Add to that the fact that his job is rather demanding, and even when he does get to see his son, such as on Christmas Eve, he’s usually running late, and his son doesn’t always want to see him, so things just aren’t going very well. All that is about to change.

To his credit, Scott finds that the turkey will take four hours to cook, but he tries it anyway – this despite the fact that he comes home after dark, which means it’s got to be pretty late when he starts cooking the bird. Perhaps this explains why he might turn up the heat to get it to cook faster, and why the flames are coming from the oven, and why they end up heading to Denny’s for Christmas Dinner. Needless to say, Scott’s son isn’t year happy with the way things are going.

But later that night, as Scott finally gets Charlie to go to sleep, they hear a clatter on the roof, and Scott heads outside just in time to find someone up there. As luck would have it, Scott startles him and the guy falls all the way from the roof and into the snowbank. It’s Santa! While Charlie is excited to see Santa, he rapidly decides that he’s not happy that his dad killed Santa. But when they find a ladder in the yard (from the Rose Suchak ladder company – say it out loud), Charlie heads to the roof to find the reindeer waiting, and Scott has no choice but to follow. Before long, Scott is donning Santa’s suit and delivering the rest of the presents in the houses of strangers.

When Scott tells the reindeer to head home, they don’t go back to the house, but instead they end up at the North Pole, in Santa’s workshop, and it seems that Scott Calvin has fallen prey to the Santa Clause – a clause on the card that say by donning the suit of Santa Claus (no “e”) and getting into the sleigh, he has become the new Santa. This does not make Scott happy, by Charlie is ecstatic.

The next morning, Charlie is ready to tell everyone that his dad is Santa Claus and they went to the North Pole – this means his mom isn’t happy. Even Scott isn’t happy, because he has less than a year to get his affairs in order and return to the North Pole to take over his new position. As that date nears, his body starts to change. He gains weight, he likes to eat only sweets and his hair turns gray. He can’t even keep a clean face, as when he shaves his beard grows back immediately.

Perhaps the worst part about it is that Charlie’s mom decides that Scott, in changing his physical appearance, is trying to win back Charlie, and she takes away his visitation privileges entirely. Scott has reached a new low, and he doesn’t even want to be Santa.

Finally, when Thanksgiving rolls around, he goes to visit Charlie, and that’s when Charlie gives him the greatest gift of all – he says that he believes in him as Santa, and in an odd turn (because it seems to be supporting kidnapping), Scott takes Charlie to the North Pole to help prepare for Christmas. Charlie’s mom, needless to say, is in a bit of a panic. Naturally everything turns out, and while I can understand what they were going for, that was just an odd move to make.

Still, it’s an enjoyable movie, and one that can be a regular part of the holiday season.

Rated PG, mostly for some suggestive material.

Luckily (for them), their keeper doesn’t last long, expiring peacefully in a lounge chair one evening. Being the considerate kids that they are, they pack her in the trunk and drop her off at a funeral home – unknowingly including the money that their mom left the sitter to care for them for two months. This means someone (Sue Ellen draws the short straw) needs to get a job to buy the essentials.

Her first job is at Clown Dog, alongside Bryan (played by Josh Charles), where she doesn’t even last one shift before telling off the boss – and losing the job. The next job she lands as she applies for a receptionist and, somewhat miraculously, ends up as an executive administrative assistant. At 17. Sweet!

Hilarity ensues while Sue Ellen tries to juggle her new job, her new boyfriend (Bryan), her new family and its responsibilities. Along with all of the other aspects of the truth. Also be on the lookout for a small role from David Duchovny as he and his girlfriend scheme to try and get Sue Ellen busted because she wanted the executive administrative assistant job. Oh, and did I mention that his girlfriend is Bryan’s sister? The plot thickens!

The movie is Rated PG-13. Content inappropriate for younger ages is made up of adult language and several instances of drug use, but most of it is fairly tame by today’s standards. Still, make your own call for your kids.