A Christmas Epiphany

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A drunk workaholic's Christmas epiphany about wanting a family gets hilariously awkward when the "perfect" family he's creepily watching through their window reacts realistically to his disturbing behavior.
Christmas
Pretape
Parody
Suburban Home
1950s
Family
Black and White
Dark
Physical Comedy
Drunk

There is a man staring at us through our window.
How can I relax when there is a pervert lurking in our window?
He's trying to freak us out Janine, that's what gets him off!
You ruined my life!

Shot in classic black-and-white cinematography reminiscent of 1940s-50s films, this sketch parodies "It's a Wonderful Life"-style Christmas redemption scenes. Austin Butler plays Rich, a drunk workaholic who has an emotional epiphany about wanting a family when he peers through a window at what appears to be a perfect family scene. However, the family inside - Steven (Andrew Dismukes), Janine (Heidi Gardner), their children (Sarah Sherman and Marcello Hernandez), and Janine's sister Denise (Chloe Fineman) - reacts realistically to the creepy stranger staring at them through their window. The sketch brilliantly contrasts Rich's melodramatic self-reflection (complete with mid-Atlantic accent and theatrical gestures) with the family's increasing terror and discomfort. At one point, Rich angrily yells at his own reflection in the window while the family watches in horror. The family speaks through clenched teeth to maintain their composure while discussing how to handle the "pervert" at their window. The sketch ends with Mikey Day appearing as Jimbo, an angel figure, giving Rich his epiphany. The humor comes from showing the uncomfortable reality from the family's perspective, subverting the classic Christmas movie trope.

The sketch features exceptional cinematography and production value with authentic black-and-white film styling. Austin Butler and Chloe Fineman deliver outstanding mid-Atlantic accents straight out of the 1950s. Andrew Dismukes, one of SNL's youngest-looking male cast members, was humorously cast as the father. This aired on Austin Butler's first time hosting SNL during the 2022 Christmas episode. Part of Season 48, Episode 9 which also marked Cecily Strong's final episode as a cast member. The sketch has been called an "instant Christmas classic" by many viewers.

PersonRole
Andrew DismukesAndrew DismukesWriter
Mike DivaDirector
SketchTV.lol™ 2025