6. Paul Giamatti – Fred Claus (2007)
A slightly more traditional iteration of Santa Claus comes in 2007’s Fred Claus. Following Santa’s eponymous bitter brother as he attempts to move out of his sibling’s shadow, Fred Claus puts Paul Giamatti’s Santa Claus in the middle of a festive dysfunctional family. Giamatti’s Santa may not be front and center, but he’s heavily featured, and his North Pole operation is a major plot point.
Giamatti’s Santa is essentially a walking Santa Claus stereotype: white beard, rosy cheeks, and a significant weight issue. Fred Claus leans gently into this idea of an obese Santa as a source of comedy, which is perhaps the biggest downfall of Giamatti’s Santa. Instead of being a mystical, magical figure, he’s essentially a punchline.
In spite of this, seeing Santa Claus as a small and virtuous child is certainly a novelty, and the idea that he has issues with his family and job like anyone else makes for an interesting premise. Giamatti’s Santa Claus ticks off essentially every item on the Santa checklist, but it goes a little too far. Poking fun at Santa’s weight in particular will surely land Fred Claus‘s name on the naughty list, even if Giamatti does look the part.