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The Santa Clause (1994) is a Christmas film released by both Walt Disney Pictures and Hollywood Pictures, starring Tim Allen. Scott Calvin is a father who finds himself contractually bound to become Santa Claus when he unintentionally puts on the previous Santa's suit (hence the "clause" in the title, as in the "last line of a contract").

This film is rated PG by the MPAA for crude humor.

Plot

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced father with a son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd). On Christmas Eve, when Charlie is spending the night, they are awakened by a noise on the roof. Going outside to investigate, Scott can see someone on the roof. He yells at the trespasser, which causes the man to fall to the ground. The incapacitated trespasser appears to be Santa Claus. He magically disappears, but his suit remains. They find a business card in a pocket stating that if something should happen to him, someone should put on the suit, climb into the sleigh and the reindeer will take it from there. They find a sleigh and eight reindeer perched atop the house. Scott puts on the Santa suit to please his son, and begins delivering toys from rooftop to rooftop.

Their final stop is the North Pole. The head elf, Bernard (David Krumholtz), shows him an inscription on the card which says that, upon the death of the previous occupant, whoever wears the suit assumes the identity of Santa Claus and all the responsibilities that go with it. This is the "Santa Clause," as stated by Bernard: "You put on the suit, you're the big guy." He also gives Charlie a snow globe.

Scott only has eleven months (until the next Thanksgiving) to get his affairs in order before becoming Santa Claus full time, which he tries to refuse. He and Charlie spend the night at the factory. The next morning they awake back in Scott's home, where the only indication of their previous night's adventure is Scott's new silk pajamas with "SC" monogrammed on them. Scott dismisses it all as a dream.

Soon, however, Scott starts gaining weight and his boss likens him to the Pillsbury Doughboy. He develops a ravenous taste for Christmas treats, like Christmas cookies and hot cocoa. He grows a long gray beard, and shaving it off has no effect; it regrows instantly. His hair whitens, despite all attempts to dye it. He somehow knows who has been "naughty" and "nice". Children approach him with gift requests. Scott's rapid transformation worries his ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson) and her new husband, psychiatrist Dr. Neil Miller (Judge Reinhold), who try to terminate his visitation rights to Charlie. They question Scott's mental stability, and believe that Scott's changes are attempts at getting his son to like him.

Eventually, Scott's visitation rights to Charlie are taken away. Disheartened, Scott begins to lose some of his certainty about his job as Santa. While visiting Charlie on Thanksgiving, Charlie's insistence that Scott is Santa re-awakens Scott's magic and he whisks Charlie away to the North Pole. Laura and Neil, who think Scott has kidnapped Charlie against his will, call the police.

Charlie helps Scott and the elves perfect a new sleigh and new Santa suit for Scott. He calls occasionally, but this only reinforces Laura and Neil's belief that he is being held against his will. Eventually, Scott, as Santa Claus, goes on with his Christmas Eve trip, but is arrested while delivering presents to his son's home, and is accused of kidnapping Charlie. A team of rescue-elves free Scott from jail, and fly Scott and Charlie home to his mother and stepfather, to whom Scott/Santa gives the presents they always wanted since childhood but never got: Laura gets a vintage Mystery Date game and Neil gets an Oscar Mayer "Wienie Whistle". Laura, realizing finally that Scott really is the new Santa, tosses the custody papers into the fireplace and welcomes Scott to come see Charlie any time he wants. Bernard tells Charlie that the snow globe is magic. Anytime he wants his father to visit, all he has to do is shake it. After ten minutes, he shakes it and Scott comes back and said he was off to Cleveland and he takes Charlie with him.

Cast

Reception

This section needs expansion with: Critical reception. You can help by adding to it. (December 2008)

The Santa Clause was a hit, grossing over USD $144 million in the United States alone and over $189 million worldwide.

It was also generally well received by critics, and holds a 78% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes film critic aggregation website.

Soundtrack

• Original Release Date: November 11, 1994
• 1. Jingle Bells - Yello
• 2. White Christmas
• 3. Let's Go
• 4. Believing Is Seeing
• 5. Sash Completes The Ensemble
• 6. Flight
• 7. Weighless
• 8. Away To The Window
• 9. Bells Of Christmas
• 10. Goodnight, Goodnight... Don't Forget The Fire Extinguisher
• 11. Visitation - The Drifters
• 12. Rose Suchak Ladder
• 13. List - Loreena McKennitt
• 14. Elves With Attitude
• 15. Someone In Wrapping
• 16. Near Capture
• 17. Comfort And Joy
• 18. Not Over Any Oceans

DVD and VHS

This film has been released on VHS and standard DVD. The Santa Clause along with 2, and 3 were released in a 3-Movie DVD collection.

Sequels

The popularity of the film spawned two related sequels, The Santa Clause 2 in 2002 and Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause in 2006. Much of the character cast remains the same for each film, but with some additions.

In The Santa Clause 2, Tim Allen as Santa has been declared to be the best Claus ever, but with his son on the naughty list and the work becoming more hectic, Santa learns he must find a suitable wife or give up his duties as Santa Claus.

In The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, the North Pole and its holiday operation is threatened by the villainous Jack Frost (Martin Short), who plans to take over Christmas.

References

1. Quotes from The Santa Claus from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
2. Box office / Business from the IMDb
3. The Santa Clause on Rotten Tomatoes
4. The Santa Clause on LoveToKnow: Christmas

External links

• The Santa Clause at IMDb

Template:The Santa Clause

• 1994 films
• Fantasy-comedy films
• Disney films
• Hollywood Pictures films
• American comedy films
• Santa Claus in film and television
• Christmas films
• 1990s comedy films