9. (tie) The Santa Clause
Release Date: November 11, 1994
Director: John Pasquin
Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz
First Time I Saw It: I was three years old when The Santa Clause came out in theaters so I really don’t remember the first time I saw it.
Why I Ranked It So High: I have only recently seen Pulp Fiction, I’ve watched Forrest Gump more time then I can count, and Clerks was my favorite film of 1994 and one of my favorite films of all time, but The Santa Clause is ranked so high on my list because of the sentimental attachment I have toward it. Since 1994 I have watched this film every year. Not because it’s just a Christmas movie, but because it is a tradition in my house.
Why I Love It: Tim Allen stars as an owner of a toy company who accidently kills Santa on Christmas Eve. He reluctantly takes his place and with the help of his son Charlie and Bernard, the head elf, becomes the next Santa. The Santa Clause wasn’t just a movie to my sister and I growing up. In 1994, Disney produced a film that helped parents keep their children believing in Santa Claus. All the questions that children would ask about Santa (i.e. How does he go fit down the chimney?) were answered in such an earnest way that it kept me believing in Santa Claus for way longer than I probably should have. The Santa Clause and its sequels are still watched by my family every year and fortunately ABC Family keeps them in constant rotation throughout the Holiday season. –Al Mannarino
