''Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer'' is a 2000
animated Christmas television special directed by
Phil Roman
Philip Roman (born December 21, 1930) is an American animator and the director of the ''Peanuts'' and ''Garfield'' animated specials. He is the founder of animation studios Film Roman and Phil Roman Entertainment.
Early life
Philip Roman was bo ...
. The special was first released on home video in October, and then aired on
The WB network on December 21, 2000. The title and story are based on the 1979
novelty song of the same name.
The film subsequently airs on
The CW (the successor to The WB) and
AMC, and also aired on
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
,
Boomerang, and
Freeform.
Plot
Jake Spankenheimer's grandmother owns a small
general store in the town of Cityville. The store happens to be the only piece of property not owned by Austin Bucks, the wealthiest man in town, whose CEO corporation specializes in making Christmas easier and less involved for the town's busy residents. Grandma tells Austin that his method of trying to make Christmas easier is not really for the best and refuses to sell the store. Cousin Mel, who plans to sell the store anyway, sabotages Grandma's fruitcake by adding an ingredient with hopes that they won't sell.
Jake and his grandparents are the only ones in the family to believe in
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
, further supported by them witnessing the film's signature accident occurring. The next morning, Grandma is indeed missing and the police find an imprint of her in the snow, along with her belongings. Cousin Mel finds a letter that she quickly hides from the others.
Nine months pass without Grandma and the store's business drops. During this time, Cousin Mel comes up with a new plan to sell the store to Austin by tricking Grandpa into giving her his
power of attorney. When Jake objects, Austin agrees to give him another week in order to find Grandma before going through with the deal. Adamant in his belief that Santa ran over her, Jake
emails Santa, and soon Quincy, Santa's head elf, comes to take Jake to the North Pole, explaining Santa took Grandma back to the North Pole for medical treatment, but she developed
amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
from the accident, and until receiving Jake's e-mail Santa had no idea of who she was. After Jake explains the situation, Santa, Quincy, and Grandma agree to go with him to stop the deal.
When they arrive in Cityville, however, Cousin Mel and her attorney, I.M. Slime, quickly trick Grandma into going with them. After Santa explains to Austin what has happened, Jake and Quincy discover that Grandma has gone missing once again. Cousin Mel uses the opportunity to accuse Santa of being behind her disappearance and put him on trial for kidnapping, leaving the scene of an accident, and "
sleighicular negligence". Cousin Mel and I.M. Slime then plot to sue him, believing that someone who can pay for billions of presents must be incredibly wealthy.
Three months later, Daphne suspects that Cousin Mel may have been involved in Grandma's second disappearance, and Jake and Quincy follow her to a cabin in the woods where she and I.M. Slime are keeping Grandma out of sight. They rescue Grandma and find Santa's letter explaining what happened, that Cousin Mel had found at the site of Grandma's accident, and also what Cousin Mel added to Grandma's fruitcake that Christmas Eve night, which had the effect of "reindeer-nip" irresistible to reindeer. They restore Grandma's memory by feeding her some of her own fruitcakes and rush to the courthouse.
Confronted with the evidence, Cousin Mel and I.M. Slime are arrested for
obstructing justice
Obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, is an act that involves unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investigators, or other go ...
and "almost ruining Christmas," and the judge lets Santa go after finally discovering the truth. Austin, realizing how much the family cares about their business, offers to
franchise Grandma's store throughout the country.
Characters
* Grandma Spankenheimer (voiced by
Susan Blu
Susan Maria Blue, better known as Sue Blu, is an American voice-actress, voice-director, and casting-director in American and Canadian cinema and television. She most notably voiced Arcee in '' The Transformers: The Movie'' and Seasons 3 and 4 of ...
) – Jake and Daphne's loving grandmother and Frank's mother who loves Christmas. Grandma is the owner of a general store in Cityville. Merchandise at the store includes ornaments, toys, and Grandma's famous "Killer Fruitcake".
* Jake Spankenheimer (voiced by
Alex Doduk
Alexander Doduk (born December 21, 1989) is an American voice actor and former child actor who is well known for his roles in the films: Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001), Scary Godmother (2003), The Impossible Elephant (2001) and in the Animated ...
) – Jake leads the search for Grandma when she mysteriously disappears, and Grandma being hit by Santa's sleigh. A firm believer in Santa Claus, Jake proves his family wrong when he finds the real Santa Claus.
