25 Greatest Christmas Films: #20 — ‘The Santa Clause’ (1994)
by John NolteDon’t let the unwatchable sequels diminish how imaginative and heartfelt the original was. And though I’m not a big fan of Tim Allen’s film choices of late, in the right role like this (and Galaxy Quest), he’s very good. Also going for The Santa Clause is a perfectly cast Judge Reinhold, the hottest of all hot moms, Wendy Crewson, some terrific special effects, a warm Christmas spirit and, uhm, well, Wendy Crewson.
Most of the credit, however, belongs to the screenwriters who seized upon the beloved and well known story of Santa Claus and turned it into an original story that still very much respects what came before. The Santa Clause doesn’t rewrite or deconstruct, it builds upon the legend basing itself on all those lingering unanswered questions, such as: How does Santa fit down the chimney? How does Santa visit every home in one night? It’s a genius premise and don’t forget that the divorced-dad-who-learns-how-to-be-a-better-father comedy wasn’t as tired and played out in 1994 as it is today.
Though fifteen years old (already?), The Santa Clause represents the newest feature film on this list. Nothing produced since even came close — but the closest would’ve been “Bad Santa.” Whenever I complain about present-day Hollywood’s lack of decent holiday films someone inevitably mentions Will Ferrell’s “Elf” (2003) — which is confusing because that movie sucks.
Ever the contrarian, even though no one else did, I kind of dug 2007’s Fred Claus. The Vince Vaughn comedy certainly has its flaws and most everyone I know dislikes it, but I was surprised by the sincere note the story ended on with a very touching wrap up set to “Silent Night.” I really need to give it another look.
Can anyone else think of a film produced post-1994 worthy of a showing on a Top 25 Greatest Christmas Film list?
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Was this the first comedy to have a movie poster that featured a featureless white background and red text? If so, a pox on it!
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Personally, I would include "Elf". Perhaps that is primarily due to my own "high school moment", similar to John's "Thank You Very Much." When the elf is moving to New York, Santa explains that there are about 13 "Original Ray's Pizza"s in New York, but the REAL one is on 11th Street and 6th Avenue. I almost screamed out loud in the theater "He's right". A short walk from my high school, I enjoyed many a wonderful slice at that place. Best pizza in the city, so much so that when the family visited New York a few years ago, Ray's was on the list of "must go" places.
"Can anyone else think of a film produced post-1994 worthy of a showing on a Top 25 Greatest Christmas Film list?"
I'll go ahead and include Elf (along with Bad Santa).
What about 1994's The Ref?
I've never seen 2005's Joyeux Noël. The lot summary is as follows:
In 1914, World War I, the bloodiest war ever at that time in human history, was well under way. However on Christmas Eve, numerous sections of the Western Front called an informal, and unauthorized, truce where the various front-line soldiers of the conflict peacefully met each other in No Man's Land to share a precious pause in the carnage with a fleeting brotherhood. This film dramatizes one such section as the French, Scottish and German sides partake in the unique event, even though they are aware that their superiors will not tolerate its occurrence.
Although I wouldn't necessarily say top 25, I'll put in a vote for "Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus." It's a cute & amusing little romp. Steve Guttenberg produces the most authentically natural "Ho-ho-ho" I have ever heard, and I always get a kick out of Armin Shimerman.
I have to say, though, that I did find the first "Santa Clause" sequel to be fun. It's nowhere near the magic of the original, but it had wonderfully established characters just plain having fun with each other.
The third, however, was completely devoid of joy, mirth, and worst of all, David Krumholtz.
As for Elf, it had some amusing bits, but was on the whole "meh." Will Ferrel's schtick was just plain tiring.
Favorite White House holiday card: http://optoons.blogspot.com/2009/12/2009-white-ho...
Joyeux Noël was good. It was based on a true story.
Elf is one of my family's favorite Christmas movies. We laugh together through most of it.
I've come to realize that the best Christmas stories for kids is to buy a good classic anthology of Christmas stories and read them aloud.
