My favorite Christmas film is one NO ONE has watched except for me. And it’s heartbreaking, truly. Because of how good it is?
Of course not. It’s a silly talking dog movie that’s a spinoff of an “Air Bud” spinoff. No one asked for it. But I love it nonetheless. Maybe because of nostalgia, or maybe because I love a good heartwarming Christmas flick.
I figured I’d share its general plot with you, and why it is such an essential part of my yearly holiday watchlist.
“The Search For Santa Paws” starts in, you guessed it, the North Pole, Santa (Richard Riehle) and the elves are getting ready for the upcoming holiday season and celebrating Santa’s birthday when a package arrives in the mail from the late Mr. Hucklebuckle. It is a stuffed dog, which Santa bestows with a magic crystal that brings him to life. This crystal provides all the Christmas magic (a very important plot point).
He names him Paws (Mitchel Musso) and the two become the best of friends. Paws accompanies Santa to New York on a mission to introduce himself to the grandson of the Hucklebuckle enterprise and encourage his allegiance in creating Christmas cheer. As you may have seen in “Elf,” NYC severely affected this.
Santa and Paws get separated in the hectic atmosphere. Santa gets run over which causes him to forget his identity. A man named Gus (Chris Coppola) steals the magic crystal around his neck, reducing him to a mere mortal. He ends up working at Hucklebuckle Toys as a Santa actor under Kate (Bonnie Sommerville), and James (John Ducey), Huckle (a shortened version of the Hucklebuckle last name). He becomes a well-established community figure and gets on well with the kids until he falls ill, going to the hospital with no recollection of his next of kin.
While this goes on, Paws meets a young girl named Quinn (Kaitlyn Maher), who has been taken in by the local orphanage after the death of her parents. This place is terrible, like a Hallmark version of Annie, run by the despicable Ms. Stout (Wendi McLendon), who hates Christmas decorations, toys, dogs, and fun! She runs the place like a prison, verbally abusing poor Willamena (Madison Pettis), a teenage orphan who’s lost all hope of adoption. Quinn and Will go back and forth on whether Santa is real, with the two sneaking out to Hucklebuckle Toys where Quinn realizes their Santa is THE Santa Claus.
Paws’ magic decorates the orphanage and gives all the little girls pretty dresses for their group musical number, and Will finally believes in Christmas, all for it to be interrupted by Ms. Stout. She forces Will to sleep in the basement with Paws, but she steals his crystal and finds his stuffed form in Willamena’s shaking hands. She puts the plush in the incinerator, leading to a dramatic sequence where Quinn almost burns herself getting him out.
Eli (Danny Woodburn) and Eddy The Elf Dog (Richard Kind) come down from the North Pole to take the girls and Paws, his crystal returned to him, to help Santa on his deathbed. Paws sacrifices his life force to bring back Santa, and Santa struggles to find the magic to bring him back to life after they return to the North Pole. His tears help bring him back, not as a pup, but as a full-grown dog, ready to accompany Santa for all eternity.
The film ends with a happy ending for all. The Hucklebuckles adopt Quinn and Will, the CPS lady takes over the orphanage after several complaints, the street dogs become Santa’s helpers with some very racially insensitive costumes. It’s a great ending to a wonderful film.
Is it as great as I remember? Of course not. But is it a fun hour and thirty- six minutes of your life? Absolutely.
If you feel so inclined to watch “The Search For Santa Paws”, it is available to stream on Disney Plus.
