The Story:
Jack Sanderson has not been feeling the Christmas spirit since his parents passed away. He finds a picture of his father dressed as Santa taken after his mom had passed, and he wondered if maybe dressing up as the jolly fat man might rekindle his spirit. So Jack is about to embark on an adventure of going to Santa School and becoming a symbol of the holidays for the holiday season.
Jack's world is about to change.
This is a double-documentary, squeezed into one presentation. Normally I've complained about that before, but in this instance, it not only works, but it works really well as it helps complete both stories that are being told.
Naturally, we have Jack's story. I had no idea that there were Santa Schools out there, but indeed there are, and they take their training seriously.
So we follow his adventures as he goes to school, gets a suit and gets ready to play the part.
Along the way we meet many, many other "Santas", and you find out that some of these people don't just do it at Christmas, they are "on" all year round keeping the spirit of Christmas and St. Nicholas alive all year round.
This may cause you to question their sanity, but watching the documentary, you should warm to them and why they do what they do.
Interspersed with Jack's tale, and that of meeting these other Santas, you will be taken on a journey through the life and legend of St. Nicholas to the arrival of the legend of Santa Claus as the world knows him.
You'll get the whos, whens, whats and whys for the creation of the legend to the point where we know him now.
It's a pretty enjoyable ride.
Naturally, if you're a Grinch who hates Christmas, this is not the documentary for you!
For all others, give it a spin, it's pretty fun!
Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.
Final Grade: A-
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I don't know if this will join the list of annual movies/shows that get watched during the Holiday season, but I could see revisiting this every few years.
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