BAD SANTA

US, 2003, 93 minutes, Colour.
Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, Bernie Mac, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly.
Directed by Terry Zwigoff.

Terry Zwigoff directed the very interesting documentary about artist and cartoonist, Robert Crumb, Crumb. He also directed Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi in Ghost World. It is easy to see why he might be attracted towards the somewhat anarchic Bad Santa.

The humorous screenplay – one could hardly say witty as the whole film is splattered with language that Santa is not expected to use and some unsanitary habits that one does not want to see from Santa, especially his sexual behaviour – is in the realm of what inventive reviewer described as 'yukkage'. This is the kind of film where you warn, 'If you like South Park, then this is your kind of film. If not, try a rerun of Miracle on 34th Street'.

Billy Bob Thornton enjoys himself immensely as a perpetually sodden alcoholic safecracker who teams up annually with his 'short people' friend, Marcus (Tony Cox) to do a stint as Santa with the children he loathes – and then clean out the safe on Christmas Eve. In fact, they are both pretty good at this.

This year, however, things change a bit as Santa gets entangled with a lonely fat boy (a perfect performance of ingenuous niceness from Brett Kelly), taking refuge in his house with a girlfriend from a bar and finding that he becomes a little bit involved. While there is sentiment in this friendship, the edge and language are always there and the final image is of the fat boy giving his teasers the finger. Which is what the film is doing to us, whether we like it or not. But, despite the crassness, it is a bit hard not to laugh and to like it.

1. A black comedy, ironic and in-your-face behaviour, language and attitudes? Yet an entertaining comedy?

2. The overall impact, funny, extremes, checking the experience of Santa Claus and family against accepted standards? The bad and the good, the amoral tone – yet Santa having an inner touch of humanity, sentiment? Yet the sentiment presented in a caustic context – with the final image of the young boy giving the finger to those who teased him? The film giving the finger to the audience?

3. Billy Bob Thornton’s voice-over, explaining the character of Willie, his attitudes, seeing him in the bar, tough, criminal background, the explanation of his Jewish father, the Christmas gifts and his father belting him – yet teaching him how to open safes? His character and lack of character, sexual obsessions? Crass language? His antipathy towards kids (and preferring suicide)? His skills in safe-cracking, robberies, the easy life for most of the year, drinking, getting into trouble, repeating the patterns of the past?

4. Marcus and the reference to little people? His character, the jokes about his size, the politically correct and incorrect remarks about his size and what to call him? Bob in the store and his putting his foot in it, Marcus and his keeping Willie in line, his girlfriend (and her list of things to rob at Christmas time)? His work with Santa, with the children, Christmas Eve and his putting off the alarm in thirty seconds, going through the various aspects of the store? Robbery, money, goods – and coming back next year?

5. Willie as Santa, his clothes, the beard, his breath, alcohol? With the kids, his brief treatment, moving them along? Their coughing and spluttering all over him? In a mess, his crudity, urinating in his suit…?

6. The scenes in Florida, his ambitions to open a bar, audiences thinking he had succeeded, his taking drinks, being ordered out by the barman, his smashing things, the annual phone call from Marcus?

7. Phoenix, his being employed, the old Santa going out and shouting at him? The meeting and interview with Bob, his swearing – with Bob’s wanting to be proper, not censorious, offended by the language, by the noises of sexual encounter in the department? Bob’s discussions with the security guard? The guard listening, talking about political correctness? His promising to enquire, the car numberplate, going to the prison to see the father of the boy, getting the information that Marcus and Willie were robbers? His confronting them, wanting a cut, the bargaining and his insistence on fifty per cent?

8. Santa and the kids, his taking refuge in the bar, the girl with a fetish for Santa Claus? The sexual encounters? His beginning the affair, her helping him? Her moving into the house with Willie, her fondness for the boy?

9. The boy, his being branded a loser, his size, way of walking, talking, his discussions with Santa Claus, ingenuousness, the continued questions? His helping Santa after the attack? Taking him home? His father’s absence climbing mountains – but really in jail for embezzlement? Grandma, her not saying anything, in front of the TV? Their always offering to make sandwiches? Willie and his reaction, people after him, his moving into the house? His treating the boy as an adult, including the language and attitudes? The boy and his Advent boot, the Christmas questions, the sweets – and the drunken Willie spoiling it, making up to the boy, putting pills and other substitutes in the calendar? Their talking, the issue of gifts, the boy cutting his hand while carving the gift, the blood on the gift? Willie and his thinking about suicide, seeing the attack on the boy, his taking him to boxing, sparring with Marcus? The confrontation with the bashing of the kids and his feeling it was a turning point for the better? His writing the letter to the police, the confession – and giving it to his girlfriend in case anything happened to him?

10. Christmas in the neighbourhood, the neighbours, the lights and decorations? At home, Gran, the sandwiches, in front of the television – and their thinking she was dead and her suddenly waking up and offering sandwiches again?

11. The gifts, the boy and his talking about gifts? His talking about Santa, his work, the North Pole, Mrs Santa – and seeing the girl as Mrs Santa’s sister? His hoping for a gift from Willie, the talk about the pink elephant?

12. The Christmas Eve, the robbery, the difficulty with breaking open the safe, his success? Marcus and his girlfriend killing the head of security? The gun, the police and their taking Marcus, Willie and his getting the pink elephant, the drive, his being shot but wanting to give the gift to the boy?

13. The aftermath, the boy and his confrontation with the kids? The girl and her looking after the boy and Grandma? Willie, the confession, his being healed in hospital after so many wounds? The end with the boy giving the finger?

14. The range of music also commenting on the action and characters, the classical music and the whole range of popular Christmas songs?