9/3/2023 0 Comments Ernest saves christmas![]() Together, these two plots combine to do what Christmas stories do best. The highlight comes when Ernest sneaks onto a studio lot by portraying a snake wrangler bringing serpents to a horror movie set. In one, he follows the time-honored tradition of dressing like an old lady to portray the mother of Joe’s agent Marty (played by Robert Lesser, who also appeared in holiday classics Die Hard and Christmas Evil). Some of them involve his usual gags, as when he smooshes his face onto the glass of a building in hopes of getting Santa’s attention.īut others allow Varney to trot out sketch comedy bits, which are extremely effective (in these small doses, at least). But darn it if he doesn’t land some great jokes in this movie. But even I can admit that 90% of his schtick is mugging for the camera, pointing his twisted visage toward the audience, and doing broad hijinks. My years of watching Ernest films as a kid have left me with a permanent soft spot for the guy. But Clarke says it with such warm conviction that it plays like someone making a decision based on their own principles, rooted in kindness. ![]() In nearly any other hands, the exchange would feel pat, like a bit of surface-level moralizing. “It’s nothing they haven’t heard before,” responds the director. But he loses his nerve at the curse, forcing the film to cut, Joe explains that he just can’t swear in front of the kids. ![]() In the aforementioned horror movie scene, Joe throws himself into the role, grabbing his prop gun and sneering at the attacking monster. Likewise, Oliver Clarke gives a warm performance as Joe, an unassuming nice guy who legitimately wants to do the right thing but can’t help but be frustrated by his financial situation. When an exasperated security employee lets him pass with identification reading “Santa Claus,” Santa says with a chuckle, “Thanks, Skippy.” But the real evidence of Seale’s appeal comes in the way he interacts with adults, making good-natured jokes with his companion and treating everyone he encounters with kindness. As the two make their way through the crowd, a little tinkle sounds and children run toward him smiling. He’s introduced arriving at an Orlando airport, chatting with a businessman from Toronto who’s come to do some mundane work over the holidays. Tony-nominated actor Douglas Seale is the perfect Santa Claus, a man who radiates joy and kindness without ever feeling forced. But it somehow succeeds, largely on the strength of its performances. Nick succeed in his mission.Īgain, I fully recognize that this is a corny plot. When Santa leaves his magic sack in Ernest’s cab, the knucklehead must help St. With his powers fading and Christmas Eve fast approaching, Santa must convince Joe to recover his sense of wonder and choose to help others over a Hollywood career. Despite his passion for children, Joe finds himself out of a job and considering taking a role in the Christmas-themed horror movie described above. On a basic level, it follows Santa Claus on a trip to Orlando, Florida, where he hopes to recruit children’s television host Joe Carruthers. The anarchy of the comedic plot dovetails with the sincerity of the dramatic plot, pushing all elements to an absurd level.Įrnest Saves Christmas follows this model. Duck Soup, something transcendent happens. But in the best instances, in the classics like the Marx Bros. The result is often kind of a mess, an uncomfortable blending of two genres. films such as The Cocoanuts or Abbott and Costello’s debut One Night in the Tropics grafted its comedic stars onto existing properties. Directed by Ernest creator John Cherry, Ernest Saves Christmas mixes Varney’s Ernest shenanigans with a sweet story about Santa Claus searching for a successor before his magic dries up, ending Christmas forever.īack in the golden age of Hollywood, nobody thought that comedy figures could successfully carry a movie. ![]() The 1988 film stars milk pitchman turned unlikely children’s movie star Ernest P. It turns out, we’re not watching a horror movie at all, but Ernest Saves Christmas, a Christmas movie with its own set of oddities. Unable to say the curse word, the actor playing the grandfather calls cut and the actors reset. The grandfather wastes no time, training a pistol on the invader and sneering, “Die, you son of a…” Could that noise be Santa Claus himself? Just as the grandfather allows himself to believe the impossible, a grotesque creature bursts through the door, leading with his extended claws. He bounces around the tree, bubbling over with the Christmas spirit until a rustling outside his door causes him to pause. This article contains Ernest Saves Christmas spoilersĪfter hurrying his grandkids off to bed, an elderly man puts the finishing touches on his Christmas Eve presentation.
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