Arthur is Santa’s youngest son, responsible for replying to all the letters that are written to Santa at Christmas.  He is a little ‘accident prone’ but a very likeable character.  The film begins on Christmas Eve as we watch Santa, his eldest son Steve and the army of elves embark on the giant task of delivering presents to all the children.  The traditional ‘sleigh’ has gone and they now use a modern space ship type vehicle and have a state of the art control centre, built to ensure every child receives a Christmas present.  Unfortunately the discovery is made that one child has been forgotten and has not received her Christmas present.  Although Steve agrees to deliver the forgotten present a few days after Christmas, Arthur knows that this is not good enough and that the child must have her present on Christmas day!

Clip 1: Scene 6 from 22 minutes and 53 seconds to 26 minutes and 37 seconds.   Clip 2: Scene 6 from 27 minutes and 50seconds to  28minutes and 55 seconds.  (Approximately 5 mins in total)

The  first clip I have chosen is where the missing present is discovered and we see the different reactions of Santa, Arthur and Steve.  It ends with Arthur finding the letter that the child had originally written to Santa.  The second clip shows Arthur’s grandfather suggesting that there might be a way to deliver the present after all!

Steve cannot see why Arthur is so upset about one child having been forgotten, when millions of children did receive a present on time.  To Steve, the child is just a number on the computer.   Arthur, however,  knows that the child is more than just a number and that she is an individual who will be so upset if she hasn’t got a present on Christmas day.  Arthur finds the letter that the child sent to Santa and finds out the name of the child and from then on refers to her by her name, rather than her computer number.    

Arthur knows that even though millions of children have received their present, if just one has been ‘forgotten’ then they have failed in their mission.  He knows that every child matters.  He sees them as individuals, not as just numbers on a computer system.

For the remainder of the film we watch Arthur set off on his mission to ensure that the child receives her present in time for Christmas day.  As you would expect, the journey is not straight forward but Arthur does not give up and does everything he can to reach the child in time.

Can some of Arthur’s characteristics be likened to God?   Even though there are millions of people in the world, God still knows each of us by name.  We are not just a ‘mass of people’.  We are God’s children.  He knows us as individuals.

You could also link this film in with Psalm 139.

The wonderful classic film about a family who require a ‘nanny’ for their two children, Jane and Michael, but just can’t seem to find one who will stay!  One day the ‘magical’ Mary Poppins arrives and life for the family will never be the same again.  She flies, she sings, she dances, she makes magical things happen, she takes them to places in ‘chalk drawings’, she can talk to animals and above all she understands people and knows exactly how to help this ‘struggling’ family.

The clip I have chosen shows Jane and Michael reading out their version of an advert for a nanny.  They have a long list of requests as to how the nanny should look and behave and what the nanny should and shouldn’t let them do!  If you then fast forward the film to where Mary Poppins has arrived, you will see Mary Poppins giving her opinion of what they have requested and letting them know what she thinks of it! Read the rest of this entry