Line #79 Film/SantaClausIsAStinker


1	[[quoteright:273:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/le_pre_nol_est_une_ordure.jpg]]
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3	''Santa Claus Is a Stinker'' (in French ''Le père Noël est une ordure'') is a 1982 French comedy film directed by Jean-Marie Poiré and starring some of the Splendid' theatre troupe -- Anémone, Creator/JosianeBalasko, Marie-Anne Chazel, Creator/ChristianClavier, Creator/GerardJugnot and Creator/ThierryLhermitte. It is adapted from a 1979 play of the same name by that troupe, which also made the similarly slapstick ''Film/FrenchFriedVacation'' films and ''Film/GrampsIsInTheResistance''.
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5	Pierre (Lhermitte) and Thérèse (Anémone) work as volunteers in a suicide crisis line. They have to spend Christmas Eve together in the office of the association. The night will go awry: the elevator will break down and quirky people will show up: Josette (Chazel), a homeless woman, her violent boyfriend Félix (Jugnot), a Bulgarian neighbor and a crossdresser (Clavier).
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7	''Film/MixedNuts'' (1994) is an [[ForeignRemake American remake]] of this film.
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10	!!''Santa Claus Is a Stinker'' provides examples of:
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12	* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:Josette accidentally kills an elevator technician while emptying Félix's gun.]]
13	* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul: In the play, Jean-Jacques was Thérèse's ex-husband. In the movie, they never met before, and Jean-Jacques came over simply because he was depressed.
14	* AgonyOfTheFeet: Félix shoots at Jean-Jacques's foot when Jean-Jacques tries to grab his gun.
15	* AmusingInjuries: Every main character suffer these except Madame Musquin.
16	** The champion is [[TheChewToy Felix]], knocked by Josette with an iron, slapped by Madame Musquin, punched by a pharmacist, then by an ape, and Jean-Jacques finishes him with a GroinAttack.
17	** Jean-Jacques gets shot in his foot, barely avoids a door slammed on his hand, and is [[TapOnTheHead knocked out]] with a chair, all by Felix. Pierre also accidentally slams a door in his face.
18	** Thérèse gets kicked in the nose by Madame Musquin while helping her out of the elevator, then slapped by Pierre while she was on the verge of {{Fainting}}. Apparently, Félix hit her off-screen, as Thérèse tell the police that Félix tried to punch Josette in the pharmacy, but [[TakingTheBullet Thérèse got between them]]. Pierre stuck a finger in a fuse box, Mr Perskovic in a door, and Josette was nearly strangled by Felix.
19	* AnAssKickingChristmas: Not only the cast fight frequently, [[spoiler:but someone ends up murdered]].
20	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Félix beats his girlfriend Josette. Josette wants to leave him, but he chases her. Josette hits him with an iron to put him off. However, when [[spoiler:Josette accidentally kills a technician]], they bond again and Josette praises Félix's cleverness when he brings up the idea of [[spoiler:carving the body and wrapping the cuts up in gift packages]].
21	* BadSanta: Félix disguises himself as Santa Claus to advertise a strip-tease show. He wears this outfit during the whole film. He is a violent man: he beats his girlfriend Josette and he threatens everybody with a gun.
22	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: At the very beginning of the evening, Pierre remark that [[ItsQuietTooQuiet it is exceptionally quiet]], and [[TemptingFate admit it will be better if it last]]. [[{{Understatement}} It won't last.]]
23	* BickeringCouplePeacefulCouple: "Couple" may be a bit of a stretch in the case of Pierre and Thérèse, given they are rather in a WillTheyOrWontThey relation. But anyway, they are the only persons who never fight with each other during the movie. Meanwhile, Josette and Félix are the bickering couple, as they fight physically (and Félix will go as far as holding her at gunpoint).
24	* BlackComedy: A comedy about a suicide crisis line, domestic abuse, accidental murder, poverty...
25	* BungledSuicide: In the pharmacy, Félix swallows pills and hair lotion in an attempt to kill himself. It fails: he just vomits a lot.
26	* CoitusUninterruptus: Pierre and Thérèse are going to have sex in the shower. Josette enters the bathroom, but they do not even notice it and do not stop.
27	* CoveredInKisses: Jean-Jacques kisses Pierre's forehead when he leaves and a lipstick mark is left.
28	* CrankyNeighbor: Monsieur Leblé, the neighbor who always complains about the noise made by the association.
29	* CrazyHomelessPeople: Félix and Josette live in a slum. Félix is a shoplifter. He beats his girlfriend Josette. He threatens people with a gun. [[spoiler:He has no qualms about carving up a body.]] Josette does not make a much better impression: [[spoiler:she carelessly empties Félix's gun and accidentally kills someone. She helps Félix to carve his body.]]
30	* DismemberingTheBody: [[spoiler: The poor elevator technician, carved by Felix and Josette. Then, they wrap the various body parts to pass them off as Christmas presents.]]
