Dear Santa (2024 film)

Last updated

Dear Santa
Dear Santa (2024 film) poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Bobby Farrelly
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Ricky Blitt
  • Peter Farrelly
  • Dan Ewen
Produced by
  • Bobby Farrelly
  • Jack Black
  • Peter Farrelly
  • Jeremy Kramer
Starring
CinematographyC. Kim Miles
Edited byJulie Garcés
Music by Rupert Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • November 25, 2024 (2024-11-25)
Running time
103 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Dear Santa is a 2024 American Christmas dark fantasy comedy film directed by Bobby Farrelly, written by Ricky Blitt and Peter Farrelly from a story by Ricky Blitt, Peter Farrelly, and Dan Ewen, and starring Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Robert Timothy Smith, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, Post Malone, and P. J. Byrne. It tells the story of a dyslexic and meek sixth-grader who writes a Christmas list to Santa Claus to help with his problems only for his misspelling to lead to him meeting Satan who helps him out.

Contents

The film was released on Paramount+ and digital platforms on November 25, 2024, by Paramount Pictures, to negative reviews from critics, although some praised Black's performance.

Plot

Liam Turner is a dyslexic, meek, but polite sixth-grader whose parents Bill and Molly are having marital problems following the recent death of his brother Spencer and their move to another town. Adding to the problem is that Liam is too insecure to properly introduce his new friend Gibby to his parents and keeps embarrassing himself over his schoolmate and crush Emma, who is the only one in his class to defend him for his specific learning disorder.

To hope for things to get better, Liam writes his Christmas wishlist and mails it out, but unfortunately accidentally misspells "Santa" as "Satan". Satan receives the letter and appears the very next night in Liam's room. Though confused by his visitor's appearance and manners, Liam still believes he is Santa. Satan decides to play along and offers to grant Liam three wishes. Liam offhandedly wishes that Emma would give him a chance, so Satan appears to him the next day in school and encourages him to approach Emma. Despite his awkwardness, Liam succeeds in getting a date with her at a Post Malone concert, for which Satan even provides VIP tickets.

Liam later tells his mother and Gibby about his encounter with "Santa", whereupon Gibby informs him of his mistake. Liam confronts Satan and tries to get out of the deal, but he refuses and tries to entice him into making his two remaining wishes, with his soul as final payment. When Liam returns home, he finds his parents waiting with child psychologist Dr. Finkleman, because of their worry that Liam's "fantasies" are gradually getting out of hand. The session is interrupted by Gibby and Satan, who take Liam to the concert. With a little help from Satan, Liam is called onto the stage and amidst raving cheers dances onstage alongside Emma and Malone, followed by a kiss on the cheek from Emma. Gibby, who feels left out, leaves early after a girl rejects him due to his overbite.

Later at home, when Liam talks with Gibby over the phone about the concert, he notices his friend's disappointment. When Satan visits Liam later, Liam uses his second wish to fix Gibby's teeth and invites Gibby to join his date with Emma at the local Christmas carnival that evening. Bill and Molly, increasingly worried after eavesdropping on Liam's phone conversation, pull him away from the carnival and bring him to Finkleman's clinic. Satan tries to make Liam use up his third wish by showing him images of Gibby and Emma apparently enjoying the carnival without him. Bill and Molly's assumption that Liam has gone delusional is shattered by a nurse who shows them a video of him at the concert.

Back home, Liam angrily locks himself in his room, and his regretful parents argue, bringing up the accident that killed Spencer. Overhearing them and believing they're about to break up for good, he sneaks out and visits Satan at his motel room, asking him to use his third wish to keep his parents together and in love forever. Satan agrees, but declares that he will not take Liam's soul until he has died naturally, and tells him to have "a good time" until then. With the deal closed and believing his soul is lost, Liam begins to talk back to his everyday tormentors, alienating Emma.

In Hell, Satan is revealed to be a low-ranking half-demon under trial for becoming an actual demon, which he failed. Chastised by the true lord of Hell and his master Lucifer for granting Liam two unselfish wishes, which rendered the deal for his soul invalid, Satan is given one hour to say his goodbyes before getting banished. Satan visits Liam and tells him about the deal's cancellation, and Liam figures out that he is a faker. Before leaving, Satan confesses how much he has come to like him and explains that the third wish was negated because Bill and Molly made up on their own, so he used the contents of Liam's original letter to fulfill a third and final wish.

When Christmas arrives the next day, Liam finds his brother Spencer resurrected to celebrate Christmas with his family in their new home. In a twist ending, Liam gets a call from Gibby, who has convinced Emma to give him another chance by appealing to her sympathy and telling her about Spencer's death.

