Noelle (2019 film)

Last updated
Noelle
Noelle poster.jpeg
Promotional poster
Directed by Marc Lawrence
Written byMarc Lawrence
Produced by Suzanne Todd
Starring
Cinematography Russell Carpenter
Edited by Hughes Winborne
Music by
  • Cody Fitzgerald
  • Clyde Lawrence
Production
company
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date
  • November 12, 2019 (2019-11-12)(Disney+)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Noelle is a 2019 American Christmas fantasy comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Anna Kendrick as Noelle Kringle, the daughter of Kris Kringle. It also stars Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty, and Shirley MacLaine. In the film, when Noelle's brother Nick is stressed from all the pressure of taking over for their father, he leaves and does not return. She must find her brother and bring him back in time for Christmas. It was filmed from October 2017 to January 2018 in British Columbia and Woodstock, Georgia.

Contents

Noelle was released on November 12, 2019 on Disney+. It received generally mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

At the North Pole, preparations for the upcoming Christmas are quickly taking place. After the current Santa Claus's death five months prior, his son, Nick Kringle, is having difficulties trying to complete his training to become the next Santa. His younger sister, Noelle, who has been placed in charge of distributing and maintaining Christmas spirit, continues to support him, and even suggests taking the weekend off to avoid the stress and relax before the big day. Complying, Nick takes off overnight with the reindeer, and does not return following the weekend.

When the reindeer return without Nick and Noelle admits to giving him controversial advice, the elves get angry at her. The elf elders forcibly appoint her cousin Gabriel, the Kringles' tech support, to fill in as the new Santa. Guilt-stricken and forlorn, Noelle deduces that Nick fled to Phoenix, Arizona, and takes off with the Sleigh and reindeer with her childhood nanny Polly.

They set down in a mall. With the permission of manager Helen Rojas and the customers' support and belief that it was a Christmas exhibit, Noelle sets out into the city to find Nick, leaving Polly to tend to the sleigh and reindeer. She meets and hires Jake Hapman, a private investigator as well as a recently divorced dad, to track down Nick. Noelle also interacts with Jake's enthusiastic son Alex and several other people, discovering that she can understand and communicate in other languages (including American Sign Language), as well as tell the naughty from the nice.

Jake tracks Nick down to a yoga studio, where Nick is enthusiastic to see Noelle yet refuses to return north and become Santa. After a heated argument, Noelle leaves the building. She returns to the mall, where her reindeer friend Snowcone arrives with a letter from Mrs. Claus informing her about the situation back home and ordering her to find and bring Nick back home. During Noelle's time away, Gabriel had used an algorithm to determine that there were only 2,837 "nice" children in the world, much to the horror of the elves and Mrs. Claus.

With help from Snowcone, Noelle tracks down Nick to a yoga retreat at the Desert Botanical Garden, and convinces him to return. Meeting up with her and Polly at the mall the next day, Noelle has him continue to train by being a mall Santa. While Nick sees the text message being sent to children from Gabriel, Jake discovers that Noelle told Alex about his Christmas wish, something that he finds awkward as his ex-wife remarried. Noelle reveals that she is Santa's daughter, causing him to leave. When Nick is accosted by the actual mall Santa, Noelle intervenes and accidentally hurts a police officer, resulting in her arrest and later hospitalization for psychological evaluation.

After a visit from Polly, who reveals her identity as an elf, Jake removes Noelle from the hospital and she makes her way back to the North Pole with Nick, Polly, and the reindeer before Christmas Eve. Back home after a meeting with the elders, Nick nominates Noelle as the next Santa, which stirs up controversy throughout the town but unanimously gains agreement from the elders when they determine that there is no rule against a female Santa and they are convinced she naturally has the skills. After a few mishaps, Noelle successfully delivers the presents across the world and drops Jake off at his ex-wife's house to spend time with Alex.

Noelle is celebrated at the North Pole as Gabriel happily returns to tech support while Nick opens up a yoga studio and Polly becomes an elf elder. Noelle admits that she is proud to continue her father's legacy for being the 24th-generation Santa and that Christmas will go on.

