Best Versions of Santa Claus

In making this list I ended up being half and half between Santa in print and screen adaptations, so I am including two top five lists instead of one top ten.

Best Versions of Santa in Print

5. Coca-Cola Ads

Whoever got Santa to be the lifetime spokesman for Coca-Cola deserves a promotion and paid vacation.  Even though this is an ad campaign a lot of us have an emotional connection to it.  Coke really brought the look of the American Santa to popularity, it is one of the most influential designs ever that has been imitated by every other entry on the list.  These illustrations of Santa are warm and genuine and he just seems like a natural fit for Coca-Cola as the soda company seems to represent more than a business just like Santa represents more than just presents.

4. Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

This is a story built around the anticipation of meeting Santa Claus.  This book is the story of the wonder of a child and the payoff of meeting Santa does not disappoint.  In just a few illustrations Van Allsburg paints a short, but effective depiction of a generous, powerful, almost awe-inspiring man who gives the narrator the first gift of Christmas.  Santa does not feature prominenantly in the book, but he leaves a clear impact on the child as he grows up.

3. Santa with Elves by Norman Rockwell
I really could include any Norman Rockwell Santa painting, the legendary artist really captures the feel of an iconic American Christmas with his covers to the Saturday Evening Post.  This is my favorite.  Santa is exhausted and the dutiful elves are finishing up his toys.  The posture of a sleeping Santa is just perfect.  Rockwell has several other pictures featuring the big guy which represents many facets of the character.

2. Night Before Christmas by C. Clement Moore
I remember one Christmas my Grandma and I tried to recite this entire poem by memory, we succeeded.  I love that we both had this committed to memory and clearly loved it.  This is the definitive Santa Claus story.  The story of a man who witnesses St. Nicholas' yearly visit.  This is a pretty basic story, but there is such a sense of wonder to it.  You feel the magnificence that the narrator feels.  A poem that is definitely about emotion, just like the jolly old man himself.

1. Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus by Francis P. Church
A little girl wrote into a newspaper to find out if Santa is real.  The writer could have lied to her or he could have hurt her imagination.  Instead he expanded the imagination of many and found some truths that we all need to hear.  As much effort as we put behind knowing or proving that something exists or doesn't exist we all need to believe in something.  This is what Santa really accomplishes.  A symbol and feeling of good well that makes things better.

Best Versions of Santa on the Screen

5. Frosty the Snowman
Rankin-Bass has many versions of Santa, he appears in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (where he is kind of a jerk), The Night Before Christmas (which is the weirdest Santa I have ever seen), The Year Without a Santa Claus (which is a special that makes no sense), Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (which is great and you should look up) and of course their most iconic version of Kris Kringle in Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.  However I really like Santa's short appearance in Frosty. This is a Santa who comforts a little girl, is friends with animals, defends the right to live of a magical creature and defeats a villain by threatening to not deliver him any more Christmas presents.  This Santa is kind, funny and gets things done.

4. Santa's Workshop
The jolliest Santa ever created.  This is one of my favorite designs of St. Nick, I love how boisterous and constantly happy he is.  This is clearly a cartoon character and that adds to the fantasy and fun of him.  He also runs the best North Pole ever.  This is one of the best Silly Symphonies ever and it lead to a sequel short in Disney's adaptation of The Night Before Christmas.  Even though Disney does not do much with this short (they really should be airing it annually) it remains popular.

3. Arthur Christmas
What is better than one Santa Claus?  How about four?  This movie is one of the best depictions of a modern family that I have ever seen in a movie.  There is the old Santa who is set in his ways and wants to prove his worth, the current Santa who is absent-minded, Santa's eldest son who is overly practical and the screw up youngest son.  These are all relatable characters, everyone has these family members.  There are great dynamics among them and they all are sympathetic in their own distinct ways.  The ending of this seems very much inspired by Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus.  While these four Clauses are constantly fighting for credit and to prove their worth they realize that to the kids it does not matter who actually gives the gift because Santa to them means something much more than an actual person.  This is an incredible movie that many have yet to discover.

2. The Santa Clause
I love this movie and watch it every year.  Tim Allen proves his chops as an actor here as he plays a struggling single dad and a loving Santa Claus.  Tim Allen interjects humor very appropriately throughout the movie as he undergoes a perfectly executed character arc.  The relationship with his son, Charlie, makes this movie stand out as this is such a unique take on a father/son movie.  This movie is full of fantasy, comedy and a surprising amount of heart.  It is creative, clever and still holds up.  A modern Christmas classic featuring on of the best takes on Father Christmas.

1. Miracle on 34th Street
This is the best portrayal I have ever seen of Santa Claus and one that I don't know if it can be topped.  Gwenn won an Oscar for this role and it was absolutely deserved.  I have a difficult time analyzing this one, because when I watch this movie I don't see a performance I really do see Santa Claus.  This character does not just believe that he is Santa, he is.  The audience never has any doubt in his identity, which gives this movie a sense of joy rather than cynicism.  This Santa Claus loves everything about being Santa.  He has strong standards about the role he plays, is constantly generous and playful, just every type of quality you would hope to see in Santa.

Over/Under: Christmas Movies

Christmas season seems to start earlier each year, so I will start my new blog with a look at some of the best, worst, overrated and underrated Christmas movies that I've seen.

