Bad Santa is a 2003 American Christmas crime comedy film written and directed by Terry Zwigoff, and also written and produced by the Coen brothers, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Lauren Graham, Lauren Tom, Ethan Phillips, Brett Kelly and Cloris Leachman. This was John Ritter's final film appearance, before his death on September 11, 2003.

The unrated version of the film was released on DVD on March 5, 2004 and on high-definition Blu-ray Disc (November 20, 2007) as Bad(der) Santa. A director's cut DVD was released in November 2006. It features Zwigoff's cut of the film (including an audio commentary with him and the film's editor), but is three minutes shorter than the theatrical cut and ten minutes shorter than the unrated version. The film was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.^[1]

Plot[link]

Willie T. Stokes works the holiday seasons as a mall Santa with his dwarf friend, Marcus, who works as Santa's elf. Every Christmas Eve they disable the security alarm after hours and rob the mall; afterwards, Marcus returns to living with his wife, Lois, while Willie goes to Miami and spends all his money on alcohol and other hedonistic, self-destructive and usually illegal pursuits.

The next year at a new mall, Willie's alcoholic rants arouse the suspicions of mall Manager Bob Chipeska, who asks Security Chief Gin Slagel to investigate. Willie meets bartender Sue, and they begin a relationship. He also meets a pudgy, preteen boy, whom he nicknames the Kid, during their visit in the mall. When he leaves a bar a hostile man confronts Willie, but the Kid stops the man from beating Willie. A lonely, unpopular boy, the Kid lives with his senile grandmother; his mother is dead and his father is in prison for embezzlement. Willie takes the Kid home and breaks into the safe, taking the money and his father's BMW.

Irritated by Willie's reckless behavior, Marcus berates him for his new car, his alcoholism and his flirtatiousness with customers. When Gin breaks into Willie's motel room posing as a police officer, Willie moves in with the Kid. During his time spent with the Kid, Willie starts to show small signs of kindness, offering the Kid advice on fighting and playing checkers.

Willie causes more trouble at the mall but continues to spend time with Sue and the Kid. Marcus is continually disgusted by how unreliable Willie has become. Gin, meanwhile, discovers the history of the criminals and he demands half of the loot, creating further friction between Willie and Marcus. Willie goes to the mall drunk and destroys a nativity display. Marcus and Gin try to cover it up, but get into an argument. The next day, Willie tries to commit suicide, giving the Kid a letter explaining the mall robbery. He changes his mind when he sees how the bullies have blackened the Kid's eye; Willie beats up the lead bully. Willie feels that he did something good for the first time in his life. To make sure the Kid can defend himself, Willie and Marcus try to teach him how to box.

The Kid gives Willie a Christmas present in advance: a wooden pickle he bloodied when he cut himself carving it. He gives Willie a low-grade report card, hoping to make him happy. Willie learns the Kid's name is Thurman Merman. Thurman asks for a pink stuffed elephant this year, since he has not received any presents for the past two years.

That night, Marcus and Lois murder Gin with their van when he refuses to take less than half the money. On Christmas Eve, Sue helps Willie and Thurman decorate their house for Christmas. Willie leaves to rob the mall with Marcus. After cracking the safe, Willie takes a stuffed elephant for Thurman. However, Marcus produces a gun and plans to kill Willie because he is too unreliable. Willie, in tears, asks Marcus and Lois if they really need everything they steal. Fortunately for Willie, the police arrive, having been tipped off by Willie's letter that Thurman gave them. Willie flees and speeds (to the sound of Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 in the background) to Thurman's house to give him his present; he arrives at the house but the police shoot him eight times in front of the neighborhood. Willie survives and avoids prison time because of the letter and the fact that an unarmed man dressed in a Santa suit getting shot eight times in front of screaming children "is more fucked up than Rodney King", as Willie puts it. The police arrest Marcus and Lois. Sue is legally given guardianship of Thurman and Willie receives a sensitivity trainer job for the police department. Thurman walks outside to fix his new bike. The bully from earlier in the movie is waiting outside his house and confronts him, but Thurman kicks him in the testicles and rides away with a carefree attitude.

