“Father Christmas” is an animated short film from 1991, directed by Dave Unwin. It is based on a classic children’s book written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs. The film offers a delightful glimpse into the world of Father Christmas (played by Mel Smith), revealing what he does on the other 364 days of the year. This fresh perspective provides a charming new take on the beloved holiday icon.
The story takes us on a rare journey into the life of Father Christmas beyond his annual gift-giving night. After completing his deliveries, we see him return home the next morning to enjoy a cup of tea and share his year-round activities. This leads us to the tale of his discontent from the previous year, ultimately leading him to take a much-needed holiday.
The film takes us along with Father Christmas as he chooses destinations (often based on food or drink). We visit his holiday destinations in succession, each with joyous encounters and comical mishaps. We start in France, where he immediately stands out with his large portly white body and white beard. Father Christmas attempts to blend in by adopting a stereotypical French look, which makes him stand out even more. When in the restaurant, he orders everything on the menu, offending the waiter along the way by ordering fries and ketchup.
After complaining about how expensive the meal was, we see him returning to his caravan, where he suddenly has a bout of funny tummy from overeating. This leads us to a somewhat psychedelic nightmare dream sequence that suddenly wakes Father Christmas, leading him to run to a nearby bush, not once but twice.
After this, he decides to move to a more suitable campground that provides more modern amenities, preferably with plumbing. We see Father Christmas run back and forth from his caravan to the bathrooms all night.
After seemingly feeling better the following day, he wanders into town to grab breakfast, only for the campground to discover his reindeer, and people start questioning his identity. It’s here that we move on to our next destination. Scotland.
Even with Scotland’s rain and cold weather, Father Christmas still manages to have some fun at the local pub. However, he may have had a little too much to drink and suffers from a hangover the next day. Realizing that a child recognized him and pointed him out to their mother, he decides it’s time to move on. Father Christmas notices that the sun is shining and it’s not raining, so he decides to take a swim in a freezing loch before leaving. While trying to warm up, he realizes he needs to choose a hot place to visit. After some consideration, he decides that Las Vegas is the perfect destination.
Las Vegas has sun and an abundance of oversized meals, including his allusive fries and ketchup. We follow his adventures from floating around in a pool with fancy cocktails, playing roulette in the casino, attending shows, playing golf, and generally becoming increasingly tanned as time passes. By the time he is first recognized by the pool, we have established that he has spent six weeks in Las Vegas.
Now back at home, the preparations soon begin for the pending holiday, with him single, handily dealing with thousands and thousands of letters addressed to Father Christmas. As he takes off on Christmas night, we break into a musical number, “Another Blooming Christmas,” as a montage shows him delivering presents to children all over the place and the challenges he faces getting into different styles of houses.
One charming moment is when he interrupts a costume party and is presumed to be a guest in an unoriginal costume. The sequence ends as he pays a visit to the land of the Snowmen, where we meet up with an impromptu cameo with James and The Snowman from the book and film of the same title, seemingly returning the favor as Father Christmas appeared in the same sequence in the film ten years prior.
The film ends as he flies across a snow-filled sky, returns home, and puts out his final presents for his pet dog and cat before retiring to bed.
The film portrays Father Christmas as a down-to-earth, relatable character with human emotions and everyday struggles. During the off-season, Father Christmas lives a modest life in a semi-detached house that is uniquely English, and at times is portrayed as a grumpy man with a big heart who takes his duties very seriously for the children of the world. With its timeless message and captivating hand-drawn animation, “Father Christmas” remains a beloved holiday classic, reminding us of the joy from selfless giving and the wonder that still exists in those who believe.
For those who live in the UK, it is usually aired on Christmas Eve on Channel 4.
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