The Christmas Chronicles is a film released on Netflix in November 22nd, 2018.
The film follows Teddy (Judah Lewis) and Kate Pierce (Darby Camp), a brother and sister who haven't been getting along since their father passed away, much to the dismay of their mother. However, one fateful Christmas day, Kate spots a glimpse of Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) in an old home movie, which leads the two siblings into an adventure they'll never forget. A sequel, The Christmas Chronicles 2, premiered on Netflix in 2020, directed by Chris Columbus (who produced the first film).
This Christmas, you get examples of:
- Actor Allusion: It's not certain, but Hugg the elf sports a mustache that would make John Ruth proud.
- And Starring: "And Goldie Hawn as Mrs. Claus" in the credits of the first film.
- Arc Words: "A Pierce always sees things through."
- Ascended Extra: Mrs. Claus gets only a single cameo during the ending of the first film, contrasted with the second film, where she's promoted to being a central character.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite the Pierce siblings bickering, they'll always have each other's back when they need it most. Getting them to realize this was the reason Santa set everything up.
- Badass Adorable/Beware the Nice Ones: Santa's elves are not only master gift makers, they're also experts at defending themselves, and capturing trespassers and criminals. The thugs learned this the hard way.
- Been There, Shaped History: Santa claims the Dark Ages were caused by him missing Christmas.
- Bilingual Dialogue: The elves seem to understand English but only speak Elvish.
- The Cameo:
- Russell's real-life partner Goldie Hawn makes an appearance as Mrs. Claus at the end.
- When Santa belts out "Santa Claus is Back in Town", he's backed up by Steve Van Zandt (lead guitarist for the E Street Band) and his own back-up band the Disciples of Soul. They return in The Christmas Chronicles 2, joined by Darlene Love.
- Christmas Elves: One of the more unique versions. They're small furry creatures with long ears and tails, making closer to their original concept as house spirits or gremlins in Nordic traditions
- Conlang: Elves and the Clauses speak Elvish, a vaguely Scandinavian conlang created for the movie. Toward the end Kate learns how to speak it as well. Created by David J. Peterson.
- Crowd Song: Faced with dwindling Christmas cheer, Santa rallies the residents of a police station's holding cells for a rousing rendition of "Santa Claus is Back in Town" to boost spirits.
- Dead Person Conversation: Teddy wished that Santa let him talk with his dad one last time. The wish is granted in the form of a golden ornament, which allows the two to give each other a final farewell.
- Demoted to Extra: After all of the Character Development Kate's older brother Teddy had gotten in the first film, he, unfortunately, becomes a Satellite Character for Kate in the second film and doesn't even get involved in the Santa's Village journey. Granted, his story is basically over at that point anyway, while it's now Kate's turn to be an Angsty Teen regarding her mom's new relationship.
- Did You Actually Believe...?: In a lighter version of the trope, Teddy asks if Kate actually thought Santa would let her keep the tape of their adventure.
- Disappeared Dad: Kate and Teddy's father died the year of the movie's events, leaving their mom as their only parental figure. His absence is sorely felt, especially by Teddy.
- Everyone Has Standards: Teddy may be a jerk, but not even he wants to break Kate's heart, by telling her Santa wasn't real. And it's a good thing too, because he turns out to be real after all.
- Extremely Short Timespan: The majority of the first film takes place on Christmas Eve.
- Foreshadowing: Despite claiming to lose the source of his power, Santa knows the names and Christmas wishes of everyone he comes across and pulls toys from Hammerspace, foreshadowing that he planned the whole adventure.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: If one were to pause the second film right after the book opens up and right before it zooms into the picture, there's a brief text that goes into some details about Santa Claus' humble origins as a normal, non-magical bishop known as Santa Nicholas (or Nick) who was born into wealth. Apparently one night, Nick heard about a poor man who was a father of three young women who would be forced into a life of servitude unless they could get married to husbands. But the father couldn't afford a dowry to their potential husbands, and so the daughters could never be married. And then after dropping gold coins into each sock and watching as the daughters celebrate their newfound riches with their father. Nick realized the simple act of giving could change children's lives. After which he'd become a bishop and use his wealth to provide goods for children in need.
- Hammerspace: Santa pulls out a wide range of items from first inside his coat and then from behind his back, up to and including a piano.