Cast[link]

• Billy Bob Thornton as Willie T. Stokes
• Tony Cox as Marcus
• Brett Kelly as The Kid/Thurman Merman
• Lauren Graham as Sue
• Lauren Tom as Lois
• Bernie Mac as Gin Slagel
• John Ritter as Bob Chipeska
• Octavia Spencer as Opal
• Cloris Leachman as Granny (uncredted)
• Alex Borstein as Milwaukee mom
• Billy Gardell as Milwaukee Security Guard
• Lisa Ross as Milwaukee bartender
• Bryan Callen as Miami bartender
• Christine Pichardo as photo elf
• Tom McGowan as Harrison
• Ajay Naidu as Indian immigrant
• Ethan Phillips as Roger Merman
• Matt Walsh as Herb (uncredited)
• Max Van Ville as Bully
• Natsuko Ohama as Asian pedicurist
• Briana Norton as pinball machine girl
• Hayden Bromberg as Fraggle-Stick Car boy
• Ryan Pinkston as shoplifter
• Curtis Taylor as Phoenix Security Guard
• Sheriff John Bunnell as Phoenix Police Chief
• Dylan Cash as Kid on Bike (uncredited)

Production[link]

Bad Santa, Zwigoff's fourth film, was his most mainstream, following the limited releases of Crumb and Ghost World. The original screenplay was written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who had previously been known for the 2001 family film Cats and Dogs. They would later go on, alongside Bill Lancaster (the original screenwriter; although he has since died, he is still credited), to write the screenplay for the 2005 remake of The Bad News Bears, also starring Billy Bob Thornton. Prior to filming, producers Ethan and Joel Coen and director Zwigoff did rewrites on the script, although by WGA rules, they were uncredited.

Several different actors interested in the role of Willie were unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts. Among them were Jack Nicholson and Bill Murray, who were already filming Something's Gotta Give and Lost in Translation, respectively. Coincidentally, Nicholson, Murray and Thornton all received Golden Globe nominations that same year for their roles, with Murray winning the award.

Reception[link]

The movie attracted bad publicity before its release from critics, who likened the movie to an "evil twin" of Miracle on 34th Street and chided The Walt Disney Company for allowing such a beloved figure as Santa Claus to be trashed by its Miramax subsidiary.^[2]

The film has a rating of 7.2 at the Internet Movie Database,^[3] an aggregate "Certified Fresh" rating of 77% at Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus saying "This black comedy isn't for everyone, but grinches will find it uproaringly funny.",^[4] and 3½ stars out of four by Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert.^[5]

The film grossed over $60 million at U.S. box offices and over $76 million worldwide.^[6]

This was John Ritter's last live-action movie role — he died two months before the release — and it is dedicated to his memory.

[edit] Home media

In the U.S, a theatrical version, an unrated version, a director's cut and a Blu-ray version (which includes unrated and director's cut) have all been released. According to dvdtown.com, the special features for the theatrical cut of the film included: a behind-the-scenes special, outtakes, and deleted scenes. The unrated edition was released June 22, 2004 and had all of the above plus a 'Badder Santa' gag reel and over seven minutes of unseen footage. The director's cut was released October 10, 2006 and contained the new version of the film (as Zwigoff originally intended it). It also had a new commentary (in addition to the rest of the features: outtakes, deleted/alternate scenes, and the behind-the-scenes feature). The Blu-ray version released November 20, 2007 contained the unrated version and the director's cut of the movie. Among its special features were director's commentary, an interview with Zwigoff and editor Robert Hoffmann, along with other features ported over from the previous unrated version's release in addition to a showcase feature.

