Just call me Nicholas

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Movie
German title Just call me Nicholas
Original title Call Me Claus
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2001
length 86 minutes
Age rating FSK o.A.
Rod
Director Peter Werner
script Paul Mooney ,
Sara Bernstein
Gregory Bernstein
production Tom Leonardis , Jay Benson
music Van Dyke Parks ,
Grant Geissman
camera Neil Roach
cut Benjamin A. Weissman
occupation
synchronization

Just call me Nikolaus (Original title: Call Me Claus ) is an American Christmas TV film by Peter Werner from 2001 with Whoopi Goldberg and Nigel Hawthorne in the leading roles.

action

Los Angeles, 1965: Little Lucy Cullins visits a department store with her mother and younger brother Dwayne where Santa Claus receives the children's wishes. Lucy tells him that her greatest wish is that her father will return from Vietnam soon. When the three of them left the department store, they were spoken to and received the bitter news that Lucy's father would never come back.

Many years have passed and Lucy is now a successful producer of a shopping channel that is doing its best business this Christmas. She is looking for a Santa Claus who comes across as believable that the channel's customers order the goods he has advertised en masse. It is a coincidence that the Santa Claus casting also includes the real Santa Claus, who is looking for Lucy. His time as Santa Claus expires on December 24th, as he, like his predecessors, is allowed to hold this office for exactly 200 years. He is in a dilemma because he has to present a successor by the 24th at the latest, otherwise the ice of the Arctic Ocean will melt, which would have unforeseeable consequences for humanity. All the names on his list have already been ticked off, only Lucy's one remains. Lucy was one of those children who had a glow of light around their heads when they put their hats on, a sign of how strong their faith in Santa Claus was.

However, Lucy's attitude towards Christmas changed radically after the death of her father. She had revealed her dearest wish to Santa Claus and believed that was his answer. Since that day she doesn't want to know anything about Christmas.

Of course, the real Santa Claus is hired and does his job so well that the sales channel breaks new records. And although Lucy is reluctant, something slowly changes in her until the day she gives in and takes on the role that Nick, the real Santa Claus, intended for her. However, she insists that he must stand by her for the next 200 years. Lucy had previously returned to her family's lap, which is a great joy for both her mother and her brother and his family. The reconciliation of the family happened appropriately in the church where her niece sang a Christmas carol and where Lucy appeared in Santa Claus costume.

production

Production notes

Production companies were Columbia TriStar Television in association with Red Strokes Entertainment and Whoop / One Ho Productions / Lil 'Whoop Productions. The presentation took place via TNT .

The exterior shots for the film were shot in Los Angeles , California .

Soundtrack

synchronization

The German synchronization was carried out by the Berliner Synchron GmbH Wenzel Lüdecke ; Dialogue script and dialogue direction were by Frank Wesel:

publication

The television film premiered in the USA on December 2, 2001. It appeared on video in Germany on December 4, 2001, as well as in the Netherlands. It was released on DVD in the UK on December 10, 2001, on video in Hungary on December 20, 2001, on DVD in Finland on November 13, 2002 and on video in Norway on the same day. It was published in France on December 21, 2005. It was also published in Italy, Argentina, Romania, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Brazil, Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia.

On November 9, 2004, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the film on DVD with a German soundtrack.

criticism

At Commonsensemedia , the film was recommended from the age of 10 with the assessment: Predictable, old-fashioned holiday film, which is refreshingly complex.

Movie Recipe said this is a perfect Christmas movie for the whole family with great music that takes you on a rollercoaster ride and stirs up emotions. When Lucy returns to her family's lap, there are many miracles, snowfall in LA, reindeer sledging over town, and a few more. This Christmas film contains just the right ingredients to lighten the mood during the Christmas season.

In The Movie Scene they showed a little disappointed with Whoopi Goldberg's lack of presence, the more agiere in the background. Furthermore, the question was raised, for whom this film was actually made, since 90% of the scenes are child-friendly, which in turn does not go well with some of the other film scenes. Call Me Claus also uses several other films to tell its story. There's a touch of The Miracle of Manhattan , Holy Man , A Christmas Story, and a few other films. In principle, there is nothing wrong with that, as the film does not rest on it. The conclusion was that the film lacks substance and a Christmas magic that captivates you.

In the case of Kino Film Welt, on the other hand, it was said that “the opposites of commerce and feeling and an excellent cast” were the focus. The "mixture of satire, brisk sayings, brisk music and Christmas magic succeeded not least because of Whoopi Goldberg's talent to give her character Lucy Collins the necessary contradiction".

Disney Channel wrote: “Director Peter Werner assigns an unusual role to Whoopi Goldberg and Nigel Hawthorne in the romantic comedy about the true background of Christmas. Hawthorne slips into a likable Santa Claus role as Santa Claus, while Goldberg plays a success-oriented TV producer. The result is a lovable and imaginative Christmas story for the whole family with a successful mixture of fairy tale and real film. "

The lexicon of international films also had a positive view of the film: “Comedy for Whoopie Goldberg fans who not only knows how to present the usual set pieces, but also how to make children think and bring them closer to the real meaning of Christmas. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Just call me Nikolaus (2001). In: synchronkartei.de. German dubbing index , accessed on December 7, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Just call me Nikolaus Fig. DVD case (in the picture: Nigel Hawthorne, Whoopi Goldberg)
  3. ↑ Call Me Claus sS commonsensemedia.org (English). Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  4. ↑ Call Me Claus sS movierecipe.infoversant.com (English). Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ Call Me Claus (2001) - Needs More Whoopi sS themoviescene.co.uk
  6. ↑ Just call me Nikolaus sS kinofilmwelt.de
  7. ↑ Just call me Nikolaus sS wunschliste.de
  8. ↑ Just call me Nikolaus. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed December 7, 2018 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used