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Parents' Guide to

Ernest Saves Christmas

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Goofy holiday movie is OK fun for families, knowwhatImean?

Movie PG 2002 91 minutes
Ernest Saves Christmas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 4 parent reviews

my2cents
my2cents Adult
October 2, 2022
age 2+

Classic Ernest

There is nothing to dislike. This is classic Ernest. He's a bumbling idiot who saves the day once again. I recommend this to everyone to enjoy as soon as Thanksgiving Dinner is over.

This title has:

Great messages
ShoelaceExpress
ShoelaceExpress Adult
December 20, 2021
age 12+

Love Ernest movies, but it “questions” Santa too many times.

As much as Ernest movies are classics in my view, I wish Common Sense Media would have a separate column for Christmas movies and how often Santa’s existence and those who believe in him are questioned. To all parents reading this, this topic comes up at least 5 times throughout the movie. You may want to hold off a few years before reliving your own childhood Ernest memories.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS stars Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell, a well-meaning but mishap-prone cab driver who's in for a big surprise when he picks up Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) from the Orlando airport. Santa's in town to find a replacement for his job, and he's got his sights set on a local TV personality named Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark), but things don't go as planned when he offers him the position. One thing leads to another, and Santa lands in the slammer, so it falls on Ernest and a runaway teen named Harmony Starr (Noelle Parker) to break him out so he can persuade Joe to take over the position. Fate seems to be working against him as time ticks down to their Christmas Eve deadline, and it's tough to tell if there will be enough Christmas spirit left to set everything straight in time.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (3 ):

There's no sex, violence, or language to speak of, which makes Ernest Saves Christmas a fairly safe, if not exactly heartwarming, option for families. Varney's simple-minded alter ego was a mainstay during the '80s and '90s, when Ernest entertained his fans in numerous movies, commercials, and a short-lived TV show. Your kids probably won't know who he is, but they might recognize his voice from the first two Toy Story movies, for which he provided the voice of Slinky Dog. Whether you love or hate his slapstick-style humor, rubbery facial expressions, and litany of misinterpreted quotes ("What we have here is a failure to accumulate"), it's impossible not to be struck by what's obviously lacking in this holiday comedy: iffy content.

What will stand out most to parents is the movie's unabashed brand placement that gives air time to deep-pocketed players like Coca-Cola (whose products Varney/Ernest promoted throughout his career), Nissan, Bic, and, briefly, Bud Light. It's not frequent enough to be distasteful, but there's no denying the movie's motivation in including them in such an unavoidable way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about comedy. How have the style and tone of comedy changed over time? What kinds of topics are subject to humor now that weren't decades ago? Does this change reflect a more lenient cultural view on certain issues or something else?

  • Teens: Do you enjoy holiday movies in general? What are some of your favorites? Do you think this movie is attempting to teach a lesson, or is it meant solely for entertainment? Does entertainment always have to have a point?

  • Did you notice any advertising throughout this movie? Does it seem like the rules about promoting products in TV shows and movies has changed over the years? Should there be different guidelines for advertising in shows aimed at adults and those aimed at kids?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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