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Father Christmas (1991 film)
Encyclopedia
Father Christmas is a 1991 animated short based on two books written by Raymond Briggs
: Father Christmas
and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday, published in 1973 and 1975 respectively. It was first aired in Britain in 1991 on Channel 4, nine years after The Snowman
, another animated Briggs adaptation produced for the same channel. It is suggested by a scene in the movie that the two films take place in the same universe
, and both were made by very similar production teams. It is also suggested the film takes place a year or so after The Snowman
because Father Christmas mentions that the boy "managed to make it again", in reference to the boy's snowman, and the boy can also be seen wearing the scarf Father Christmas gave him. It is also possible to spot Ernest the milkman from Ethel and Ernest
delivering milk to the Royal Family on Christmas morning, and Jim and Hilda Bloggs from When the Wind Blows
enjoying a drink in the Scottish pub.
A Kit Kat
commercial was later made featuring Father Christmas (from this film) in a whole new scene, where he was seen eating a KitKat. As the advert was advertising the product having only 107 calories.
Father Christmas
is voiced by comedian Mel Smith
, and physically resembles a stereotypical vision of Santa Claus
with a large white beard and red suit. However, in a down-to-earth twist, he is depicted as rather grumpy, is shown coping with everyday domestic chores, and lives on his own in a small house in contemporary Britain.
A heavily-sanitised American version was produced, cut by a whole minute, and with Father Christmas re-voiced
by William Dennis Hunt
to become much jollier. The most notable cuts are that most instances of the word 'blooming' are replaced with 'merry'. But also missing are when Father Christmas gets drunk, over-eats, dances with the chorus girls in Vegas, and suffers a hangover. Also cut are even a few candid moments where one catches a glimpse of Father Christmas's 'builders' cleavage'.
This movie was dedicated to the late actor John McGuire.
run, and relaxing in his home with his cat and dog. He then breaks the fourth wall
, explaining that his unwinding is well deserved, contrary to popular belief. He cites the care of his reindeer
, his garden, and shopping among others as activities that take up his time. Because of his strenuous lifestyle, he explains that in the past year he decided to take a holiday.
In a flashback, it is shown that after bringing home brochures, and audibly considering Italy
, Greece
, Ireland
, Holland, Canada
, Germany
, Tunisia
, Switzerland
, he finally settled on France
. However, when he imagines all of the things he'll be able to do there (most notably camping in a rainstorm), he decides on the need for a camper van
. He converts his sled into one, which takes a considerable amount of time, leading to the neglect of his cat and dog. While he is working, he also has secondary language tapes playing in French.
After packing and putting his pets in a boarding kennel, he flies off to France. After doing some shopping, he realizes that he looks too much like a tourist and buys some new clothes, although this does not help much. He then goes to a restaurant
, and orders some of everything, eating far too much.
In the morning, he realizes that his reindeer are attracting some attention, even leading to speculation that he's Father Christmas
. He decides that it's time to move on. After pondering, he decides on Scotland
because of the purity of its water
.
Unfazed by the rain, he goes to a bar. The following morning, he finds the weather considerably better, and he takes a swim in the nearby lake. The water is very cold, as well as shark infested. "Time to move on" again, and he picks Las Vegas
as his next stop because it is well-known to be warm and dry, two things that were untrue during his stay Scotland.
He stays at Nero's Palace
, a spoof of Caesars Palace
. He stays there for over a month, enjoying the casino, pool, room service, entertainment, golf courses, and cuisine extensively. After a kid suspects that he is Father Christmas, he packs up and goes home, but not before paying the large hotel bill.
He comes back to an overgrown garden, and after he picks up his dog and cat, he finds a pile of letters inside his door that for a short time bars his entrance. He starts sifting through them, commenting on all of the different names that children call him. Shortly thereafter, a postman delivers more bags of post. There is more looking at letters amongst daily activities, and then a truck comes and dumps an entire load of post on the ground. After he's finished with the post, he picks up his suit from the dry cleaners and goes to sleep. After dreaming of relaxing in a pool surrounded by women back in Vegas, his alarm goes off and he gets ready to go out.
