Jack (Tony Danza) and his partner Harry are experienced thieves. Its their profession. But, alas, at a mall, security guards catch them in the act and they have to run for their lives. Thinking quickly, Jack grabs a Santa costume and bags the money in a duffel. Even this is risky and the handsome robber ends up opening the mall doors early and throwing money in the air to escape. He hops a bus to who-knows-where. Ending up in a lovely small town called Evergreen, he is soon mistaken for the Santa hired to listen to children at a local tree farm, run by attractive widow Sarah (Lea Thompson) and her seventeen year old daughter, Noelle (Angela Goethals). About to decline, Jack notices the bank in town. Ho Ho Ho, maybe Evergreen can spare some cash. Initially disliking one another, Jack soon discovers he can be a good Santa and a good fill-in father for Noelle, who has typical teenage problems. In addition, Sarah is soon working her way into his affections and visa versa. Jack even has great advice for luring shoppers to the stores in Evergreen for the holidays! How will this affect Jack's plans to make off with the town's monetary holdings? This sweet Xmas romance has two fine, eye-catching performers in Danza and Thompson. Also nice are the setting, costumes, script and direction. Betty White shows up to enchant the audience, too. Therefore, steal away to view this one in December or any other time of the year.
11 Reviews
Good acting and production, but a far-fetched plot
SimonJack5 November 2022
"Stealing Christmas" has a very different plot, and a very good cast that includes some well-known TV actors of the time. Tony Danza plays Jack Clayton (also Oscar Barton), Lea Thompson plays Sarah Gibson, and Betty White plays Emily Sutton. White died on Dec. 31, 2021, at age 99, and had several Emmy wins from among many nominations in her career.
The acting in this film is mostly good all around, and while the production quality also is very good, there's nothing exceptional about any of this. The plot is somewhat odd and quite far-fetched, and the story doesn't quite fit well for a Christmas film. Some people might find the ending uplifting, but it just ends a quite far-fetched story.
The acting in this film is mostly good all around, and while the production quality also is very good, there's nothing exceptional about any of this. The plot is somewhat odd and quite far-fetched, and the story doesn't quite fit well for a Christmas film. Some people might find the ending uplifting, but it just ends a quite far-fetched story.
Wow
andrealf637 December 2003
I am watching this movie as I write, and am so impressed with Tony Danza's performance. What an underused, underrated actor! Someone of influence should take note, and give Mr. Danza the opportunity to act in a major film. The movie itself is not bad. Good as Christmas movies go.
This will get you in to the Christmas spirit... or something..
Naughtia_Nah13 November 2011
I thought this movie was OK, nothing more nor less. It's probably a good movie to watch if you want to get in to the Christmas spirit, or something.
Tony Danza stars as a crook who gets in to trouble after a heist attempt on the local mall. He manages to escape and ends up getting a job as Santa Clause in a Christmas tree yard. He plans to rob the city but is in a moral conflict.
I don't think I will be watching this movie again anytime soon because it wasn't that interesting. The one thing that was good about this movie was Tony Danza.
Tony Danza stars as a crook who gets in to trouble after a heist attempt on the local mall. He manages to escape and ends up getting a job as Santa Clause in a Christmas tree yard. He plans to rob the city but is in a moral conflict.
I don't think I will be watching this movie again anytime soon because it wasn't that interesting. The one thing that was good about this movie was Tony Danza.
More much hard find Colin Cunningham
taddeoblakk19 May 2019
Not So Bad Santa
vjuhoh1 December 2003
Stop me if you've heard this one before. A wisecracking thug, Tony Danza, finds himself running from the law after a botched mall heist. He's able to escape using a Santa suit, and boards the first bus out of the city. 50 miles away in the tiny town of Evergreen, a case of mistaken identity lands him a job playing Santa at Lea Thompson's Christmas Tree yard.
Enter a wealth of typical small-town personalities: The independent Christmas Tree yard owner who doesn't take any crap. A rebellious daughter named Noel. The flirtatious waitress. The dutiful cop. The jealous boyfriend-wannabe who suspects Danza is more than he appears. And Betty White in the same role she's played in every film post-Golden Girls.
As you might expect, Danza soon realizes that he can take advantage of the town's goodwill and naivety. He recruits a demolitions expert, and plans to rob the town blind when the bank vault is full on Christmas Eve. That target date gives him enough time to grow closer to the townsfolk. And the sincerity of his new friends, and perhaps a little bit of Christmas spirit, begins to melt that cold exterior.
Will Tony Danza go through with the heist? Will Tony Danza fall in love? Will Tony Danza ever shake his Who's the Boss character? There's only one way to find out. Catch this formula effort the next time it's on USA. If you aren't expecting much more than your typical Yule Tide Movie of the Week, you should be satisfied.
Enter a wealth of typical small-town personalities: The independent Christmas Tree yard owner who doesn't take any crap. A rebellious daughter named Noel. The flirtatious waitress. The dutiful cop. The jealous boyfriend-wannabe who suspects Danza is more than he appears. And Betty White in the same role she's played in every film post-Golden Girls.
