The Santa Clause

Plot synopsis:
Scott Calvin is attending a large office party at his toy company, where he is winning an award for his salesmanship ability. As he drives home, he leaves a message for his ex-wife, Laura, apologizing for being late when she is dropping off their son Charlie, who is to spend Christmas night with him. When he arrives, he finds that Laura's new husband, Neil Miller, has explained to Charlie that there is no Santa Claus, and Laura and Scott get into an argument about it, much to Charlie's dismay.Scott's attempt to cook a nice Christmas dinner end up with him squirting a fire extinguisher at the turkey in the oven, so they go out to eat. The only place open is Denny's, where they find a full house of Japanese salesmen. The waitress leads them to the room of Men Who Burned the Turkey and tells them that they are out of eggnog, out of chocolate milk, and out of apple pie.They return home and Scott reads "The Night Before Christmas" to Charlie and answers a barrage of questions from him about Santa's magical abilities, explaining at the end that he does believe in Santa. Charlie goes to sleep, but is awakened by a bump on the roof. He wakes up Scott, who goes outside and sees a man in a Santa suit on the roof. He yells and the man slips and falls off the roof. Looking for identification, he finds a card instructing the finder to put on the Santa suit if anything should happen to him. They then notice a sleigh and reindeer on the roof, and the man's body disappears, leaving only the suit behind.Charlie climbs to the roof to pet the reindeer, forcing Scott to follow him. They climb into the sleigh and accidentally start the reindeer moving, eventually landing on another roof. Scott, still in his underwear, is convinced to put on the Santa suit, whereupon he is dragged out of the sleigh and down the chimney by the sack of toys. Once inside, he leaves some presents but is chased back up the chimney by a large dog. They rush off, only to end up at the next roof. This time, Scott is caught by a young girl sleeping on the couch. She tells him he is supposed to drink the milk, and he tells her sarcastically that he is lactose-intolerant.Scott eventually gets into the spirit and they spend the remainder of the night giving out presents. The reindeer then take them to the North Pole and disappear, while an elf opens a garage door for them. They are lowered into a gigantic toy workshop, where an elf named Bernard greets him as Santa. He gives Charlie a snow globe that shows Santa flying in his sleigh and sends him to get food. Bernard explains that when Scott put on the Santa suit, he fell subject to the Santa Clause. By placing the card from the suit under a magnifying glass, Scott is able to read that putting on the suit obligated him under that clause to accept the job of Santa. Bernard tells Scott that he has eleven months to get his affairs in order and that he will be shipped the List. Scott asks what would happen if he didn't believe; Bernard explains that that would result in millions of disappointed children.Scott and Charlie are then escorted by Judy the elf to Santa's bedroom. She brings Scott monogrammed pajamas ("SC") and explains to him that children don't need to see Santa's workshop to know that it's real, and Scott and Charlie fall asleep, waking in their own bedrooms. Scott is still wearing his monogrammed pajamas. Laura arrives to pick up Charlie, who tells her the events of the evening. Laura is annoyed with Scott for encouraging Charlie to believe in Santa.Later that year, Charlie's class does a Parent's Day. He introduces Scott and explains that his job is being Santa Claus. Scott tries to explain his actual job as a toy salesman but Charlie insists that he is Santa Claus. They end up in the school counselor's office, who insists that Scott explain to Charlie that he is not Santa.Scott tries to comply, but Charlie refuses to accept it. Laura finds Charlie in his room playing Santa; Neil challenges many of Charlie's beliefs, but Charlie refutes them all; Neil tells Scott that Charlie is conflicted and they wonder if it's best to stop letting Scott see Charlie. Eventually, at Scott's request, Charlie agrees to stop discussing Santa with others.Scott wakes up one morning, much heavier and with a heavy beard. He rushes to an office meeting, wearing the only thing that will fit him, a sweatsuit. At the meeting, after a lunch where Scott orders hot fudge, extra dressing, cookies and other things, they demo an ad campaign showing Santa riding a tank. Scott objects strenuously, and suggests