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DBNS: KnowwhutImean?

Posted by Kenneth Morgan on 12/20/2007, 11:31 pm

For his 2007 Christmas review, Kenneth Morgan earnestly seeks Santa.
*****
Just about this time every year, I write up a review of a Christmas movie or special that I figure would appeal to our MSTie demographic. This year, though, I ran into a problem. My first two choices (which I shall hold over until next year) fell through, so I had to do a bit of scrounging. Fortunately, I found a viable alternative in our collection at South Plainfield Library.

Thus, our Yuletide selection: “Ernest Saves Christmas”, released by Disney subsidiary Buena Vista in 1988.

Then story opens in, of all places, Orlando, FL. At the airport, a jolly, elderly, bearded man arrives by jet from “up north”. Yup, it’s Santa Claus (Douglas Seale), traveling more or less incognito (the large red toy bag is a bit of a giveaway). Shortly after arriving, Santa meets up with our real main character, taxi driver Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney). Now, unless you’ve been seriously out of touch for the past several years, you know that Ernest is a rather amiable doofus who befriends the visiting Santa.

But what’s Santa doing there on December 23rd? We and Ernest soon learn that, apparently, the job of being Santa is not a permanent one. Rather, every century or so, it gets passed along to someone else worthy of donning the red suit and delivering the presents. And, following a long search, Santa has arrived to pass the torch to his designated successor. His name is Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark), a pretty nice guy who’s recently been fired from a long stint as a children’s show host on local TV. So, the idea is that Santa meets with Joe, fills him in on his new responsibilities, and Joe is on the job in time for Christmas Eve. Simple, right?

No, not really. Several complications arise. First of all, Joe, in need of work, has been offered a movie role by his sleazy agent Marty (Robert Lesser) in a horror flick that’s obviously reminiscent of the once-notorious “Silent Night, Deadly Night”. (And, no, that wasn’t one of my original choices; who do you think I am?) Joe isn’t sure about the movie’s content, but he’s also not sure about the whole Santa thing. He’d like to believe, but he has yet to see some real evidence of it.

Another character sort of in the same boat (or sleigh) is Harmony (Noelle Parker), a young runaway who’s also befriended by Ernest and Santa. Though she likes them both, she’s pretty cynical and self-centered and rather cagey about her past. (Santa, of course, knows the whole story immediately.) She also feels a bit greedy when it comes to that toy bag, which is (of course) magic and can produce all sorts of gifts. There’s also the added complication of the short-sighted authorities thinking that someone who says he’s Santa Claus is nuts and should be locked up. Finally, there’s Ernest himself, who truly believes in Santa and is willing to help him out, but isn’t exactly a candidate for Mensa.

In the end, it comes down to this: Joe has to assume the position of Santa by a set time on Christmas Eve. Otherwise, not only will millions around the world be disappointed, but the true magic of Christmas will be lost forever. Can the problem be solved in time, and who can solve it? Hey, that title’s there for a reason, folks.

I should say right away that this movie is pretty good, as Christmas movies go. There are some nice bits of comedy, the acting is pretty much OK and there’s a suitably heartwarming message, without the ironic tone that clouds recent offerings of this type. I also noticed that the movie has had a bit of an influence, with a couple of plot ideas (like Santa Claus being an inherited title held by many, rather than a single person) used again in subsequent movies (like the later Disney release “The Santa Clause”). There’s also an amusing subplot where a couple of airport baggage handlers (played by Gailard Sartain and Bill Byrge) have to deal with the arrival of some very unusual reindeer. And, while it’s rated PG, it’s quite suitable for family viewing. Still, I had a problem with this movie.

It’s presented that Santa (the current one) has held his job for about a century. He’s traveled around the world and has a good familiarity with society as it is in 1988. He even has a passport (though I doubt he needs to check with Customs & Immigration on Christmas Eve). However, there are times when he seems hopelessly naļve. He seems to have no clue that there are people who’d doubt the sanity of someone claiming to be Santa Claus, or who’d be wary of believing in magic. Sorry, but I figure Santa’s a much smarter guy than that. Also, this movie has one of the most frequent failings of Holiday movies that seek to present the “true meaning of Christmas”: except for a couple of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them items in the background, there’s no mention of God, Jesus or the Nativity. Hey, even Rankin-Bass managed to fit in one reference to them in “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” (my preferred take on Santa’s story), so why can’t this one?

On the other hand, I really had no problem with Ernest. As I noted, he’s a doofus. But, he means well, has a good heart, and can even be pretty clever at times (like when he has to resort to disguises to help Santa). Jim Varney did a good job with the character and I didn’t mind Ernest at all, actually. But that’s just my opinion. Oh, and Vern does indeed appear in the movie, sort of; it’s actually pretty funny.

On the whole, I figure “Ernest Saves Christmas” is a pretty good Christmas movie. Certainly not the best around, but it’s OK for a look. And, of course, I can recommend a number of other good choices for the season, like the classic Alistair Sim version of “A Christmas Carol”, the thoughtful “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, the very funny “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, the lesser-known but worth a search “B.C.: A Special Christmas”, and the hilarious (and widely-available) Jack Benny Christmas episode, among others.

But, once again, I beg you in the name of all that’s good and decent in the Universe: stay far, far away from the Jim Carrey “Grinch” movie. And is it really necessary to warn you about ‘The ‘Star Wars’ Holiday Special” (with or without Rifftrax)?

Well, that’s about it. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…if that’s okay.

CONNECTIONS NOTE: Co-producer Justis Greene also produced the previously-reviewed “Mission to Mars” and “Snakes on a Plane”. Oliver Clark (Joe) also appeared in the previously-reviewed “Hercules in New York”. And Robert Lesser (Marty) was also in the previously-reviewed American “Godzilla” movie (alias “GINO”).