Fun Friday–My Favorite Christmas Movies
Today, as with so many other Fun Fridays, I’m turning to my other favorite thing . . . movies. This is the time of year when you can’t turn the TV on without coming across movies all about the holiday—whether they’re the sappy romances (or relatively decent romantic comedies) on Lifetime, the Charlie Brown/Rudolph/Frosty animated specials on ABC, or the tear-at-your-heartstrings Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations on CBS. So I thought I would pay homage to a few of my favorites . . .
The Holiday
Two thirty-something single women decide to get away from all of their “issues” (relationships, work, etc.) by swapping houses for the Christmas holiday. Starring Cameron Diaz (in one of the few roles I’ve liked her in), Kate Winslet, Jude Law (absolutely fabulous—one of his best on-screen performances ever), and Jack Black (in an underused role), this film took me by surprise and will be a part of my holiday experience from now on.
Iris: I’ve found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said “Journeys end in lovers meeting.” What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said “love is blind.” Now that is something I know to be true.
Christmas in the Clouds
This is a movie I’d seen previews for a year before it actually came out on DVD (last year). Starring Timothy Vahle and Graham Greene, this is a light romantic comedy set on a resort in the mountains of the Southwest (New Mexico, I believe, but I’m not sure it’s actually specified in the movie) owned by a Native American tribe. The resort makes most of its money off of the ski season, but this year the snow hasn’t come. On top of that, Ray Clouds on Fire (Vahle) learns that a prestigious guidebook will be sending in a reviewer (undercover) to rate the resort for inclusion in the guidebook. Meanwhile, Ray’s father has been carrying on a romantic correspondence with a widow from across the country, Tina Littlehawk. Tina decides to pay a visit, using her Italian father’s name and her Manhattan address. The setup is pretty clear—Tina is assumed to be the reviewer and Ray pulls out all the stops to try to ensure a good rating in the guidebook. But, while predictable, this movie is anything but boring. And Graham Greene, as the resort’s vegetarian chef, adds quite a bit of humor to this already humorous story.
While You Were Sleeping
This is not one most people usually think of as a Christmas movie, but the entire story centers around Christmas and New Year’s. Lucy, a young woman living on her own in Chicago, works for the transportation department. She has seen the same handsome man every day for years going through her ticket booth to catch the L to work . . . and has “fallen in love” with him. On Christmas Eve—she’s working because she’s the only one without a family—her dream guy is mugged and pushed onto the tracks, just as an express train is coming through. Lucy saves him. At the hospital, resulting from a misunderstanding, everyone is led to believe she is Peter’s fiancee. For the first time Lucy has family surrounding her . . . including Peter’s brother Jack.
Lucy: That’s not Peter. That’s Jack.
Jerry: Uh, who’s Jack again?
Lucy: Peter’s brother.
Jerry: Peter’s the guy that’s in a coma.
Lucy: Yeah.
Jerry: So then why did you bring Jack?
Lucy: I didn’t bring Jack. He followed me here.
Jerry: So Jack’s the fiancé?
Lucy: No, Peter.
Jerry: Peter doesn’t even know you exist.
Lucy: I know.
Jerry: So Jack is Peter?
Lucy: Yeah.
Jerry: Lucy!
Lucy: Yeah?
Jerry: They have doctors for this kind of thing!
A Charlie Brown Christmas
From the musical score to Linus’ quoting Luke 2 to the Christmas tree, this Christmas special has permeated our lives. After all, when we see a sad-looking, scrawny Christmas tree, we refer to it as a “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree, right? That comes from this special.
Charlie Brown: I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn’t have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?
Linus Van Pelt: Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. . . . “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'” That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
A Christmas Story
This is one of those movies that people either love or hate. I’ve been trying to determine what it is that I love so much about this movie . . . and I think it’s the mild sarcasm that runs throughout the film that tickles my funnybone so much. That, and the very quotable lines that came from this film:
Ralphie: I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!
Mrs. Parker: No, you’ll shoot your eye out.
……….
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] Only one thing in the world could’ve dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.
……….
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] Some men are Baptists, others Catholics; my father was an Oldsmobile man.
