''Call Me Claus'' is a 2001 American
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
directed by
Peter Werner and starring
Whoopi Goldberg and
Nigel Hawthorne. The movie involves
Santa Claus
Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
(Hawthorne) who needs a replacement Santa after serving his 200-year reign. He decides on Lucy Cullins (Goldberg), an eccentric, grouchy shopping network executive, who hires him to promote Christmas decorations and presents on the network. The film premiered on
TNT on December 2, 2001, and was also released on VHS and DVD by
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. The film has since been reran on
Lifetime,
Freeform and
The Hallmark Channel.
Plot
In 1965 in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, Lucy Cullins, her brother and her mother go to a shopping mall to see Santa Claus, who happens to be the real one and is nearing the end of his 200-year reign as St. Nick, and is seeking a replacement. When Lucy sits on his lap, he places the hat on her and it glows brightly, proving she would make a perfect Santa Claus replacement. Unfortunately, after leaving the mall, Lucy receives news that her father had been
killed. Devastated, she begins to lose faith in the Christmas Spirit.
In the present day, Lucy, now grown into a cynical woman, has become more invested with her job as a network execute for the "Shop-A-Lot" Channel than her family. Meanwhile, Nick, who is spending his last Christmas as Santa, locates Lucy again and finds the opportunity to get close to her after hearing that the "Shop-A-Lot" is holding auditions to cast a Santa Claus to advertise Christmas memorabilia and increase the sales boost for the holiday. After nearly giving up hope of finding a good Claus, Lucy comes across Nick and reluctantly hires him, oblivious to the fact that he was the Santa from her past.
In Nick's first few days at work, calls come in big numbers and the network sells more Christmas stuff than any other shopping network. After congratulations and a salary raise, Nick couldn't be happier. He walks around the once-unpleasant community and begins to see the Christmas spirit for which he long hoped. Within time, Nick cultures a close friendship with Lucy. He begins to tell her about his reign and his choosing her as a successor, explaining if he doesn't find a successor, a giant flood will engulf the world, adding that that was the reason for the
Noah's Ark story. Lucy finds the story ridiculous and tries to stay away from him.
One night, Nick goes to her house and tells her truthfully about his search. He tells her to close her eyes. When she opens them, she finds herself with Nick at the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
. Unbelievably still unconvinced, Lucy demands Nick to send her home. Nick does so, and she wakes up thinking the North Pole had been a dream. Seeing Nick on the couch, she starts to tell him about the dream. Nick interrupts her to tell her it wasn't, and begs her again to put on the Santa hat and become Santa Claus. Lucy still adamantly refuses.
Nick makes his final broadcast on Christmas Eve. In his closing statement, he says to never give up on Christmas spirit, and wishes everyone good luck, leading Lucy to ponder his last statement. After receiving a big thanks from the staff, Nick begins to head back to the North Pole without a successor and prepare for the flood with the elves. Before leaving, he sets the hat on Lucy's dresser, with a note that says it's never too late.
When Lucy gets a ride back home from her boss, she starts to believe what Nick said about Christmas, and her potential role as Santa. Realizing her boss just wants money and the power over Christmas, Lucy tells him to pull over, saying that no one owns Christmas. Upon arriving home, she finds the hat and the note. Curious, Lucy puts the hat on and it glows brightly. She realizes that she really is Santa.
Back at the North Pole, the elves preparing for the worst. Suddenly, one of the elves sees through a snow globe of Lucy wearing the hat. Once Ralph hears about it, he and Nick go to pick up Lucy. Lucy runs out of her apartment and finds Ralph and Santa in the cab. She goes inside and instantly transforms into Santa. For the first couple of houses, Nick helps Lucy go down the chimney and deliver the toys. Before they continue, Lucy tells Ralph to stop the sled and go to a church, where her niece is performing in the choir. When she arrives, she catches her niece's solo, and congratulates her, her brother, and her mom. Seeing her Santa suit, they seem puzzled. Suddenly, it starts to snow in LA. With surprised faces, people run outside, and see the sleigh. Lucy's family begins to realize she is Santa. After Lucy says goodbye to everyone and her family, she, Nick and Ralph go up and away into the Christmas night.
Cast
Production
Filming took place in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.
See also
* ''
Songs from Call Me Claus''
*
List of American films of 2001
*
List of Christmas films
Many Christmas stories have been Christmas film, adapted to feature films and TV specials, and have been broadcast and repeated many times on television. Since the popularization of home video in the 1980s, these films are sold and re-sold every ...
*
Santa Claus in film
References
External links
*
{{Peter Werner
2001 television films
2001 films
2001 comedy films
2000s American films
2000s Christmas films
2000s Christmas comedy films
2000s English-language films
American Christmas comedy films
American comedy television films
American Christmas television films
Films about television
Films directed by Peter Werner
Films scored by Van Dyke Parks
Films set in 1965
Films set in 2001
Films set in Los Angeles
Films set in the North Pole
Films shot in Los Angeles
Santa Claus in film
Santa Claus in television
TNT (American TV network) original films
English-language Christmas comedy films