Movie Title: The Santa Clause
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
Writer: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick
Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, Larry Brandenburg, David Krumholtz
Review: Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son Charle (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa's place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he's dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn't a dream after all -- and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do. One of my favorite Christmas films, and a must-watch each year, is The Santa Clause. This film dives head first into the age-old question of believing in Santa Claus where "seeing is not believing, but believing is seeing." Tim Allen does a great job playing Santa Claus. His transformation from regular civilian guy to Santa Claus is hilarious. Everything from the weight gain, to the white hair, and rapid beard growth is very fun and entertaining. I thought the North Pole scenes were shot very well, and I really enjoyed how they made that setting look in relation to other Christmas movies. While I really enjoy this movie, I look back as an adult and feel truly sorry for how Charlie is treated throughout. Between his father becoming Santa Claus, being ridiculed at school, and having his mother (Wendy Crewson) and step-father (Judge Reinhold) not believing a word that comes out of his mouth; psychological warfare is at an all-time high. At the end of the day, this is a heartwarming Christmas movie with a happy resolution, but it certainly isn't all sunshine, rainbows, and Christmas cheer. The Santa Clause excels in being a movie for kids and adults alike. Kids will love Tim Allen's hilarious portrayal of Santa Claus, and adults will enjoy the more dramatic, heartwarming moments. I highly recommend you watch this film and enjoy it just as I this holiday season!
Fun Fact: For one week in November 1994, Tim Allen had the #1 movie at the box office (this movie), the #1 rated television show (Home Improvement), and the #1 New York Times best-selling book ("Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man").