Originally written as a vehicle for Bill Murray, The Santa Claus was rebuilt around the comedic persona of sitcom actor Tim Allen and thrust into theaters shortly before the onset of the 1994 holiday season. While greeted with lukewarm reviews that damned it with faint praise, The Santa Claus was still a sizable hit that (briefly) established Allen as a movie star. This film also had legs; after several periods of dormancy, The Santa Claus was spun off into an enduring franchise.
Ryan is joined by Cheryl and Sarah for a closer look at this yuletide snapshot of 90's pop culture. Talking points include the film's approach to psychoanalysis, the shifting cultural attitudes towards divorce, auteur theory, and how Allen's brusquely "masculine" style of comedy plays into hegemony, the cult of tradition, and male insecurity
