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* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Though he survives, Willie being shot eight times while fleeing from the cops despite not having a weapon proves to be a massive embarrassment to the Phoenix Police Department, who also recieves extensive outrage from the public for shooting an unarmed Santa, with Willie being treated like royalty by the department, likely so he won't file a massive lawsuit.

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* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Though he survives, Willie being shot eight times while fleeing from the cops despite not having a weapon proves to be a massive embarrassment to the Phoenix Police Department, who also recieves receives extensive outrage from the public for shooting an unarmed Santa, with Willie being treated like royalty by the department, likely so he won't file a massive lawsuit.
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* PottyFailure: Willie mentions that he pissed himself after he drunkenly destroys the Santa display.
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* ClusterFBomb: According to IMDB, the word "fuck" is used 159 times (170 in the unrated version). ''[[RefugeInAudacity In a Christmas movie.]]''

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* ClusterFBomb: According to IMDB, the word "fuck" is used 159 times (170 in the unrated version). ''[[RefugeInAudacity In a Christmas movie.]]'']]'' Bad Santa currently holds the distinction of being in the top 100 films with the highest rate-per-minute uses of the word, at 1.9 per minute.
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Willie Soke (Creator/BillyBobThornton) is a drunk sort-of {{Jerkass}} safe cracker who along with his dwarf accomplice Marcus has a yearly routine of getting jobs as a MallSanta and Elf respectively during the holidays and robbing the mall's safe on Christmas Eve after closing time. During one such stint, Wille meets a boy named Thurman Merman (who is mostly referred to in the movie as "The Kid") who inadvertently saves him from being raped. After an inquiry launched by the mall's unscrupulous security chief Gin Slagel(Creator/BernieMac), Willie moves in with The Kid who lives alone with his senile grandmother ([[ParentalAbandonment his mother is dead and his dad is in jail for embezzlement]]) to evade the cops. He and his girlfriend Sue Willie start to warm up to the Kid and Willie starts acting as a surrogate father... of sorts.

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Willie Soke (Creator/BillyBobThornton) is a drunk sort-of {{Jerkass}} safe cracker who along with his dwarf accomplice Marcus (Creator/TonyCox) has a yearly routine of getting jobs as a MallSanta and Elf respectively during the holidays and robbing the mall's safe on Christmas Eve after closing time. During one such stint, Wille meets a boy named Thurman Merman (who is mostly referred to in the movie as "The Kid") who inadvertently saves him from being raped. After an inquiry launched by the mall's unscrupulous security chief Gin Slagel(Creator/BernieMac), Slagel (Creator/BernieMac), Willie moves in with The Kid who lives alone with his senile grandmother ([[ParentalAbandonment his mother is dead and his dad is in jail for embezzlement]]) to evade the cops. He and his girlfriend Sue Willie start to warm up to the Kid and Willie starts acting as a surrogate father... of sorts.
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* AllThereInTheScript: Until the closing credits, the closest thing Sue has to a name is "Mrs. Santa's Sister."
** Inverted with Thurman Merman, whose name is conspicuously revealed in the dialogue but is still billed as simply "The Kid."

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* KavorkaMan: Despite his unkempt appearance and over the top alcoholism, Willie is implied to get a number of women. A lot of women ''do'' love a Santa. It's played for laughs with Sue riding Willie in his car shouting "Fucking Santa! Fucking Santa!".

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* KavorkaMan: Despite his unkempt appearance and over the top alcoholism, Willie is implied to get a number of women. A lot of women ''do'' love a Santa. It's played for laughs with Sue riding Willie in his car shouting "Fucking "Fuck me Santa! Fucking Santa!".Fuck me Santa!".
-->'''Willie:''' Can I at least take the hat off?\\
'''Sue:''' No! I love the hat!
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* ShownTheirWork: Though it may have been a lucky break for the writers, Willie sending a letter to the cops actually would be taken into account, legally (in some jurisdictions). It's an affirmative action taken to step away from the criminal conspiracy.

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* HighVoltageDeath: How Marcus ends up murdering [[spoiler:Gin Slagel]] after his wife rams the man with their van.



* NotSoHarmlessVillain: [[spoiler:Marcus makes this clear when he murders Gin Slagel.]]

