Santa Claus Is a Stinker
Short description
Set on Christmas Eve, this French comedy centers on Pierre and Thérèse, two neurotic employees managing a suicide hotline. Their quiet evening descends into chaos when a variety of unstable individuals arrive at their office, including a pregnant woman fleeing her aggressive boyfriend and a depressed cross-dresser. The interactions between these mismatched characters lead to a disastrous and volatile night.
Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, this was the second film he directed, following Men Prefer Fat Girls. The screenplay was written by Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, and Christian Clavier, who also star in the main cast alongside Anémone, Marie-Anne Chazel, and Josiane Balasko. The production involved Trinacra Films, Films A2, and Les Films du Splendid.
The movie has been well received by viewers, maintaining a 7.4/10 rating on IMDb from 11,000 votes and a 7.3/10 rating on TMDB from 1,081 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- The "hotline" (SOS detresse amitie) shown in the film is a reference to a network of charitable organizations that was founded in France in 1960 under the name SOS amitie and continues to operate to this day.
- Director Jean-Marie Poiré altered the ending of the original one-act play by the “Le Splendid” theater, which served as the literary source for the screenplay.
- RATP (a group of companies providing passenger transport in Paris and its suburbs, as well as in other cities in France) and the Paris city administration considered the film's title offensive and did not grant permission for its advertising on billboards.
- Actor Jacques François (who played the pharmacist) liked the one-act play so much that he practically begged for a small role – and played it for free. The character that François played was created specifically for him.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
