I feel like every Muppet fan has that one thing they’re kind of embarrassed about liking.
Maybe you thought Lady Gaga & The Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular wasn’t a complete bomb. How about Muppets From Space taking the cake as your all time favorite Muppet film? Perhaps Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree is right up your alley, or you totally rock out to Muppet Beach Party on the regular. Secretly think The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz was ahead of its time? It sounds crazy, but probably all of these apply to someone out there (just not the majority of us).
I, personally, am one of those people with an unpopular (Muppet-related) opinion.
It was December of 2011 when I fell head-over-heels with A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa. I had heard one or two of the songs before but had never seen the special. Upon hearing this, a friend from Muppet Central Forums immediately sent me a copy of the DVD that holiday season. It was love at first watch.
It was also December of 2011 when I discovered that the vast majority of Muppet fans were not, let’s say, exactly taken with the special. Most friends I spoke with found the special was geared far too much towards children, with a dopey plot and bland songs. I lurked in the shadows for a while, keeping my love of it to myself. Eventually, however, I came out as an avid Letters fan. I watch it at least two or three times each December and have no problem now expressing my adoration of it.
Since loving this special isn’t necessarily common among Muppet fans, I decided to write a piece explaining what it is about Letters to Santa that I love oh-so much.
The Not So Good.
Before we delve into all things good about this special, let’s take a look at the bad. Yes, despite being fond of Letters to Santa, I too can recognize that it is far from perfect.
For me, I think the major downfall of this holiday special is the length; it’s far too short. There’s only so much you can do with forty-five minutes. The length of the production means that jokes and gags are cut down and miss the mark at times, also making the entire special feel rushed. It would have been nice to have a more fleshed out, well-rounded story, which I believe an extra half hour or so would have allowed for.
And of course, there are some weird plot elements. The post office is strange, Beaker wishing for a hot “meeping” woman makes me cringe, and the Sopranos bit feels incredibly dated now (how does Pepe even have ties to the mafia???). Scooter in Letters makes me appreciate how far David Rudman’s come with the character – in this, Scooter is so stiff in his speaking and movement (plus it’s not a great build of the Scooter puppet). Also, I am not really a fan of Uma Thurman’s character. I get the “Oh Joy!” gag, but her continually popping up feels pretty unnecessary.
Okay, that covers just about every problem I have with the special. Now let’s look at the numerous things I happen to really like about Letters to Santa.
Those Muppet Feels.
To me, Letters to Santa has the same feel of a lot of Muppet productions that came out in the 1990’s through 2000’s. There’s a lighthearted, friendliness to the feature. Some might argue that the special is too kiddy, but as that was sort of the feel of most Muppet productions for over two decades, that never really bothered me.
There’s lots of wonderful, Muppety moments throughout Letters. There’s complete and utter mayhem at the start, as well as a lecture about the federal offense of opening mail from Sam. Swedish Chef attempts “Italian” pizza, Gonzo goes through the airport bag scanner, the plane going to the North Pole carries exclusively penguins, and Lew Zealand is fixated with a fish ornament on the Christmas tree. There are so many small moments, like these, where the Muppets feel very in character and act exactly as we expect them to. (Although, Gonzo freaking out while holding onto the airplane’s wing? I feel like it was a missed opportunity to not have him enjoy every second of that experience.)
There are humorous lines throughout the special as well. Pepe’s deadpan “I already do” delivery when told he’s gonna “sleep with the fishes”, Bobo’s loud “HE’S GOT CARDS!” in the airport, and Animal attacking the computer with a baseball bat when it’s proclaimed that they “haven’t gotten a hit yet” are just a couple of examples. Also, the whole “I’m rubbing you the right way” gag is so silly and wonderful.
I like that the Muppets are all living in an apartment complex together – it paints a happy picture of their lives in this special. I also enjoy the diversity in race and gender of the human cast and extras. Also, the fact that Jane Krakowski is, presumably, a single mom living with her biracial daughter? Sold. I am so sold.
It’s also got a slew of familiar faces that we weren’t, necessarily, seeing a lot of around the time Letters to Santa came out. Pops! Sweetums! Big Mean Carl! Beauregard! Crazy Harry! Lew Zealand! The list goes on!
Not to mention this is the special we find out that Zoot is Jewish. Awesome Muppet tidbits are awesome.
The Costumes.
One might argue that festive, cute costumes on Muppets do not make or break a film, and … okay, that may be true. But I’m still including it, because dang, the costume crew of this film deserves all of the props (ba dum tssst!).
From Kermit’s awesome scarf + red sweater + jacket combo, to Pepe’s little knitted beanie and gloves on all four of his hands, the Muppets look so cozy, stylish, and festive throughout. Piggy looks fashionably festive (what she’s best at), and the Electric Mayhem are all rocking awesome winter wear. Every time I watch Letters I spend a good majority of the film verbally exclaiming how badly I wish I had their clothes in my size. My ultimate favorite is Fozzie’s ugly Christmas sweater – the red one with the holly. Jane Krakowski gets one in her size at the end of the film, and it makes me want to find out if she got to keep it after filming and then, duh, steal it from her.
