Luca
A little courage. A whole summer.
PGPICK SELECTION88
JUST FOR LAUGHS · LITTLE DREAMERS
Ernest Saves Christmas.
Santa needs a very unusual helper.
Santa arrives in Florida to find his successor, but a missing sack and a skeptical world complicate the handover. Taxi driver Ernest and a runaway teenager become the unlikely crew trying to save Christmas Eve.
View film informationWhy it’s a little special
Jim Varney's elastic comedy meets an unusually down-to-earth Santa. The holiday handover gives the slapstick a warm thread about giving people another chance.
BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY
Know the story.
Know your little people.
Mild language, comic threats, reckless driving, and occasional innuendo. A teenager runs away and steals; adults are sometimes unkind or dishonest.
Our notes are a starting point, not an age recommendation. G and PG films can still include intense moments. You know your family best.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The little details.
- Directed by
- John R. Cherry III
- Starring
- Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark, Noelle Parker, Robert Lesser, Gailard Sartain, Billie Bird, Bill Byrge
- Release date
- November 11, 1988
- Runtime
- 91 minutes
- Genre
- Family, Comedy, Fantasy
- Studio
- Touchstone Pictures
- Language
- English
LIGHTS DOWN. SNACKS READY.
Make a night of it.
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KEEP THE GOOD STORIES GOING
A little more like this.
Ratatouille
Great taste comes in small packages.
WALL-E
The smallest robot. The biggest heart.
Coco
Every family has a song.
Encanto
You don't need magic to matter.
Lilo & Stitch
Family comes in unexpected shapes.
Film facts: Apple TV US film listing . Checked 2026-10-17. Parent notes and recommendations by PG Pick. Artwork belongs to its respective studio.