Booky & the Secret Santa (2007) Reviews

• Great FIlm

  Christmas-Reviewer2017-01-27

  BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY REVIEWED ONE FILM. THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE ABOUT THESE FILMS. Now with that out of the way I want say this was a great film to discover. In this film Booky (Rachel Marcus) tries to bring her family the best Christmas possible, despite hard times during the Great Depression of the 1930s when her dad (Stuart Hughes) loses his job. She gets help from her mum (Megan Follows) and a department store owner (Kenneth Welsh). What this film is about us that "Acts of Kindness are the greatest gifts you can give". Also the faith of a child is all you need at time to get you through the hard times. The story is very believable and each character is believable as well their own motivations. This film does everything right. If you have children at home then watch it with them. If you don't have kids watch it anyway. You will enjoy it.

  More

• Glad this was repeated on Christmas Day, 2008!

  miso50002008-12-25

  What a sweet period piece this is. Perfect for Christmas and thoroughly feel-good all around, even though it is chockablock with impossible events. It is almost a fairy tale, but that doesn't matter, it's the feeling we get from it that counts. I hope that people everywhere could see this, not just Canadians, but certainly this film would be of particular interest to people in Toronto. The character Booky is the sweetest child imaginable, what great casting. Set design seems authentic, for as much as I know about the 1930s. This movie is at least as much about the late, lamented T. Eaton Co. as it is about a girl trying to save her family from poverty, unemployment, and the prospect of no Christmas! I think that Canadians may have a few poignant memories of Eaton's thanks to this movie.

  More

• Booky & The Secret Santa full of memories for Torontonians

  grewarj12007-12-11

  This was a very special program for me as my mother was Booky's age during the time period in which the story is set. I saw my mother and her family in Booky's. She was born and raised in Toronto during the depression years and her family was not well off. I was actually brought to tears. Eaton's was very important to Toronto then and for many years to come. It was a sad day for Torontonians when Sears took over Eatons. Nevertheless, this production is very meaningful for families who've had generation after generation living in Toronto. I can remember attending the Eaton's Christmas Parties when I was a child. Not at the family's home, but in an auditorium in the Eaton Store. All the children got a gift and some candies. These are lovely memories for my Mother and her children. Thank you CBC

  More

• Canadian and Christmas nostalgia at its best

  rangeriderrango2015-09-30

  This movie is a true joy to watch as much for the story as it is for the memories of Christmases past. Growing up in Montreal I remember fondly how our family looked forward to receiving the Eaton's Christmas catalogue and dreaming of making our Christmas list for Santa. Simpson's also produced a Christmas catalogue later to be called Simpson/Sears and then simply Sears. This movie and A Christmas Story are truly classic nostalgia. They bring back such wonderful childhood memories when life was simpler and the joy of Christmas filled the air. It is more than just sentimental but a part of our history. Enjoy them both!

  More

• Looky for Booky, its a terrific family holiday flick!

  inkblot112012-10-10

  Beatrice, er Booky Thomas, (Rachel Marcus) lives in Toronto, Canada during the Great Depression. Her mother (Megan Follows) resorts to cleverness, like trying out a new sewing machine from the local department store, Eatons, for a month. She gets all of her clothes making done, then returns the apparatus, telling the store she didn't like it. It's the time for such strategies, particularly in a large family like the Thomas'. Mr. Thomas actually works for Eatons, as a harness maker for the delivery horses. But, alas, automobiles and trucks are becoming the vogue. Soon enough, he loses his job. Now the family is in meager circumstances, although Dad picks up jobs here and there. It looks like the approaching Christmas will not be very merry, especially for the kids. Booky herself is hired by an aunt to hand out sample roasted nuts at a store. It is there that she meets Mr. Eaton himself and develops a friendship with the older gentleman. Its a good thing, for Booky's friendship with her richer pal Laura is put to the test when Laura's mother doesn't want her child associating with poor folks like Beatrice. Yet, Booky does Laura's mother a great kindness and the little girl courts another job for her father, too. What an example Booky sets for us all! There are many film fans, myself as well, who loves stories from the Depression. It seems that, in spite of obvious hardships, folks were kinder, gentler and more resourceful. In short, an inspiration to everyone. Marcus is a natural as Booky and Follows has long been a favorite among family flick fans. The rest of the cast is also wonderful. Then, too, the Toronto setting is lovely and care has been extended, admirably, to make the costumes, homes, and happenstances historically fitting. A fine story and secure direction completes the road to a marvelous holiday movie. So, Looky for Booky, and its no secret, you and your family will be smiling.

  More