The Year 2003: Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff)

Vulgar and profane, littered with obscenities and as unlikely a Christmas movie you're ever likely to see, Terry Zwigoff's Bad Santa took the holiday cheer and set alight to it, however despite all the drinking, violence, cursing and bitching there lies a wounded heart at the centre of Zwigoff's redemption piece. Bad Santa had a checkered release, especially in the UK, where thanks to distribution problems, was short lived at the cinema but has built a steady, cult following ever since. Who else but the Reel Whore, of the phenomenal Reel Whore, his film blog held together with biting wit, an assortment of original features and excellent reviews, could take us through such a tawdry set-up for Counting Down The Zeroes?

Around this time of year, you will inevitably hear ads pitching Christmas in July sales. I bet you never thought you'd come upon a website promoting a Christmas movie in July! Specifically, a review of a live action interpretation of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. If you're picturing Jim Carrey in green makeup and a matching fur suit, you're thinking of the wrong antagonist.

You should actually picture Willie Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton, Slingblade), an unshaven, unclean wretch who's just shy of alcohol poisoning. Every Christmas Willie portrays the appropriately titled Bad Santa at a random shopping mall while his partner Marcus (Tony Cox, Friday) dresses as Santa's elfin helper. They suffer through the prattled wishes of dullard children until Christmas Eve arrives. As mall patrons and employees are nestled all snug in their beds, the two rob the mall clean of its expensive goods and stacks of cash.

The current iteration of their scam lands them in Arizona. Unwilling to keep a low profile until the heist, Willie supplements his debauched lifestyle by committing various forms of petty thievery. One such mark is a naive child who believes him to be the real Santa. The Kid (Brett Kelly) lives with his Grandma (Cloris Leachman, Beerfest), an adept at making sandwiches. Willie, of course, takes advantage of The Kid and his senile guardian.


If I recall correctly, I went to theaters to watch Bad Santa a total of three times during 2003. I went on to purchase the unrated version of the film, a DVD titled Badder Santa. If you've never seen the original version, the minutely raunchier unrated version adds less than ten minutes of scenes. The extra ten minutes don't hurt the film, though the theatrical cut will always feel a bit punchier to me.


Bad Santa was the sophomore script by Glenn Ficcara and John Requa (their first being Cats & Dogs, which I'll ashamedly admit to having seen). If your interest in Bad Santa is based on your enjoyment of Cats & Dogs, be warned. The writers, with re-write help from director Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) and executive producers Joel and Ethan Coen (Raising Arizona), crafted an authentic Grinch in the character of Willie Stokes. He's simultaneously self-loathing and self-serving. In the opening sequence, Willie tells us how horrible a life he's had, how horrible a person he is, and how he wishes he'd killed himself years ago. He then wanders from the bar into the snow and vomits in the alley. It's as if Zwigoff is clutching his jingle bells at the audience, saying, "I got your Merry Christmas right here!"


Willie is the precursor to every dickish character Billy Bob Thornton has played in the last few years. The dour characters of Bad News Bears, School for Scoundrels and Mr. Woodcock all pale in comparison. Willie even tops their vulgarity; IMDB attributes 243 profanities to Bad Santa. It's not solely his profanity; Willie is a nasty, despicable character and Thornton sells every sour note.


Sure, Marcus is even more sinister and the dubious head of mall security, Gin, portrayed by the late Bernie Mac (Ocean's Eleven) has plans to extort the duo, but not everyone in Bad Santa is so untrustworthy. In his last movie role, the late John Ritter (Slingblade) is perfect as the timid mall manager Bob Chipeska. Watching as he flinches at the others' cursing and fidgets while trying to explain Willie's sexual escapades in PC terms is a riot. Willie's winter fling, the sexy but not so swift bartender, Sue (Lauren Graham, Because I Said So), has her own bizarre attraction to this sad Santa. For those well-versed in sketch comedy and stand-up, you'll recognize many of the cast in the bit roles.

The vulgar but clever script is presented deftly under Zwigoff's direction. Each scene details the characters' motivations, even if it's not apparent at first glance (well, maybe the triple-take nut punches are for pure laughs). The best is watching Thornton's Willie ever so subtly regain his rosy cheeks as his heart grows in the presence of the Kid.


If you prefer your Christmas cheer with a splash of sour mix, expect a good bit of puckering with the first taste of Bad Santa. If you want to add some kick to your traditional cocktail of holiday films, Bad Santa's bitter tinge may come on strong, but the blend leaves you with warm, fuzzy feelings.