developing a more nurturing toy. Scott's boss orders him to get help.Scott gets heavier and heavier, with a fast-growing beard, although the doctor tells him he is as healthy as a horse. Later, watching Charlie play soccer, a little girl begins giving him her Christmas list. Laura and Neil catch Scott with children lining up to see him, intensifying their concern.The List arrives, via Federal Express, with a note from Bernard instructing Scott to check it twice. Neil and Laura take Charlie to a counsellor with the intention of revoking Scott's visitation rights. They reminisce about their own Christmas disappointments. Laura wanted a Mystery Date board game, while Neil, at just three, wanted an Oscar Meyer Weenie Whistle. Neither believed in Santa Claus ever again.Scott's visitation rights are cancelled. He goes to visit Neil and Laura anyway, and Charlie tells him that the important thing is that the kids get their presents. Charlie shows him the snow globe again, and when Scott asks for a moment alone with Charlie, Bernard appears. When Laura returns, Charlie, Scott, and Bernard have all disappeared.The police are called in, and begin arresting Santas all around the city. Meanwhile, the elves demonstrate some new, James Bond-ish technology to Scott, who is mostly worried about falling off roofs. Santa begins his rounds, including returning to the little girl who has made sure to provide soy milk for the lactose-intolerant Santa. When he returns to Neil and Laura's house, the police arrest him. Charlie is left on the roof.When the elves lose contact with Santa, they deploy the Effective Liberation Fight Squad (ELFS), a team of commandos. They pick up Charlie, then confront the desk sergeant. "We're your worst nightmare," they tell him. "Elves - with attitude." They rip open Scott's cell door with tinsel, and return to Laura and Neil's house. Scott tells Charlie he has to stay with Laura and Neil. Neil and Laura begin to believe in Scott as Santa, and Laura burns her custody papers. As they say goodbye, Bernard appears to find out the delay. He tells Charlie that he can call back Scott by shaking the snow globe. The police return to the house just as Santa and his sleigh fly from the roof. As Scott leaves, he drops presents - a Weenie Whistle for Neil and a Mystery Date game for Laura.Ten minutes later, Charlie calls Scott back with the snow globe and they take a final quick ride around the neighborhood.

Tags: revenge, humor, psychedelic, entertaining, fantasy

Review:
Scott Calvin (Allen) is an executive with a toy manufacturing company, he's divorced and has a young son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), who still believes in Santa, but is at an age at which doubt is beginning to creep into the picture.
The relationships examined in this film-- the whole situation with Scott, Charlie, Laura and Neal-- are quite common in our modern world, and that obstacle in the lives of these characters puts a necessary balance in the story that makes it more than just another Christmas fantasy.
When you think of Tim Allen, you don't necessarily think in terms of Santa Claus-- his Tim Taylor, `Home Improvement' persona is simply too far-reaching (there are, in fact, some `in' jokes sprinkled subtly throughout this film, like when Scott, in Santa's workshop, picks up a toy tool belt and holds it up to himself)-- but it actually becomes a positive here, and another part of the appeal of this film.
So, in retrospect, Allen was a perfect choice for the role of Scott Calvin, and in the long run this just may turn out to be one of his most memorable roles (which is somewhat ironic, as this was Allen's big screen debut), because this is certainly the kind of film that is bound to make a lot of people's annual `holiday movies to watch' list, falling into that category of films you can watch over and over again every Christmas season, like `A Christmas Story.' `Christmas Vacation,' `A Christmas Carol' and `It's A Wonderful Life.'  All films which, though certainly diverse, have at their center the spirit of Christmas along with family values and traditions, and all told in a way that enables the viewer to readily identify with the characters and the story, which is exactly what this film does.
An entertaining and ultimately uplifting movie, `The Santa Clause' is funny and enjoyable and has a lot to offer in the way of family entertainment, the kind of film adults and kids alike are going to appreciate.
Tim Allen is great in his movie debut as Scott, a toy salesman that owned the roof where Santa Claus fell from to his death!
