Bad Santa (2003)

Director:

Terry Zwigoff

Writers (WGA):

Glenn Ficarra (written by) &
John Requa (written by)

Release Date:

26 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

He's very naughty . . . and not very nice. [DVD]

Plot:

A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Elf | Department Store | Bartender | Midget

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton	...	Willie
Tony Cox	...	Marcus
Brett Kelly	...	The Kid
Lauren Graham	...	Sue
Lauren Tom	...	Lois
Bernie Mac	...	Gin
John Ritter	...	Bob Chipeska
Ajay Naidu	...	Hindustani Troublemaker
Lorna Scott	...	Milwaukee Mother
Harrison Bieker	...	Milwaukee Boy
Alex Borstein	...	Milwaukee Mom with Photo
Alexandra Korhan	...	Girl on Santa's Lap
Dylan Charles	...	Milwaukee Bratty Boy
Billy Gardell	...	Milwaukee Security Guard
Lisa Ross	...	Milwaukee Bartender

Also Known As:

Badder Santa (USA) (longer version)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content and some violence. (also director's cut)

Runtime:

91 min | 88 min (Director's cut) | 98 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Spain:18 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Ireland:18 (extended version) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 (original rating) | Germany:16 (extended version) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15PG | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R (also director's cut) (certificate #40305) | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Chile:14

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

Bill Murray was signed on as Willie but dropped out for Lost in Translation (2003).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Willie and Marcus are celebrating their first score, Marcus's final drink is still half full after he sips it. However, when he puts down the glass, it's empty.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Willie: Hey, can I get another drink down here?

Movie Connections:

References Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Soundtrack:

Silent Night, Holy Night

The perfect Christmas antidote

Hilarious from start to finish, this movie covers the story of an alcoholic safe cracker who works as a shopping mall Santa to steal money from the mall on Christmas eve. The concept of the movie is simple and the script is razor sharp with well drawn characters enhanced by faultless performances throughout. As with all good comedies, the material is inspired but it's the delivery that makes it unforgettable. Thornton proves that when it comes to Dead-pan comedy, there's no one better! His performance alone would be enough to make this film good but the fact that his high standards are maintained by the rest of the cast elevates it to a classic.