Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the Santa Claus in this made-for-TV movie is discouraged by the increasing materialism of Christmas and his belief that no one believes in him anymore, which makes him awfully grumpy for most of the movie and causes him to lash out verbally at others a few times. The humor here is mostly based in the characters' quirky personalities (like a head elf just itching for his chance to step out of Santa's shadow), so little kids will probably miss a lot of it. Families looking for a show filled with jolly elves, Christmas tunes, festive decor, and lots of holiday spirit won't find much of that here.
Families can talk about the importance of showing appreciation. Why is it important to get recognition for a job well done? When have your kids felt that their efforts haven't been appreciated? Kids, when do you think parents felt the same way? Families can also discuss how this movie compares to the book that inspired it, or the animated Rankin-Bass movie that first adapted it in 1974. What portions of the book were changed for the movie? Why do your kids think they made those changes? Did they make the story better or worse? How so? Do you like stories like this with animated characters or live ones?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Emily Ashby
In THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS, Santa (John Goodman, Roseanne) and a young boy help each other rediscover the holiday spirit they've lost. This live-action movie is based on a book of the same name by Phyllis McGinley and was first adapted by the Rankin-Bass team (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) back in 1974.
Though the Christmas season is in full swing, Santa's feeling anything but jolly. He's tired and frustrated with what he feels is a world of people who have forgotten the true meaning of the holiday. To make things worse, his head elf, Sparky (Chris Kattan, Saturday Night Live), is pressing him to modernize his thinking and branch out into trendier toys and a flashier image. But Santa refuses to succumb to such materialism and become what he calls a "toy delivery platform."
Discouraged, Santa decides to take the year off, feeling that kids don't appreciate his efforts anyway. But while he's making plans to pack up and move with Mrs. Claus (Delta Burke, Designing Women) to Mythopolis -- a retirement community for mythological figures -- two of his elves set out to find someone who can prove to Santa that the Christmas spirit is alive and well.
They travel to South Town, U.S.A., to find a young boy trying to revive that same spirit in his hometown and with his family. Santa follows them there and meets Iggy Thistlewhite (Dylan Minnette), and is reminded of the joy and goodwill Christmas can bring to true believers.
Despite boasting such a stellar cast (Michael McKean and Harvey Fierstein also join the crew as Mother Nature's feuding sons, and Carson Kressley pops in for a couple of quick cameos), The Year without a Santa Claus is a disappointing mix of a slow plot, poor writing, and subpar visual effects. Chris Kattan's presence is definitely a high point, and his hysterical portrayal of a deviously ambitious elf looking to make his mark on Christmas often carries the scenes he's in.
Families with tweens and teens might enjoy the character-based humor this movie offers, but if your kids are little, they'll probably be turned off by the grumpy, sarcastic Santa and general lack of holiday spirit that exists for most of the show.
Some better choices include Santa Baby or The Santa Clause. Families may also enjoy the book version of The Year without a Santa Claus.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSome females are scantily clad. |
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ViolenceSome mild comic fighting, including a playful boxing match between brothers where a few characters get knocked around, but there's no lasting injury. |
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Social BehaviorThe show uses extreme examples to poke fun at the materialism of Christmas. Santa is stern and grumpy throughout most of the movie. The religious aspect of Christmas is absent from the plot. |
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CommercialismMany scenes include brandless toys (goth dolls, laser-shooting action figures); characters visit a video arcade at one point. One main character carries a hand-held TV much of the time. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAn adult chugs a beer in front of a young boy, and a man in a Santa suit drinks from a flask while tending to a donation can on the street. |
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