The Cameos.
As already stated, I can give or take Uma Thurman in this film, as well as the Sopranos cameo. The bit about New Yorkers being friendly is humorous, but Mayor Bloomberg’s delivery of the line is stiffer than an icicle. Besides those, the rest of this special is brimming with wonderful cameos and guest stars!
Being a big fan of both Jane Krakowski and Nathan Lane, I’m always excited to have them be part of this special. Jane’s bit is short, but her reactions to all the Muppets at the end is priceless. Then there’s Nathan Lane and Bobo, who make such a great duo. They deliver some good deadpan comedy, and their “Ding ding ding”s always make me smile.
Then you’ve got Jesse L. Martin of Rent and The Flash fame in the opening number! And Whoopi Goldberg driving a cab! And Uncle Vernon (ie. Richard Griffiths) as Santa Claus himself! And Paul Williams, guys! Paul friggen Williams! He hasn’t appeared alongside the Muppets since The Muppet Movie, but he came out just for Letters to Santa! What a gift!
The Songs.
As already mentioned, music was what first hooked me on Letters. The film only has four songs, and all four of them are stellar.
It opens with ‘Delivering Christmas’, the number in the post office. This one is probably my least favorite in the film, all because I’m not a fan of the “Ooooh we’re delivering Christmas” chorus, but the rest is terrific. It’s catchy and festive all round. Plus Jesse L. Martin? Singing with the Muppets? Yes please!
Following that is the song ‘It’s All About Heart.’ Look. I’m not going to lie. There was a time in my life where I would just listen to this song on constant repeat. Literally. I’d just replay it on my iPod over and over again. Not the proudest moment of my life. HOWEVER, I did this because it’s so incredibly catchy and upbeat and fun. I also love the lyrics in this one. Lines like “Our merry mission hits the road tonight” and “A place of business near the midnight sun” make me so happy that Paul Williams exists. Not to mention it’s a song sung (until the end) by solely Gonzo, Kermit, and Fozzie! We hardly get any of the three of them anymore. It’s so nice! And cute! And catchy! And the tenth most listened to song on my iPod!
Don’t think I can top the embarrassment of listening to ‘It’s All About Heart’ way too many times on repeat?
Fun fact: the first time I ever heard the song ‘I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus’ was on The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas album. It popped up on shuffle while I was in my then-college campus’s computer lab, probably killing time between classes, and I proceeded to break down crying because of how emotionally moved I was by this number. The lyrics are a bit simple, but it’s still quite heartfelt and moving. In Letters it’s a beautifully shot number – gorgeous setting with snow on the ground and trees, with Gonzo and Fozzie in the center of it all. Speaking of which, a Gonzo and Fozzie duet? Do you know how rare that is? Plus it delivers the entire message of the film. Maybe, just maybe, it’s up to us to deliver the holiday spirit and spread love among our friends and family; to make Christmas as wonderful as we possibly can.
Finally, ‘My Best Christmas Yet’ wraps up the entire special. Much like ‘I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus’, it delivers a heavy dose of the film’s theme. It’s all about coming together this time of year to celebrate with friends and family. It being “a season of beautiful endings we’ll never forget” and “knowing that we’ll be together again makes this my best Christmas yet” brings it all home. Plus, much like the previous song, the visuals are aesthetically pleasing. The lights and holiday decorations everywhere make it a lovely watch as well as a lovely tune!
Going, Going, Gonzo!
When it comes to Gonzo, me being biased is a bit of an understatement. Having written such pieces as Everyone Should Date a Gonzo and the review of “Going, Going, Gonzo,” it’s no secret that he’s my favorite Muppet.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love when that crazy, blue whatever is attempting death-defying stunts and pulling wacky shenanigans, but there’s something to be said about sentimental Gonzo. Y’know, the pensive, sensitive Muppet who wonders aloud if we’re going to go back there someday and sings pieces like The Wishing Song. That’s exactly what this special presents: the story of Gonzo wanting to make his friend Claire’s Christmas better. He has the moving number of ‘I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus’ and spends the entire film encouraging his friends to help out. What a great guy.
A Good Hearted, Fun, Holiday Experience.
Maybe you think Letters to Santa is too cheesy or too kiddy, and that’s okay. It’s not for everyone. Personally, I can’t stand It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, so I know exactly where it is you are coming from.
But to me, Letters to Santa is a delight. It’s a special about the Muppets spending time together to help a friend out, all while rocking festive apparel, singing catchy songs, and learning about the true spirit of Christmas – with everyone coming together at the end to celebrate.
Who could ask for anything more?
Click here to deliver some Christmas on the ToughPigs forum!
by Julia Gaskill