He then makes his rounds delivering presents, with a snack break in the middle. There is a thunderstorm, fog, and of course heavy snow that he has to deal with. He stumbles in on a party, and he also delivers presents to an igloo
(he goes in the front).
After he's finished, he goes to the annual snowman's party. When he's there he greets a young boy and his snowman
, who go to see his reindeer that are being kept in a stable
. They find two presents that have not been delivered, having fallen under the sleigh's back seat: they are for the British Royal Family
. Father Christmas quickly flies off again, and makes it to the palace
just in time, arriving at 6:00 AM.
He then flies back home, coming out of the flashback. After putting a turkey in the oven, taking a bath, and giving his pets presents, he opens up presents from his relatives. Then he climbs into bed, wishing everyone a merry Christmas. The camera then zooms out to the immediate area where children can be heard opening presents on Christmas morning.
Raymond Briggs
Raymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children...
: Father Christmas
Father Christmas (graphic novel)
Father Christmas is not real is a British graphic novel written and drawn by Raymond Briggs, published in 1973.The book presents a dramatically different modern interpretation of the character. Far from being jolly, this Father Christmas is a brash man who works from a normal house with the...
and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday, published in 1973 and 1975 respectively. It was first aired in Britain in 1991 on Channel 4, nine years after The Snowman
The Snowman
The Snowman is a children's book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In 1982, this book was turned into a 26-minute animated movie by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling Channel 4. It was first shown on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. The film was...
, another animated Briggs adaptation produced for the same channel. It is suggested by a scene in the movie that the two films take place in the same universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, and both were made by very similar production teams. It is also suggested the film takes place a year or so after The Snowman
The Snowman
The Snowman is a children's book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In 1982, this book was turned into a 26-minute animated movie by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling Channel 4. It was first shown on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. The film was...
because Father Christmas mentions that the boy "managed to make it again", in reference to the boy's snowman, and the boy can also be seen wearing the scarf Father Christmas gave him. It is also possible to spot Ernest the milkman from Ethel and Ernest
Ethel and Ernest
Ethel and Ernest is a graphic novel by English author and illustrator Raymond Briggs. It tells the story of the lives of Briggs' parents from their first meeting in 1928 to their deaths in 1971.-Story:...
delivering milk to the Royal Family on Christmas morning, and Jim and Hilda Bloggs from When the Wind Blows
When the Wind Blows
When the Wind Blows is a 1982 graphic novel, by British artist Raymond Briggs, that shows a nuclear attack on Britain by the Soviet Union from the viewpoint of a retired couple, Jim and Hilda Bloggs. The book was later made into an animated film.-Plot:...
enjoying a drink in the Scottish pub.
A Kit Kat
Kit Kat
Kit Kat is a chocolate-coated wafer confection that was created by Rowntree's of York, England, and is now produced worldwide by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988, except in the United States where it is made under licence by The Hershey Company. Each bar consists of fingers composed of three...
commercial was later made featuring Father Christmas (from this film) in a whole new scene, where he was seen eating a KitKat. As the advert was advertising the product having only 107 calories.
Father Christmas
Father Christmas
Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
is voiced by comedian Mel Smith
Mel Smith
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones.- Early life :Smith's father, Kenneth, was born...
, and physically resembles a stereotypical vision of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
with a large white beard and red suit. However, in a down-to-earth twist, he is depicted as rather grumpy, is shown coping with everyday domestic chores, and lives on his own in a small house in contemporary Britain.
A heavily-sanitised American version was produced, cut by a whole minute, and with Father Christmas re-voiced
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
by William Dennis Hunt
William Dennis Hunt
William Dennis Hunt is an American actor well known for his role as Emperor Wang the Perverted in Flesh Gordon and Flesh Gordon Meets the Cosmic Cheerleaders. He is also the only actor to appear in both Flesh Gordon films....
to become much jollier. The most notable cuts are that most instances of the word 'blooming' are replaced with 'merry'. But also missing are when Father Christmas gets drunk, over-eats, dances with the chorus girls in Vegas, and suffers a hangover. Also cut are even a few candid moments where one catches a glimpse of Father Christmas's 'builders' cleavage'.
