My Mother's Favorite Christmas Film

In recent years my Mother has developed a new tradition. Instead of having Christmas dinner then watching a holiday classic with family, she reaches for the one film that is the opposite of what we would call "heart-warming." This movie seriously makes me cringe. However, I can't deny that this film is also very well made. 

Bad Santa is not a film that puts me into the Christmas spirit. Instead I feel more like a scrooge trying to watch it with my Mom. She loves the dark comedy of this film. 

Bad Santa stars Billy Bob Thornton as Willie, a criminal Santa Claus at a mall planning a heist in the mall before the end of the holiday. He is a crude, bitter alcoholic who dislikes children. Billy plays him beautifully. If he wasn't a candidate for this role, you would have to get someone as equally diverse and dark like Willem Dafoe or Al Pacino. Even Christopher Walken would've contributed to the humor in this film. Billy is perfectly matched due to his rough appearance, and his ability to play male chauvinism well. I know, I hate to say it, but there is some truth to it! He is a rough looking guy we would expect to play a horny Christmas grouch. 

The late John Ritter's performance is the best! This was his last acting role since he passed away after the release of the film in 2003. Ritter plays the security chief at the mall. Ritter becomes suspicious of Willie due to his bad behavior at work, and pursues an investigation. Their relationship encourages a lot of the comedy in the script that follows.

Remember Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls? It was such an innocent television show where Lauren played Lorelai, the young Mom of Rory. In this film she plays the bartender Willie charms into sexual encounters. This doesn't take much because she just so happens to have a fetish for the jolly man in the suit! 

One little boy softens the heart of our Grinch. Thurman, a young, naive boy who is constantly bullied is the character I like, and feel sorry for. Eventually Willie teaches those bullies a lesson, but he is no saint! The rest of the film should be Willie growing his heart three sizes, leading to our happy ending. Maybe it does, at the same speed grass grows.

This film has the best actors to play really fun roles. You know they all had a really great time making the film. This is by no means a family film, this is for mature audiences only! The script is one of the best parts of the film. It has some great moments, very foul language, but very funny. I read somewhere that the Coen brothers were producers for this film. Their movies tend to be brilliant, an acquired taste, and for people like me, they take some getting used to. 

Have no fear, there is a sort of happy ending to this film. If you feel like changing up your Christmas movie playlist, add this one! You'll never see the mall Santa the same way again!