Cast

Production

On January 11, 2017, it was announced that Anna Kendrick would play the titular role of Santa Claus's daughter, Noelle, and that the movie would be written and directed by Marc Lawrence, and produced by Suzanne Todd for Walt Disney Pictures. [1] In July 2017, Bill Hader joined the cast. [2] In September 2017, Billy Eichner and Shirley MacLaine joined the cast. [3] [4] In October 2017, Julie Hagerty and Maceo Smedley joined the cast. [5] In November 2017, Michael Gross joined the cast. [6]

Principal photography for the film began in late-October 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and later moved to Whistler Olympic Park in early-January 2018, where filming continued until January 19, 2018. The exterior for the shelter in Phoenix was St. James Anglican Church—the church's name can be seen in the Christmas Eve shot. Additional photography also took place in Woodstock, Georgia. [7] [8] [9] Cody Fitzgerald and Clyde Lawrence composed the film's score. [10]

Release

Noelle was originally scheduled to be theatrically released on November 8, 2019, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. [11] [12] On February 8, 2018, it was revealed that the film would be released on Disney+ instead. [13] It was released on November 12, 2019, four days after its original theatrical release date. [14] It was released in the United Kingdom and Latin America on November 27, 2020. [15]

Reception

Critical response

The Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 55% based on 42 reviews with an average rating of 5.2/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The always charming Anna Kendrick does her best, but Noelle's progressive take on a timeless tale is unfortunately subdued." [16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 48 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [17]

Nick Allen of Roger Ebert.com gave the film a grade of three out of four stars, writing, "Noelle has more going for it than just being one of the easiest ways for Disney+ to make a good first impression. [...] Noelle has plenty of charm—the kind that makes a Christmas story not just simply amiable, but worth a look." [18] Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media rated the movie a three out of five stars and wrote, "Noelle is appropriate for the whole family but will likely appeal most to grade-schoolers, who are likely to feel the most connection with its holiday-spirit messages, storylines, and humor, as well as with star Anna Kendrick. [...] The subplots of kids being deemed naughty or nice and families seeking togetherness and well-being over material possessions offer positive messages for all ages." [19] Tim Robey of The Telegraph gave the film three out of five stars and stated, "It isn't exactly cinema's salvation, with a story that's a near-shameless retread of Jon Favreau's Elf, this time sticking Anna Kendrick in Will Ferrell's pointy shoes. But it's likeable stay-at-home fluff – the kind of thing you could stick on as mood music while you get the decorations out." [20]

Matt Fowler of IGN rated the film 6.7 out of 10, indicating, "Noelle is a bouncy-yet-benign Christmas caper that, despite fun performances, falls short of instant greatness." [21] Gwen Ihnat of The A.V Club rated the movie C+ and said: "Noelle has a few of those peppermint hot chocolate moments, but thanks to its bizarre warm-weather detour and wasting of a stellar cast, it just barely makes the nice list." [22]

Emily St. James of Vox graded the movie 2.5 out of 5, stating, "Noelle frequently feels like it's running in place, frantically throwing shiny objects in your face in the hope you don't lose interest. But for fans of movie depictions of Christmas, there are worse options. The production design and costumes are sprightly and colorful, and Lawrence is terrific at keeping the story moving, even when it doesn't seem like it has any reason to keep going." [23] Kate Erbland of IndieWire gave the film a C- rating and claimed, "Kendrick is delightful, but this Christmas comedy is a cheap holiday tchotchke with no staying power." [24]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2021 BMI Film & TV Awards BMI Streaming Film AwardCody Fitzgerald, Clyde LawrenceWon [25] [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Santa Clause</i> 1994 film directed by John Pasquin

The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas fantasy comedy film written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick, and directed by John Pasquin. The first installment in The Santa Clause franchise, it stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his death on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, finish the late St. Nick's trip and deliveries, they go to the North Pole where Scott learns that he must become the new Santa and convince those he loves that he is indeed Santa Claus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer</span> Fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created by Robert L. May. Rudolph is usually depicted as the ninth and youngest of Santa Claus's reindeer, using his luminous red nose to lead the reindeer team and guide Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. Though he initially receives ridicule for his nose as a fawn, the brightness of his nose is so powerful that it illuminates the team's path through harsh winter weather. Ronald D. Lankford, Jr., described Rudolph's story as "the fantasy story made to order for American children: each child has the need to express and receive approval for his or her individuality and/or special qualities. Rudolph's story embodies the American Dream for the child, written large because of the cultural significance of Christmas."

Kris Kringle may refer to:

<i>Ernest Saves Christmas</i> 1988 US Christmas comedy film by John R. Cherry III

Ernest Saves Christmas is a 1988 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney. This is the third film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell, the second film in the Ernest series, and the highest-grossing film in the Ernest series. The film chronicles Ernest's attempt to help find a replacement for an aging Santa Claus.

