Bad Santa (2003)

Director:

Terry Zwigoff

Writers (WGA):

Glenn Ficarra (written by) &
John Requa (written by)

Release Date:

26 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

He's very naughty . . . and not very nice. [DVD]

Plot:

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, and the security boss discovers the plot.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Elf | Bartender | Department Store | Santa Claus

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 7 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

Also Known As:

Badder Santa (USA) (longer version)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content and some violence. (also director's cut)

Runtime:

91 min | 88 min (Director's cut) | 98 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Spain:18 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Australia:M (TV rating) | Ireland:18 (extended version) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 (original rating) | Germany:16 (extended version) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15PG | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R (also director's cut) (certificate #40305) | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Chile:14

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Jack Nicholson read the script and wanted to do the film, but had to turn it down because he was already committed to Something's Gotta Give (2003).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Santa is playing pinball with the girl he claims is 18, he is heard talking, but his lips are not moving

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: (#4.67)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Wonderfully Funny, Very Irreverrent Christmas Movie

This is one of the best Christmas movie of all times. The casting is brilliant, and the chemistry between all the characters is very much present.

Billy Bob Thornton was especially funny as the loser in life who dons the red suit every Christmas. Just seeing Santa behaving drunken and swearing every other word tells you how different this is from the typical Christmas family friendly movies.

Bernie Mac was funny in his supporting role, and Tony Cox was OK. Billy Bob was phenomenal.

I've watched this movie twice already this Christmas season, and I loved every minute of it.