Erin Konrad
Arts Editor
Everyone knows the story of Santa Claus, but few know the story of Nick’s big brother, Fred.
“Fred Claus” goes beyond the tale of the jolly, bearded hero to showcase the sibling that was left in his brother’s shadow.
The film, which opened on Nov. 9, offers plenty of laughs thanks to the star comedian, Vince Vaughn.
Vaughn’s off-the-cuff humor shines in this movie where he is allowed to ad lib with his co-stars, particularly Paul Giamatti who plays Santa.
Scenes have a hilarious fluidity because Vaughn is able to improvise with the script and with his co-stars.
The plot is simple and could be considered contrite, but the actors give the story warmth and compassion.
The film begins with the birth of Nicholas, who appears as a chubby infant who instantly says, “Ho ho ho.”
As the children grow up, Nicholas becomes the star sibling, giving away his presents to the poor and impressing his parents with his generosity.
Fred is left in the shadows as his brother grows up to become a saint – literally Saint Nick, who is responsible for delivering toys to children all over the world on that one fateful night.
The action is resumed years later in Chicago where Fred is trying desperately to ignore all reminders of Christmas.
Living on his own, Fred has tried to forge his own path while constantly being reminded how revered his younger sibling is.
His brother, of course, is living in the North Pole attending to his business as Santa.
However, when Fred falls into some gambling debts, his brother offers him a job at Santa’s Workshop to earn some money.
Fred is transported to the North Pole by reindeer and Santa’s head elf, Willie (played by the very funny John Michael Higgins.)
He is reunited with his brother and Mrs. Claus (Miranda Richardson) and taught his new job—stamping nice or naughty on children’s files.
The film seems a little slow at the beginning as the characters are introduced, but the real laughs and conflicts appear when the villain of the film shows up at the North Pole.
In a great twist for a current issue, Santa is being audited by an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) that is threatening to shut down the entire operation.
Spacey brings a great sinister quality to the film that keeps it from slipping into cheesy, clichéd territory.
He also presents the key dilemma that forces Fred and Santa to work together to ensure Christmas will not be ruined.
The lighting and cinematography are well designed and help to create a snowy, fantasy world.
Through the use of CGI and actual midgets from a circus in Russia, an entire population of elves is created.
A hilarious cameo is made by rapper Ludacris, who is shrunken down to half his size, as the DJ who entertains the toy-making elves in the workshop.
Some of Vaughn’s funniest scenes occur when he decides that the workshop needs to be a more lively place to work--less monotony and more dancing.
Although the film will probably not win any awards, it has heart and a solid cast of supporting actors.
Richardson as Santa’s other half is criminally underused for such a prolific actress, but Vaughn rightfully remains the star of the show.
It is his story that the audience is interested in, and it is Fred that everyone wants to root for.
While the Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, “Fred Claus” is one film that can be appreciated for its light-heartedness and humor even in November.
Erin Konrad can be reached at ekonrad@ulv.edu. |