31	* DisposingOfABody: Félix and Josette carve the body of [[spoiler:the elevator technician whom Josette accidentally killed]] and they wrap the cuts up in gift packages. In the end, they throw the packages in the cages of the zoo with Pierre and Thérèse.
32	* TheDitz: Josette is not very bright. The way that she fills in an administrative form is very revealing. She also asks for the oyster shells to make ashtrays.
33	* DomesticAbuse: Félix beats his girlfriend Josette.
34	* TheDoorSlamsYou: Pierre opens the bedroom's door and the door hits Jean-Jacques's nose.
35	* DrivenToSuicide: The film is about a suicide crisis outline. One of the people calling actually commits suicide: he is holding a gun against his head when he makes the phone call. He has a bad connection; at some point, Thérèse tells him to push the button and he pulls the trigger of the gun. Later in the pharmacy, Félix tries to commit suicide by swallowing pills and hair lotion.
36	* DumbassHasAPoint: Josette, who is not very clever, immediately guesses that Pierre and Thérèse are in love with each other.
37	* ElevatorFailure: The elevator breaks down when Madame Musquin is inside it. She is locked inside for a long time. Finally, she has to pee and Pierre helps her to go out through the ceiling of the cabin. At that point, the elevator starts up and Pierre and Madame Musquin very nearly fall down in the elevator shaft, then are nearly crushed between the cabin and the shaft's ceiling. Later, Madame Musquin uses the lift again and again she is locked inside it. Finally, Monsieur Leblé, the neighbor, gets her out of it.
38	* EnsembleCast: Several characters have an important role: Pierre, Thérèse, Josette, Félix, Jean-Jacques, Madame Musquin, and Preskovic.
39	* EverybodyLives: [[spoiler: Well, everybody but the elevator technician. [[SparedByTheAdaptation In sheer contrast with the play]], which had a EverybodyDiesEnding due to the final explosion of the building.]]
40	* TheFilmOfThePlay: It is adapted from a 1979 play of the same name. The same actors played it on stage.
41	* ForeignQueasine: The Bulgarian specialities prepared by Preskovic are disgusting for all the other characters.
42	* FunnyForeigner: Preskovic, the Bulgarian émigré, has a strange accent and prepares disgusting specialities.
43	* GiftGivingGaffe: Thérèse gives Pierre a HomemadeSweaterFromHell. In return, Pierre gives her a self-made painting depicting a naked Thérèse chased by a pig.
44	* GroinAttack: Jean-Jacques delivers one to Félix in the zoo.
45	* HarassingPhoneCall: A stalker calls twice, in order to insult women. The first time, he pretends to be terminally ill and asks to talk to Thérèse. Josette takes the second call and yells at the pervert when he insults her; Madame Musquin takes the phone and "calms him down" while pretending to be interested in his speech, until the confused pervert hangs up.
46	* HereWeGoAgain: In the end, Pierre asks Thérèse if she will volunteer too on New year eve night.
47	* HesNotMyBoyfriend: In the bar scene, Josette bluntly asks Thérèse if she's in love with Pierre, she immediately denies it despite Josette insists that [[ShipperOnDeck she can feel it.]] Cue to Thérèse sleeping with Pierre later this same night.
48	* HolidayVolunteering: Thérèse and Pierre chose to volunteer at a suicide crisis line during Christmas Eve.
49	* HomemadeSweaterFromHell: Thérèse gives Pierre as Christmas gift a hand-knitted cardigan that is so awful that Pierre initially thinks it is a floorcloth.
50	* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: [[spoiler:Josette accidentally shoots down an elevator technician while delibarately emptying Félix's gun by shooting various things, including a door.]]
51	* ImperiledInPregnancy: Félix beats his girlfriend Josette even if she is pregnant.
52	* InformedDeformity: Felix once call Thérèse "ugly", and is corrected by Pierre. He assures that she is not ugly and simply have a [[ComplimentBackfire graceless appearance]]. However they are both wrong as Anémone, who played Thérèse, was effectively not ugly, or at least less than Josette as Marie-Anne Chazel, her actress, had to wear buck teeth for the role.
53	* IntimateHealing: Thérèse is under shock. While she is naked in the shower, she asks Pierre to hug her to warm her up. It ends in sexual intercourse.
54	* IronicName: His name means "happy", but Félix is a depressive guy with suicidal tendencies.
55	* IronicNickname: Jean-Jacques, a crossdresser, is "Creator/CharlesBronson" called by his father .
56	* JustGotOutOfJail: Félix just got out of jail. He does not reform.
57	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: The main cast get away scott free with the technician's murder.]]
58	* {{Malaproper}}: Josette, constantly, and made even funnier by her pronunciation impaired by her buck teeth.
59	* MallSanta: Félix disguises himself as Santa Claus to advertise a strip-tease show in front of a department store. A boy starts asking him questions and finally pulls off his beard. In return, Félix slaps him in the face. Then someone from the department store notices Félix and tells him to go away. Since Félix does not obey, he orders a black mall santa to chase him.
