It seems like once every season Hallmark presents a movie where the main theme is the spirit and meaning of Christmas. This is the one for 2023 - and any year, actually. This should put you in the Christmas mood and you may find yourself smiling through the entire movie.
There are no personal conflicts or traumas - just plain old Christmas fun and sentimentality.
Cindy Busby as Lori Jo and Katherine Barrell as Tori are driving cross country on a Christmas mission and we see their adventures as they encounter Corey Sevier as Carl (a tow truck driver), Matt Wells as Jason ( on his way to visit his aunt), and, yes, Kris Kringle.
The acting by these performers is very sweet and genuine,
and the actor who plays Kris is not listed on Imdb, but he is quite a character and the actor who plays him does so in a very endearing and fine fashion.
The writing by T. Booker James is clever, the direction by Marni Banack is believable, and the sets and real locations are all very nice.
You have to suspend your belief at the end when the real identity of Kris is revealed, but you will do so willingly because that's the magic and spirit of Christmas.
And this story and the performers exemplify that perfectly.
In this movie, everything is about Christmas, and it's done in a magical, charming, and genuine way.