- Henpecked Husband: The man whose wife won't let him trade his car for a rare baseball card he's wanted since childhood. Though to be fair, trading a car for a simple card is rather extreme.
- Inspector Javert: The police who arrest Santa are established as good people who simply have good reasons to believe Santa is a fraud and a criminal. Santa even forms a camaraderie with the officer most stringent about keeping him locked up.
- Mrs. Claus: She's a cameo in the end of the first film, but have a more consistent role in the second movie, busy to nurse the wounded Dasher and trying the cure the Hate Plague the elves are victims of, with Jack's help. note
- No Antagonist: The film doesn't have a major antagonist, except for the group of thugs that kidnaps Teddy and a few minor Arc Villains.
- In the sequel, the trope's averted as Belsnickel is one for most of the film, starting off as A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil, or specifically an elf before he did enough naughty things to turn into a human. Eventually Santa & Mrs. Claus talk things over with him peacefully and forgivingly to cause his Heel–Face Turn as he returns to his elfin form.
- Omniglot: In addition to speaking English and Elvish, Santa asks multiple families at the bar for help in their native languages.
- Running Gag: Santa seriously has it out for the public perception of himself - particularly the fact that he's always depicted as fat. It constantly comes up whenever he sees any Santa art or merchandise, culminating in a bit where he laughs maniacally as a stereotypical Santa billboard gets destroyed.
- Santa Clausmas: Played to such an extreme that Santa’s failure to make his Christmas rounds would lead to a Dark Age.
- Saving Christmas: Santa and the Pierce siblings' mission after Santa's sleigh crashes.
- Serkis Folk: Santa's elves are completely CGI.
- Shout-Out: The parking valet at Nick's Place is watching Stranger Things.
- The sequel has many nods to Christmas films...
- Santa's backstory is similar to the one depicted in Santa Claus: The Movie, while his relationship with the rogue elf Belsnickel is very similar to his one with Patch in said movie.
- When the elves go insane, they look and act like the mischievous mogwais before they turn into Gremlins.
- The cinema in Santa's village is showing Elf. When the elves go mad, it's changed to Bad Santa.
- The woman at the airport who's desperate to get to Chicago is a nod to Home Alone.
- Santa getting everyone singing in the airport in order to increase Christmas Spirit enough to get his sleigh airborne again is reminiscent of Elf.
- The sequel has many nods to Christmas films...
- Signature Headgear: Santa's red hat, also the source of his magic powers. Except not really.
- So Proud of You: Teddy and his dad are able to talk one last time and have the same thing to say: "I'm proud of you."
- Spontaneous Choreography: Justified during the Crowd Song. Santa hands out instruments which grant their players a mastery of both the instrument and the song they're playing.
- Storybook Opening: The sequel opens with a giant book titled The Christmas Chronicles being opened and the camera zooming in as it opens.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Santa's taken into custody by Chicago police officer Dave Poveda, and he uses his magical abilities and omniscience to pull out a bunch of toys from behind him, that Poveda wanted for Christmas during previous years, and is even able to tell what Poveda want that year for Christmas: too be with his wife again. This would be enough to convince Poveda he was the real deal and let him go, right? Wrong. Poveda accuses him of being a street magician and a internet hacker and locks him away for supposed theft. Not everyone's going to share the spirit.
- Take That!: One of the main things the film did was poke fun at most modern interpretations of Santa Claus these days. In particular, Santa is absolutely disgusted with how modern media depicts him as obese despite having a healthy weight.
- Trickster Mentor: The events of the night were all part of Santa's plan to mend the relationship between the two, restore their dwindling faith, and encourage Teddy to be a better person.
He was also granting their mother's Christmas wish for Teddy and Kate to get along again. - White-Tailed Reindeer: Averted. They're chunky, shaggy, and generally realistic-looking; and they have antlers in winter because they are explicitly stated to all be cows. The only real liberty taken is they're much larger than typical reindeer, being more comparable in size to an elk, though likely justified on account of being magic.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Santa and Kate both tell Teddy this to help him break free from his current downward spiral, culminating with Teddy taking the reins of the sleigh as Santa gives him a full pep talk.
- Your Heart's Desire: In a non-villainous example, Santa is able to discern the gift people most want for Christmas. This is not just based on letters as he easily spots a police officer's deepest wish is to have his ex-wife back.
