Mario López
Tony Ortega
Overview
Sparks fly when a greeting card executive arrives in Santa Fe to acquire a tight-knit family company that creates ornaments inspired by Mexican Christmas traditions.
Cast
12 people
Emeraude Toubia
Belinda Sawyer
Aimee Garcia
Magdalena Ortega
Gia Lopez
Frankie Ortega
Efrain Figueroa
Jose Ortega
Reviews
4 min readThe Holiday Movie That Forgot to Sparkle
I’ll admit it: I went into Holiday in Santa Fe expecting the cinematic equivalent of a store-bought fruitcake—inoffensive, slightly stale, but reliable enough to leave out for company. What I got instead was something stranger: a film that looks like a holiday postcard, sounds like a Hallmark commercial, and feels like it was written by a committee that had heard of Mexican Christmas traditions but never actually experienced one.
It’s not bad, exactly. It’s just… there. Like a decoration you hung up in November and forgot to take down until March.
The premise is as familiar as eggnog: Tony (Mario López), a slick greeting-card executive from New York, rolls into Santa Fe to acquire a family-owned ornament business run by Belinda (Emeraude Toubia) and her tight-knit clan. Cue the culture clash, the forced proximity, the snowfall montage, and—inevitably—the moment when Tony realizes money can’t buy love (or hand-painted alebrijes).
It’s the kind of story that could work if the film committed to either sincerity or satire. Instead, it waffles somewhere in the middle, like a waffle iron that’s been left on too long.
The first act is all warm hues and promise. The film was shot on location in Santa Fe, and the city’s golden light, adobe architecture, and winding streets give the movie a visual authenticity that most holiday romances lack. When Belinda’s family gathers around a table laden with posole and buñuelos, the scene has the easy rhythm of real life—until the script undercuts it with dialogue that sounds like it was translated from English to Spanish and back again by Google.
(“This business is our corazón!” “Yes, and our corazón must evolve!”) The film wants to celebrate tradition, but it treats its own cultural details like garnish, sprinkled on top for flavor rather than baked into the dough.
Audience Opinions
Audience 5.7/10
"A well-intentioned holiday romance with authentic Santa Fe flavor and Latino representation that is held back by flat chemistry and a formulaic, culturally shaky script."
The real Santa Fe locations, warm family dynamic, and more diverse cast make this feel fresher than many cookie-cutter holiday movies, and some viewers find it pleasant, cozy, and visually appealing. latestnetflix.com's view is that Others are frustrated by a lack of romantic spark between the leads, corny plotting, and what locals describe as shallow or inaccurate portrayals of Santa Fe culture and traditions, leaving the film feeling undercooked despite good intentions.
What viewers praise
- Authentic Santa Fe setting Filming on location with recognizable landmarks and scenery gives the story a genuine sense of place and visual appeal.
- Latino-led holiday story The focus on a Latino family business and a largely non-white cast is appreciated as a welcome change from typical Christmas romances.
- Warm family focus Family relationships, grief, tradition, and a supportive clan around the store provide a comforting, feel-good backbone.
- Light, easy holiday watch For viewers wanting background comfort viewing, the gentle tone and predictable beats make it an easy seasonal choice.
Common complaints
- Weak romantic spark The central couple is often described as having little to no chemistry, making the love story feel dull and unconvincing.
- Cultural inauthenticity New Mexico locals criticize invented traditions and missing key details, calling the portrayal of Santa Fe and its Hispanic culture shallow or misrepresentative.
- Generic, predictable plot The corporate-vs-family-store storyline and drawn-out ending follow a familiar template with few surprises.
- Uneven production details Sparse crowd scenes, repetitive references to Santa Fe, and some contrived acting or dialogue pull viewers out of the experience.
Recommended for
Latino holiday romance seekers Mario Lopez completists Cozy background Christmas viewing Light family-themed holiday movies Santa Fe scenery appreciators
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsEvery still of the dead mother is his living mother.
Mario Lopez told TV Insider the quiet production cheat on Holiday in Santa Fe. "Every time there's a picture [of Tony's late mother], it's my real mom," he said, then rushed to add that she is very much alive. He likes keeping the work in the family. His daughter Gia plays Frankie, Tony's 10-year-old niece. "She came up with the little TikTok dance in the movie," he said. Parade printed the same boast with more sugar. He called her a little Paula Abdul. latestnetflix.com's take is that he said he did not push the kid-actor path and did not block it either.The role needed someone who looked like his niece. "Well, Gia would be great for that. Why not my daughter?" The network liked the read. 
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She said yes to the love interest only if she could produce.
Lifetime aired the movie on December 10, 2021. Lopez was already on his third trip to the network after Feliz NaviDAD and the KFC mini-movie A Recipe for Seduction. Wikipedia lists it as one of four pitches from that year. Emeraude Toubia plays Belinda Sawyer, the greeting-card executive sent to buy Casa de Milagro. She told Variety that Lopez's team asked her to co-star. "I absolutely said, 'Let's do it, but I want to also produce.' It's a full Latino cast and I said, 'I want to give my input and talk about my family and bring my vision also.' And they were extremely accepting." Four days after the premiere, Deadline reported UTA had signed Toubia and her company, The Emerald Co., in all areas, noting she had executive produced the Santa Fe film. Cristela Alonzo wrote it. Jody Margolin Hahn directed, her first feature. Aimee Garcia is Magdalena. Efrain Figueroa is Jose. 
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Christmas in April on the Plaza.
They did not fake New Mexico on a backlot. KRQE reported the New Mexico Film Office announcing production in Santa Fe, with Lopez and Mark Roberts producing. The office said the shoot would employ about 20 New Mexico crew members and 50 local background players. Lopez, in the same release, said he loved Santa Fe, credited film liaison Jennifer LaBar Tapia, and hoped to come back. LaBar Tapia said the team used local artisans and musicians and wrote the city into the script. Most of the cameras sat on Santa Fe Plaza. Production wrapped April 16, 2021, after cameras had been up since early April. ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnuAmR2ERvs
TMDB files a 1 hour 28 minute TV movie dated December 10, 2021. Netflix later carried the same title, a corporate exec who meets the owner's son and starts doubting the deal. Lifetime's page names the shop Casa de Milagro and the chain that wants it. Warm Wishes is the Hallmark-shaped giant in the plot. Lopez kept saying the Southwest setting was the point. Gia knew his lines as well as hers. The dead matriarch on the wall is still answering her phone in real life. , , ,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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