Ever wondered what it takes to be a professional Santa Claus? Well, it takes more than a white beard and a little round belly that shakes when you laugh, like a bowl full of jelly. Brandon Rice’s Behind the Beard: Making Santa Real is not only an inside look at the resilience, dedication, and passion it takes to propel the true spirit of Christmas, as well as the magic of believing in the mythical character who personifies it.
Each Christmas, little children the world over were brought by their parents or grandparents to the local shopping mall to have their pictures taken and to have their Christmas wishes heard by the old man who delivers toys to all the good girls and boys.
But you can’t just show up, stick on the beard, and wing it. Beginning with the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, established in 1937, the practice of learning to be a good Santa is a serious business. Because what is Santa really? As a child, he is the man who brings gifts, but as we age and pass belief in the tradition along, he becomes more like a memory, a glimmer of the times we have lived through, that bright-colored confidant to whom we whispered our hopes and dreams.
“Beginning with the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, established in 1937, the practice of learning to be a good Santa is a serious business.”
Through the course of this tender, enriching and methodical film, we meet performers from every level of the trade. From supermarket Santas to those who do floats in street parades, even those who are Santas on social media, all confirming and illustrating, it takes a special person with a special heart to keep the magic alive.
We even visit the small town in Indiana’s Spencer County, also known as America’s Christmas Town, where it has been a tradition since 1914, where a willing and caring group of volunteers come together to respond to thousands upon thousands of letters from children all over the country, who have written to Santa.
The “calling”, as it’s known, is a vital component one must possess upon entering any profession, especially if said profession is going to become one’s life focus. Indeed, all the professional Santa’s we encounter in the film, from Joe Barney, Tim Connaghan and Stuart Deacon Jr, each and all the interviewees fill us in on the secrets relating to every area of their trade from mastering communication skills, grooming and presentation of their custom and appearance, to refining the character at the core of their Santa and the responsibility of being a symbol of hope and magic year round.
The incredibly moving accounts of different Santa experiences removes this picture from being just another doc better suited for the festive season, and into a portrait of a unique group of people, each having experienced the power of a Christmas wish, and what it means to sit with a child next to them, one that may never see another Christmas, and give them something to dream about, despite the reality content to steal those dreams away.
Yes, dear Film Threat reader, being a Santa Claus is not a game. Behind the Beard: Making Santa Real is a picture that takes us under guise and into the soul of the magical men and women, yes Mrs. Claus has a legion of fans too, that have stopped acting and started becoming the character that carries the wonders of our childhoods on the back of his slay, and thanks to all those called to serve the spirit of Christmas, it’ll never go away. Even if you’re not a believer, after checking this out, you may become one by the time you walk away.
"…the resilience, dedication and passion it takes to propel the true spirit of Christmas..."