> "The Santa Clause" is a great flick to watch on Christmas Eve. True, it can get too sentimental at times (Scott and his wife are battling for custody of their son.
i liked this movie ever since i was little..it was funny and it had a lot of fantasy and good acting by all the people that played in it...it had comedy, fantasy and it was just a good movie to watch for christmas, or any time of the year!.
In this film Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (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.
This is a truly magical film that will continue to enchant children and adults for years and generations to come.The simple premise is executed well and Pasquin excels in making a film that appeals to all ages.Tim Allen plays his part to perfection and has never been funnier.
Don't expect a classic like Scrooge(1951), the first 2 Home Alone movies or It's a Wonderful Life, just expect a pleasant family Christmas film, that way the whole family is in for a good time.
Tim Allen is a good actor despite what some people say.This is about how Scott Calvin, a divorcée dad, becomes the new Santa Claus.
The film manages to have a truly original plot (though the same cannot be said about its sequels), Tim Allen's acting is very good (even if you aren't a fan of his TV series--which I wasn't), the little boy who played his son was terrific (a good actor for a kid and cute as can be) and the film is a lot of fun.
TIM ALLEN provides a bunch of chuckles and good cheer as the amiable, goofy father of ERIC LLOYD who sees Santa Claus take a tumble off his roof one Christmas Eve and finds he must substitute for the "big guy," taking the reindeer to the North Pole toy shop for further directions along with his young son.The script is full of one-liners that Allen tosses off with comic skill.
Sure one or two of the kids playing elves seemed to be reading their lines off cue-cards, but head elf Bernard and especially the little girl playing the worldly elf Judy are a delight.Allen himself is very good, especially when he bulks up to fill the big man's shoes (and robe and hat) and if his boy Charlie initially seems like another production-line cute, smart, mop-haired kid, even he gets some neat lines and develops a likeable personality.
The special effects are nice, involving the reindeer sleigh and answering that old chestnut as to how Santa gets down chimneys without fireplaces, even if they are slightly dated by modern standards and I liked the ending for the way it didn't take the easy resolution it looked for a long time it was headed.In short, this was very enjoyable festive family entertainment, recommended Christmas viewing..
Tim Allen is perfect as the fun-loving but inattentive and distant father suddenly forced, ironically, to "grow up" as he is thrust into the ultimate role of responsibility within the world of the childhood imagination, and the support cast's reactions to his irresponsibility, his confusion and his frustration is impeccable.And whatever the film lacks in conveying the ACTUAL meaning of Christmas, it does perhaps make up for in its subtle commentaries about the state of America and of the American family by the 1990s: lack of attachment, obsession with careerism and conformism, stiff-necked and anti-paternal divorce and custody policies, devaluing or discounting of creative imagination and so forth.Nowadays it is often considered a Christmas classic.
And we have another Christmas movie starring Tim Allen, The Santa Clause.
The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen is a movie that starts off with a feeling that it hasn't got it right, it's going to be another movie that tries to be fun and sweet but all together falls off the rails.
The story see's Tim Allen's character Scott basically become Santa as he well knocks him off his roof and then puts on the suit meaning in the Santa "Clause" he is now the jolly red suited man.
We then see Scott really become Santa, only his son knows he is Santa, everyone else thinks he is crazy, things transpire and the whole story comes to an exciting end.It's well done this movie I mean even from a technical point of view and even though maybe watching some years after it can look outdated, it nevertheless still looks pretty cool.
Tim Allen does well in his role, at first comes across as unlikeable but as the plot grows he matures as a character brining with him fun and that jolly feeling you need from the lead of a Christmas movie.
After directing this, John Pasquin continued to work with Tim Allen and you can see why, he gets the most out of Allen and really the cast too, it can at times feel like some kind of made for TV movie and the directing isn't brilliant, but Pasquin makes the most out of the script and the film all in all satisfies.