The Most Overrated Christmas Movie- Elf (2003)

I could have easily gone with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, White Christmas or even A Christmas Story (great gags that definitely hold up and are iconic, but 24-hours of it?  Really?), but my pick is Elf.  I have never really enjoyed Elf.  I like Will Ferrell in plenty of things, he is clearly talented but he has played several characters that I just find grating and irritating.  And Buddy the Elf is one of them.  He plays the character too hyperkinetic and stupid and it lacks the sincerity, innocence, and likability that aloof characters like that need.  It is by no means a bad movie, it is worth a watch.  But a holiday classic that is often quoted and overplayed every year?  Yeah, definitely overrated.

The Most Underrated Christmas Movie- Babes in Toyland (1961)

I am one of the biggest Disney fans ever, but I didn't see this movie until a few years ago.  And I enjoyed myself the whole time, I couldn't believe that Disney had essentially hid this charming treasure.  It is bright, colorful, energetic with a lot of creativity in the old school animation, costumes and special effects.  In many ways this is Disney's Wizard of Oz, while not anywhere near as perfect as that masterpiece it has that same classic fantasy musical feel (this movie also taught Disney a lot of lessons that he improved on in Mary Poppins).  The cast is great with Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, Ray Bolger (of Scarecrow fame) and the always entertaining Ed Wynn.  The best musical numbers are Castle in Spain and I Just Can't Do the Sum which features some great Disney creativity.  The final battle scene is full of great stop-motion special effects.  I really wish that this movie had a wider audience because it should be on TV every year or at least have a good DVD release.

Honorable Mention: Joyeux Noel, The Nativity Story

The Most Disappointing Christmas Movie- A Christmas Carol (2009)

How do you mess up A Christmas Carol?  It is such a simple, basic story that has been perfected in many various adaptations.  And the collaboration of Disney, Zemeckis and Jim Carrey on a holiday classic seems perfect on paper.  But this movie is so dull and pointless, aside from a good opening scene at Jacob Marley's funeral it never provides a unique take on Dickens' story.  Motion capture is completely unnecessary for a feature film, it limits both the animators and the actors.  Most of the big special effects scenes were forced and unrelated to the story and this has to be one of the worst Bob Cratchit's ever (sorry Gary Oldman).  You really should be able to expect more out of Robert Zemeckis.

The Most Surprising Christmas Movie- Arthur Christmas (2011)

I did not expect much out of this movie.  It was mis-marketed and seemed like a Dreamworks version of Prep and Landing.  But I should have known better because the master storytellers at Aardman's created one of the funniest and most heart-warming Christmas movies ever and one of the best animated movies of 2011.  It is a real shame that this movie did not catch on with audiences, because it is an ingenious explanation of Santa Claus and one of the most accurate depictions of a family I've ever seen.  There are no bad guys in Arthur Christmas, just natural conflict and personal shortcomings from a family that puts too much pressure on themselves.  Do yourself a favor and check this out, you will not be disappointed.

My Guilty Pleasure Christmas Movie- Borrowed Hearts: A Holiday Romance (1997)

Okay I get it, there made-for-TV movies are shameless, schmaltzy and overplayed.  But this is my favorite schmaltzy, shameless Christmas movie.  It always gets me, I know that it isn't great entertainment but who cares?  It's Christmas and I'm going to watch a sentimental movie.  Roma Downey and Eric McCormack have great chemistry and fun romantic comedy setups.  McCormack in particular gives a great performance in a scene when he recalls disappointing his father as a child, that scene always gets me.  The dependable Hector Elizondo gives one of his best performances in a more substantial role than he usually receives.  Sure this movie pulls all of the low blows with the cute kid, absentee father, jobless mother, etc.  But I really do love it.

My Favorite Christmas Movie- The Santa Clause (1994)

I was born in the early nineties so The Santa Clause was one of the more popular family movies that I grew up with.  And it was one of the best family movies of the decade.  It was creative, heart-warming, irreverent, clever and timely.  Tim Allen makes a great cynical father and St. Nick in his best performance as he shows a great range and character arc.  The cast is all solid with Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, talented child stars and David Krumholtz as a great curmudgeon of an elf.  This is the feature length Christmas movie that I have to watch every year and could probably recite by heart.  I know there were two terrible sequels, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a great family holiday movie.

The Worst Christmas Movie- Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)

Don't get me wrong, I love Rankin-Bass.  The original Rudolph and Frosty have always been Christmas traditions in my house and I watch plenty of their other specials (including the overlooked Story of the  First Christmas Snow and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus) every year.  When Rankin-Bass is good they are good.  But when they are bad, they are almost unwatchable.  And I would say that this is their worst holiday effort.  Worse than Leprechaun's Christmas Gold, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey and Pinocchio's Christmas.  One of the reasons that this movie was so ill-conceived is that Rankin-Bass often struggles to maintain quality for thirty minutes, naturally their full-length feature does not go too well.  When you are expanding a franchise to a theatrical film they should do something new and cinematic with it, but the animation looks cheaper than any half-hour or hour long television special.  When Frosty's Winter Wonderland and Rudolph's Shiny New Year are preferable to this that is not a good sign.

The Best Christmas Movie- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Of course you can poke holes through the logic in this classic, but why would you want to?  There really are few films as warm and hopeful as this one.  Edmund Gwynn is the screen's greatest Santa Claus, I am still convinced that he is St. Nick.  I love the US Post Office proving Santa's sanity and Natalie Wood was a great child actress.  This movie embodies all of the emotions I want in a Christmas movie without ever being condescending or cheap.  For my money this is the gold standard of holiday entertainment.