1994 film directed by John Pasquin
The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Pasquin and written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick. 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 to his supposed death on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, finish the late 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 mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and it has since become a Christmas-time staple among viewers.[2][3][4] 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+.
The film was originally going to be released under the Hollywood Pictures banner, but following positive test screenings among children, it was transferred to the Walt Disney Pictures banner.
Plot
37-year-old Scott Calvin is a marketing director for a toy company at Lakeside, Illinois, who prepares to spend Christmas Eve with his 8-year-old son Charlie. Scott wants Charlie to maintain his belief in Santa Claus, despite not believing himself. Scott's ex-wife Laura and her psychiatrist husband Dr. Neal Miller stopped believing in Santa at a young age and feel it is time for Charlie to do the same.
Following an evening at Denny's (after Scott accidentally burned the dinner at home), Scott and Charlie are awakened that night by a noise on the roof. While investigating, Scott startles Santa Claus, who falls off the roof and dies. Santa's body vanishes, leaving behind a red suit and business card stating that if anything were to happen to him, someone should put on the suit and the reindeer will know what to do. Scott and Charlie find Santa’s sleigh and reindeer on the roof. At Charlie's request, Scott reluctantly dons the suit and spends the rest of the night delivering gifts before the reindeer take them to the North Pole.
It turns out that, by putting on the suit, Scott is subject to a legal technicality known as "The Santa Clause," and has accepted all of the late Santa's duties and responsibilities. The head elf, Bernard, gives Scott eleven months to get his affairs in order before reporting back to the North Pole on Thanksgiving. Overwhelmed, Scott changes into the pajamas provided to him and falls asleep. The next morning, Scott awakes in his own bed and believes the previous events were a dream, but realizes he is still wearing the pajamas given to him. Charlie is proud that his father is the new Santa Claus, and this arouses concern in Laura, Neal, and the school staff. Scott, not wanting to destroy Charlie's newfound enthusiasm, asks him to keep their North Pole trip a secret.
Over the next year, Scott undergoes a drastic transformation; he gains weight and develops an increased fondness for sweets, particularly milk and cookies. He develops a white beard that instantly regrows after shaving, and his hair turns white in spite of attempts to dye it. During a meeting with his company, Scott is angered at a proposal to advertise a toy military tank by showing Santa riding it. Scott also begins to recount 'naughty' and 'nice' children by name when he sees them. After Laura and Neal 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.
On Thanksgiving, a devastated Scott goes to Laura and Neal's house to see Charlie one last time. Charlie, desperate to help Scott realize how important he is to the children of the world, shows him a magical snow globe (a gift from Bernard), convincing Scott that he really is Santa. When Laura and Neal allow Scott a minute to talk to Charlie alone, Bernard appears and transports father and son to the North Pole. Thinking Scott has kidnapped Charlie, Laura and Neal call the police.
Scott sets out to deliver gifts with Charlie in tow. Upon arriving at Laura and Neal's home, Scott is arrested inside the house while Charlie waits for him in the sleigh. The elves eventually break him out of jail. Scott returns Charlie to his house and insists he spend Christmas Eve with Laura and Neal. His heartfelt speech to Charlie about the importance of everyone in the family convinces Laura and Neal that he is Santa. Laura burns the court documents suspending Scott's visitation rights, and tells him he can visit anytime. According to Bernard, any time Charlie shakes his snow globe, his father will appear. Before leaving, Scott gives Laura and Neal the two presents that they never got as children, which caused their disbelief in Santa. His takeoff from the roof proves his identity to the police and various witnesses outside the house. After Scott leaves, Charlie summons him back with the snow globe, and Laura agrees to let them go together in the sleigh to finish delivering the presents.
Production
The script was written on spec by Steve Rudnick and Leo Benvenuti.[5] In November 1992, it was announced Hollywood Pictures had acquired the script as a potential starring vehicle for Tim Allen.[5]
The film was shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California,[6] 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.[7]
Bill Murray and Chevy Chase[8] 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, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, and Mel Gibson were also considered for the role. Jeff Daniels, Stanley Tucci and Bradley Whitford were considered for the role of Neal Miller. Patricia Richardson, Patricia Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, and Kate Burton were considered for the role of Laura Miller.[9][10]
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.[11]
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.[12][13] In its second weekend it grossed $17.1 million, finishing third. Over the three-day Thanksgiving frame it then made $20.4 million.[14] 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.[15][16]
Freeform and AMC have played the film on television during the holiday season with record ratings.[17]
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."[18]
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".[19] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade "A−" on scale of A+ to F.[20]
Sandi Davis of The Oklahoman ended up placing the film sixth overall on her list of the best films of 1994.[21]
