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

Brett Kelley's character is listed in the credits as "The Kid", even though his name is revealed to be Thurman Merman during the report card scene. Lauren Graham's character is credited as "Sue", but her name is never used in the dialog, even in the director's cut.

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Goofs

When Willie is trying to shut off the alarm clock, he presses several buttons. Occasionally, the alarm clock's display changes 12:00 and then back to 11:15, because he presses the "alarm set" button (which one would hold while setting the alarm). But he is awakened by the alarm going off, and the display reads 11:15, which means that the alarm shouldn't be set for 12:00.

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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 unrated cut of 'Bad Santa' includes these changes:

• There's an alternate take of Willie leaving the mall at the start of the movie with a more vulgar exchange with the security guard.
• There's a whole new subplot at the beginning of the movie with Willie stealing a car and robbing someone's house, and then going to a strip club and bringing a stripper home before hearing the phone message telling him it's that time of year again.
• There is more footage of Willie having sex in the dressing room.
• The pinball scene with the underage girl is extended with more thrusting, and Marcus grumbling, "Motherfucker! Oh, you lousy fucking motherfucker!" in annoyance.
• There's more swearing and berating in the food court scene.
• There's some more footage of Willie yelling at The Kid after losing a game of checkers.
• The Jacuzzi sex scene is slightly longer.
• The scene with Willie confronting a security guard outside the mall is extended.
• A small extension of the Granny Death scene.
• An extended car death scene.
• A longer shoot out at the mall

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Movie Review: Bad Santa (2012)

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Soundtracks

Winter Wonderland
(1934)
Written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith (as Dick Smith)
Performed by The Symphonette Society
Courtesy of Unidisc Music, Inc.

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:

$76,488,889

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