The Santa Clause (1994): Scenes & Screenplay Gift for Fans
Personalize and print a single-page screenplay inspired by scenes from the movie.
The Santa Clause (1994) is the movie I rewatch the most during the Christmas season. After watching it in December 2024, I was inspired to write a Christmas-themed screenplay that I could adapt for each member of my immediate family, print out, and tuck into their stockings.
This single-page script would accomplish two things: 1) transport my loved ones back to an exciting time they cherished as children (the night before Christmas), and 2) show them what a screenplay looks like. After all, they've seen many movies but never a single scrap of movie script.
I thought this small gift was especially appropriate since I recently took a six-month sabbatical to work on my first feature length screenplay. They often inquired about my progress, so gifting them a movie script could help them understand the format of my work in a personal way.
When I was younger, and when I didn't know anything about screenplays, I thought people in Hollywood just got together and made a movie. Not so hard. Turns out, there's a bit more to it than that, including a screenplay with sluglines, action lines, dialogue, and parentheticals.
This Santa-Clause-inspired screenplay gift includes all of these elements, giving movie lovers a sled-crashing course in understanding one of the first steps in movie making: the writing of the story.
Movie scenes that inspired the screenplay gift
Below are scenes from The Santa Clause that inspired various elements of the screenplay gift I created for my family members and that you can adapt for your loved ones. I also feature some script snippets based on the movie and the official screenplay draft available online. However, since this early draft is much different than the final "shooting script" used to create the movie, I've made some adjustments.
Note: To watch the scenes below, you can buy or rent The Santa Clause on YouTube. This is a great way to support the movie and its creators. If you already own The Santa Clause on a different platform, you can connect it to YouTube with Movies Anywhere.
Fairy dust and the slipstream effect
In the movie The Santa Clause, Scott Calvin tells his son Charlie that reindeer use fairy dust and a slipstream effect to fly.
In the screenplay gift featured above, I turn the concept of the slipstream into a time-freezing tunnel that Santa travels through. The concept of fairy dust becomes green magic that falls from bedroom ceilings onto sleeping children as Santa walks toward their chimneys. It's a type of Christmas spirit that allows children to move around outside of time like Santa and his reindeer.
INT. CHARLIE'S BEDROOM - LATER THAT EVENING
CHARLIE
How do reindeer fly? They don't have any wings.
SCOTT
Fairy dust.
CHARLIE
That's from Peter Pan, Dad.
SCOTT
Horns.
CHARLIE
Antlers.
SCOTT
Whatever.
(fumbling for words)
Their antlers give them-- there's a slipstream effect-- the air go-- they move fa-- they're weightless!How Santa visits every child in one night
In the movie, Neal Miller doesn't think it's logical to believe that a single man can deliver presents to every child in the world in a single night. Charlie challenges him with an explanation that's both logical and scientific, mentioning a break in the time continuum. Short for the space-time continuum, this is a field of physics within the theory of relativity.
In the screenplay gift, the green vortex (i.e. the tunnel of love) represents a break in this time continuum Charlie speaks of. Children who believe in Santa can also enter this break and move in space outside of time. We see this in the screenplay gift as the snowflakes stop midair yet Santa and the child continue to move about.
If you're interested in learning more about the space-time continuum, check out this Neil deGrasse Tyson video. (Hey! Neal and Neil.)
INT. MILLER HOME - DAY
Neal and Charlie sit by a spinning antique globe. A small Santa figure stands on the frame.
NEAL (O.S.)
Charlie, it's just not logical.
The globe stops. Neal picks up Santa.
NEAL
How can one man, in one night, visit all the children in the world.
He places Santa on top of the globe.
CHARLIE
Not everyone celebrates Christmas. And I think there's some sort of time continuum that breaks down once Santa's in his sleigh.Falling snow, signaling an imminent change
In the movie, Scott walks through the snow to Neal and Laura Miller's home to visit Charlie after the judge grants their petition for full custody. As in one of my favorite shots of Andy Dufresne walking through the snow in The Shawshank Redemption (1994), the snow symbolizes a bridge between what's cold (Scott losing custody, Andy getting assaulted) and what's revitalizing (Scott remembering to believe, Andy making new friends).
In the screenplay gift, snow is falling before time stops and the green vortex appears across all the rooftops. While nothing "bad" happens before it begins to snow, the snow does signal a revitalizing and rewarding event: Santa defying the limits of time and appearing with all his reindeer to deliver presents.
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALKS - NIGHT
Scott walks through the snow -- head down, hands in pocket -- wearing a wool sweater and hat.
JUDGE (V.O.)
Nr. Calvin, as of today, all of your visitation rights are suspended, pending a hearing after the first of the year.
Scott arrives outside the window of...
EXT. MILLER HOME - NIGHT
From the sidewalk, Scott can see Charlie, Laura, and Neal eating dinner through the dining room window.
CLOSE ON: Laura brushing Charlie's cheek, trying to cheer him up. The snow globe rests near his plate.
Scott heaves a sigh.Merry Christmas, Santa
In the movie, after the original Santa falls off the roof and Scott assumes his role, Scott delivers gifts to a girl named Sara. During this initial visit, he is quite rude. She leaves cookies and milk out for him but he doesn't drink the milk, saying he's lactose intolerant. Next year, Scott is warmer toward the sweet girl. He drinks the milk, pats her head, and whispers Merry Christmas in her ear.
In the screenplay gift, milk and cookies also make an appearance. When everyone else in the house is frozen in time, the child enters the family room as Santa is enjoying his glass of milk. Santa lifts the child onto his lap, pats the child's back, and says Merry Christmas.
INT. SARA'S HOME - FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT
Sarah is asleep on the couch. Scott finishes putting presents under the tree. He pulls part of the blanket up from the floor and tucks her in. Sara wakes up. They wave their fingers at each other.
SARA
You're fatter this year.
SCOTT
Thank you very much. You've grown, too. You've been a very good girl this year. Now I want you to go back to sleep.
She closes her eyes. Scott picks up the glass of milk and drinks. He gags a bit and sets it down.
SCOTT
I think the milk's a little sour.
SARA
It's soy milk. You said you're lactose intolerant.
SCOTT
I did say that, didn't I? Thanks for remembering. Now go to sleep.
She closes her eyes again. Scott comes over and gently places his mitten onto her head.
SCOTT
(into her ear)
Merry Christmas, Sara.
SARA
Merry Christmas, Santa.I'll be curious to hear from anyone searching for a thoughtful Christmas present to give to a friend or family member who loves the movie The Santa Clause: Does this screenplay gift make for a good present? Is there anything you'd like to see different? Thank you for your support, and merry Christmas!