This is a series.
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
It was Ritter's last live-action film appearance before his death on September 11, 2003. The film was dedicated to his memory. The Coen brothers are credited as executive producers. The film was released in North America on November 26, 2003 by Miramax Films, with Columbia Pictures releasing in other territories, and was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews and was a commercial success.