Mrs. Santa Claus (1996)

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

"Mrs. Santa Claus" is an enjoyable Christmas film that actually centers on Christmas. As a musical, it provides some entertaining songs by Jerry Herman. And it has a couple of good dance scenes. Especially good is the song, "We Don't Go Together." Of course, any musical to be great has to have very good or great singers - if not in the cast, then dubbed. While Angela Lansbury (as Mrs. Santa Claus) is a very good actress who can sing, she is far from a great singer. Several others in this film are just passable as vocalists. Only one person has a great voice - Debra Wiseman, who plays Sadie Lowenstein. The staging, costumes, and all technical aspects of this TV movie are superb. The plot is a good one, but it goes overboard in trying to cover all the big social issues in the U.S. of 1910. Women's suffrage, child labor laws, the great American melting pot and others have long histories. So, this plot plays with history and puts a sugar coating on the culture and mores of the time and place. For instance, women's suffrage began long before 1910. It's official birth was the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848. And, it was ratified as the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution in 1920. By 1910 it would not have been so strange or out of place to see Sadie Lowenstein on a soap box for women's rights - even (or especially) in Manhattan's East Village. One glaring error that caught my attention right away was in the suffrage parade. Several marchers held an unfurled U.S. flag above their heads. It had clear rows of six by eight stars, for a total of 48. But, the U.S. had just 46 states in 1910. The 47th and 48th states (New Mexico and Arizona) would become part of the Union in 2012. In its portrayal of the great melting pot of the U.S. and New York, especially, the film transposes 21st century American idealism on the 1910 culture. Yes, people in many neighborhoods of mixed backgrounds - ethnic and religious especially, lived together and got along. But many more of the time were segregated by neighborhoods and distinct ethnic communities. The song, "Avenue A," narrowed the location in Manhattan to the 13-block street in Manhattan's East Village.Without great singers and superb music, I won't rate any musical higher than eight stars. This is not a "West Side Story," or "The Sound of Music," or "Funny Girl," or "Show Boat, " or "Porgy and Bess," or "Easter Parade." But for the overcrowding of social issues and juggling of history in the screenplay, it would have earned those eight stars. It is an enjoyable Christmas musical.Here are a couple favorite lines from the film. Mrs. Santa Claus in the opening scenes says, "Oh, team, we've done it - 1910 is a record year."Santa Claus (Charles Durning), as he places a letter in an outbox marked "Naughty," says, "There's always the naughty ones with the bad handwriting."

I would have liked Mrs Santa Claus to be a tad longer, but I was really surprised at how good this film was when I saw it for the first time four years ago on TV. While not my favourite Christmas film, it is a seasonal classic and for several reasons is very special to me.The production values are lovely. The sets are quite colourful with a magic quality to them. The costumes look warm and cosy. The scenery is breathtaking. And the photography is surprisingly skillful. Even the sleigh looks as though care was taken to construct it.Jerry Herman's music is just wonderful. The orchestration is very memorable and mellow. But I just adored the songs, especially the beautiful Almost Young, which is the best performed vocally and emotionally rendition of the film. All the songs benefit from great melodies and catchy lyrics.I love the choreography as well. There have been film musicals where it is sprightly and energetic such as in West Side Story, and some where it is messy and misconceived seen in The Wiz. Mrs Santa Claus's choreography left me transfixed, being neither being too simple or too difficult but showing evident care and skill.That's not all. The story is not predictable or badly paced in any way. It is original, brisk, exciting and fun. Also towards the end it is even heart-warming.The script is another strength. It is simple without being too simplistic or childish, mature without being too sophisticated or convoluted, charming and poignant without being schmaltzy and funny without any obscenities and crude humour. In short, it has something for the whole family, adults will love the choreography, script and titular performance and kids will love the production values, songs and story.The acting is also very well done. Angela Lansbury, a fine character actress who has always had a special place in my heart, is perfection in the title role. Acting-wise she oozes with charm, choreographically she is as light as a feather and natural and singing-wise she emotes and sings beautifully. She is very well supported by the charming Michael Jester, the solid Terence Mann and a slightly underused but still okay Charles Durning.All in all, Mrs Santa Claus is a seasonal classic in my view and a real treat for fans of a great talent like Lansbury. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Well, what can I say but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!! The magic of Christmas coupled with the excellent performance of Mrs Lansbury and all the cast, works miracles on my almost 1-year old twins who LOVE watching this movie. My son, Gabriel, recognises the movie from the very first notes of the introductory song while my daughter, Megan, is mesmerised by the music and the choreography. They spend the whole length of the movie in utter awe and complete silence, so when I need a break .. on goes Mrs Santa Claus!! In all honesty, I almost know it by heart myself - dialogue, song and all, considering that they watch it every day. Besides the benefit this movie has brought my family, I recommend watching this movie as it has all the right ingredients for wholesome, family fun. Magical Christmas scenery, catchy tunes, marvellous costumes, original plot, breathtaking choreography are all it takes to make the movie, in Augustus P Tavish's own words ...'OUTSTANDING' ...

This is a quality musical movie, with another ten star score from the great Jerry Herman, my favorite composer. Most others have said many of the things I wanted to say here, so I'll just say don't miss it. Someone questioned why politics were added. In Lansbury's biography, she states that she turned down the role at first because it was too "fluffy" and when they added the human rights thing she was more interested. Composer Jerry Herman was very ill with HIV at the time this was being filmed. She also did this as a favor to him. He really wanted her to do the TV movie of MAME, saying that she was still able to pull it off, but she felt she was too old for the role, and so to do something for her friend, she did this musical, and I am glad she did this (although MAME would have been awesome, and finally a good movie).The score, orchestrations are 10 out of 10, the only problem I had was with a few of the special effects, I felt they could have been a notch better.Lansbury and Durning are excellent. This is a great 2 hour experience of the kind of movie that is so rare, and it works because of all of the broadway talent involved, that's who should be making musicals. Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) did the choreography and that's superb.Great movie, great cast, great music! The DVD also has a great but short "making of." on it, the DVD is definitely in my collection! I wish some of Herman's other shows were good movies, Hello Dolly being the only good one, my opinion of course. There's The Grand Tour, Dear World, La Cage Aux Folles, Milk and Honey and Mack and Mabel, great musicals without being filmed.