This movie was dedicated to the late actor John McGuire.
Plot
Father Christmas centres around the prospect of what Santa does with himself "the other 364 days of the year", along with his annual delivery of presents to children around the world. The film starts with Father Christmas coming back from his annual Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
run, and relaxing in his home with his cat and dog. He then breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, explaining that his unwinding is well deserved, contrary to popular belief. He cites the care of his reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, his garden, and shopping among others as activities that take up his time. Because of his strenuous lifestyle, he explains that in the past year he decided to take a holiday.
In a flashback, it is shown that after bringing home brochures, and audibly considering Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Holland, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, he finally settled on France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. However, when he imagines all of the things he'll be able to do there (most notably camping in a rainstorm), he decides on the need for a camper van
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
. He converts his sled into one, which takes a considerable amount of time, leading to the neglect of his cat and dog. While he is working, he also has secondary language tapes playing in French.
After packing and putting his pets in a boarding kennel, he flies off to France. After doing some shopping, he realizes that he looks too much like a tourist and buys some new clothes, although this does not help much. He then goes to a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, and orders some of everything, eating far too much.
In the morning, he realizes that his reindeer are attracting some attention, even leading to speculation that he's Father Christmas
Father Christmas
Father Christmas is the name used in many English-speaking countries for a figure associated with Christmas. A similar figure with the same name exists in several other countries, including France , Spain , Brazil , Portugal , Italy , Armenia , India...
. He decides that it's time to move on. After pondering, he decides on Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
because of the purity of its water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
.
Unfazed by the rain, he goes to a bar. The following morning, he finds the weather considerably better, and he takes a swim in the nearby lake. The water is very cold, as well as shark infested. "Time to move on" again, and he picks Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
as his next stop because it is well-known to be warm and dry, two things that were untrue during his stay Scotland.
He stays at Nero's Palace
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
, a spoof of Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
. He stays there for over a month, enjoying the casino, pool, room service, entertainment, golf courses, and cuisine extensively. After a kid suspects that he is Father Christmas, he packs up and goes home, but not before paying the large hotel bill.
He comes back to an overgrown garden, and after he picks up his dog and cat, he finds a pile of letters inside his door that for a short time bars his entrance. He starts sifting through them, commenting on all of the different names that children call him. Shortly thereafter, a postman delivers more bags of post. There is more looking at letters amongst daily activities, and then a truck comes and dumps an entire load of post on the ground. After he's finished with the post, he picks up his suit from the dry cleaners and goes to sleep. After dreaming of relaxing in a pool surrounded by women back in Vegas, his alarm goes off and he gets ready to go out.
Igloo
An igloo or snowhouse is a type of shelter built of snow, originally built by the Inuit....
(he goes in the front).
After he's finished, he goes to the annual snowman's party. When he's there he greets a young boy and his snowman
The Snowman
The Snowman is a children's book by English author Raymond Briggs, published in 1978. In 1982, this book was turned into a 26-minute animated movie by Dianne Jackson for the fledgling Channel 4. It was first shown on Channel 4 late on Christmas Eve in 1982 and was an immediate success. The film was...
, who go to see his reindeer that are being kept in a stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
. They find two presents that have not been delivered, having fallen under the sleigh's back seat: they are for the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. Father Christmas quickly flies off again, and makes it to the palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
just in time, arriving at 6:00 AM.
He then flies back home, coming out of the flashback. After putting a turkey in the oven, taking a bath, and giving his pets presents, he opens up presents from his relatives. Then he climbs into bed, wishing everyone a merry Christmas. The camera then zooms out to the immediate area where children can be heard opening presents on Christmas morning.