Gef’s Festive Film Advent Calendar: 10 Dec

10 December

Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

*Available to watch via Prime Video 

The top 3 people to ever play Santa Claus in a film are:

1: Richard Attenborough – Miracle on 34th Street

2: David Huddleston – Santa Claus: The Movie

3: Richard Attenborough again – Miracle on 34th Street

I grew up watching this film, which could be why it holds a special place in my heart. It tells the tale of the creation of Santa Claus in a time long since past, seemingly in Europe. Overlooking that Santa has an American accent. The film has a natural warmth throughout and pleasant 80s New York aesthetic.

There’s a magic to it not just from the lovely story, which shows the journey of Mr and Mrs Claus from their humble beginnings to the challenges they and the elves face against a progressively capitalist society decades later. The magic also comes from little things: The friendship that blossoms between a young girl from a rich family and an orphan boy sleeping rough, the late, great British comedian Dudley Moore’s performance as a well-meaning elf led astray, the way the reindeer’s have gentle but distinct personalities, how their food sparkles like fairy dust. It’s one that will make you feel cosy and warm as a good Christmas film should. But if you find it makes you feel too warm, why not allow yourself to be inspired by the outstandingly obvious product placement throughout it and grab yourself a big glass of cold, refreshing, sophisticated, not to mention incredibly reasonably priced, Diet Coke.