One dollar.
The entire, complicated and incredibly amusing plot revolves around a single dollar bill!
There's no need to recap the story, as the movie quickly turned into a Christmas classic and a comedy classic as well, coming from the state of grace period that director John Landis had during the first half of the eighties (remember Animal House, An American Werewolf in London, The Blues Brothers, Coming to America?).
State of grace that's extended here to the entire cast of actors appearing in the movie.
Dan Aykroyd, in perfect physical shape a la Elwood Blues, is great as an arrogant w.a.s.p. yuppie in the first part of the film and even greater and funnier as a desperate tramp (his dirty, hungry and drunk version of Santa Klaus is probably the funniest in cinema history!)
Eddie Murphy, playing a role that was originally written for the prematurely and tragically disappeared John Belushi, is equally entertaining.
Then, there's the astounding beauty of Jamie Lee Curtis, whose nudities and smiles from this movie are simply unforgettable.
It's also impossible not to mention three actors in non leading roles that really shine here: Denholm Elliott as Coleman, the perfect butler, Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy as the evil tycoons, the brothers Duke.
Finally, there's that unique vein of levity and madness that only John Landis at his best was able to create.
The train scenes, for example, are pure Landis.
There's nothing more to add: just sit down, relax, and enjoy this jem that is quintessentialy from the eighties and their edonistic spirit.
And if you already saw the movie many times, you can watch it again and again with the same amount of enjoyment and laughs (this is another peculiarity of the best comedies from John Landis)!
