When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new Saint Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters. A perky teen runaway and hapless taxi driver Ernest P. Worrell must convince a skeptical kiddie-show host to take over the post of Father Christmas.
Not for scares, brutality or tears.
14 of 14
Jim VarneyErnest P. Worrell
Noelle ParkerHarmony
Gailard SartainChuck
Billie BirdMary Morrissey
Bill ByrgeBobby
Douglas SealeSanta
Robert LesserMarty
Jack SwansonBusinessman
Patty MaloneyThisbe
Lindsey AlleyPatsy
Jackie WelchAnimal Officer
Daniel ButlerAnimal Officer
Tom NowickiCrew Member
Jon FredaTourist (uncredited)Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).
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Ernest Saves Christmas1988
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GoodWatch score 87
GoodWatch score 85
GoodWatch score 78
GoodWatch score 72
GoodWatch score 83
GoodWatch score 70
GoodWatch score 80
GoodWatch score 58November 11, 1988 · 1 h 31 min · PG
No Antagonist, The Quiet One, Overly Long Gag +9
7 questions, like "Where can I stream Ernest Saves Christmas?"
Quick answers from GoodWatch data.
In the United States, Ernest Saves Christmas streams on Disney+ and Paramount+. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 20 other countries.
Reviews are weak, with a GoodWatch score of 47 (IMDb 5.8, Rotten Tomatoes 40%, and Metacritic 44). Audiences rate it higher (53 out of 100) than critics (42).
Yes: it's movie 2 of 9 in its series, after Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) and before Ernest Goes to Jail (1990).
Yes: it's rated PG in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.
Yes: the humor is mostly slapstick (9 of 10) and situational comedy (8 of 10).
Yes: it's easy to follow, with complexity at only 3 of 10, and the viewing guide calls it good for background watching.
Yes: it cost about $6 million to make and earned $28 million worldwide, 4.7 times its budget.
5.8
