Ernest: “I am one with the Yuletide, know what I mean?”
A very different type of Christmas classic, 1988’s Ernest Saves Christmas, directed by John R. Cherry III, is where season’s spirit meets slapstick comedy, saving Santa comes by way of snakes, and a taxi driver can concoct a plan to salvage Christmas morning for millions of youngsters.
The third movie of the Ernest (Jim Varney) franchise finds the man driving taxi in Orlando (in fact, this was the first film to be shot at the new Disney/MGM Studios). Akin to limo driver Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber, his heart and soul is bigger than his brain. A huge lover of the holiday season, Ernest is pleased to give a man claiming to be the real Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) a ride.
As the mythology goes, the jolly old fellow, who has been manning the gig for about a century and a half, is losing his magic touch. . . and must pass along the torch to a new, and wisely chosen, person – in order to reignite said magic.
As Ernest is closing in on dropping Santa off to meet an unsuspecting local television actor for children, Joe Carruthers (Oliver Clark) – hoping he will be the perfect pick for the legendary position, a runaway drifter teenage girl, Harmony (Noelle Parker), jumps into the taxi. . . tying her into this fateful narrative.
And, as we know how these things go, they never turn out easy. No one believes Saint Nick is who he says he is. . . finding himself in jail instead; while jovial Joe finds his oily agent, Marty (Robert Lesser), steering him towards a starring role in a Christmas horror hybrid feature – a major step up the success ladder, but going against his caring nature.
With Christmas teetering on the edge of failure, Ernest and Harmony must devise a plan to free Santa, convince Joe that this is all real, and get Claus his sleigh – which is being held by a couple of goofy customs agent storage employees (Gailard Sartain and Bill Byrge – they were discovered doing regional tv commercials called “Me and My Brother Bobby”).
A silly, slapstick style Christmas comedy with its heart in the right place, this is the definition of a cult classic (or maybe even a guilty pleasure) for the holiday season. A commercial success (though by no means a critical one), this low brow picture is at its best when it is at its most outlandish – Varney singing “O Christmas Tree” or disguising himself as a demanding elderly woman, smarmy political aid, or hickish snake farmer (one of the standout moments) to fool people and further his plan to save his favourite holiday. Matched by the above mentioned storage employees, it is not outrageous to believe that the ‘fatty and skinny’ pair could have been vaudevillian movie stars if transplanted sometime between the Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello crazes. While Seale and Carruthers (as Santa and hopeful replacement) both have the temperament and twinkle in the eye to play the milk and cookie loving man. Even Parker’s runaway brings a charming, if schmaltzy touch to the production.
A movie that has become a bit more obscure the last decade or so (rarely getting much playtime anymore), Ernest Saves Christmas still boasts enough charm, comedy, and heartwarming hijinks to please children and adults alike. So, beat the clock to see this Christmas cult classic this holiday season, it’s an elfing good time!