmas traditions. Their award-winning designs, created by matriarch Milagro Ortega, are highly sought after each holiday season. Siblings Tony (Lopez) and Magdalena (Garcia), with help from their dad (Efrain Figueroa), run the shop in Santa Fe, but when their beloved Milagro unexpectedly passes, the family struggles to find its heart. With Milagro gone, Belinda Sawyer (Toubia), an executive at one of the largest greeting card and holiday décor chains, sees an opportunity to acquire the company. When sparks fly between Belinda and Tony, Belinda realizes there is more to Casa de Milagro than meets the eye. (2021)
Recap/Wine Thoughts
The movie starts off in a very decorated Santa Fe. Mario Lopez walks around town throwing footballs to college jocks, tipping mariachi bands, and encouraging everyone to come to his family’s successful Christmas decoration store. His sister, Maggie, and father are not in favor of his plan, thinking it would be selling out.
Mario Lopez wants to sell the store and sets up a meeting with Belinda, who works with “Warm Wishes.” She is from Chicago and has a sassy gay assistant. (I’m jealous that they didn’t ask me to play the part!) He puts her up in his hotel for five nights, when she only expected to stay for two.
Mario Lopez takes his niece out for Ice Cream, but the line is too long, and he doesn’t want to miss the Belinda meeting. Frankie makes a pouty face and complements the shop owner to jump the line. The kid has Mario Lopez’s charisma. (Which isn’t surprising since she is his daughter in real life.)
Belinda is impressed with the Casa De Milagro. (house of miracles.) Belinda realizes that Mario Lopez didn’t tell his family about her sizable offer when she tours the store.
Mario Lopez takes Belinda around for some Santa Fe Winterfest for some Christmas traditions. Including a ham toss and a chili pepper tasting. (Which includes a waiver and plastic gloves.) Belinda can take the hear no problem, and Mario Lopez is channeling his Smelling Salt fiasco on Twitter.
Frankie asks Mario Lopez and Belinda to make a Tiktok video with her, and Mario Lopez has some moves for a 48-year-old man! Belinda is charmed and decides to stay in town for the full Winterfest. She asks Mario Lopez to a business dinner to discuss the acquisition. (They also discuss relationships and drink margaritas.)
Maggie works on honoring her mother’s memory with a new design for the Milergo hearts that the store is famous for. She disapproves of Mario Lopez and Belinda’s “business dinner.”
Mario Lopez’s dad is the town Santa and rides around on a fire truck with Belinda and his son shouting, “Ho, ho, Jose!” After handing out gifts to children, Belinda talks with him, and he explains he sees customers as familia.
Belinda joins the family for tamales, and she makes fun of Mario Lopez for not being able to handle spicy food. Belinda asks Maggie to show her the workshop in the store, and Maggie reluctantly agrees.
Umm, then we see some cool glasswork. Maggie molds hot lava, a skill she learned from her mother. Belinda admires the glass ornaments that maggie has made out of blown glass and encourages her to debut them at Winterfest. She complements her artistry and thinks her mother would be proud.
There is a random moment when Belinda references another Mario Lopez Christmas movie, “Feliz Navi-Dad,” and I’m like, is Mario Lopez himself in this movie?
Roller skating subs in for ice skating, and Mario Lopez skates with Belinda doing the whole slip, fall, and kiss thing. (and probably more.)
Belinda’s assistant calls and warns her that her company’s designers are blatantly racist. She is designing a clock with Santa in a Pancho with a pinata that says, “Let’s taco about Navidad.” on the hour. She tells Mario Lopez that he shouldn’t do the deal because her company doesn’t have their best interest at heart. He feels betrayed and officially turns down the offer, which is the right decision here.
Belinda packs up her things while talking to her mom, who is talking on an iPad, like most Lifetime moms. She tells her daughter to follow her heart, and Belinda gets an idea to set up a meeting with her boss.
The plan doesn’t go well, and her boss doesn’t see Belinda’s side of things. She asks Maggie to represent the company and invites her terrible boss to come on Christmas Eve to see why the store and family are special and so much more than stereotypes.
Mario Lopez is impressed by Belinda putting her job on the line and forgives her. They kiss.
A tribute to the family’s grandmother plays at the Winterfest that was made by Frankie. She should really produce reality television.
Then Maggie takes the stage to unveil the art she has made in her mother’s legacy. We don’t really see what it is up close, but it includes the glass ornaments on a “tree of life.” Mr. Rogers, the boss, agrees that Belinda was right about the family. He tells Mario Lopez that he would like to offer a new deal, and I feel like it is an episode of Shark Tank and Rogers is Mr. Wonderful. They take the deal, and Belinda gets a promotion for speaking her mind and telling her boss he was wrong. More importantly, she wins the ham toss.
Belinda calls Kevin to tell him the good news, and he tells them that they are literally in a romcom, which they are! They kiss as the Christmas Tree is lit.
Side Note
Minority Report: Tony, Victoria, Belinda, Magdelina, Frankie, Jose, Kevin, Jennifer, Walt, Lillian, Matt,
The real star of this movie was the singing cactus.
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Christmas Trees represent the Christmas vibes. *** I’ve updated the rating system. Wine is overall enjoyment (NOT a value judgment) on a 1-5 scale.
I will use the following tags for those who want to know if they should watch or skip: Pour it Up (Would Recommend) or Put A Cork In It (Would Not Recommend).
Overall rating
Christmas Feels
🎄🎄🎄🎄 (4 Christmas Trees)
Enjoyment Level: 🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 glasses of wine.)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked
*Photo Credit: © 2021 Lifetime
Live tweet along with @LifetimeUncork using the hashtag #HolidayinSantaFe #ItsAWonderfulLifetime
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