The Santa Clause is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and a good cast.I love watching this movie and the other two installments every Christmas,I enjoy them for the nostalgia purpose as I watched it constantly as a child at Christmas and it reminds me of a time when I believed in Santa Claus,and it also gets me in to the Christmas cheer.Tim Allen is without a doubt my favourite portrayal of Father Christmas,he suits the role of a man who is forced to be become Santa and really has no idea what he's suppose to do perfectly,Scott Calvin is a sweet and lovable character and I couldn't imagine anyone other than Allen playing him.The Santa Clause is a very enjoyable movie that I would definitely recommend for a family to watch at Christmas time.
I mean, in this movie it seems like anybody can become Santa Claus if something happens to the current one, as that responsibility ends up falling under Tim Allen, Scott Calvin.
They do a good job of showing how he looks, but we don't often times think of Santa Claus as being fat as he's supposed to be in this movie.
I thought of how this movie is a little like Hook where Peter Banning played by Robin Williams becomes Peter Pan even when it's not his intention, as in this movie Scott Calvin played by Tim Allen becomes Santa Claus out of what he intended.
Under pressure from Charlie, Scott puts on the suit and becomes the new Santa.Tim Allen plays a lot of these Scrooge characters.
This is a pleasant and enjoyable Christmas film, about a man named Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) who was miraculously recruited on Christmas Eve to take the place of Santa Claus after he disappears.
I especially like how Santa's helpers like his elves help Scott carry on his duties.It's a perfect Christmas movie for the entire family and one to celebrate the holiday season with - a fun story with lovable characters and charming scenes.
One night during the Christmas season Santa falls off of a man's roof, and can't continue his duties, Tim Allen's character is now bestowed the duty of becoming the new Santa Claus, at first he doesn't want to do it, presumably because of all the responsibility that comes with it.
Like all the best Yuletide films, it requires the viewer to take a leap of faith and believe the unbelievable so that once you do that you're taken along for the ride and in this case, an entertaining and amusing ride it certainly is.Tim Allen stars as the divorced dad who feels diminished next to his ex-wife and her new man, who naturally is younger, better-looking and higher-earning, though with a taste for gaudily patterned pullovers.
Cue a fateful encounter with an unexpected visitor on the roof on Christmas Eve and the fun really starts.While some of the special-effects are a little weak, in general this movie gently and neatly encapsulates the elusive Christmas spirit with a nicely judged mix of childish wonder and knowing humour for grown-ups,making it an easy film for parents and children to watch together.
In the beginning and middle of the movie, it's all about Tim Allen not believing that he is Santa Clause, and I find that quite humorous because that's what any person would probably do.However, overall this movie does deserve a 7/10 and I definitely recommend watching it for families, because this is a 100% family approved film!.
I have seen this since I was 4 years old(yeah that long)and it is quite good for a Christmas movie.Tim Allen(the guy who is famous for voicing Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise)plays Scott Clavin a man who doesn't like Christmas and is a divorced father to a boy named Charlie(Eric Lyod).
Tim Allen's character, named Scott Calvin  Same initials as Santa, it must be destiny  has a child named Charlie and is caught in a triangle of adults with his ex-wife and her new husband, played by the always amazing Judge Reinhold.
Can anyone for the life of me, as a kid I never seen a Christmas/holiday movie REVEALING Santa Claus,in this case Tim Allen.
Tim Allen brought us lots of Christmas joy to be a such a nice Santa clause.Eric Lloyd was so smart in the movie as Tim's kid.
Because if you did, you'd agree with me that this is a shallow, not particularly imaginative Christmas film with some bad child actors and the only reason people have some affection for it is because Tim Allen makes for a pretty good Santa Claus.
The premise of the film is that Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced father who is taking care of his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve. When they hear a noise on the roof of their house, they discover that Santa Claus is real...
Watch it for Tim Allen, but don't forsake one of the better Christmas films in order to watch "The Santa Clause".
While both Chase or Murray could possibly have been better, they also both have their own notable Christmas movies, so it was time to pick a new comedian.I am not big on Tim Allen, despite liking "Home Improvement" and enjoying his role here for the most part.
The Santa Clause stars Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd, Peter Boyle, and David Krumholtz.
