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We all know what time of year it is. The Christmas season is in full swing, which means holiday movies are practically inescapable. And, of course, there is no holiday film figure more iconic than Santa Claus. But have you ever considered which interpretation is best? Hundreds of Santa variations exist in the media we consume today, from the classic white-bearded, heavyset, joy-bringer to the jaded, reluctant Christmas mascot. We see classic Santas aplenty in pop culture, media, and shopping malls, and we all know the job of this famous individual.
But this begs the question: who is Santa, really? How can we rank portrayals of a fictional character without a solid canon? Sure, we could revisit the famous poem, “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (more commonly known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas”) and base our criteria off of its titular figure. Still, the legends of Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Sinterklaas, etc., go far beyond that poem and reach into many different cultures across the globe.
Instead of trying to academically trace Santa’s origins and perform a subsequent deep dive into the “canon,” I have thrown together my cultural knowledge of the Christmas icon, my understanding of film, and my personal taste to create criteria for the best movie Santa Claus. In my opinion, a good Santa goes beyond an iconic, albeit one-dimensional portrayal; he must be relatable, someone who seems more like a real person than a hollow legend.
He must be believable, not only as Santa but also as the epicenter of a magical world. The viewer needs to be convinced to believe in whatever version of Santa a particular movie is promoting, as well as in the concept of magic (usually) or extreme coincidence. Lastly, he must be generous in nature and/or possess the spirit of giving. With these rules in mind, let’s dive into the countdown!
5. Santa Claus, The Christmas Chronicles
By now, most people have discovered Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles, starring Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. Kate and Teddy Pierce are struggling to get along during the holidays as they mourn their deceased father. When the kids stow away on Santa’s sleigh, they bring chaos into Christmas and get on Santa’s bad side. Russell’s performance as Santa is fresh and endearing; he doesn’t have the iconic Santa attitude of jolliness and generosity (in fact, he seems at least slightly irritated for the majority of the film), but this is a welcome addition to a role that can easily become mere box-ticking.
Additionally, Russell’s Santa isn’t hokey and over-the-top, despite his Christmas Spirit-o-meter and other pieces of cheesy toy-delivering technology that populate the film. He gets down to business and is more than serious about increasing goodwill and preventing a rise in crime, violence, and general ill disposition. Due to this personality, Russell’s Santa Claus is one of the most relatable on the list and perhaps the coolest (did I mention that he can sing the blues?) His costume and appearance are also unique and interesting.
Russell’s Santa Claus is hardly heavyset, with a gray-white beard, black leather gloves, and red leather coat sporting a lot of fur trim. Though he may not be as convincing as other Santas or really have a true giving nature, he gets major points for a clearly different approach in both appearance and personality to the man in red.
4. Kris Kringle, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
It’s hard to discount this version of Santa from the 1970 stop-motion animated classic, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. The film stars Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle’s voice and explains Santa Claus’s origin story with the help of Fred Astaire, the narrator. Kris was raised by the Kringles, an elf family who taught him how to make toys. As an adult, Kris finds his way into nearby Sombertown, ruled by the dictatorial Burgermeister Meisterburger, and gets banned for trying to give toys to the children. The rest of the film sees Kris making bold attempts to introduce happiness back into the lives of the people of Sombertown.
Kris’s appearance isn’t extremely unique, but it changes throughout the movie. He has red hair and wears the red Kringle suit with white fur trim. Eventually, he grows a beard, then sports the classic white hair and beard as an older man. It’s an interesting physical depiction included in the backstory of Santa, but it doesn’t quite push boundaries. One of the other lacking components is relatability. Kris Kringle is a rather flat character that isn’t explored in more depth. We know his origin story and his technical struggle to deliver toys, but we don’t know who he really is.
The best aspect of this Santa, however, is his giving nature. Kris is shown as a kind, helpful, generous, and positive person who wants everyone to be happy no matter who they are. When the Winter Warlock traps him, Kris asks politely to be released so he can gift the Warlock a toy. This kind act touches the Warlock and leads to a caring friendship between him and Kris. Ultimately, Kris is a fine interpretation of Santa and one that has affected other portrayals for years afterward.
3. Klaus, Klaus
Released just last year on Netflix, Klaus’s version of Santa Claus is another winner. The main character of the film is Jesper, a pompous son of the wealthy Postmaster General. When his father threatens to cut him out of his fortune, Jesper gets sent to a faraway town to start a post office. He meets Klaus, a reclusive woodsman, and the two unlikely friends end up joining forces to deliver Klaus’s handmade toys to unhappy local children. Eventually, these kids create the Santa legend we all know based on Klaus and Jesper’s actions.
At first, the viewer sees Klaus as intimidating. He’s much larger and stronger than Jesper and often wears a hood that obscures his face. Klaus is quiet and serious, which is quite unlike the rest of the Santas on this list, as well as most portrayals. Despite this intense personality, his tenderness clearly contradicts his rough edges. Klaus is also a relatable character due to his story of love and loss; he and his wife, Lydia, wanted children more than anything but were never able to produce them before Lydia tragically passed away.
Klaus’s grief and need to close himself off from others is very understandable to an audience, which emphasizes his humanity and complexity as a character. But more than anything, it’s his rise from the ashes that a viewer can be inspired by. After delivering toys, Klaus admits to Jesper that he never thought he’d feel this good again, and we, as the audience, feel overjoyed at his return to himself.