Sequel[link]

On September 18, 2009, Billy Bob Thornton appeared on a segment of the NFL Network's flagship show, NFL Total Access, called "Celebrity Picks". He confirmed that, after host Rich Eisen hinted, there will be a sequel to Bad Santa, and it is currently in the pre-production stages, aimed for release by Christmas 2011 ^[7] In March 2011, Billy Bob Thornton and The Weinstein Company confirmed that negotiations had begun for a sequel.^[8] A sequel has been scheduled for December 2013.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bad Santa

• Bad Santa at the Internet Movie Database
• Bad Santa at AllRovi
• Bad Santa at Box Office Mojo
• Bad Santa at Rotten Tomatoes

Billy Bob Thornton
Thornton in February 2012
Born	(1955-08-04) August 4, 1955 (age 56) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter, director, musician
Years active	1986–present
Spouse	Melissa Lee Gatlin (1978–1980; 1 child) Toni Lawrence (1986–1988) Cynda Williams (1990–1992) Pietra Dawn Cherniak (1993–1997; 2 children) Angelina Jolie (2000–2003)
Partner	Connie Angland (2003–present; 1 child)

Billy Bob Thornton^[1][2][3] (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone. In the mid-1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the independent film Sling Blade, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan. During the late 1990s, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He has released three albums and was the singer in a blues rock band.

Early life[link]

Thornton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas,^[1] the son of Virginia Roberta (née Faulkner), a psychic, and William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton (November 1929–August 1974), a high school history teacher and basketball coach who died when Thornton was 18.^[1] He has two younger brothers, Jimmy Don (April 1958–October 1988), who died of a heart attack at 30, and John David (born 1969), who resides in California. Jimmy Don Thornton wrote a number of songs, two of which—"Island Avenue" and "Emily"—Thornton has recorded on his solo albums.^[4] During his childhood, Thornton lived in both Alpine, Arkansas, and Malvern, Arkansas. He was raised a Methodist,^[5] in an extended family in a shack that had neither electricity nor plumbing. Thornton graduated from high school in 1973.^[6] A good high school baseball player, he tried out for the Kansas City Royals, but was let go after an injury.^[7] After a short period laying asphalt for the Arkansas State Transportation Department, he attended Henderson State University to pursue studies in psychology, but he dropped out after two semesters.

In the mid 1980s, Thornton settled in Los Angeles, to pursue his career as an actor, with future writing partner Tom Epperson.^[1] Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing, offshore wind farming,^[7] and fast food management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also played drums and sang with South African rock band Jack Hammer. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director and screenwriter Billy Wilder, who is famous for films such as Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard. Thornton struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.^[1]

Career[link]

Film[link]

Billy Bob's first screen role was in 1980's South of Reno, where he played a small role as a counter man in a restaurant. Billy Bob also made an appearance in a 1987 episode of Andy Griffith's popular show Matlock titled "The Photographer" as a pawn store clerk. Another one of Thornton's early screen roles was as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Markie Post. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move, which he also co-wrote, brought him to the attention of critics.^[1] He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal, On Deadly Ground, Bound by Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone. Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film Sling Blade, which was released in 1996.^[1] The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, introduced the story of Karl Childers, a mentally handicapped man imprisoned for a gruesome and seemingly inexplicable murder. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim.^[1] Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor.^[1]

In 1998, he portrayed the James-Carville-like Richard Jemmons in Primary Colors. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name, starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz. The negative experience (he was forced to cut more than an hour) led to his decision to never direct another film (a subsequent release, Daddy and Them, had been filmed earlier). Also in 2000, an early script which he and Tom Epperson wrote together was made into The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, and Giovanni Ribisi. In 2000, he also appeared in Travis Tritt's music video for the song "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde".

Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man".^[8] He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon with Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis, and A Simple Plan. In 2001, he directed Daddy and Them, while also securing starring roles in three hollywood pictures, Monster's Ball, Bandits and The Man Who Wasn't There, for which he received many awards. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus in 2003's Bad Santa, a black comedy that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor, and in the same year, portrayed a womanizing President of the United States in the British romantic comedy Love Actually. Thornton has stated that, following Bad Santa's success, audiences "like to watch [him] play that kind of guy,"^[8] and "they [casting directors] call [him] up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be."^[9] In 2004 he played Davy Crockett in The Alamo.

