Call Me Claus

Only watched this recently, over 17 years since it's release, and boy is the CGI so dated ! Some of the sets are poor and the storyline is obvious from the start ie to find a new Santa before elf armageddon ! Whoopi plays an ok role as the grumpy Shopping Channel exec, tasked with bringing in the cash over Christmas period. However, the standout role is that of Nigel Hawthorne as Santa, who plays the poignant and comedic lines with equal aplomb. If I'd seen this when it first came out, I'd probably given a higher mark even though it's a poor The Santa Clause plotline.

I acquired this one on a DVD from the USA, the only place its available. I found the film most entertaining, thanks to the performances of Whoopi Goldberg and Nigel Hawthorn whom I had known from the BBC series Yes Minister. Indeed I was distressed to learn that he had died whilst I was in the course of reading other comments about this film. Whoopi Goldberg, I knew and loved in Ghost, Jumpin' Jack Flash and the Sister Act movies.

The storyline here is quite original, a little slow to get off the ground but that Christmas magic is there and I think we all, old and young, like films where Father Xmases, sleighs and reindeers are involved, especially if the reindeers have shiny/luminous noses.

I was most touched by the flashback to Whoopi's childhood where she had asked the same Father Xmas to bring her Daddy back, this was probably the most emotional part of the film. The rest was more lighthearted and the only aspect I did not like was the over commercialisation of Xmas where you have to sell sell and sell more ! However the magic of the film makes up for the rest of this. It's a nice DVD to have at home and to put on a couple of times a year !

Because she had true Christmas spirit as a young lass, "Shop-A-Lot" TV producer/pitch-woman Whoopi Goldberg (as Lucy Cullins) is chosen to be the world's new Santa Claus. This decision was made (in a 1965 flashback) by traditional roly-poly red-suited Nigel Hawthorne (as Nick). Being "Santa Claus" is revealed to be a 200-year job. If the presently grow-up and grumpy Ms. Goldberg can't get her girlish Christmas groove back, Earth will suffer a massive flood. Call her Scrooge. For Goldberg's Los Angeles-based home-shopping channel, she hires Mr. Hawthorne as a seasonal sales-marketing Santa and he tries to win her over. For a TV movie, "Call Me Claus" is nicely produced. This was the last role for Hawthorne, who performs memorably. The soundtrack music (by Van Dyke Parks) pleasantly moves it along. Having a woman take over the role of Santa Claus is an interesting and welcome premise, but the story really doesn't work. As it's destined to get lost in future years, we won't have to explain to millions of confused young children how Whoopi lost the job.

***** Call Me Claus (12/2/01) Peter Werner ~ Whoopi Goldberg, Nigel Hawthorne, Taylor Negron, Brian Stokes Mitchell

When I first turned this film on I thought "Here's a film that's going to get a bad review", but actually as it progressed I found I quite liked the silliness of it all and realised that it is just the right amount of daft. It bears a likeness to "Miracle On 34th Street" in some respects and "The Santa Clause" in others, with a little bit of "A Christmas Carol" for good measure thrown in and it's funny and charming.

Whoopi is not expecting Saint Nick, who is superbly played by Nigel Hawthorne, to turn up and try to recruit her, but that's what happens. With the help of his really creepy head elf, Ralph, Nick gets work on Whoopi's TV show and the merriment ensues.

By the end of the film I was really feeling a bit of a glow and I didn't touch the port until afterwards I swear!

The movie starts out slowly, but, gently evolves into a tale of overcoming past pain and disappointment. As with most Christmas stories the premise is sort of limited but has a great ending. Destined to become a classic, in my humble opinion.