Our take
A road trip to a grim family Christmas turns into a police stand-off, and somehow the man who teaches a sulky boy the value of family is a notorious killer. That joke is the whole point, and it lands. Grandma Cartman's house full of grabby relatives is a bleakly funny portrait of the festive gathering, and the closing carol at the prison is the show winking at its own nerve.
What happens
Cartman and his mother are driving to Nebraska to spend Christmas with their family, and the boys want to go too. Stan's mother says no, so he sneaks out anyway and tells everyone his parents are dead. Christmas at Grandma Cartman's turns out to be a house full of Cartmans, and over dinner Uncle Howard checks in by satellite from the state penitentiary. Then Howard breaks out of prison with his cellmate, Charles Manson. While the adults upstairs watch news of the escape, the boys get to know Manson, who cannot resist a Christmas special on TV. He hot-wires a car and drives the boys to the mall to see Mr. Hankey, who has become a big star. The mall's Mr. Hankey is just a man in a costume, Kyle denounces him as a fake, and the children riot. The police recognise Manson, chase the car back to the house and surround it, and Stan's furious mother arrives too. Manson helps Stan see what his family is worth, Stan makes up with his parents, Kenny is shot by the Nebraska police, and Howard and Manson give themselves up. It ends with everyone singing a carol to Manson at the prison.
Can the kids watch it?
Not for children: rated 12 by the BBFC on its 1999 video, with bleeped strong language, sex references and jokes about a real murderer, so 12 and over at the very least, and better for older teenagers.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Trey Parker as Stan Marsh, Eric Cartman, Randy Marsh, Uncle Howard, Charles Manson
- Matt Stone as Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, Stuart McCormick
- Mary Kay Bergman as Sharon Marsh, Sheila Broflovski, Liane Cartman, Grandma Cartman
Guest stars
- Dian Bachar as Fake Mr. Hankey
- Toddy Walters as Mall Hankey's Helper
Writers
- Trey Parker
- Nancy M. Pimental
Director
- Eric Stough