Even though Jesper is the technical main character, Klaus is clearly the heart of the movie. His powerful quote, “A true act of goodwill always sparks another,” is the film’s message and a testament to Klaus’s importance. (( Klaus, 2019 )) He may look different than other Santas, but he has the same effect as any of the best: Klaus makes us truly believe in the powers of kindness and giving.
2. Kris Kringle, Miracle On 34th Street
There are different versions of this famous film, but we’re focusing on the original 1947 movie, Miracle On 34th Street. On Thanksgiving Day, Kris Kringle performs so well as Santa Claus in Macy’s Parade that he’s hired as their official Santa. While there, he meets Susan Walker, who’s been taught by her mother (Macy’s higher-up Doris Walker) not to believe in Santa Claus and other supposed myths. The film documents the heartwarming story of how the Walkers learn to see magic due to the efforts of Kris Kringle and how New York City locals save Kris when he most needs help.
Kris Kringle seems to appear out of nowhere for the main characters of Miracle on 34th Street, but he immediately connects well with the young Susan due to his kindness and love of children. From his work as a Macy’s Santa, the viewer can see how good he is with kids and how much he wants them to be happy.
When a boy tells Kris that he wants a popular present for Christmas, Kris says immediately that he’ll get it, despite his mother’s protests. The toy isn’t available at Macy’s, so Kris tells her to go to a competing store. The mother is shocked and pleased that a Macy’s employee would put the wants of children before the profits of Macy’s, so she conveys her appreciation to a Macy’s employee (the same man who instructed Kris to push toys only from Macy’s). This sparks a revolution in Macy’s customer service policy that calms the feud between Macy’s and Gimbel’s department stores.
Kris is clearly effective as a Santa and obviously possesses the caring, giving personality that a good S. Claus needs, without being completely one-dimensional. He is his own person who chooses to disobey orders from his employer in order to do what’s right and chooses to do everything he can to give a child what she wants most for Christmas. Also, as a heavyset, white-bearded older man, Kris has the classic Santa appearance.
However, Kris isn’t the most relatable one on the list. He hardly changes by the movie’s end and seems more like some guardian angel than the man with the bag. He isn’t situated within his own secret world; there is no workshop in the North Pole and no magic obvious to the viewer in Miracle on 34th Street because Santa’s existence is debated heavily. At the end of the movie, extreme coincidence convinces the audience to believe that Kris Kringle is truly Santa Claus. Despite this, Kris is one of the best choices for Santa in film (indeed, who else has won an Academy Award for playing Santa Claus?).
1. Scott Calvin, The Santa Clause
Many readers might be wondering why this is the best Santa Claus on the list. After all, Scott turns into Santa and doesn’t demonstrate a generous nature for a decent portion of The Santa Clause. And this film was released in 1994, so it’s hardly the classic that is Miracle on 34th Street, which inspired a generation of movie and TV Santas. All of this is true, but it only makes Scott a better player in the game.
Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a toy salesman and divorced dad who shares custody of his young son, Charlie. He’s envious, irritable, and snide as a person and not a perfect dad either. But when Scott accidentally scares Santa Claus (off a roof, to his death), he must then become the man with the bag. Naturally, his life turns upside-down as he learns how to be a better man and a better father. The Santa Clause obviously has a “heartwarming family film” written all over it. But why is Scott Calvin the best movie, Santa Claus?
For one, he’s the main character. Usually, Santa isn’t the star of the show and thus doesn’t grow in the same way that the protagonist does. Because the audience sees Scott grow throughout the film, they can see him as a much more relatable character as well as a complex character. Scott struggles to fill the role of Santa Claus, just as he struggles to fill the role of father. Even if a viewer hasn’t been in these exact scenarios (one for obvious reasons), they can understand what it’s like to be very new at something and also be wary of change. Additionally, though Scott becomes Santa by the end of the movie, he retains his personhood as Scott Calvin and is therefore far more real person than legend.
Another great aspect of Tim Allen’s Santa is the world he inherits when he becomes Santa Claus. Scott’s discovery of the toy-making universe behind the legend parallels the viewer’s discovery, thus making the whole ordeal relatable to an audience. When Scott learns about everything involved in being Santa, he’s acting just as the viewer would act in that same situation, making it all the funnier and more relatable to watch.
Another unique aspect of note is how familiar, yet unique, that world is to an audience. Sure, we all know that Santa has elves and a workshop, but they’re real characters with their own lives and jobs to keep him on track in this movie. These fresh explanations and twists, such as the binding contract, the “Santa Clause,” make a great backdrop for Tim Allen’s confused new Santa, especially when he’s finally ready to take the reins and become the epicenter of this fantastical world.
A Christmas Movie Make-Or-Break
We all know that Christmas movies can define the holiday season, especially this year when many of us turn to virtual watch sessions to connect with friends and family. A good Santa, even if they’re not a star of the show, is a must. All movies listed are perfect for such occasions, not only because they’re good, but because the Santas are the best of the best.
We’ve reviewed Santas with top personalities (The Christmas Chronicles, Miracle on 34th Street), Santas with that special giving spirit (Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Klaus, Miracle on 34th Street), and Santas who are all-too-relatable (The Christmas Chronicles, Klaus). And, of course, the Santa who fits all the criteria, The Santa Clause. Though there is only one “best Santa” here, all these portrayals are winners in our eyes. So take the time to revel in the spirit of Christmas with these fantastic iterations of Santa, and we hope you have a happy holiday season!