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* NotSoHarmlessVillain: [[spoiler:Marcus makes this clear when he murders Gin Slagel.]] [[HighVoltageDeath With jumper cables.]]]]


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* StealthPun: Thurman asks Willie, a raging alcoholic, to get him a pink elephant for Christmas.


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* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Marcus takes a deep breath before throwing himself down the AirVentPassageway in the climax, because he's going to slide down an increasingly steep passage and then drop a dozen feet onto a table.
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* BadassBoast: When he sees the safe in the climax, Willie notes that a badass safecracker once told him that model can't be cracked. Marcus then goes on a rant about how he held Willie together this whole time only to learn that he can't crack it.
-->'''Marcus:''' Now you're telling me you can't crack it, is that what you're telling me?!\\
'''Willie:''' No, I'm just saying it's gonna take a minute.
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* ComicallyMissingThePoint: A mainstay of the film. Willie constantly misinterprets people's comments as something sexual, as when Bob asks about his performance (you mean ''sexual'' performance?) or when Sue asks if he likes kids (I'm not some fucking pervert!). Thurman, due to being an idiot, also takes conversations in wildly unexpected directions.

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* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:About halfway through the movie, Willie tries to kill himself through carbon monoxide poisoning. Fortunately, he snaps out of his funk when Thurman comes to check on him.]]

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* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:About halfway through the movie, Willie tries to kill himself through carbon monoxide poisoning. Fortunately, he snaps out of his funk when Thurman comes to check on him and he sees the kid has a black eye, prompting a RageBreakingPoint as he beats the crap out of the bullies who hurt him.]]



* KavorkaMan: Despite his unkempt appearance and over the top alcoholism, Willie is implied to get a number of women. A lot of women ''do'' love a Santa. It's played for laughs with Sue riding Willie in his car shouting "Fucking Santa! Fucking Santa!".



* OffscreenKarma: The polic department [[spoiler:gunning down Willie despite the fact he was only holding a stuffed toy]] results in the department being raked over the coals for shooting an unarmed Santa and having to treat an obnoxious profane alcholic like royalty because he has them by the balls and could bankrupt them with one call to a lawyer.
* OnlySaneMan: Marcus spends most of his time doing damage control for Willie and giving him a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech now and then. Subverted [[spoiler:when he betrays Willie]].

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* OffscreenKarma: The polic department [[spoiler:gunning down Willie despite the fact he was only holding a stuffed toy]] toy while dressed as Sanata ''on Christmas Eve'']] results in the department being raked over the coals for shooting an unarmed Santa and having to treat an obnoxious profane alcholic like royalty because he has them by the balls and could bankrupt them with one call to a lawyer.
* OnlySaneMan: Marcus spends most of his time doing damage control for Willie and giving him a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech now and then. Subverted [[spoiler:when he betrays Willie]].Willie, though Willie double subverts it when he admits that that's the sane response to his behavior]].



* RefugeInAudacity: It's a Christmas film about an alcoholic, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]] mall Santa who has "screaming brats" on his lap for about a month and is plotting to rob a store on Christmas Eve, and that's for starters.

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* RefugeInAudacity: It's a Christmas film about an alcoholic, [[SirSwearsALot foul-mouthed]] mall Santa who has "screaming brats" on his lap for about a month and is plotting to rob a store on Christmas Eve, and that's for starters. Marcus is meticulous in his audacity, thoroughly planning every heist. Willie just seems to drunkenly stumble from one success to the next, uncaught because seriously, who would ever do that?
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Anything That Moves has been disambiguated.


* AnythingThatMoves: Willie enjoys chasing girls at every opportunity and has no standards to speak of. He's perfectly capable of scoring with attractive women like Sue, but will also hook up with plus-sized shoppers in the fitting room, hire cheap hookers, and even offhandedly mentions [[CrossesTheLineTwice cornholing Thurman's grandma]].
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* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Lois asks this to Marcus when [[spoiler:the latter decides to shoot Willie at the completion of their heist]], complaining that she's losing patience and wants to leave already.

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* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Lois asks this to orders Marcus to do this when [[spoiler:the latter decides to shoot two have Willie at gunpoint at the completion of their heist]], complaining that she's losing patience and wants to leave already.



* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once the safe was cracked and he got everything he wanted out of the mall, Marcus decides it's time to off Willie since he's no longer reliable. Marcus]] asserts that Willie's behavior was deteriorating from his alcoholism and felt that it was way past time [[spoiler:for them to break ties]].

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* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once the safe was is cracked and he got gets everything he wanted wants out of the mall, Marcus decides it's time to off Willie since he's no longer reliable. Marcus]] asserts that Willie's behavior was deteriorating has deteriorated from his alcoholism and felt feels that it was is way past time [[spoiler:for them to break ties]].
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* ThreatBackfire: When approached by a little boy's mother for a "lap" request, Willie screams at them that he's on his lunch break and doesn't want to do it now. The mother threatens to report his behavior to the manager, and Willie rebukes her back that he isn't intimidated because he has total dominance over the [[ExtremeDoormat manager as well]].

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* ThreatBackfire: When approached by a little boy's mother for a "lap" request, Willie screams at them that he's on his lunch break and doesn't want to do it now. The mother threatens to report his behavior to the manager, and Willie rebukes her back that he isn't intimidated because he has total dominance over the likelihood that his supervisor [[ExtremeDoormat manager as well]]. Bob Chipeska]] could possibly make his life any more miserable is low.

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* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Gin is a security chief who penalizes shoplifting (and unnecessarily roughs up shoplifters), but he's not above stealing either, as he blackmails Willie and Marcus for half the spoils from their next heist.



* HeelRealization: Willie has one when he remembers that he ate all the candy in Thurman's advent calendar and realizes how low that was.



* HeelRealization: Willie has one when he remembers that he ate all the candy in Thurman's advent calendar and realizes how low that was.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Gin is a security chief who penalizes shoplifting (and unnecessarily roughs up shoplifters), but he's not above stealing either, as he blackmails Willie and Marcus for half the spoils from their next heist.
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** In the movie's final scene, Thurman kicks the main mall bully right in the nuts.
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* GreenEyedMonster: Marcus is easily jealous of Willie for being tall and strong enough to sexually assault young women of his choice and eventually score with Sue.

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* GreenEyedMonster: Marcus is easily jealous of Willie for being tall and strong enough to sexually assault pursue young women of his choice and eventually score with Sue.

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Willie Soke (Creator/BillyBobThornton) is a drunk sort-of {{Jerkass}} safe cracker who along with his dwarf accomplice Marcus has a yearly routine of getting jobs as a MallSanta and Elf respectively during the holidays and robbing the mall's safe on Christmas Eve after closing time. During one such stint, Wille meets a boy named Thurman Merman (who is mostly referred to in the movie as "The Kid") who inadvertently saves him from being raped. After an inquiry launched by the mall's unscrupulous security chief (Creator/BernieMac), Willie moves in with The Kid who lives alone with his senile grandmother ([[ParentalAbandonment his mother is dead and his dad is in jail for embezzlement]]) to evade the cops. He and his girlfriend Sue Willie start to warm up to the Kid and Willie starts acting as a surrogate father... of sorts.

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Willie Soke (Creator/BillyBobThornton) is a drunk sort-of {{Jerkass}} safe cracker who along with his dwarf accomplice Marcus has a yearly routine of getting jobs as a MallSanta and Elf respectively during the holidays and robbing the mall's safe on Christmas Eve after closing time. During one such stint, Wille meets a boy named Thurman Merman (who is mostly referred to in the movie as "The Kid") who inadvertently saves him from being raped. After an inquiry launched by the mall's unscrupulous security chief (Creator/BernieMac), Gin Slagel(Creator/BernieMac), Willie moves in with The Kid who lives alone with his senile grandmother ([[ParentalAbandonment his mother is dead and his dad is in jail for embezzlement]]) to evade the cops. He and his girlfriend Sue Willie start to warm up to the Kid and Willie starts acting as a surrogate father... of sorts.



** Gin, a security officer, tries blackmailing Marcus for a cut of the spoils on their next heist. Marcus has his wife Lois ram him with a car, shocks him, and dumps Gin's body in the desert.

