Stealing Christmas (2003)

Jack Clayton can only escape after his partner in crime Harry Zordich messes up a Christmas sales department store robbery in a Santa suit. Stuck in a rural small town, he finds himself ... See full summary »

Director:

Gregg Champion

Writers:

Lloyd 'Lucky' Gold (screenplay by) (as Lucky Gold), Greg Taylor (story by)

Stars:

Tony Danza, Lea Thompson, Angela Goethals

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tony Danza	...	Jack Clayton
Lea Thompson	...	Sarah Gibson
Angela Goethals	...	Noelle Gibson
Betty White	...	Emily Sutton
David Parker	...	Harry Zordich
Malcolm Stewart	...	Doug Jennings
Alf Humphreys	...	Tim Hogan (as Alfred E. Humphreys)
Gwynyth Walsh	...	Jo
Damon Gregory	...	Store Guard
Dean Redman	...	Store Guard
Brad Sihvon	...	Store Guard
Terry Howson	...	Store Guard
Beverley Elliott	...	Woman Outside Store
Michael Scholar Jr.	...	Bus Ticket Seller
Richard Hendery	...	Bus Driver

Storyline

Jack Clayton can only escape after his partner in crime Harry Zordich messes up a Christmas sales department store robbery in a Santa suit. Stuck in a rural small town, he finds himself forced to accept a menial job under the alias Oscar Burton as Santa in Sarah Gibson's nursery. Jack relaxes when invited in their home and proves a good substitute father for Sarah's frustrated fatherless daughter Noelle. Widow Emily Sutton's nostalgic Christmas shop completes his nostalgia, and becomes crucial when his ex-con cahoot turns up to plan a bank robbery. Sarah's admirer keeps warning the sheriff against 'Oscar', who meanwhile teaches the town how to fight off competition from the city mall.

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Plot Keywords:

toy train | toy shop | christmas | santa suit | department store | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apateonas ai vasilis

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Raffaella Productions, Universal Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Written by Charles Wesley (uncredited) and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (uncredited)
Arranged by Martin Blasick

User Reviews

Not So Bad Santa

Stop me if you've heard this one before. A wisecracking thug, Tony Danza, finds himself running from the law after a botched mall heist. He's able to escape using a Santa suit, and boards the first bus out of the city. 50 miles away in the tiny town of Evergreen, a case of mistaken identity lands him a job playing Santa at Lea Thompson's Christmas Tree yard.

Enter a wealth of typical small-town personalities: The independent Christmas Tree yard owner who doesn't take any crap. A rebellious daughter named Noel. The flirtatious waitress. The dutiful cop. The jealous boyfriend-wannabe who suspects Danza is more than he appears. And Betty White in the same role she's played in every film post-Golden Girls.

As you might expect, Danza soon realizes that he can take advantage of the town's goodwill and naivety. He recruits a demolitions expert, and plans to rob the town blind when the bank vault is full on Christmas Eve. That target date gives him enough time to grow closer to the townsfolk. And the sincerity of his new friends, and perhaps a little bit of Christmas spirit, begins to melt that cold exterior.

Will Tony Danza go through with the heist? Will Tony Danza fall in love? Will Tony Danza ever shake his Who's the Boss character? There's only one way to find out. Catch this formula effort the next time it's on USA. If you aren't expecting much more than your typical Yule Tide Movie of the Week, you should be satisfied.