Cast

Production

In April 2023, it was announced that Bobby Farrelly would be directing and producing the film, with Peter Farrelly as producing along with Jeremy Kramer, for Paramount Pictures. Peter Farrelly and Ricky Blitt wrote the script from an original idea by Peter Farrelly, Ricky Blitt and Dan Ewen. [2] [3]

The film is Black's second Christmas film, after The Holiday in 2006; it is also his second collaboration with Farrelly, after the 2001 film Shallow Hal. [4]

Casting

The cast was set in March 2023 with Jack Black in the lead role. Keegan-Michael Key and Post Malone were also confirmed. [5]

Filming

Principal photography began in March 2023 in Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia, where Decatur Square was transformed into an outdoor Christmas festival. [6] [7] In July, production was halted because of the 2023 actors' strike. [8]

Release

Dear Santa was released on Paramount+ and digital platforms on November 25, 2024. [9] [10]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 24% of 21 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.9/10.The website's consensus reads: "Straight to the naughty list!" [11] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 34 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [12]

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film one out of four stars and wrote, "There was a time when Jack Black reuniting with the Farrelly brothers to make a family comedy would have made a few cultural waves. This is not that time. Most people probably have no idea that Bobby Farrelly's Dear Santa has been buried on Paramount+, released on a Monday with almost no promotion at all. Why? The marketing team probably had no idea how to sell a movie that seems resolutely made for no one." [13] The Guardian's Benjamin Lee gave it two out of five stars, writing, "Dear Santa is like watching Bad Santa slowly turn into Elf, an unsatisfying attempt to be both naughty and nice, ending up as nothing instead." [14]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "It should hardly come as a revelation that Black's hardworking comedic efforts are the film's saving grace. Adopting a deep growl that makes him sound like late-period Jack Nicholson, the actor is clearly having a ball with his colorful role, and the fun proves infectious. He makes the many bad jokes bearable and the decent ones even funnier with his typically manic, perfectly timed delivery." [15]

Accolades

YearAward / Film FestivalCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Golden Raspberry Awards March 1, 2025 Worst Actor Jack Black Pending [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Holden</span> American actor (1918–1981)

William Franklin Holden was an American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Stalag 17 (1953) and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the television miniseries The Blue Knight (1973).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Black</span> American actor, comedian, and musician (born 1969)

Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Farrelly</span> American filmmaker (born 1958)

Robert Farrelly is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is one of the Farrelly brothers, alongside his brother Peter, who together are known for directing and producing successful box-office comedy films, including Dumb and Dumber (1994), There's Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself and Irene (2000), Shallow Hal (2001), and the 2007 remake of The Heartbreak Kid. He made his solo directorial debut in 2023 with Champions.

Ken Finkleman is a Canadian television and film writer, producer, director, actor, and novelist.

<i>Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny</i> 2006 film by Liam Lynch

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is a 2006 American musical fantasy comedy film about comedy rock duo Tenacious D. Written, produced by and starring Tenacious D members Jack Black and Kyle Gass, it is directed and co-written by musician and puppeteer Liam Lynch. Despite being about an actual band, the film is a fictitious story about the band's origins, and their journey to find a magical pick belonging to Satan that allows its users to become rock legends.

William Gardell Jr. is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Gardell played Chicago police officer Mike Biggs on Mike & Molly. He also had a recurring role as Billy Colivida on Yes, Dear and appeared in a dozen episodes of My Name Is Earl as a police officer. Gardell voiced Santa in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, as well as starring on Sullivan & Son in the recurring role of Lyle Winkler. From 2019 to 2024, Gardell played Bob Wheeler in the CBS sitcom series Bob Hearts Abishola.

<i>The Naked Gun</i> American crime comedy film series

The Naked Gun, also known as Police Squad!, is a media franchise consisting of several American crime spoof-comedies, based on an original story written by the comedy filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. The installments include one television series, four theatrical films, and a video game. The plot centers on a police detective with a lot of heart, despite being less than intelligent. Leslie Nielsen stars in each installment in the protagonist role of Detective Sergeant Franklin "Frank" Drebin, with a fourth film starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. scheduled for release in 2025. The franchise was met with mostly positive critical reception, and the films were a financial box office success.

<i>Dear God</i> (film) 1996 American film

Dear God is a 1996 American comedy film distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by Garry Marshall and starring Greg Kinnear and Laurie Metcalf.

Hayes MacArthur is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He starred in the TBS comedy series Angie Tribeca.

<i>Unaccompanied Minors</i> 2006 comedy film by Paul Feig

Unaccompanied Minors is a 2006 Christmas comedy film directed by Paul Feig and starring Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Brett Kelly, Gia Mantegna, and Quinn Shephard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyler Gisondo</span> American actor (born 1996)

Skyler Augustus Gisondo is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films Licorice Pizza, Booksmart, and Vacation, as well as the television programs Psych, The Righteous Gemstones, and Santa Clarita Diet.

