Did you know that the cult comedy “Santa Claus is junk” was the subject of an American remake more than ten years after its release? A US version led by a hell of a casting …
Did you know ? Father Christmas is junk, the timeless comedy of the Splendid troupe that France 2 airs this Wednesday evening, has been the subject of an American remake! Baptized Merry Christmas in France (Mixed Nuts in original version), the feature film, released in theaters in 1994, is by Nora Ephron, a key name in the romantic comedy who had just written When Harry Met Sally and directed White Nights in Seattle.
Merry Christmas, whose action takes place in Los Angeles and plunges us into the heart of a telephone reception center for suicidal people, is distinguished by its four-star cast. Led by Steve Martin (who takes on the role of Thierry Lhermitte in a more energetic way), the cast brings together Rita Wilson (Anémone), Liev Schreiber (Christian Clavier) in his very first role, Juliette Lewis (Marie-Anne Chazel), Anthony LaPaglia (Gérard Jugnot), Adam Sandler (Bruno Moynot) and Madeline Kahn (Josiane Balasko).
Particularly bad welcomed by critics, this Merry Christmas has similarities with the comedy of Jean-Marie Poiré, certain scenes, such as those of the telephone booth or the elevator, being at the rendezvous across the Atlantic. But the film is also less trash and “mean” than the original, offering a more politically correct overall tone.
Finally, we will note the presence in the credits of Merry Christmas of a certain Haley Joel Osment. The young American, who had just been revealed to the general public playing the son of Forrest Gump and who will explode a little later thanks to Sixth Sense, makes a brief appearance here in front of a Christmas tree.
False Match: the blunders and mistakes of “Santa Claus is junk”