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** Gin, Gin Slagel, a security officer, tries blackmailing Marcus for a cut of the spoils on their next heist. Marcus has his wife Lois ram him with a car, shocks him, and dumps Gin's body in the desert.



* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Willie tips the cops off about the robbery and gets Marcus arrested. He's given a job as a sensitivity trainer for the police, and also secures a capable adult to watch over Thurman. He also gets the kid a few presents, and Thurman in turn now knows how to handle the bullies.]]

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* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Willie (inadverdantly) tips the cops off about the robbery and gets Marcus arrested. He's given a job as a sensitivity trainer for the police, and also secures a capable adult to watch over Thurman. He also gets the kid a few presents, and Thurman in turn now knows how to handle the bullies.]]



* SirSwearsALot: Willie, which is no surprise, considering his actor. The movie uses 173 uses of the word "fuck", not including the extended version.

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* SirSwearsALot: Willie, which is no surprise, considering his actor. The movie uses 173 uses of the word "fuck", not including the extended version. Marcus isn't afraid to drop a few dirty words every now and then, either.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: This is the primary method through which Willie and Marcus communicate, peppered with some colorful language for good measure. Gin Slagel later gets in on the act.
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* TheDitz: Even for his age, Thurman is unbelievably stupid. His vocabulary is very limited, he poorly comprehends things and has poor memory. In any given day, he can't even remember events from the previous day.

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* TheDitz: Even for his age, Thurman is unbelievably stupid. His vocabulary is very limited, he poorly comprehends things and has poor memory. In any given day, And he usually can't even remember events from the previous day.

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* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:About halfway through the film, Willie has the kid deliver a letter to the police. At the end, it turns out to contain all the details for the robbery, which allows them to appear and arrest Marcus.]]

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* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:About halfway through the film, Willie has the kid deliver a letter to the police. At the end, it turns out to contain all the details for the robbery, which allows them to appear and arrest Marcus, incidentally preventing Willie's murder at the hands of Marcus.]]


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--->'''Willie:''' Jesus, what ''is'' it with you? Somebody drop you on your fucking head?
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** Gin, a security officer, tries blackmailing Marcus for a cut of the spoils on their next heist. Marcus rams him with a car, shocks him, and has Lois run his head over with a car.

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** Gin, a security officer, tries blackmailing Marcus for a cut of the spoils on their next heist. Marcus rams has his wife Lois ram him with a car, shocks him, and has Lois run his head over with a car.dumps Gin's body in the desert.
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* BigGood: Willie becomes this to Thurman as the movie progresses, since he is able to help Thurman fend off the bullies who torment him everyday after school, [[spoiler:gets him the pink stuffed elephant he always wanted]], and finally help him attain a proper parental substitute (Sue) to look after him.

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* BigGood: Willie becomes this to Thurman as the movie progresses, since he is able to help Thurman fend off the bullies who torment him everyday after school, [[spoiler:gets him the pink stuffed elephant he always wanted]], and finally help helps him attain a proper parental substitute (Sue) to look after him.
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* BadSanta: Literally the entire film's plot. He's a Santa who is a thief and safecracker.

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* BadSanta: Literally the entire film's plot. He's a Santa who is a thief thief, safecracker, serial fornicator and safecracker.intense '''DRUNK'''.



* BecomingTheMask: Willie at first disavows he'll ever be a real Santa Claus, but at the end, he tries to deliver the pink elephant Thurman always wanted and narrowly succeeds even though [[spoiler:the police shoot a bullet (or even several) through the elephant, but Thurman doesn't seem to mind]].

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* BecomingTheMask: Willie at first disavows he'll ever be a real Santa Claus, but at the end, he tries to deliver the pink elephant Thurman always wanted and narrowly succeeds even though [[spoiler:the succeeds, but in the course of it he [[spoiler: gets into a high-speed chase with the police shoot a bullet (or even several) through the elephant, but Thurman doesn't seem to mind]].who pump several bullets into him, which he (barely) survives]].
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** Marcus for his part ''despises'' dressing up like an elf, but at least he's good at his job.

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** Marcus for his part ''despises'' dressing up like an elf, but at least he's good at his job.role.
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** Marcus for his part ''despises'' dressing up like an elf, but at least he's good at his job.

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