60	* NaiveEverygirl: Thérèse and Josette are both called out for this at some point. Thérèse states in the very beginning that she can't figure Pierre cheating on his wife. A few hours later, she will be the one Pierre will be cheating with. As for Josette, she is the only character who never realized that "Katia" (Jean-Jacques) [[HilarityEnsues wasn't a cis woman.]]
61	* NiceGuy:
62	** Thérèse is so nice that she is the only character who never gets mad, insults, or hit someone during the whole story. In fact, she always tries to calm everybody down and smooth the rough edges.
63	** Subverted with Pierre. He's nice at first glance, working as social volunteer and is usually polite. But he can loose his temper (notably because of pain) and is [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero homophobic]].
64	* OldMaid: Thérèse is one. She is uptight and her hobbies include volunteering for a suicide crisis line and knitting clothes for the Third World.
65	* PercussiveMaintenance: The elevator is locked. Josette punches the button and it starts up.
66	* PottyEmergency: Madame Musquin is locked in the elevator and she has to pee. Finally, she can get out of it. She runs to the toilet, but Josette has just locked herself inside to escape from Félix. Madame Musquin breaks the door open with the help of Félix.
67	* PregnantBadass: Josette, despite pregnant, manage to knock out Felix with an iron.
68	* RedOniBlueOni: Félix and Josette are the Red Oni (they are extroverted, they do not respect the rules...). Pierre and Thérèse are the Blue Oni (they are uptight, cultured, polite...).
69	* RightForTheWrongReasons: Pierre arrives late to work because of his kids, but Madame Musquin assumes he's late because he has an affair. Later on, after she goes upstairs to call a taxi (as [[MyCarHatesMe her car would not start]]), Madame Musquin witnesses Pierre dancing with a woman, and it confirms her suspicion that he has a mistress. Actually, the "woman" is Jean-Jacques, whom Pierre is reluctantly dancing with. Still, it's true that he will have an affair -- a few hours later, and with Thérèse.
70	* ShowerOfAngst: {{Subverted\|Trope}}. When Thérèse realizes that [[spoiler:the elevator technician is dead]], she is under shock and she needs a shower. When she is in the shower, she seems to be still under shock and she asks Pierre to hug her to warm her up, but it turns into [[ShowerOfLove sexual intercourse]].
71	* ShowerOfLove: Thérèse and Pierre have sex under a running shower.
72	* SlobsVersusSnobs: {{Downplayed\|Trope}}. Pierre and Thérèse are not from the highest social classes (Thérèse for example is a social worker), but they are much higher than Félix and Josette, who live in a slum. Pierre wants to get rid of Félix and Josette to spend the Christmas Eve alone with Thérèse.
73	* StylisticSuck: The subject of Pierre's painting (a naked woman chased by a cartoonish pig) is very weird.
74	* SuicideAsComedy: The whole film is about a suicide crisis line. A suicide is played for laughs: someone is holding a gun against his head when he calls the suicide crisis line. He has a bad connection; at some point, Thérèse tells him to push the button and he pulls the trigger of the gun.
75	* TakingTheHeat: {{Subverted\|Trope}}. Pierre offers to tell the police that [[spoiler:he accidentally killed the elevator technician instead of Josette, who is pregnant, so that her baby will not be born in prison]]. Finally, he does not have to do it because Félix has devised a way to get rid of the body.
76	* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: All night, Pierre tries to get rid of Preskovic, Félix, and Jean-Jacques.
77	* TitleDrop: When Thérèse states that she and Pierre have a TwistedChristmas because of Josette and Felix, Josette states that "This Santa Claus is a stinker". Later on, others characters call Felix a "stinker" a couple of times.
78	* TookALevelInJerkass: Pierre, who is initially very polite with everybody, ends up telling Preskovic that he has gotten on his nerves for years.
79	* TwistedChristmas: The events happen during Christmas Eve and they involve a man beating his pregnant girlfriend and threatening everyone with a gun. [[spoiler:An innocent elevator technician]] is shot down. His body is carved, his limbs are hidden in Christmas gift packages and they are fed to the the zoo animals.
80	* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Thérèse and Josette were cousins in the original play. Here, Josette is simply Thérèse's protégé since they met in a charity.
81	* VerbalTic: "''C'est cela, oui...''" ("That's it, yes it is...") for Pierre. He often states, as well, "''C'est une catastrophe !''" ("This is a disaster!")
82	* VomitDiscretionShot: After swallowing pills and hair lotion, Félix has to vomit in the back of the pharmacy. The scene is filmed from the entrance door, and Félix is vomiting behind a partition wall.
83	* WhenEldersAttack: The pharmacist. This old, distinguished man knocks Félix down when he gets mad.
84	* WholesomeCrossdresser: Jean-Jacques/Katia is a crossdresser who is presented as a relatively "normal" person compared to the other characters.
85	* WideEyedIdealist: Pierre and Thérèse are idealists who volunteer to help people in need. Josette and Félix, the people they want to help, are yobs who do not hesitate to commit crimes and who use them cynically.

Context Film / SantaClausIsAStinker