Skydance Media, LLC, also known as Skydance Productions, is an American media production and finance company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company specializes in films, animation, television, video games, and sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Quaid</span> American actor (born 1992)

Jack Henry Quaid is an American actor. He made his acting debut with a minor role in the dystopian film The Hunger Games (2012). His breakout role was as vigilante Hughie Campbell in the satirical superhero series The Boys (2019–present).

<i>Loudermilk</i> (TV series) American comedy-drama TV series

Loudermilk is an American comedy-drama television series created by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Mort. The series stars Ron Livingston, Will Sasso, Laura Mennell, Anja Savcic, Mat Fraser, Toby Levins, and Mark Brandon. The show premiered on October 17, 2017, on the AT&T Audience Network. In December 2018, it was announced that Audience had renewed the series for a third season. In April 2020, the series was left without a home after the network ceased operations.

<i>Jumanji: The Next Level</i> 2019 film by Jake Kasdan

Jumanji: The Next Level is a 2019 American adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan, who co-wrote the script with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. The film is the fourth installment in the Jumanji film series and the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain and Madison Iseman reprise their roles from the previous film while Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito join the cast. The film's plot takes place two years after Welcome to the Jungle, in which the same group of teenagers, along with an old friend and two unwitting additions, become trapped in Jumanji once again. There, they all find themselves facing new problems and challenges with both old and new avatars, while having to save the land from a new villain to escape.

<i>Babylon</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Damien Chazelle

Babylon is a 2022 American epic historical black comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It features an ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li. It chronicles the rise and fall of multiple characters during Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s.

<i>The Santa Clauses</i> 2022 American television series

The Santa Clauses is an American Christmas fantasy comedy television series created by Jack Burditt for Disney+ and based on The Santa Clause film series. Serving as a sequel to The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd, and David Krumholtz all reprise their roles from the film series. Jack Burditt serves as showrunner and executive producer. It premiered on November 16, 2022. In December 2022, The Santa Clauses was renewed for a second season which premiered with two episodes on November 8, 2023.

<i>Dear Satan</i> Filipino film

Dear Satan, later renamed Dear Santa, is an unreleased Philippine Christmas horror film directed by RC Delos Reyes under Mavx Productions and stars Paolo Contis and Sienna Stevens. The film depicts a story of a child accidentally writing a letter to Satan rather than Santa Claus. The film garnered controversy over its title and the depiction of Satan as a redeemable character.

References

  1. ↑ "Dear Santa (12)". November 11, 2024.
  2. ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 15, 2023). "Jack Black & The Farrelly Brothers Reunite For Christmas Comedy 'Dear Santa' At Paramount". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ Couch, Aaron (March 15, 2023). "Jack Black, Farrelly Brothers Team for Paramount's 'Dear Santa". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. ↑ Bedard, Mike (June 3, 2024). "Jack Black Is Unrecognizable As Satan For A New Christmas Movie". Looper. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ Dela Paz, Maggie (March 16, 2023). "Dear Santa: Jack Black to Lead Farrelly Brothers' Christmas Comedy". Comingsoon.net. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ Ho, Rodney (March 16, 2023). "Jack Black, Farrelly Brothers reunite for Dear Santa comedy shooting in metro Atlanta". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Cox Enterprises. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ Hesse, Dean (March 2, 2024). "(Photos) Film crews turn Decatur Square into Christmas wonderland … in March". Decaturish.com.
  8. ↑ Chmielewski, Dawn; Richwine, Lisa. "How the Hollywood strike is scrambling film, TV schedules into next summer". Reuters .
  9. ↑ Huff, Lauren (November 6, 2024). "Jack Black is 'diabolical, but in a fun way' as Satan in Dear Santa first look (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ Grobar, Matt (November 7, 2024). "Bobby Farrelly's 'Dear Santa' Starring Jack Black Unveils Trailer, Paramount+ Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Dear Santa". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Dear Santa". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  13. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (November 25, 2024). "Dear Santa". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  14. ↑ Lee, Benjamin (November 25, 2024). "Dear Santa review – Jack Black plays Satan in mediocre Christmas comedy". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  15. ↑ Scheck, Frank (November 25, 2024). "'Dear Santa' Review: A Devilishly Fun Jack Black Elevates Paramount+'s Mediocre Holiday Comedy". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  16. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 21, 2025). "Razzie Awards: 'Joker 2' Tops Nominations; 'Madame Web', 'Megalopolis', 'Reagan' Also Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.