<i>The Santa Clause 2</i> 2002 film directed by Michael Lembeck

The Santa Clause 2 is a 2002 American Christmas comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck in his directorial debut. It is a sequel to The Santa Clause (1994) and the second installment in The Santa Clause franchise. All of the principal actors from the first film, including Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, and David Krumholtz, reprise their roles, and are joined by Elizabeth Mitchell, Spencer Breslin, and Liliana Mumy. Released on November 1, 2002, the film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $172 million worldwide on a $65 million budget. It was followed by another sequel, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, released in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment</span> Former production company known mainly for animated holiday specials

Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usually done in stop motion animation. Rankin/Bass' stop-motion productions are recognizable by their visual style of doll-like characters with spheroid body parts and ubiquitous powdery snow using an animation technique called Animagic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. Claus</span> Wife of Santa Claus

Mrs. Claus is the legendary wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition. She is known for making cookies with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toys with her husband.

<i>Elf Bowling</i> 1998 bowling video game

Elf Bowling is a bowling video game developed by NStorm and released in 1998. In the game the player, as Santa Claus, attempts to knock down elves who are arranged like bowling pins. A later release of the game, by Ignition Entertainment, was released on the Nintendo handheld consoles Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, and received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. In Elf Bowling, the elves of Santa's Workshop are on strike due to overwork from the huge demand for Christmas toys, so Santa Claus has decided to whip them into shape by using them as bowling pins.

<i>The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause</i> 2006 film directed by Michael Lembeck

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause is a 2006 American Christmas comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck. It is the third installment in The Santa Clause franchise, following The Santa Clause (1994) and The Santa Clause 2 (2002). The film features Tim Allen returning as Scott Calvin, who must find a way to reverse a spell cast by Jack Frost that caused him to lose his title of Santa Claus. Allen and Short had previously worked together in the 1997 Disney comedy film, Jungle 2 Jungle. Most of the supporting actors from the first two films reprise their roles, with the exception of David Krumholtz. As a result of his absence, Curtis, who was previously the Assistant Head Elf, has now been promoted to Bernard's former position. This was Peter Boyle's final film to be released during his lifetime. Its production was completed in February 2006.

<i>The Year Without a Santa Claus</i> 1974 stop-motion television special

The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 1974 stop motion animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name. It is narrated by Shirley Booth and starring the voices of Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, and George S. Irving. It was originally broadcast on December 10, 1974, on ABC.

<i>Mrs. Santa Claus</i> American TV series or program

Mrs. Santa Claus is a 1996 American made-for-television musical fantasy comedy film directed by Terry Hughes, with a score by Jerry Herman, starring Angela Lansbury in the title role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Claus in film</span> Movie depictions of Santa Claus

Motion pictures featuring Santa Claus constitute their own subgenre of the Christmas film genre. Early films of Santa revolve around similar simple plots of Santa's Christmas Eve visit to children. In 1897, in a short film called Santa Claus Filling Stockings, Santa Claus is simply filling stockings from his pack of toys. Another film called Santa Claus and the Children was made in 1898. A year later, a film directed by George Albert Smith titled Santa Claus was created. In this picture, Santa Claus enters the room from the fireplace and proceeds to trim the tree. He then fills the stockings that were previously hung on the mantle by the children. After walking backward and surveying his work, he suddenly darts at the fireplace and disappears up the chimney.

<i>Santa Claus Is Comin to Town</i> (film) 1970 television special

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town is a 1970 stop motion Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York, New York. The film is narrated by Fred Astaire and stars the voices of Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Robie Lester, Joan Gardner, and Paul Frees, as well as an assistant song performance by the Westminster Children's Choir. The film tells the story of how Santa Claus and several Claus-related Christmas traditions came to be. It is based on the hit Christmas song "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", which was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie for Leo Feist, Inc. and introduced on radio by Eddie Cantor in 1934, and the story of Saint Nicholas.

<i>Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer</i> (film) 2000 film by Phil Roman

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is a 2000 animated Christmas television special directed by Phil Roman. The special was first released on home video in October, and then aired on The WB network on December 21, 2000. The title and story are based on the 1979 novelty song of the same name.

<i>Prep & Landing</i> 2009 television film

Prep & Landing is a computer-animated television special, based on an idea by Chris Williams at Walt Disney Animation Studios and developed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton into a half-hour Christmas special. It first aired December 8, 2009 on ABC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas elf</span> Western folklore creature

In English-speaking cultures, a Christmas elf is a diminutive elf that lives with Santa Claus at the North Pole and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are usually depicted as green- or red-clad, with large, pointy ears and wearing pointy hats. They are most often depicted as humanoids, but sometimes as furry mammals with tails. Santa's elves are often said to make the toys in Santa's workshop and take care of his reindeer, among other tasks.

