Plot: Once a year, the chronically depressed, misanthropic, alcoholic wreck-of-a-man safe-breaker, Willie T. Soke, wakes up from his annual slumber to team up with his partner-in-crime, the ill-tempered dwarf, Marcus. Theirs is a simple but ingenious plan: Willie, as a department store Santa, and Marcus, as his trusted elf-helper, use this cover to crack safes for nearly eight years now, in the most wonderful time of the year. However, this time, the scheme is on the verge of falling apart, as Willie's professional incompetence along with a hawk-eyed mall security chief in Phoenix, threaten to blow their cover--and to top it all off, Willie finds the time to befriend a lonely picked-on kid, Thurman. Is now the moment for some unorthodox Christmas spirit?
Alternative Plot: In this dark comedy, the crotchety Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) and his partner (Tony Cox) reunite once a year for a holiday con. Posing as a mall Santa and his elf, they rip off shopping outlets on Christmas Eve. This year, however, Willie is falling apart. He's depressed and alcoholic, and his erratic behavior draws the suspicion of mall security (Bernie Mac). But when befriending a small boy brings out his kinder side, Willie begins to wonder if there is still some hope for him.
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