He appeared in the comic film School for Scoundrels, which was released on September 29, 2006. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor; the role was written specifically for Thornton.^[8] More recent films include The Astronaut Farmer, a drama released on February 23, 2007, and the comedy, Mr. Woodcock, in which Thornton plays a sadistic gym teacher. In September 2008, Thornton starred in the big brother action movie Eagle Eye alongside Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. He will next star in the drama Peace Like a River. Thornton has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a period piece about cave explorer Floyd Collins,^[10] based on the book Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins by Robert K. Murray and Roger Brucker. Thornton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.

Music[link]

Thornton at the South By Southwest music festival in 2008

During the late 1990s, Thornton, who has had a life-long love for music, began a hobby as a singer-songwriter. He released a roots rock album titled Private Radio in 2001, and three more albums, The Edge of the World (2003), Hobo (2005) and Beautiful Door (2007). Thornton's manager, David Spero, helped his Edge of the World album get off the ground with a summer tour.^[11] Thornton was the singer of a blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist Billy Gibbons referred to the band as "The best little cover band in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it.^[12] He performed the Warren Zevon song The Wind on the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon. Thornton recorded a cover of the Johnny Cash classic "Ring of Fire" for the Oxford American magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001.

CBC incident[link]

On April 8, 2009, Thornton and his musical group The Boxmasters appeared on CBC Radio One program Q which was widely criticized and received international attention after Thornton was persistently unintelligible and discourteous to host Jian Ghomeshi.^[13][14] Thornton eventually explained he had "instructed" the show's producers to not ask questions about his movie career.^[15][16] Ghomeshi had mentioned Thornton’s acting in the introduction. Thornton had also complained Canadian audiences were like “mashed potatoes without the gravy."^[17][18] The following night, opening for Willie Nelson at Toronto's Massey Hall, Thornton said mid-set he liked Canadians but not Ghomeshi, which was greeted with boos and catcalls.^[19] The Boxmasters did not continue the tour in Canada as, according to Thornton, some of the crew and band had the flu.^[20]

Personal life[link]

Thornton at a San Francisco concert in 2007

Relationships and children[link]

Thornton has been married five times, with each marriage ending in divorce, and he has four children by three women. From 1978 to 1980, he was married to Melissa Lee Gatlin, with whom he had a daughter.^[21] Thornton married actress Toni Lawrence in 1986; they separated the following year and divorced in 1988. From 1990 to 1992, he was married to actress Cynda Williams, whom he cast in his writing debut, One False Move (1992). In 1993, Thornton married Playboy model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, with whom he had two sons; the marriage ended in 1997, with Cherniak accusing Thornton of spousal abuse.^[22]

Thornton was engaged to be married to actress Laura Dern, whom he dated from 1997 to 1999, but in 2000, he married actress Angelina Jolie, with whom he starred in Pushing Tin (1999). The marriage became known for the couple's eccentric displays of affection, which reportedly included wearing vials of each other's blood around their necks; Thornton later clarified that the "vials" were, instead, two small lockets, each containing only a single drop of blood.^[8][23] Thornton and Jolie announced the adoption of a child from Cambodia in March 2002, but it was later revealed that Jolie had adopted the child as a single parent.^[24][25] They separated in June 2002 and divorced the following year.

