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At one point of the film, a brief exchange between Scott and Laura takes place in which Laura hands Scott a piece of paper with Neal's mother's phone number on it. Scott then says "1-800-SPANK-ME. I know that number." In the United States, the exchange was removed from all home media releases of the film (except for the ] and ] releases) and most digital downloads starting with the 1999 ] release after a 1996 incident in which a child from ] called the number (which turned out to be an actual, working sex line number) and incurred a phone bill of {{US$|400|1996}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19971019&slug=2566882|title='Santa Clause' Has A Line That Could Invite Trouble|work=Seattle Times|first=Shelby|last=Gilje|date=October 19, 1997|access-date=2018-12-04|archive-date=2020-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226072550/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19971019&slug=2566882|url-status=live}}</ref> The line is also removed from the ] print. On television broadcasts, the number is changed to 1-800-POUND. At one point of the film, a brief exchange between Scott and Laura takes place in which Laura hands Scott a piece of paper with Neal's mother's phone number on it. Scott then says "1-800-SPANK-ME. I know that number." In the United States, the exchange was removed from all home media releases of the film (except for the ] and ] releases) and most digital downloads starting with the 1999 ] release after a 1996 incident in which a child from ] called the number (which turned out to be an actual, working sex line number) and incurred a phone bill of {{US$|400|1996}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19971019&slug=2566882|title='Santa Clause' Has A Line That Could Invite Trouble|work=Seattle Times|first=Shelby|last=Gilje|date=October 19, 1997|access-date=2018-12-04|archive-date=2020-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226072550/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19971019&slug=2566882|url-status=live}}</ref> The line is also removed from the ] print. On television broadcasts, the number is changed to 1-800-POUND.


''The Santa Clause'' was released on DVD on October 29, 2002, and was presented in ] certified widescreen and fullscreen versions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/thesantaclause.html|title=The Santa Clause: Special Edition DVD Review|website=DVDizzy.com}}</ref> ''The Santa Clause'' was released on DVD on October 29, 2002, and was presented in a ] certified widescreen versions. The fullscreen version isn’t. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/thesantaclause.html|title=The Santa Clause: Special Edition DVD Review|website=DVDizzy.com}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 18:59, 22 December 2022

1994 film directed by John Pasquin For films with similar titles, see Santa Claus (disambiguation). For the media franchise, see The Santa Clause (franchise).
The Santa Clause
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Pasquin
Written byLeo Benvenuti
Steve Rudnick
Produced byBrian Reilly
Jeffrey Silver
Robert Newmyer
Starring
CinematographyWalt Lloyd
Edited byLarry Bock
Music byMichael Convertino
Production
companies		Walt Disney Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Outlaw Productions
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release dates
  • November 5, 1994 (1994-11-05) (Hollywood)
  • November 11, 1994 (1994-11-11) (United States)
Running time97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million
Box office$190.3 million

The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas fantasy comedy film written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick, and directed by John Pasquin. The first installment in The Santa Clause franchise, it stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus (played by Tim Allen's actual stunt double, Steve Lucescu) to fall from his roof on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, finish St. Nick's trip and deliveries, they go to the North Pole where Scott learns that he must become the new Santa and convince those he loves that he is indeed Santa Claus.

The film was released on November 11, 1994, and grossed $190 million. It received positive reviews from critics and it has since become a Christmas-time staple among viewers. Its success led to two sequels, The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), which were both financially successful despite the former's mixed and the latter's negative reception. The franchise continues with a follow-up series The Santa Clauses, which premiered November 16, 2022 on Disney+.

Plot

Successful toy salesman Scott Calvin prepares to spend Christmas Eve with his son Charlie. Scott wants Charlie to maintain his belief in Santa Claus, despite not believing himself. Scott's former wife, Laura, and her psychiatrist husband Dr. Neil Miller, both stopped believing in Santa at a young age and feel that Charlie needs to do so as well (after an older kid made Charlie upset by saying Santa is not real).

On Christmas Eve Scott burns the turkey he was cooking, so he and Charlie go to Denny's for dinner. The two share an uneventful evening and go to sleep. They are awakened by a noise on the roof. Scott startles a man wearing a Santa suit standing on the roof, who slips and falls to the ground. The man's body vanishes, leaving behind a red suit and business card that states: "If something should happen to me, put on my suit. The reindeer will know what to do." Scott and Charlie find a sleigh and reindeer still on the roof. At Charlie's request, Scott dons the suit and spends the rest of the night delivering gifts before the reindeer take them to the North Pole. Bernard the head elf explains that, by putting on the suit, Scott is subject to a legal technicality known as "The Santa Clause", and has accepted all of Santa's duties and responsibilities. Bernard gives Scott eleven months to get his affairs in order before reporting back to the North Pole on Thanksgiving. Confused and overwhelmed, Scott changes into the pajamas provided to him and falls asleep.

Awakening in his own bed, Scott thinks it was all a dream (though he is confused that he is wearing the North Pole pajamas). Laura, Neil, and the school staff are concerned when Charlie proudly tells his school class that Scott is Santa. Not wanting to destroy Charlie's newfound enthusiasm, Scott asks him to keep their North Pole trip a secret. Over the course of the year, strange things begin to happen to Scott. His hair turns white and a beard constantly re-grows, even immediately after shaving. He develops an increased fondness for sweets, primarily milk and cookies. He gains an inordinate amount of weight seemingly overnight. During a meeting with his company, Scott becomes angry at a proposal to advertise a toy military tank by showing Santa riding it. He also begins to recount 'naughty' and 'nice' children by name when he sees them. After Laura and Neil witness children wanting to sit on Scott's lap at Charlie's soccer game, they assume Scott is deliberately misleading Charlie and decide to have a judge suspend Scott's visitation rights. At Thanksgiving, a desperate Scott goes to Laura and Neil's house to see to Charlie but Neil will not let him anywhere near Charlie. When Neil insists that Scott is not Santa, Charlie shows Scott a magical snow globe that Bernard had given him, finally convincing Scott that he really is Santa. When Laura and Neil allow Scott a minute to talk to Charlie alone, Bernard appears and transports him and Charlie to the North Pole. Thinking Scott has kidnapped Charlie, Laura and Neil call the police.

