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 doesn't care if you're naughty or 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Bunnell (Police Chief) is actually a sheriff who regularly hosts Police Videos (1998).

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Goofs

When Gin is reporting Willie's "clean" record to Bob Chipeska, he calls Chipeska by the actor's name, Jack (Ritter), instead of the character's name, Bob.

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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

Edited into The Clock (2010)

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Soundtracks

Silent Night, Holy Night
(1818) (uncredited)
Music by Franz Xaver Gruber
Lyrics by Joseph Mohr
Played in the score

User Reviews

Zwigoff

Billy Bob Thornton has found his Josef Von Sternberg in Terry Zwigoff. As a revolting, immoral, insignificant Santa, Billy Bob is a wonder. His face is a moving, disturbing, hysterical reflection of his awareness. His life sucks. The cut from Miami to Billy Bob and his partner walking down the street in their Christmas costumes is, on its own, worth the price of admission. Terry Zwigoff has transformed the crumbs of society into a sophisticated, adult, art form. Billy Bob and his sensational young co star Brett Kelly create characters never seen before on the screen and as a consequence we cling on to their every nuance, incapable to predict what could happen next. That in itself makes Bad Santa a very welcome surprise and a great time at the movies.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Germany USA

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:

$12,500,000, 30 November 2003

Gross USA:

$60,060,328

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$76,490,720

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Dimension Films, Triptych Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 88 min (Unrated Director's Cut) 100 min (Unrated Edition)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1