If you are looking for a great Christmas film and if you like the cast mentioned above that I strongly recommend The Santa Clause!.
Tim Allen plays Scott, a divorced toy executive who spends time with his son on Christmas Eve. They end up in Dennys as he burns the turkey but later that night he hears a sound.
i thought his movie was quite good.it's loaded with some great laughs,it's heartwarming,and it's original.Tim Allen is in fine comedic form here,way back in 1994.this is truly a movie the whole family can enjoy.the jokes are appealing to both kids and adults.my sister and both laughed quite hard more than a few times.the movie moves at a quick pace,so you don't really get to know the characters that well.but for this movie,that's OK.you get all the information you need for the story.it's also nice to see a movie like this that isn't preachy.sure there's a message,but it's subtle,and not the main focus of the film.for me,the Santa Clause is a 8/10..
"The Santa Clause" is one of the best holiday movies of the last 16 years, though of course it's not better than "A Christmas Story" (1983).
While at 21 years of age, I certainly know there's no Santa, though there is always your inner-child telling you to believe that Christmas is the season of miracles, and that is exactly what transpires in "The Santa Clause."Scott Calvin (Allen), the typical, overworked (and divorced) American dad, is one such disbeliever.
Scott finds a business card in the man's suit that informs him that by putting on the coat, he has entered into a legal binding ("The Santa Clause," with an "e" at the end, meaning the last sentence of a contract, as explained by Bernard the Elf, played by David Krumholtz) to assume the rights and responsibilities of Santa Claus.So after one hectic night of delivering presents to children around the world and visiting his North Pole home and workshop, life returns to normal for Scott and Charlie, or so it seems.
(The movie also manages to resolve two ages-old questions that have nagged us all, including how Santa shoves his big old self down chimneys and how he's able to make his nightly rounds on Christmas Eve.)For all its typical Disney kind-hearted-ness, director Pasquin and his screenwriters Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick manage to effectively capture everything there is to really love about the Jolly Old Fat Guy. Allen, everybody's favorite television comedian, fills out his role as the lousy-dad Scott Calvin who is inexplicably transformed into every kid's favorite holiday hero.
He starts going up in weight...well, he goes in puberty getting Santa Clause!The thing is; Allen plays a dad who's divorced and has his son on visit on Christmas Eve, when the night has come they suddenly hear someone on the roof.
Basically Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) has been divorced from ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson) for some time now, and though she is married to a slightly annoying Dr. Neil Miller (Beverly Hills Cop's Judge Reinhold), he still has access to his six year old son Charlie (Eric Lloyd).
Along with Elf and Jingle All the Way, The Santa Clause is another film in a line of movies I could recommend to all families to watch on Christmas Day just after opening all those presents.
Scott Calvin(Tim Allen)is a depressed divorced dad that resents his ex-wife Laura(Wendy Crewson)marrying the child psychiatrist(Judge Reinhold)of his son Charlie(Eric Lloyd).
superstar comedian Tim Allen shines in this Disney's magical larger than life Xmas comedy a clatter on the roof leads to a merry Xmas adventure after a disturbance Santa falls down on the job and Scots son Charlie convince him he is the real deal and try on the suit 8 reindeer navigate the pair to the north pole so with clause in his suit he has accepted the contact and over the next year Scot has a mini sized breakdown as he evolves quiet latterly into something quiet large his family and business associates come quiet concerned if he is losing his marbles but not his son he believes this well keep secret Disney reveals in this Xmas classic its surprising 7/10 1hr33mins of fun enjoy great acting by a all star cast.
The Santa Clause (1994): Dir: John Pasquin / Cast: Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, David Krumholtz: Delightfully funny holiday film about the promise of good will.
Scott Calvin is played by Tim Allen in the Santa Claus films and he does that on a really classic and unforgettable way.
For me Tim Allen will always be "Santa" it was a tradition for me at home to watch the Santa Claus films with the whole family on TV at Christmas every year.
The Santa Clause launched Tim Allen in the movie business, spawned two sequels, and did so much for the holidays.