I don't have childhood memories of Christmas and movies. I think Mom may have taken us to see "Come to the Stable", when I was 8 or 9, but going to Catholic school, I got enough religion and did not seek it at the movies. Literary classics on the screen seemed like just more school. The annual Amahl opera on TV bored me senseless, though I never watched more than the first few minutes. By the time animated Christmas fare came along I was too old to be interested.
Scrooge in the Christmas Carol is the classic literary embodiment of a miserably selfish person opened to love by the spirit of Christmas. Many such classics of literature, including stories for children, have been made into Christmas movies. As parents, we watch these with our children, delicately explaining the stories, balancing fact and fantasy.
I love movies about people who hide their hurt inside and then come to realize there are other people who hurt even more, who they decide to reach out to help, and thereby end up helping themselves too. This theme is perfectly at home in a Christmas movie. "It's a Wonderful Life" has become a Christmas staple on TV. Though not a purely Christmas movie, the climactic community generosity perfectly summarizes the message of the entire movie and fully embodies the personal Christmas spirit of giving. Another film where Christmas comes as an appropriately climactic part, though this time in a sad way, is the wonderfully nostalgic "Meet Me in St. Louis", in which Judy Garland introduced the song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
Christmas episodes usually appear about a week ahead of the holiday on television series. I just watched a particularly good one called "So-Called Angels", from the 1994 short lived but very good family and teen series, "My So-Called Life". (Too many intelligently written TV series have never made it beyond one year, or two at the most, which could be the theme for another blog post).
The funniest Christmas movie has to be the TBS marathon subject, "A Christmas Story". I crack up every time I see it and I can remember almost every scene. I'll be watching it again this year.
How about sharing your Christmas movie memories and musings?
I actually viewed the whole "My So-Called Life" on NetFlix after my brother Bryan told me about it. I really enjoyed the show and was sad that it never took off so there would be more for me to watch.
ReplyDeleteDad LOVES "A Christmas Story"! I think TBS has a marathon of it every year where they keep showing it one right after another.
One of the more recent Christmas movies that I enjoyed was "Love Actually". Pretty much an all-star cast of English actors (Hugh Grant, Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson). Very cute and heartwarming and will bring a smile to your face. I am a sap for romance.
I have yet to see the Christmas classics. I know one day I will see them. I just haven't made time for them.
I just finished watching all of "My So-Called Life". If the series continued, they were going to have the parents separate and daughter Angela have to assume a more mature role, particularly with her mother. A. J. Langer, who played the really flaky girl, is now Lady Courtenay of England, having married a Lord who is in line to become the Earl of Devon.
ReplyDeleteI saw "Love Actually" when it was new, about 4 years ago. I rated it 3 at Netflix, but cannot remember it much, particularly the Christmas aspect. I like everyone in the cast, so maybe it is time to watch it again.
Let's not forget National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation -- a true classic. This is the 20th anniversary of its release.
ReplyDeleteThe Lampoon movies have some funny moments, but overall are more marginal for me now. In some ways our sense of humor changes as we age.
ReplyDeleteAnimal House was the best! (not Christmas of course but Lampoon's)
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