The movie The Santa Clause is not one of my favorites but I'll wait and see what else you have in your Top 25 list.
How in the Hell did that piece of s*** movie Elf get into the conversation on this topic?
This website is starting to make me feel like an old curmudgeon. "The Santa Clause??!!" "Smokey and the Bandit!?!?!?"
Jeeze, the taste of you youngsters…
Elf needed a better editor–and some rewrites. (Bob Newhart is pretty good, though.)
The kid who played Tim Allen's son delivers one of the most insufferable performances ever put to film. Watching this movie in the theater as an 8-year-old, I was overcome with a desire to beat the living hell out of that bowl-cutted irritant. It really affected my opinion of the film as a whole, which I remember liking.
I love, love, love Elf. I think the key is that I haven't seen Will Ferrel's other movies so Elf seemed fresh to me. I also really liked how they referenced other holiday classics in Elf.
It's sweet and likeable and very, very quotable.
I alsoe liked Joyeux Noël. Very moving.
I just don't get "Elf". I wanted to like it, I loved Ferrel in "Old School", but I just did not laugh at "Elf". At all. Spectacularly unfunny.
I would like to second "The Ref", a very good, very funny movie.
i saw parts of this film the other night – head-shakingly bad, proves that Tim Allen cannot act, just an obvious film with obvious humor and tacky comments and observations by various characters. Utterly charmless.
I first saw "Fred Clause" as a "captive audience" (on a long flight home) and was pleasantly surprised at what a clever, sweet little movie it was. I rented it the next week so I could watch it with my wife. Once you accept the absurd premise, you can enjoy the ride. "Fred Claus" is not perfect, but it's better than what you would expect!
Personally, I thought "The Christmas Carol" Disney put out this year was outstanding. The music was fantastic, the art direction and visuals were superb, and other than a pointless chase scene that did little other than to flaunt the 3D, the story was refreshingly faithful and un-PC-ified.
Much better than "Elf," which I found to be one of the most secularized Christmas movies to come out in recent memory. And I find Will Ferell aggressively annoying.
Bad Santa deserves to be included, more so than some of the other choices on this list.
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"Can anyone else think of a film produced post-1994 worthy of a showing on a Top 25 Greatest Christmas Film list?"
Santa's Slay?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=camndOJGmSM
lol
Loved 'Santa Clause' and enjoy first half of 'Elf' .. and even at my age, I also enjoyed 'Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Clause.' I, too, really enjoyed Fred Clause, but Giamatti just gets to me, anyone but Paul, in my opinion, would be better. You like what you like, what are you gonna do?
Just the other night, watched 'Christmas with the Kranks' and tho it's no epic Christmas film, I enjoyed it.. I like Tim and Jamie Lee together.
Well, I like Elf. I also dig The Polar Express. (come on, it's got Eddie Deezen!) And I haven't seen it, but I heard great things about last year's A Christmas Tale.
I've never been there, but I would have to take issue with the "Elf" slam as well. It was a touching movie, I thought, not to mention really funny, and probably my favorite Will Ferrell movie. Well actually, the only good Will Ferrell movie I've seen. Not that he hasn't done some other funny stuff, just saying…
No. Just–no.
I think the Santa Clause is a good pick and I liked the second one as well. The Polar Express would be another good choice.
A few years ago I was substituting in a 2nd grade class and the teacher left several books for me to read aloud, The Polar Express was one of them. I had never read that one nor did I know what the story was about. By the end I was choking back tears! I felt like such an idiot, I played it off by pretending something was in my eye, than I made them do math drills. It's never wise to show weakness in front of kids when substituting, they'll eat you alive. I watched the movie later with my daughter and we both really enjoyed it.
Perhaps the most unsung Christmas Movie was Bishops Wife, remade ass Preacher's wife. The acting and lighting superb as is the story. The ice skating scene is perhaps one my most memorable movie scenes.
