Appelez-moi le Père Noël!

Only watched this recently, over 17 years since it's release, and boy is the CGI so dated ! Some of the sets are poor and the storyline is obvious from the start ie to find a new Santa before elf armageddon ! Whoopi plays an ok role as the grumpy Shopping Channel exec, tasked with bringing in the cash over Christmas period. However, the standout role is that of Nigel Hawthorne as Santa, who plays the poignant and comedic lines with equal aplomb. If I'd seen this when it first came out, I'd probably given a higher mark even though it's a poor The Santa Clause plotline.

Review Date 4/16/2019

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

The story is about Lucy Cullins, a successful but cranky producer at a home shopping network, hires an actor named Nick to play Santa Claus on the network she gets more than she bargained for..

This story doesn't focus on what i truly wants to be. A film about the commercialism of "Christmas" or a family comedy about a woman not believing that she is to be the next "Santa Claus". It could have been both. I think had this been given an extra 1/2 the filmmakers might of had something special. Given it was a tv-m they were forced to make a film a certain length to fit a 2 hour times lot.

The acting is fine but this is a film that is quit forgettable. After a nights sleep most adults will forget that they even saw film

The movie starts out slowly, but, gently evolves into a tale of overcoming past pain and disappointment. As with most Christmas stories the premise is sort of limited but has a great ending. Destined to become a classic, in my humble opinion.

Nick (Nigel Hawthorne) is nearing the end of his 200 year term as Santa Claus and needs to find his successor. Failure to do so will bring calamity such as the melting of the North pole ice cap.

Nick hopes to recruit Lucy Cullins (Whoopi Goldberg) someone who was a true believe in the spirit of Christmas as a young girl. However her father died in the Vietnam war soon after she sat on Nick's lap.

Now the grown up Lucy is a cynical grinch working for a shopping channel. Nick applies to be the Santa salesman for the shopping channel in the run up to Christmas, so he can get near Lucy an persuade her to take on his job.

The plot about finding a replacement Santa is a well worn one in these days of mass produced Christmas movies. This is indistinguishable for those types of quickly made and low budget films apart from having a better calibre cast.

Despite being made for cable back in 2001, Call Me Claus is not that funny or appealing. It actually wastes the talents of an Oscar winner and Oscar nominee.

This was Nigel Hawthorne's last film role. At least he got to play a sweet natured part, a far cry from his mean and cynical Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister.

Because she had true Christmas spirit as a young lass, "Shop-A-Lot" TV producer/pitch-woman Whoopi Goldberg (as Lucy Cullins) is chosen to be the world's new Santa Claus. This decision was made (in a 1965 flashback) by traditional roly-poly red-suited Nigel Hawthorne (as Nick). Being "Santa Claus" is revealed to be a 200-year job. If the presently grow-up and grumpy Ms. Goldberg can't get her girlish Christmas groove back, Earth will suffer a massive flood. Call her Scrooge. For Goldberg's Los Angeles-based home-shopping channel, she hires Mr. Hawthorne as a seasonal sales-marketing Santa and he tries to win her over. For a TV movie, "Call Me Claus" is nicely produced. This was the last role for Hawthorne, who performs memorably. The soundtrack music (by Van Dyke Parks) pleasantly moves it along. Having a woman take over the role of Santa Claus is an interesting and welcome premise, but the story really doesn't work. As it's destined to get lost in future years, we won't have to explain to millions of confused young children how Whoopi lost the job.

***** Call Me Claus (12/2/01) Peter Werner ~ Whoopi Goldberg, Nigel Hawthorne, Taylor Negron, Brian Stokes Mitchell