By Geno McGahee
The good thing about reviewing holiday films is that there is no end to them. I keep finding new ones to review. The 2003 made for TV movie “STEALING CHRISTMAS” features WHO’S THE BOSS star, Tony Danza, along with a cast of recognizable stars. The bad guys gone good through Christmas spirit is a common theme in these sorts of films, but it’s not one that I’m tired of. I like these sorts of movies and STEALING CHRISTMAS executes it quite well.
Jack Clayton (Danza) and his buddy, Harry (David Parker), are thieves. Their latest hit was a mall safe, but they didn’t expect the shopping center to open early and for the people to start pouring in. The malls always open early on the holidays, but this mob was like your Black Friday mob, but they seemed more sophisticated than your typical Walmart holiday crowd. On their exit, they encounter a timid security guard and lose the money they stole as well. To escape, Clayton dresses up as Santa and sneaks out, jumping on a bus and taking off for parts unknown.
As Jack gets off the bus, he is immediately approached by Noelle Gibson (Angela Goethals), a teen girl that mistakes him for a Santa she was expecting. Her mother, Sarah (Lea Thompson), owns a tree farm and has a Santa for the kids every year. Seeing no other options, Jack takes the ride and goes to the farm, realizing that the small town has a bank and a potential target for his stealing ways. Unfortunately, he is not a very good Santa and the children aren’t warming up to him. He also has to contend with Doug (Malcolm Stewart), a guy that has the hots for Sarah and sees him as a threat to his plan to win her heart. He has a right to be concerned. The sparks are flying between Jack and Sarah.
Understanding that he doesn’t have that many options, Jack elects to make the most out of his Santa position, but the plan is to rob the bank. He contacts his old partner in crime and starts plotting out the hit. To boost up the amount of money in the bank, Jack starts using his marketing skills to attract tourists to the town and away from the big malls that surround it. The town begins to resemble what it once was. Without knowing it, Jack is helping a town and people that desperately need it. Emily Sutton (Betty White) is one of those that have discovered the joy in the holiday that was lost after the death of her husband. Jack is the hero of the town.
Emily’s shop has a common wall with the bank and that is how Jack and Harry will break in and everything is going to plan, but there is a snag. Jack begins liking the town and especially liking Sarah and her daughter. He tries to call off the deal, but Harry isn’t having any of it. He is going to rob the bank with or without Jack’s approval and I don’t think he was going to share it with Jack anyway.
As Jack sits at a town gathering, he realizes just what he is giving up and what the town will lose if this bank is robbed. He has a showdown with Harry that shows off some of Danza’s boxing skills, but the cops bust in and the game is over. Noelle tries to convince the police that Jack isn’t one of the bad guys, but Jack corrects her. During his trial, Jack admits his crimes and wants the punishment due, but the town steps up and starts rallying for a lenient sentence.
In prison, he gets his head together. The guards seem to like him too. They could have thrown him in with Bubba, but they left him on his own to carve trains out of wooden blocks. Walking out of prison with his innocence still intact, Jack sees the familiar pickup truck drive up and Sarah and Noelle waiting. They offer him the Santa job again and he gladly accepts. Hopes are high and the holiday spirit is in the air. We have a happy ending in a very good and warm film, but I do wonder what happened to his old partner, Harry.
Without the town rallying for Harry, I’m sure that they threw the book at him. Considering his less than great attitude, the guards probably threw him in with Bubba on a daily basis. I sort of feel bad for Harry. I bet he had a bad childhood and he was teased with big money after all. Had Jack not phoned him, he would have still been home, watching TV and chilling out. RELEASE HARRY!
STEALING CHRISTMAS is a very good flick for this holiday season. Danza does a great job as the lead here and plays the tough guy with a soft side very well. It was nice to see Lea Thompson again and she did very well here. Angela Goethals did a great job in this as well and it’s not her first Xmas film. She was also in HOME ALONE. I knew she looked familiar! As always, it is good to see Betty White. I prefer her screaming profanity, but the nice woman with a kind heart is nice too.
I highly recommend STEALING CHRISTMAS. It’s the boss.
Rating: 7/10