On Christmas Eve, Scott sets out to deliver gifts with Charlie in tow. Upon arriving at Laura and Neil's home, Scott is arrested inside the house while Charlie waits for him in the sleigh. The elves send a team to break him out of jail. Scott returns Charlie to his house and insists he spend Christmas Eve with Laura and Neil. His heartfelt speech to Charlie about the importance of everyone in the family convinces Laura and Neil that he is Santa. Laura burns the court papers suspending Scott's visitation rights, and tells Scott he can visit anytime. Bernard appears and tells Charlie that any time he shakes his magical snow globe his father will appear. Before leaving, Scott gives Laura and Neil the two Christmas presents that they never got as children, which had caused their disbelief in Santa.

Charlie summons Scott back with the snow globe and Laura agrees to let Charlie go with Scott in the sleigh to finish delivering the presents.

Cast

Production

The script was written on spec by Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti. In November 1992, it was announced Hollywood Pictures had acquired the script as a potential starring vehicle for Tim Allen.

The film was shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California, and on location in the Greater Toronto Area, with Oakville serving as the city of Lakeside, Illinois. The reindeer used in the film were all from the Toronto Zoo. The trains used in the North Pole scene and the start of the film were all made by LGB.

Bill Murray and Chevy Chase were offered the role of Scott Calvin, but both turned it down; Chase declined due to scheduling conflicts, and Murray did not want to do another holiday-themed movie after doing Scrooged. Tom Selleck, Tom Hanks, and Mel Gibson were also considered for the role. Jeff Daniels, Stanley Tucci and Bradley Whitford were considered for the role of Neil Miller. Patricia Richardson, Patricia Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, and Kate Burton were considered for the role of Laura Miller.

Reception

Box office

The Santa Clause grossed $145.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $45 million in other territories, for a worldwide, total of $190.3 million.

The film grossed $19.3 million in its opening weekend, finishing second at the US box office behind Interview with the Vampire which opened with $36 million. In its second weekend it grossed $17.1 million, finishing third. Over the three-day Thanksgiving frame it then made $20.4 million. In November 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic limiting new releases, The Santa Clause was re-released into 1,581 theaters and grossed $711,000.

Freeform and AMC have played the film on television during the holiday season with record ratings.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it's firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films." On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on reviews from 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "A−" on scale of A+ to F.

Sandi Davis of The Oklahoman ended up placing the film sixth overall on her list of the best films of 1994.

Home media

At one point of the film, a brief exchange between Scott and Laura takes place in which Laura hands Scott a piece of paper with Neal's mother's phone number on it. Scott then says "1-800-SPANK-ME. I know that number." In the United States, the exchange was removed from all home media releases of the film (except for the VHS and LaserDisc releases) and most digital downloads starting with the 1999 DVD release after a 1996 incident in which a child from Steilacoom, Washington called the number (which turned out to be an actual, working sex line number) and incurred a phone bill of US$400 (equivalent to $777.08 in 2023). The line is also removed from the Disney+ print. On television broadcasts, the number is changed to 1-800-POUND.

The Santa Clause was released on DVD on October 29, 2002, and was presented in a THX certified widescreen versions. The fullscreen version isn’t.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Santa Clause (1994)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  2. "Top Ten Christmas Movies Of All Time". Thetoptens.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  3. "The 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  4. Patches, Dan Jackson, Matt (December 22, 2017). "The 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time". Thrillist. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved November 22, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "H'wood aims to nail Allen for 'Clause'". Variety. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  6. Rowan, Terry. Character-Based Film Sereies Part 1. ISBN 9781365421051.
  7. "Reel Toronto: The Santa Clause". Torontoist. Archived from the original on 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  8. Evans, Bradford (September 22, 2011). "The Lost Roles of Chevy Chase". Vulture. Retrieved July 16, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. Bricker, Tierney (November 11, 2019). "25 Secrets About The Santa Clause Revealed". E!. Retrieved July 16, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Jackson, Matthew (December 19, 2019). "14 Festive Facts About The Santa Clause". Mental Floss. Retrieved July 16, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. "The Santa Clause (1994): All Releases". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  12. Klady, Leonard (November 15, 1994). "Playing the numbers". Daily Variety. p. 3.
  13. "The Santa Clause (1994): Original Release". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  14. McNary, Dave (November 22, 2020). "'Freaky' Repeats as Winner of Quiet U.S. Box Office With $1.2 Million". Variety. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  15. "The Santa Clause (2020 Re-Release)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  16. Natale, Richard (1994-12-12). "Disclosure Edges Out 'Santa' at the Box Office Movies: Much-hyped sexual-harassment drama pushes aside the Tim Allen heavyweight". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  17. "The Santa Clause". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  18. "The Santa Clause Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  19. "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  20. Davis, Sandi (January 1, 1995). "Oklahoman Movie Critics Rank Their Favorites for the Year "Forrest Gump" The Very Best, Sandi Declares". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  21. Gilje, Shelby (October 19, 1997). "'Santa Clause' Has A Line That Could Invite Trouble". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2020-02-26. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
  22. "The Santa Clause: Special Edition DVD Review". DVDizzy.com.

External links

The Santa Clause
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Television series
Films directed by John Pasquin
Disney Christmas films
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