<i>Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie</i> 1998 animated film by William R. Kowalchuk

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie is a 1998 American Christmas animated adventure musical film about the character of the same name, who first appeared in a 1939 story by Robert L. May. The film was the first theatrical feature from GoodTimes Entertainment, long known as a home video company. It stars Kathleen Barr as the voice of the titular Rudolph, and also features celebrity talents including John Goodman, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Reynolds, Richard Simmons and Bob Newhart. The film disappointed at the box-office, recouping only $113,484 of its $10 million budget from its theatrical release.

Hoops & Yoyo Ruin Christmas is an American animated 2011 Christmas TV special that aired on CBS on November 25, 2011. The special was based on the Hallmark Cards characters Hoops & Yoyo.

Santa Claus' daughter is a fictional character of Christmas folklore who appeared in North America in the late 19th century.

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

The Santa Clauses is an American Christmas comedy television series created by Jack Burditt for Disney+ and based on The Santa Clause film series. It serves as a sequel to The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) and features Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Eric Lloyd, and David Krumholtz reprising their roles from the film series. Jack Burditt serves as showrunner and executive producer.

References

  1. ↑ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2017). "Anna Kendrick Eyeing Female Santa Claus Tale for Disney and Marc Lawrence (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  2. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 20, 2017). "Bill Hader Eyeing Disney's Female Santa Claus Film With Anna Kendrick (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  3. ↑ Kroll, Justin (September 22, 2017). "Billy Eichner in Talks to Join Anna Kendrick's Female Santa Claus Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  4. ↑ Lee, Ashley (September 25, 2017). "Shirley MacLaine Joins Anna Kendrick in Disney's Female Santa Claus Movie". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  5. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 12, 2017). "Julie Hagerty To Play Mrs. Claus In Disney's 'Nicole'; Maceo Smedley Also Cast". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  6. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (15 November 2017). "Michael Gross Joins Disney's 'Noelle', Michael Hyatt Cast In 'Foster Boy'; Ray Wise In 'For Entertainment Purposes Only'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Nicole: Disney's Female Santa Claus Movie with Anna Kendrick Starts Filming". What's Filming?. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ Busch, Jenna (October 26, 2017). "Nicole: Anna Kendrick Posts First Look Pic of Nicole Claus". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ Takeuchi, Craig (October 23, 2017). "Filming in Vancouver: Anna Kendrick, You Me Her, and an official Dwayne Johnson Day?". Inside Vancouver. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Cody Fitzgerald & Clyde Lawrence to Score Disney's 'Noelle'". FilmMusicReporter. March 19, 2018. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  11. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (September 12, 2017). "Disney Swaps Release Dates for 'Star Wars: Episode IX' and 'Aladdin'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  12. ↑ Perry, Spencer (September 12, 2017). "Disney Sets Release Dates for Aladdin, Artemis Fowl, & More". ComingSoon.net . Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  13. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 8, 2018). "Disney Unveils Inaugural Streaming Service Launch Slate To Town; No R-Rated Fare". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  14. ↑ Burkett, Becky (August 23, 2019). "Disney+ announces new Christmas film starring Anna Kendrick". insidethemagic.net. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ Alexander, Susannah (2020-10-15). "Disney+ confirms November UK releases including Star Wars". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  16. ↑ "Noelle (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 2019-11-12. Retrieved October 10, 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  17. ↑ "Noelle Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on September 11, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  18. ↑ Allen, Nick. "Noelle movie review & film summary (2019) | Roger Ebert". Roger Ebert.com . Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  19. ↑ Green, Jennifer. "Noelle Movie Review | Common Sense Media". Common Sense Media . Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  20. ↑ Robey, Tim (2020-11-26). "Noelle, Disney+ review: Anna Kendrick's cutesy window into a Christmas before Covid". The Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  21. ↑ Fowler, Matt (2019-11-12). "Noelle Review: Anna Kendrick's Fun Performance Can't Save This Disney+ Christmas Caper". IGN . Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  22. ↑ Ihnat, Gwen (November 12, 2019). "Even with Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader in the sleigh, Disney's Noelle is no Christmas miracle". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  23. ↑ James, Emily St (2019-11-12). "Noelle, starring Anna Kendrick, doesn't bode well for Disney+'s holly jolly future". Vox . Archived from the original on 2022-05-25. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
  24. ↑ Erbland, Kate (2019-11-12). "'Noelle' Review: Disney+'s Anna Kendrick Holiday Comedy Is a Sloppy Hallmark Channel Ripoff". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  25. ↑ "2021 BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards". BMI.com . Broadcast Music, Inc. Archived from the original on 2023-04-13. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  26. ↑ "BMI Celebrates its 37th Annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards". BMI.com . July 12, 2021. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
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.