Since 2003, Thornton has been in a relationship with makeup effects crew member Connie Angland, with whom he had a daughter. The family resides in Los Angeles, California. Thornton has stated that he likely will not marry again,^[26] specifying that he believes marriage "doesn't work" for him.^{[citation needed]}

Health issues[link]

According to movie legend, during his early years in Los Angeles, Thornton couldn't afford to eat properly and lived on a diet of potatoes. When his health began to suffer, he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with myocarditis, a heart condition brought on by malnutrition.^[27]

Thornton has obsessive-compulsive disorder.^[28] Various idiosyncratic behaviors have been well documented in interviews with Thornton; among these is a phobia of antique furniture—a disorder shared by Dwight Yoakam's character Doyle Hargraves in the Thornton-penned Sling Blade, and by Thornton's own character in the 2001 film Bandits.^[29] Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of silverware, a trait assumed by his character Hank Grotowski in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which Grotowski insists on a plastic spoon for his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream.^[29][30] In a 2004 interview with The Independent, Thornton explained: "It's just that I won't use real silver. You know, like the big, old, heavy-ass forks and knives, I can't do that. It's the same thing as the antique furniture. I just don't like old stuff. I'm creeped out by it, and I have no explanation why...I don't have a phobia about American antiques, it's mostly French—you know, like the big, old, gold-carved chairs with the velvet cushions. The Louis XIV type. That's what creeps me out. I can spot the imitation antiques a mile off. They have a different vibe. Not as much dust."^[31]

Other[link]

A baseball fan, Thornton's favorite team is the St. Louis Cardinals. He has said that his childhood dream was to play for the Cardinals. He narrated The 2006 World Series Film, the year-end retrospective DVD chronicling the Cardinals' championship season. Thornton is also a professed fan of American football team the Indianapolis Colts.^[32]

Thornton is the cousin of professional wrestling legends Terry Funk and Dory Funk, Jr.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• Private Radio (2001)
• The Edge of the World (2003)
• Hobo (2005)
• Beautiful Door (2007)

The Boxmasters[link]

• The Boxmasters (Vanguard, 2008)
• Christmas Cheer (Vanguard, 2008)
• Modbilly (Vanguard, 2009)
• Keys To The Kingdom (TBA)
• Bellflower (TBA)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Pringle, G (September 23, 2007). "On the move: Billy Bob Thornton". Driving (London: The Sunday Times). http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/article2503490.ece. Retrieved September 25, 2007. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Billy Bob Thornton

• Billy Bob Thornton at the Internet Movie Database
• Official site of Billy Bob Thornton
• Billy Bob Thornton attacks CBC Radio Host
• Six Degrees of Swampland, Billy Bob Thornton
• Swampland: GRITZ Billy Bob Thornton Interview 2008
• Alamo Sentry Interview with Thornton regarding his role as David Crockett.
• Billy Bob Thornton interview
• "Set For Launch: A Video Interview with the Makers of 'The Astronaut Farmer'" — eFilmCritic.com video interviews with Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen and the Polish Brothers
• Stumped? Interview
• Billy Bob Thornton: “I Have 5,000 Favorites”

Robert George (Bob) Thornton (born July 10, 1962, in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American professional basketball player whose career lasted from 1985 to 1996 and a current assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies.^[1] He was a 6'10" 225 forward. He holds NBA career averages of 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 283 total games.

Thornton played college basketball at University of California, Irvine and Saddleback Community College, and was selected by the New York Knicks with the 87th pick of the 1984 NBA Draft.

Thornton, an eight-year NBA veteran, played for five NBA teams (New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards) and played three seasons in the Italian A-1 league with Rome, Siena and Pavia. He has held coaching positions with the Chicago Bulls, the CBA's Yakima Sun Kings, the NBDL's Quad City Thunder and Arkansas RimRockers,^[2] and the Minnesota Timberwolves.^[3] From 2007 to 2011, he worked as an advance scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was hired as an assistant coach by the Memphis Grizzlies on 5 December 2011.^[1]

Notes[link]

1. ^ ^{a b} "Coaching staff complete". Memphis Grizzlies. 5 December 2011. http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/thornton_pierce_coaching_staff-111205. 
2. ^ NBDL Tabs Thornton as Huntsville Coach, posted May 10, 2001
3. ^ On the Road with Brent and Bob, by David Brauer - February 8, 2007

External links[link]

• College & NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
• NBA.com coach profile