My children and I really enjoy Polar Express (note the present tense). Talk about not reconstructing 'what has gone before'! I'm not really a Tom Hanks fan, either. There's also plenty of shmaltz and cliché, of course… but for that matter, aren't most of our expressions surrounding Christmas equally cliché and schmaltzy? It's part of the charm. Anyone who says they don't delight in it secretly are just kidding themselves (or they're Scrooges). Did I mention that the locomotive detail is exquisite?
I wonder if "Donovan's Reef" makes the cut. "3 Godfathers" must.
Serendipity, Polar Express, Elf, and the last ten minutes of Fred Claus, and the new Christmas Carol… I liked those post 94' christmas films…
Kevin Spacey-Judy Davis-Denis Leary: The Ref. Late-ish 90's. It is laugh out loud funny and imminently quotable, like a holiday Fletch.
Tim Allen is the least-funny person I've ever seen. Also, he was a drug dealer.
I *love* "The Polar Express". One of the best Christmas movies I've ever seen.
I thought some of the kids (as elves) in "The Santa Claus" were cute but really… it was rather blasé.
I don't think I could fill a list of the 25 top Christmas films since '94. (Maybe you should shorten it to the top 3?) They just aren't good at all when compared to classics. In fact, anything I can think of since '94 is pretty bland. Home Alone 2 I guess. (It was OK. Nothing really fantastic about it.) Maybe Polar Express. (That was interesting in a way but not earth shattering.) Er…. That's about it. I couldn't stand "Elf" so I guess it really is only 3 for me.
Now if we're talking top 25 Christmas movies in any era… that one I can fill up easily.
Only a schmuck would come up with a comment like that!!!
I liked Joyeux Noel up to a point. The end, with the Catholic hierarchy being portrayed as complicit in the slaughter was cheap, silly and unnecessary. The story can stand on its own without silly, ahistorical embroidery.
My favorite tv Christmas Movie is Christmas Everyday, but they won't show it anymore.It was done in 1996. ABC Family owns the rights and you can't even get it on a dvd.
I agree with the poster who couldn't stand the kid in The Santa Clause. He was terribly annoying and is one reason I haven't watched this film in a long, long time. However, I did like the first sequel, and one of the things I liked about it was that the kid had grown up considerably, gotten a decent haircut, and was actually fairly enjoyable in that film.
Nothing comes to mind as far as post-94 films that are particularly enjoyable. Before this thread, I thought I was the only one who wasn't wild about Elf.
You need to go back 20 years so you can list the #1 Christmas movie of all time, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's a holiday tradition at my house.
Eddie: I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic.
Clark: Do you really think it matters, Eddie?
I forget the ending having seen it a couple years ago. Thanks for the reminder of how lefties insert their central dogmas at every opportunity. Scratch that one, then.
Funniest part of The Santa Clause:
Dr. Neil Miller: [in a light-hearted psychiatry tone] Scott, what was the last thing you and Charlie did, before you went to bed Christmas Eve?
Scott Calvin: [sarcastically] We shared a bowl of sugar, did some shots of brown liqour, played with my shot guns, field-dressed a cat, looked for women… [honestly] I read him a book!
Dr. Neil Miller: What book?
Scott Calvin: [sarcastically] Uh, Hollywood Wives.
[Laura puts her hand into her face, giving off a resentful gesture]
Scott Calvin: [honestly] The Night Before Christmas, folks, come on!
Jingle All the Way.
It views the materialistic holiday toy-mania through Arnold colored lenses. Infinitely quotable, with a perfect supporting cast (Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Sinbad.)
[...] 23. Scrooge (1970) 22. An American Christmas Carol (1979) 21. Susan Slept Here (1954) (wha?) 20. The Santa Claus (1994) 19. Prancer (1989) (This one made a lasting impression on me. It’s about a little girl [...]
I just remembered another post-Santa Clause Christmas film that is worthy of inclusion. (It also was released in 1994, but a few weeks after Tim Allen's film).
Little Women. With Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, and… Christmas movie perrenial Mary Wickes!!
It still holds sway.
"Jingle All The Way" in 1996
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