The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by John Pasquin and written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick.

[citation needed] 37-year-old Scott Calvin is a marketing director for a toy company in Lakeside, Illinois, who prepares to spend Christmas Eve with his 6-year-old son Charlie.

Scott's ex-wife Laura and her psychiatrist husband Dr. Neal Miller stopped believing in Santa at a young age and feel it is time for Charlie to do the same.

At Charlie's request, Scott reluctantly dons the suit and spends the rest of the night delivering gifts before the reindeer take them to the North Pole.

The head elf, Bernard, gives Scott 11 months to get his affairs in order before reporting back to the North Pole on Thanksgiving.

The next morning, Scott awakes in his own bed and believes the previous events were a dream, but realizes he is still wearing the pajamas given to him.

Charlie is proud that his father is the new Santa Claus, and this arouses concern in Laura, Neal, and the school staff.

Over the next year, Scott undergoes a drastic change; he gains a large amount of weight and develops an increased fondness for sweets, particularly milk and cookies.

During a meeting with his company, Scott is angered at a proposal to advertise a toy military tank by showing Santa riding it.

After Scott leaves, Charlie summons him back with the snow globe, and Laura agrees to let them go together in the sleigh to finish delivering the presents.

[5] In November 1992, it was announced Hollywood Pictures had acquired the script as a potential starring vehicle for Tim Allen.

[5] The film was shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California,[6] and on location in the Greater Toronto Area, with Oakville serving as the city of Lakeside, Illinois.

Jeff Daniels, Stanley Tucci, Christopher McDonald, and Bradley Whitford were considered for the role of Neal Miller.

The website's critics consensus reads: "The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it's firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.