The Santa Clause **** (1994, Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson) – Classic Movie Review 519

‘Down the chimney? You want me to take the toys down the chimney into a strange house, IN MY UNDERWEAR?’ – Scott Calvin.

Fancy a seasonal caper? Director John Pasquin’s 1994 Walt Disney movie The Santa Clause is an expectedly funny and delightful original Christmas comedy. It has the enormous benefit of starting with an imaginative, inventive screenplay by Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti.

Tim (Home Improvement) Allen is on top funny form as divorcee Scott Calvin, the father who accidentally kills the real Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and has to take over as Santa to deliver the presents in time for the big day. Peter Boyle is hilarious as Mr Whittle, Calvin’s grouchy boss.

The Santa Clause is a comedy cracker and gradually over the years it has become the holiday classic that it was predicted it was destined to become back in 1994. Director Pasquin keeps it light-hearted, sparky and moving along briskly.

But, in the end, it is the drily droll Allen who makes it a winner. Wendy Crewson plays his ex-wife Laura, Eric Lloyd plays his son Charlie and Judge Reinhold is Laura’s new husband, Dr Neil Miller.

And David Krumholtz plays Bernard the Elf.

The Santa Clause 2 followed in 2002, and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause in 2006.

The movie reveals that Santa Claus’s favourite snack is cookies and favourite drink is hot chocolate. The DVD bonus material contains recipes to make Santa’s preferences of pizza, cookies and hot chocolate, and shows how to make them!

Allen dropped his surname and used his two first names for his stage name. He supported Donald Trump for the 2016 US election and attended his 2017 Presidential inauguration.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 519

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