Fred Claus (2007)

Fred Claus, Santa's bitter older brother, is forced to move to the North Pole.

Director:

David Dobkin

Writers:

Dan Fogelman (screenplay), Jessie Nelson (story),

Stars:

Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, John Michael Higgins

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vince Vaughn	...	Fred Claus
Paul Giamatti	...	Nick 'Santa' Claus
John Michael Higgins	...	Willie
Miranda Richardson	...	Annette Claus
Rachel Weisz	...	Wanda
Kathy Bates	...	Mother Claus
Trevor Peacock	...	Papa Claus
Ludacris	...	DJ Donnie (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
Elizabeth Banks	...	Charlene
Jeremy Swift	...	Bob Elf
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Linda Elf
Kevin Spacey	...	Clyde
Rio Hackford	...	Leon
Bobb'e J. Thompson	...	Samuel 'Slam' Gibbons
Allan Corduner	...	Dr. Goldfarb

Storyline

During childhood, Fred Claus suffered his younger brother Nick's saintliness. Jump ahead: Fred is a fast-talking, genial but self-centered guy in Chicago looking for $50,000 to open an off-track-betting shop. When one scam goes awry, he calls Nick at the North Pole for a loan: Nick will give him the money only if Fred comes up to help a few days with the Christmas rush. After his girlfriend dumps him, Fred heads north. Santa's facing an audit from an efficiency expert, and it's not pleasant. Fred's job is to review charts and determine who's naughty and who's nice. Is there any fraternal feeling left, can either learn from the other, and what about Santa getting fired?

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Plot Keywords:

north pole | christmas | anti hero | orphanage | dysfunctional relationship | 

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Taglines:

Santa's brother is coming to town.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor

Details

Official Sites:

Official UK DVD & Blu Ray site Warner Bros [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Joe Claus

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£1,937,042 (UK) (30 November 2007)

Gross:

$72,000,867 (USA) (8 February 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Silver Pictures, David Dobkin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The wardrobe department consulted Levi's and had special 501's created to accommodate Vince Vaughn's sizes exactly.

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Goofs

At the Siblings Anonymous meeting, Roger Clinton explains that he got upset watching footage of his famous brother Bill on the History Channel making his 1993 State of the Union Address to Congress. There was no State of the Union address in 1993 as Bill Clinton had just become President and the traditional speech never takes place during an inauguration year.

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Quotes

Fred Claus: You're gonna get hooked on that thing. I can see it now. Sixteen thousand bags of Cheetos later, you'll wake up, you're thirty-five, you're overweight, you're crying about your life in front of the soaps. I just did you a favor. You get outside, play around, make some friends, play kick the can, do some athletic stuff, go to school, you're comfortable enough to play sports, you get a partial scholarship, you got any ethnic in your background, any ethnicity in your background? I bet you do. It's...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The opening logos are covered in snow and Christmas tree lights.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #18.92 (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Surfin' Bird"
Written by Al Frazier, John Harris, Carl White, and Turner Wilson Jr.
Performed by The Trashmen
Courtesy of Sundazed Music

User Reviews

Merry Fred Claus!!!

Hilarious, Touching, Entertaining & Sweet sums up as 'Fred Claus'.

David Dobkin deserves kudos for directing a sensitive subject like 'Fred Claus'. The well-known filmmaker is blessed with 2 good writers Dan Fogelman & Jessie Nelson, who've written this Christmas flick. A joyride!

Accoding to me 'Bad Santa' was an excellent attempt, but that was crude and crass. But 'Fred Claus' is the most touching Christmas flick after the Masterpiece 'The Polar Express'. Everything a cine-fan wants to see is served in here, it's a feel-good entertainer that leaves loving your loved ones a bit more.

Santa Claus is not the topic here, it's his brother Fred Claus, who makes this simple story well-told. More than anything, this movie makes you believe in Santa once again, {I was his biggest fan in my childhood}, and after watching it I wish each and every kid in the world awaits for Christmas.

Acting-wise: Vince Vaughn plays Fred Claus beautifully. He's dependable as always. Paul Giamatti, as Santa, is lovable. Kevin Spacey plays the conniving-turned-likable character with ease. Miranda Richardson is first-rate. John Michael Higgins is hilarious as Willy. Kathy Bates, Trevor Peacock, Elizabeth Banks, Bobb'e J. Thompson & Rachel Weisz are effective in small roles.

Final word? MERRY Christmas, Indeed!