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Original painted Christmas scene, from the Cine Claus illustration set

Not really, no · 2021

A California Christmas: City Lights

20/100Festive FactorWhy it scores 20 ↓
UK certificate 12106 min
Comedy · Romance

A sequel that swaps the vineyard for the boardroom and loses some charm on the drive into town.

On Netflix · UK subscription →
Plan this film night ↓Can the kids watch? ↓
Explore this film 8 sections

The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

A different kind of Christmas.

Original painted Christmas scene, from the Cine Claus illustration set

A little magic in the making.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storyChristmas is only the occasion.10/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for a scene or two.0/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details1 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.2/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: incidentally.5/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionNiche at Christmas (under 25,000).3/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

72/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Warm in tone. Mild threat. A happy ending.

How we score →
What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →
Your next film night

Where to watch

United KingdomChecked

Netflix

Included with a subscription
Open A California Christmas: City Lights on Netflix (opens in a new tab)

Streaming changes constantly and we cannot promise it is still right - check the service before you settle in. Streaming availability information provided by Streaming Availability API by Movie of the Night (opens in a new tab).

The story

About A California Christmas: City Lights

A year after the first film's romance, a newly engaged couple are happily running a dairy farm and vineyard in rural California when a family upheaval hands him control of his mother's company and calls him back to the city. She follows, and between boardroom pressure, a colleague he does not trust and a wedding suddenly booked for Christmas Eve, the pair have to decide which life they actually want.

The CineClaus verdict

A sequel that swaps the vineyard for the boardroom and loses some charm on the drive into town.

The Swickards still have an easy chemistry, and the script is kind to everybody in it, the company politics included. The snag is that Christmas amounts to a wedding date and a nativity play, and the romantic obstacles are misunderstandings you can spot from the first act.

Anyone who adored the first film will settle in happily, though newcomers should start there.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

12

Our take: nothing frightening at all, though there are a few sex references, and younger children will drift off during the wedding planning and company politics.

Content advice & accessibility
Our age guidance
Editorial, separate from the official 12 certificate, and never looser than it.
Subtitles · Audio description
Check your chosen service and edition for supported tracks.
The people behind the film

Cast and crew

The faces in front of the camera, and the people who brought the story to life.

Main cast

In billing order
Lauren Swickard
Josh Swickard

Behind the camera

Directed by
Shaun Paul Piccinino
Original score
Jamie Christopherson
Writing & production credits
Writer
Lauren Swickard
A little more A California Christmas: City Lights

Film facts &
behind the scenes

For the fans who stay after the credits.

Movie magic

Pandemic rewrites

Pandemic protocols changed the shoot: some scenes planned for interiors were rewritten as exteriors, and others needed purpose-built sets rather than real locations.

Read the story

Source: behindthelensonline.net ↗ (opens in a new tab)

And at a glance

Releases and certificates
: On streaming. Netflix release, announced in October 2021 as part of a festive slate.
Sources & a note on these facts

Each production story is linked to its source, in our own words. Ending details stay behind a spoiler reveal.

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Elsewhere on CineClaus

More places to find A California Christmas: City Lights, and a few good reasons to keep exploring.

In this collection

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A California Christmas: City Lights is in this collection

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Collection

Feel-good Christmas films for a cosy night in

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Stay for another story.All collections · The Christmas Edit