Bad Santa (2003)

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.

Director:

Terry Zwigoff

Writers:

Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Stars:

Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Willie T. Stokes is a convicted con man who's led a miserable life. He drinks heavily and constantly embarrasses himself publicly. He only works once a year dressed as Santa. But then come Christmas Eve, he and his pint-sized helper dwarf Marcus stage elaborate robberies and take their department stores for everything they got. This time around, Willie gets distracted by large women, a bartender who is attracted to Santas, and a kid who's convinced he's the real deal. However, Marcus must once again put up with Willie's heavy drinking and a series of incidents that constantly shoot themselves in the foot. Will Willie and Marcus make it to next Christmas? Or will this be the year the dynamic duo finally face justice?

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | christmas eve | heaving bosom | intercourse | stripper | 

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Taglines:

He's very naughty . . . and not very nice.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Badder Santa

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,292,952, 30 November 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$60,060,328

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,147,031

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Dimension Films, Triptych Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 88 min (director's cut) 100 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was John Ritter's final acting appearance in a movie and it is dedicated to his memory.

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Goofs

When Bob Chipeska and Gin are discussing the "fuck stick" incident, Bob's tie changes when he says "Yeah" near the end of the scene.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

The producers of Stolichnaya Vodka caution viewers to consume alcoholic beverages responsibly and lawfully and not to consume such beverages in an abusive or irresponsible manner.

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Alternate Versions

The 99-minute 'Badder Santa' was assembled by the studio without any input from the director. The 88-minute 'Director's Cut' was assembled and approved by Zwigoff.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Billy Bob Thornton/Andy Cohen/Little Big Town (2016)

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Soundtracks

Trepak (Russian Dance)
(uncredited)
Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

User Reviews

One of the best, and most surprising, films of the year

When I first saw the trailer for this film I thought that it was basically just gonna be a funny little dark comedy that would be a nice distraction from the annoying family movies that are being dumped into theaters around this time. However, leaving the theater after watching this, I discovered how much more it was than what I was expecting. Instead a good movie, I got a great one, with good direction and a wonderful script and, best of all, the performance of Billy Bob Thornton, who makes the film what it is. His foulmouthed, cynical, suicidal character might look two-dimensional on paper and, had another actor taken a stab at this role, come off as forced and tiresome, but Thornton finds just the right blend of humor and reality. The film is touching, but not on the surface. Many viewers will not get it; they'll see this film as a vulgar assault on the Christmas spirit, and, in a way, it is, but deeper than that there is a story here about a man who has lost all faith in the human race and has now been restored. Without being sappy, unlike almost any other film I've ever seen, "Bad Santa" is able to make this an emotional journey for a contemptable character, get us to like him, and disguise it behind dark, sick humor. It's a masterpiece of dark comedy and the best holiday film of the last 5 years. **** out of ****