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Fred Claus is the first holiday-themed film out of the gate this year. (Never mind that it's not even Thanksgiving yet—seems like the Christmas season begins earlier and earlier these days as evidenced by the slew of holiday commercials already gracing the airwaves, and my neighbor who seemingly decorated his house as soon as the trick-or-treaters departed.) This family comedy is a mish-mash of funny moments and good performances interspersed with the expected sentimental schlock. In relation to other holiday films of yeara past, it is better than most and inferior to others. If you are looking for good, innocuous Christmas fun then you could do worse then spend a couple hours with Fred Claus.

Coming off their success with Wedding Crashers, director David Dobkin and star Vince Vaughn combine their talents (and tame their hormones) for this story of sibling rivalry and jealousy. Fred (Vaughn) has the unenviable task of being big brother to only the most famous saint of all-time: Saint Nick himself (Paul Giamatti). Upon little Nicholas' birth, a young Fred promises to be "the best big brother" to his new sibling. He soon finds out, however, that young Nick can do no wrong, outshining Fred at every opportunity. Jealousy and resentment naturally arise as mama Claus (Kathy Bates) tersely asks him, "Why can't you be more like your brother?"

Zoom ahead a certain number of years and Fred is living in Chicago while Nick... well, we all know what he is up to. Only when Fred is in dire need of $50 grand does he decide to look up his little brother and take advantage of his big heart. A quick jaunt to the North Pole finds Fred face to face with jolly old Saint Nick, and worse yet, his parents. Things are not well at Santa's factory: fueled by ever increasing demands, the once-streamlined operation has become bogged down by inefficiency. Enter efficiency expert Clyde Northcut (get it?), deliciously portrayed by Kevin Spacey, who is determined to shut down the North Pole and outsource Christmas. Remembering his promise, Fred steps in to help get things back on track and restore the feeling, absent the real meaning, of Christmas.

Vaughn is his usual frat-boy self with his manic, machine-gun fire delivery of zingers. Giamatti brings a touching sadness of carrying the world's burdens on his shoulders (and also on his waistline) while suffering from self-doubt and uncertainty about his capabilities. Together, Vaughn and Giamatti elevate the commonplace storyline, contrived situations and sappy conclusion above run-of-the-mill holiday fare. Without them, it could have been disastrous—with them, it is refreshingly bearable. There is also a trio of great cameo appearances by Frank Stallone, Stephen Baldwin, and Roger Clinton in one of the most hilarious scenes of the year.

While legalists and moralists may react with a resounding, self-righteous "bah-humbug" at the conspicuous absence of "the reason for the season," we would do well to dig deeper to find truth and beauty in Fred Claus. If you don't get hung up on the whole non-religious Santa theme, you may discover that Fred does cast some pearls of wisdom worth remembering.

While stamping kid's letters naughty or nice, Fred is compelled to mark them all "nice." In explaining to his dumbfounded brother, Fred says "every child should receive a gift at Christmas." In other words, whether they have been naughty or nice they should receive a gift—it's not a matter of deserving or merit in terms of earning. Fred recognizes that a gift is just that: a gift, and that is what the Christmas season is really about. During a touching sequence of "Silent Night," the lyrics clearly reveal the greatest gift that we have been given. And while Fred Claus the film may remain tight-lipped about it, the words of the song speak the truth loud and clear.