Film Review: 'Feliz NaviDAD'

Living in his Arizona hometown of Pinestar, David Morales (Mario Lopez) always seems to have his hands full around the holidays. In addition to his duties as the principal of Pinestar High, he's also raising his teenage daughter Noel (Paulina Chávez) in the wake of his wife's passing and has begun working as a deliveryman during the holidays. But this Christmas, something else gets thrown into the mix for this small-town principal: Noel and his sister Marissa (Marycarmen Lopez) pushing him to put himself back out there romantically, starting by making him a dating profile.

Much to his surprise, David ends up matching up with Sophie (AnnaLynne McCord), a musician who's returned home to spend Christmas with her recently widowed father and has become a regular customer of David's delivery services. With Sophie also having been out of the dating scene for a while, the two agree to be each other's "practice date". But as they spend more time together and Sophie begins helping Noel and her school choir prepare for the upcoming Frosty Festival, will a real romance develop?

Having last reviewed the wonderfully wacky A Recipe for Seduction, I thought it would only make sense to have my next review be for Mario Lopez's other Lifetime movie from this year. The aforementioned mini-movie had him playing a suave fictionalized version of KFC's Harland Sanders, while Feliz NaviDAD casts Lopez as a similarly charismatic school principal and widowed father. While it certainly doesn't have A Recipe for Seduction's over-the-top melodrama and meta humor, Feliz NaviDAD makes for an uber-sweet Christmas movie with stellar romantic leads and a story about both familial and romantic love.

For the first act of the movie, the relationship between David and Noel is Feliz NaviDAD's focal point. While we do get a few flirty interactions between David and Sophie as his delivery job takes him to her front door, it's not until later on that their relationship begins to really take off. Until then, we follow David as he goes about his work duties and deals with his continued grief for his wife's death--something he's forced to confront when it begins to threaten his relationship with his daughter. Given the film's title, it only makes sense that David and Noel's relationship would receive more attention than David and Sophie's budding romance. While some might grow impatient waiting for the latter to begin, Mario Lopez's charming and impassioned performance as a troubled but loving father (and legitimately cool dad/principal) makes the first act worth watching. As does Paulina Chávez's equally charming performance as daughter Noel, with Chávez's beautiful singing and chemistry with Lopez adding up to a heartwarming father-daughter arc.

But once David and Sophie's relationship begins to develop beyond flirtation, another layer of heart is brought to the movie. Starting from their very first scene together, Lopez and AnnaLynne McCord prove themselves perfect as romantic leads. Both sell David and Sophie's playfully sniping banter for all its worth, building up the romantic tension that begins to brew between them. David and Sophie's scenes together are fun to watch thanks to that chemistry, with the pair being quick to admit to their growing feelings for each other.

So instead of the conflict coming from David and Sophie denying their attraction, it comes from them insisting that the long distance between them means a relationship wouldn't work. It makes for a realistic obstacle, with Feliz NaviDAD's script swiftly avoiding two opportunities to take things down the Contrived Third-Act Misunderstanding route. SPOILER ALERT And like The Christmas House, the film also subverts the "Giving Up Career for Love" trope by having David reveal that he and Sophie decided they were willing to make their relationship work despite the distance. This circumvents a frustrating romantic trope, and with Lopez and McCord's chemistry being so strong, you'll be cheering to see them finally follow their hearts and give their connection a chance.

(One thing about the otherwise enjoyable final act: how did Sophie know about the glove situation? Sure, she was following David as he was kicking himself for forgetting to pick them up, but it didn't appear she heard him or would've known about them being stuck at the dry cleaner's. It's an easy-to-let-go-of plot hole, but still a hole big enough to be noticeable)

Spoilers Over

While most aren't as dynamic as Lopez and McCord, Feliz NaviDAD's supporting cast nevertheless consists of good actors playing likable characters. Marycameron Lopez (no relation to Mario) is a sweetheart as David's supportive sister Marissa, and Frankie Quinones is a ball of quirky energy as baseball coach Jesse Vargas. Rick Najera's Walt is similarly quirky and lovable, as is Herb Mendelsohn's Willard--Sophie's warm-hearted father. Director Melissa Joan Hart (who's starred alongside Mario Lopez in a few Christmas movies in the past) even makes a fun little cameo as one of David's kooky dates.

The slower first act may be a turn-off for some, but if you're looking for a Christmas made-for-TV feature not all about romance, the change of pace/focus will be a welcome one. Other nice additions to the film include the way it weaves Latino culture into the story (without feeling forced or ingenuine) and the musical bits. The final group performance of the title song is equal parts uplifting and easy on the ears. And with romantic leads that have sleighloads of chemistry and charisma and a supporting cast that holds up its own weight, Feliz NaviDAD's slower opening act is well worth watching. If A Recipe for Seduction left you craving more Mario Lopez or you're just in the mood for a lighthearted Christmas movie, curl up with Feliz NaviDAD and enjoy!

Score: 9 out of 10 reindeer piñatas.