* Cousin Mel (voiced by
Michele Lee) – Cousin Mel is a money-grubbing woman who wears too much
makeup and
jewelry and beats Grandpa at cards. Cousin Mel is out to sell the store to the wealthy Austin Bucks, and makes Santa Claus the fall guy in a lawsuit over Grandma's disappearance so she can get all his money. Her partner in crime was her lawyer, I.M. Slime, who was also in on Mel's scheme. At the end of the film, she's arrested, sent to prison, disowned, and is on Santa's naughty list for life. Other than simply "a cousin"' it's unclear as to her exact relationship within the family or even if she is a Spankenheimer.
* Grandpa Spankenheimer & The Narrator (both voiced by
Elmo Shropshire) – Jake and Daphne's grandfather, Grandma's daffy husband and Frank's father. Grandpa accidentally gives Cousin Mel power of attorney, giving Cousin Mel the power to sell Spankenheimer's General Store to Austin Bucks. The narrator is the adult Jake telling the story.
* Austin Bucks (voiced by
Cam Clarke) – A monopolizing store tycoon that wants to buy the store from the Spankenheimers, but near the end of the special, decides instead of buying out the Spankenheimers, he decides to franchise the store, which Grandma eventually accepts the offer to franchise the store. Bucks is completely unaware of Cousin Mel's plots and, in fact, gives Jake the opportunity to prove his story, despite not really believing it. He then turns against Cousin Mel and orders her arrest.
*
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
(voiced by Jim Staahl) – A jolly old man who delivers gifts around the world on Christmas Eve. Santa accidentally runs over Grandma with his reindeer-drawn sleigh, and takes her to his hospital at his North Pole workshop.
*
Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus (also known as Mrs. Santa Claus or Mrs. Santa) is the legendary wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition.
She is known for making cookies with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toy ...
(voiced by
Kathleen Barr) – She’s known for making
cookie
A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, n ...
s with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toys with her husband. She makes an appearance in this film reading an article in the newspaper about her husband getting arrested and later flying home with him after he was acquitted.
* Daphne Spankenheimer (voiced by
Maggie Blue O'Hara) – Jake's older sister and Grandma and Grandpa's granddaughter. Daphne is a bit more skeptical and less apt to helping Grandma than Jake is, but she isn’t as apathetic as Cousin Mel. Despite this, she still cares about her brother and Grandma and Grandpa.
* Frank Spankenheimer (voiced by
Scott McNeil) – Jake and Daphne's father and Grandma and Grandpa's son.
* Rita Spankenheimer (voiced by
Kathleen Barr) – Jake and Daphne's mother and Grandma and Grandpa's daughter-in-law.
* I.M. Slime (voiced by Kathleen Barr) – Cousin Mel's money-loving attorney and accomplice. Sent to prison with Cousin Mel.
* Officers – (voiced by
Jim Fisher James Fisher may refer to:
Politics
*James Fisher (physician) (died 1822), Scottish-born physician and politician in Lower Canada
* James Hurtle Fisher (1790–1875), South Australian lawyer, first mayor of Adelaide
* James Fisher (Wisconsin polit ...
and
Kathleen Barr) – Two police officers who investigate Grandma's disappearance and later arrest Cousin Mel and I.M. Slime.
* Quincy – (voiced by Philip Maurice Hayes) – Santa's head
elf who helps Jake rescue Grandma and clear Santa's name.
* The Judge – (voiced by
Pauline Newstone
Pauline Newstone is a Canadian voice actress best known as the voice of List of Beast Wars characters, Airazor in the computer animated series ''Beast Wars'' and as Frieza in the English Ocean and Westwood dubs of ''Dragon Ball Z''.
Voice credits
...
) – The judge preceding over Santa Claus's trial for the disappearance of Grandma Spankenheimer.
Songs
The song "Grandpa's Gonna Sue The Pants Offa' Santa" became an internet
meme
A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
on
YouTube.
Home media releases
Warner Home Video (owned by Time Warner Entertainment, the then-part owner of the WB network) released ''Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer'' to
VHS on October 31, 2000 and to
DVD on October 16, 2001.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (Tv Special)
2000 films
2000 animated films
2000s children's animated films
American children's animated comedy films
2000 comedy-drama films
American Christmas films
Animated Christmas films
Animated Christmas television specials
Television shows directed by Phil Roman
Films set in 1999
Films set in 2000
Christmas television specials
Direct-to-video animated films
American fantasy comedy films
Santa Claus in film
Santa Claus in television
Films based on songs
Films scored by Nathan Wang
American comedy-drama films
Film Roman television specials
2000s American films