Father Christmas (1991 film)
| Father Christmas | |
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| Directed by | Dave Unwin |
| Produced by | John Coates |
| Written by | Raymond Briggs (books) |
| Starring | Mel Smith (UK) |
| Music by | Mike Hewer |
| Distributed by | Channel 4, Universal Pictures (UK) |
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Release date
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24 December 1991 (UK) |
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Running time
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26 min (British runtime) |
| Language | English |
Father Christmas is a 1991 animated short based on two books written by Raymond Briggs: Father Christmas and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday, published in 1973 and 1975 respectively. It was first aired in Britain in 1991 on Channel 4, nine years after The Snowman, another animated Briggs adaptation produced for the same channel. This movie was dedicated to the late actor John McGuire. The film was first released on DVD in 2000, bundled with The Snowman. It was later released separately.
Voiced by comedian Mel Smith, the title character physically resembles a stereotypical vision of Father Christmas, with a large white beard and red suit. However, in a down-to-earth twist, he is depicted as rather grumpy, is shown coping with everyday domestic chores, and lives on his own in a small house in contemporary Britain.
This Father Christmas later appeared in a television advertisement, enjoying a Kit Kat after returning home from his deliveries.
Father Christmas centres around the prospect of what Father Christmas does with himself "the other 364 days of the year", along with his annual delivery of presents to children around the world. The film starts with Father Christmas coming back from his annual Christmas Eve run, and relaxing in his home with his cat and dog. Then he breaks the fourth wall, explaining that his unwinding is well deserved, contrary to popular belief. He cites the care of his reindeer, his garden, and shopping among others as activities that take up his time. Because of his strenuous lifestyle, he explains that in the past year he decided to take a holiday.
In a flashback, it is shown that after bringing home brochures, and audibly considering Italy, Greece, Ireland, Holland, Canada, Germany, Tunisia, Switzerland, he finally settled on in France. However, when he imagines camping in a rainstorm, he decides on the need for a camper van. He converts his sleigh into one, listening to French secondary language tapes while he is working.
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Wikipedia