Never Forget Phil Hartman's Performance In The Christmas Classic "Jingle All The Way"
It's time. The holiday's are here. No more arguing about "when it's OK to watch Christmas movies" or if it's time to put up the tree. All the tv channels are running their "25 days of" specials. The Christmas movie debates are in full-swing.
I'm here for all of it.
"Christmas Vacation" is tops. "Elf" is a laugh for the whole family. "It's A Wonderful Life" brings that Christmas joy meaning and is always a good call for a Christmas Eve viewing. That's all great.
All I ask is that we give due respect to 1996 classic "Jingle All The Way" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, and of course, the late great Phil Hartman.
Phil Hartman of course is known for his legendary characters and role as a cast member on 'Saturday Night Live', but I feel like his role as neighbor Ted and one of the "villains" of Jingle All The Way doesn't get talked about enough. He perfectly portrays the "do-it- all-over-and-above" neighbor that drives the rest of the dads nuts because they don't want to cook or put up the Christmas lights. He puts on that friendly smile but it's one you don't trust. "No one is that good" you tell yourself.
And Ted (Hartman) proves that to be true in the movie when he tries to make a move on Mrs. Langston.
If you're at all like my family then there's one scene that sticks out in particular about this movie and about Hartman - the cookie scene.
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"OHHHH THESE COOKIES".
There's never a Christmas that goes by that someone isn't taking a bite out of a cookie and even if it's not that great gives a hearty "OHHH THESE COOKIES" followed by someone dropping their best Schwarzenegger "PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN THAT IS MY COOKIE".
It wasn't a necessary addition to the movie. "Jingle All The Way" could most definitely have survived on it's own with Schwarzenegger and Sinbad going at it throughout dueling for the last Turbo Man in the city. But Hartman's addition is a welcomed one for doing what he did best - comedy.
So this holiday season when people are reeling off the "Santa Clauses" and "Home Alones" of the Christmas movie collection don't forget to give "Jingle All The Way" some love, too.