This movie is a modern take of a christmas classic that has been shown on Norwegian tv since 1973. The original is a very sweet little old-style cartoon story, just 15 minutes of pure christmas spirit. Being almost as old as the original, I've watched it countless times, and love it dearly, to the point of not wanting to see this modern movie version. But finally I gave in and watched this film. And I must say, I am so pleasantly surprised, the movie is lovely!! It honors the original 100%, all the quotes from the original is there, Santa's family get all their wishes from Snekker Andersen, but the story is expanded to give more context. The new bits of the story include a stressed-out housewife that's sick of her husbands christmas antics, two older siblings trying to prove that santa isn't real, and a backstory of how the christmas wish/present distribution actually works. And santa in this story is not the American Santa Claus, but a Norwegian Julenisse living in the forest. The most moving new part is the part where Snekker Andersen gets a revisit/explanation for a particular christmas eve in his childhood. That part includes the only change to a detail I could identify: Grandpa Claus gets a walking cane in the original story, but in this one it is changed in a way that helps tell a story.
The movie is set in the sixties, with wonderful detail in interior style etc. The only part i really didn't care for in that regard was the lighted decorations they placed on the roof of the house, that was very much NOT a thing back then, and it ruined the atmosphere from the outdoor sceenes a bit.
Finally: Anders Baasmo Christensen is perfect as Santa. Took me a while to realise it was him, it is very well done. And the Hedmark dialect is done beautifully, only minor changes in wording at times, probably to make it more understandable to modern-day kids.
I don't know if this movie is the instant classic with those who aren't familiar with the original. But for me, it was an instant favorite that will go onto the "must-watch" list for christmas, together with the originals of Popelko and Reisen til Julestjernen.
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