Un Noël pas comme les autres

Santa Claus is coming to town . . . and setting up shop.

Santa moves in. He decorates the house, and the yard (including 4-foot candy canes and a fake-snow maker). Kids come by, and are enchanted with the love Santa gives. Unfortunately, MANY kids come by to share time with Santa. This increased traffic and parking upsets some of the neighbors (who don't have that Christmas spirit). One of the kids is lonely because his mom is too focused on her career (city attorney), and has little time (or attention) to give him personally.

This part of the movie is so sweet. Imagine, a real nice guy giving warmth and love to kids, and allowing their parents to see how to be kind.

The city attorney is pushed into enforcing the nuisance statute (for the traffic and parking problems). Most of the rest of the movie is pretty stressful. Mom is adamant about her son staying away from Santa (his one fun thing in life). Then, the legal system grinds away at Santa.

I enjoy the Santa. I wish I was an attorney, so I could help him.

This is one of those "made for TV movies" that might show on Lifetime. Shelley Long is in it. That should warrant a minus one star at least. She's too unattractive to get the casting couch, so she must get gigs based on what stinky pieces of crap she takes- this is one.

This is a film you sit around with the family and laugh at, not with.

She's single, and being courted by a millionaire dude, who wants to gentrify/build up a crummy, disenfranchised part of town with a "new theater, shops, and restaurants- it will bring hundreds of jobs to the town!" he gushes, but Shelley Long's character opposes with "Well, what about the community center??" So, a dingy community center for poor kids (who's parents are probably out of work) in the crummy part of town is a BETTER and more ethical idea than bringing jobs to the city and sprucing up that part of town?! Good Gracious.

This stinker has "cancer girl" (in all of these A Very Special Episode type deals) with the dark circles under her eyes. I wonder what miracle Santa will bring her? It has the "evil rich developer against the kids community center" plot, it has the "Santa" character - is he, or ISN'T he..a real Santa? Ugh I won't go on. This is so awful, so corny, I can't bear to write more here.

A man, claiming to be Santa, moves to a new town and instantly antagonizes his neighbors. Even though he is popular with the kids and does many good deeds, the complaints cause trouble for him with the police and a local politician, a woman who harbors a deep hostility for the old gent. "Santa's" true identity is eventually revealed and the lady must make a few important decisions. Good film for the holidays.

Shelley Long plays a single mom with an aspiring political career. Working as city attorney, she has a son, and is estranged from her father, who dresses and acts like Santa Claus (and plays the part), since Santa was not a supportive dad growing up. This is a made for t.v. movie (and I caught it on t.v. after it already started) and it is rather good. Ignore the poor ratings. Watch it with the family and enjoy.

I had a delightful surprise when I watched Troop Beverley Hills and this film was a delightful surprise as well. This is not a film classic like Gone with the Wind but for me much more enjoyable to watch. As with many of Shelley Longs films it was full of heart and good intentions. It was nice to see the mayor from Spin City playing the romance interest and he was very good in that role though I would have loved to have seen more of him and Shelley Long on the screen, and Santa was good as well. If you like a film full of violence and sex this is not for you. There were moral issues raised in this film but not heavily and they were helpful and valid as well. I do recommend that you have a hanky with you in the last 10 minutes of the film because I found it a real tear jerker.