As you might expect, Danza soon realizes that he can take advantage of the town's goodwill and naivety. He recruits a demolitions expert, and plans to rob the town blind when the bank vault is full on Christmas Eve. That target date gives him enough time to grow closer to the townsfolk. And the sincerity of his new friends, and perhaps a little bit of Christmas spirit, begins to melt that cold exterior.
Will Tony Danza go through with the heist? Will Tony Danza fall in love? Will Tony Danza ever shake his Who's the Boss character? There's only one way to find out. Catch this formula effort the next time it's on USA. If you aren't expecting much more than your typical Yule Tide Movie of the Week, you should be satisfied.
A deeper story than you might think
cosmicly6 December 2003
While "Stealing Christmas" might easily have been just another cliched warm and fuzzy holiday tale, exceptional performances by Lea Thompson and Tony Danza raise the dramatic level and clear the way for a revelation of the underlying moral conflict. Betrayal of trust is the one transgression that has no redeeming value; Lea Thompson is the angel who turns Tony Danza's cynical heart away from the brink of betrayal, and touches his heart in a way that makes it impossible to betray the trust that has been placed in him by the simple hearted town folk--and the trust of Lea herself.
In an era of movies that myopically portray love exclusively in the form of passionate, nude bedroom scenes, "Stealing Christmas" provides a refreshing view of love between two people primarily as mutual respect, admiration, and most of all, acceptance of each others' faults.
In an era of movies that myopically portray love exclusively in the form of passionate, nude bedroom scenes, "Stealing Christmas" provides a refreshing view of love between two people primarily as mutual respect, admiration, and most of all, acceptance of each others' faults.
Nice without being sappy ...
A-No. 130 November 2003
Tony Danza, one of the most underrated actors in the business today, does a fine job portraying a bad guy who has the potential to be good, given the right circumstances. He finds that opportunity while on the lam from a failed department store breakin, ending up in a small town and meeting a widowed Lea Thompson and her cute daughter and taking a job as the village Santa Claus for 3 weeks. Solid supporting cast and plausible story line make for an excellent USA network film, seemingly shot in Canada with a mostly Canadian cast. Betty White is, well, a very good Betty White. Film isn't hokey, even if Danza does get off a line about the Lea Thompson character: "She's the boss." Come to think of it, there are times when she resembles Judith Light. All in all, good holiday fare.
Pleasant surprise! Heart without being sappy.
mgratk6 December 2021
This is a definite 9 in it's genre. I expected not much at all, but it turns out Danza and Thompson are great, and the supporting cast is as well. I'd rate it a great Christmas movie. I'm sad I didn't catch this when it first came out. I will watch it again next year, I'm sure. (And for me it more than passes my very minimal Christmas movie test. It loses at least a star if it doesn't make some reference to the real meaning of the holiday, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Usually it's just a religious carol thrown in or a nativity scene in the background that saves a movie. This has a church scene and deals with morality. It's not a Christian movie, so don't worry about that, haha, but it acknowledges the holiday beyond the crass materialism.)
An Awesome Christmas Film!!!
Pumpkin_Man18 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Around this time of year, we watch Christmas movies, and this is a new Christmas classic to add to the mix. I love the plot. It reminds me of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Everybody was perfectly cast. Tony Danza stars as a thief named Jack Clayton. When Jack is about to be caught at the mall, he dresses up as Santa Claus and hops on the bus to Evergreen. He is mistaken for the new Santa at Sarah Gibson's tree store. He is very reluctant at first, but after becoming a part of the town, earning their trust, and falls in love with Sarah, he begins to have second thoughts on robbing Evergreen's bank. I highly recommend STEALING Christmas!!!
Nice movie
EasternMafia24 December 2006
Very, very nice. Deep and nice.
Took me some time to get into it. But I have easily get inside I continue to like the movie... So many nice dialogs and the love actions inside. All actors are so great. All of them just fit there. No fake ones. Idea is good.
To shame of bad endings. If I have wrote this, it wouldn't be like that. It will be something: he have took the money and run with her somewhere on the Hawaii :-). But this have a better ending.
As the actors are so great, not to much standard American Hollywood, this deserves 10 points from my side.
!The only problem with this movie is: you will watch it one time, not two times. It is to simple to watch two times. This is like a family movie... That is the reason way I prefer action and emotion together.
Took me some time to get into it. But I have easily get inside I continue to like the movie... So many nice dialogs and the love actions inside. All actors are so great. All of them just fit there. No fake ones. Idea is good.
To shame of bad endings. If I have wrote this, it wouldn't be like that. It will be something: he have took the money and run with her somewhere on the Hawaii :-). But this have a better ending.
As the actors are so great, not to much standard American Hollywood, this deserves 10 points from my side.
!The only problem with this movie is: you will watch it one time, not two times. It is to simple to watch two times. This is like a family movie... That is the reason way I prefer action and emotion together.
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