Bad Santa

Nevertheless, Bad Santa is pure hilarity for those who like to season their holiday with a little spice. But remember – this R-rated movie is suitable for viewing only after all the children have been tucked in their beds.

“He’s Very Naughty…and Not Very Nice”

The movie’s tagline above says it all. Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie T. Stokes, a conman who works only once a year. Each Christmas he teams up with his partner in crime, Marcus, to portray Santa and his trusty elf at department stores, a ploy that allows Marcus to case the store while Willie mangles every child’s dream of meeting Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, Willie and Marcus fill their sleigh with money from the safe and store merchandise, and then skip town.

It’s a routine that’s served them well for a number of years, but this time, Willie gets his boot caught in the door, all because of the love of a bartender and a kid who carves pickles out of wood.

Many comedic talents run wild in Bad Santa.

• Tony Cox is Marcus.
• Bernie Mac is Gin, the store security chief.
• John Ritter starred as Bob, the store manager.
• Lauren Graham of “Gilmore Girls” fame is Sue, the bartender who helps Willie find the true meaning of Christmas.
• And Brett Kelly plays The Kid, the lovable lug that first irritates, then endears himself, to Willie.

The Kid is a true scene-stealer. In one moment, as Willie is canoodling with Sue and she’s begging him to stay in his Santa suit, The Kid walks in and calmly says, “Hello Santa. Hello Mrs. Santa’s sister.” In case it wasn’t apparent before, this movie is nothing like Miracle on 34th Street.

The concept for Bad Santa was conceived by the clever Joel and Ethan Coen, notorious for other comedy/crime capers such as Fargo and O Brother Where Art Thou?, but most of the credit for the film goes to director Terry Zwigoff.

This was the last film for Ritter, who passed away in September of 2003, shortly before the movie was released. Ritter and Thornton had previously worked together in Sling Blade, written and directed by Thornton.

Bad Santa Reviews

Critics and the public are split on the attraction of this movie.

On the plus side, many think that Bad Santa, and especially Thornton, displays a side of Christmas that some don’t want to admit to: the greedy, commercialized version that often seems to smother the more delicate meaning. So the irony of this allows viewers to laugh at those circumstances as well as themselves. It is, in the true sense of the definition, a dark comedy.

On the minus side, some believe it really isn’t an extremely funny movie, is mean-spirited, and relies too much on lowbrow humor. Visit the Rotten Tomatoes website to read a wide variety of reviews.

Additional Information

There are three DVD versions of this bah-humbug film.

• Bad Santa, with many of the typical DVD features.
• Bad Santa (Director’s Cut), which has a few additions, including a tribute to Ritter. Many fans don’t consider it to be as good as –
• Badder Santa, the Unrated Version, a longer, lewder version released in the U.S. and packed with goodies such as a gag reel, outtakes, alternate scenes and a behind-the-scenes special.

• View the trailer.

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