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The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.
For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for The Santa Clause can be found here.
The script came from screenwriters Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick. The success of The Santa Clause gave rise to two sequels: The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006).
On Christmas eve, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) hear noises on the roof. Scott goes out to check and sees Santa on the roof. He yells something to Santa, and Santa slides down the roof, drops to the ground, and is apparently dead. Scott searches for an identification card in Santa's clothes and finds one that reads If something should happen to me, put on my suit. The reindeer will know what to do.
If you were watching closely, you might have noticed the old Santa waving to Scott when he picks up Santa's ID card and walks away. The old Santa wasn't dead; he was simply transferring the job to a new Santa. Undoubtedly, the elves knew all about it. Their job wasn't to mourn the old Santa but to whip the new Santa into shape.
Sharp-eyed viewers have noticed pointy-eared elves in a number of people places, e.g., in the beginning scenes when the children are looking into a store window, in the final scenes when the children are crowded around Laura (Wendy Crewson) and Neil Miller (Judge Reinhold)'s house watching Santa leave, and even in Charlie's classroom. Explanations offered by viewers include; 1) they were planted to keep an eye on Scott, (2) they are the ones who spy on kids and make "the list", 3) they report to Santa regarding the amount of Christmas spirit in the air, and 4) it's their job to determine which toys are going to be the most popular that season.
It is a poem called A Visit from Saint Nicholas or, more commonly, The Night Before Christmas, attributed to Clement Moore (or maybe Henry Livingston). To read the poem online, see here.
Four and counting. So far, they are: 1) "I hope the guy who lives here is a TAYLOR!", 2) the tool belt he tries on at the North Pole, 3) the guy driving the truck that Scott passes in the sleigh is Tim's buddy, and 4) Scott saying "Ho ho ho!" in the style of Tim Taylor.
Scott gets apprehended by the police, but Charlie and four elves with an attitude break him out. Scott returns Charlie to his mom and Neil. Laura begins to believe that Scott really is Santa, but Neil is still skeptical. Not even when Bernard the Elf (David Krumholtz) shows up does Neil let go of his claim that Scott is delusional. As her Christmas gift to Scott, Laura burns the custody papers, and Santa takes off to make his rounds, dropping presents for Laura, Neil, and Charlie as he flies off. Neil receives an Oscar Meyer wiener whistle, and Laura gets her long ago wished for Mystery Date game. Not more than 10 minutes later, Charlie shakes his magic snowball and Santa returns, even though he was on his way to Cleveland. By now, Laura and Neil both believe that Scott really is Santa, and Laura allows Charlie to go along for the ride...just so long as Santa doesn't take Charlie over any oceans.
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