……….
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.
……….
Ralphie: No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!
Santa Claus: You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.
……….
Ralphie: Oh, fffffffuuuuuuuuuudddgggeee!
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] Only I didn’t say “Fudge.” I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the “F-dash-dash-dash” word!
Mr. Parker: What did you say?
Ralphie: Uh, um…
Mr. Parker: That’s… what I thought you said. Get in the car. Go on!
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] It was all over—I was dead. What would it be? The guillotine? Hanging? The chair? The rack? The Chinese water torture? Hmmph. Mere child’s play compared to what surely awaited me.
……….
Adult Ralphie: [narrating, reading note on his “What I Want for Christmas” theme] Oh, no! “You’ll shoot your eye out!”?
Ralphie: Oh, no!
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] My mother must have gotten to Miss Shields! There could be no other explanation!
[Ralphie imagines his mother as a jester and Miss Shields as the Wicked Witch]
Mother, Miss Shields: [Chanting] You’ll shoot your eye out! You’ll shoot you eye out!
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] Was there no end to this conspiracy of irrational prejudice against Red Ryder and his Peacemaker?
……….
Waiters: [singing] Deck the halls with boughs of horry, ra ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra.
Chop Suey Palace Owner: No, no, not ‘ra ra ra ra’, ‘la la la la’! Try again.
Waiters: Deck the halls with boughs of horry, ra ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra.
Chop Suey Palace Owner: No, no! Sing something else.
Waiters: Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sreigh!
……….
Adult Ralphie: [narrating] Oh my god, I shot my eye out!
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KayeDacus.com 
Just realized yesterday I needed to think about watching some Christmas movies! All I’ve seen this year are the Grinch and Frosty.
I’ve never seen any of the ones on your list so maybe I’ll have to look out for them. Well, except for “The Christmas Story.” I have never liked the ads for that and don’t think I’d enjoy the movie after your excellent synopsis.
My favorites are: “Christmas in Connecticut,” “Holiday Affair” (with Janet Leigh), “Bells of St. Mary’s,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” the really old “Christmas Carol” with June Lockhart as a very young girl, and also the modern version with Henry Winkler as Scrooge. The only really modern movie I enjoyed was one with a country singer and I can’t remember who she was! I think the movie was called, “The Gift.” It was set in the west and she lost her ranch. If I’m not mistaken, David Carradine was the mean banker.
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Oh I remember a Christmas Story! That was a great one. I loved him in his bunny jammies =) Wasn’t too crazy about the Holiday. Actually, I did like the whole thing but the end wasn’t resolved to my satisfaction. Look at me…I’m a critic!
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I *love* While you were sleeping! I think it was the first Rom Com I actually liked (I used to think they were bizzare).
I’ve always loved the whole mistaken-identity type of humor (adored the Twelfth-Night production with Helen Hunt) and this fit perfectly.
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My sister loves the Holiday. I remember the first time I saw While You Were Sleeping. I like that movie.
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While You Were Sleeping and Charlie Brown’s Christmas are on the top of my holiday list too!
PS, Did you see that Karl Urban will be on TV in January as Larry McMurtry’s Captain Woodrow Call in Comanche Moon?
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Karl Urban . . . yummy! I knew he was in Comanche Moon, just didn’t know when it was coming on. Hopefully not opposite the premiere broadcast of some of the new Jane Austen movies PBS will be running starting Jan. 13.
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Oooh, good list. I ought to do one (though I must admit to being woefully behind on my Christmas movie viewing). The Holiday took me by surprise too — I love it, and as much as I love Jude Law in it, I still wish the whole movie had been about the Jack Black-Kate Winslet storyline.
I love all of the Rudolph specials, A Christmas Story, Holiday Affair (Janet Leigh-Robert Mitchum), Christmas in Connecticut, While You Were Sleeping, Holiday Inn, White Christmas…oh, and I always consider the Harry Potter movies Christmas-y for some reason. I have been sorry the last few have come out during the summer blockbuster season…something about hearing echos of Hedwig’s theme always puts me in a Christmas mood. (BTW, you severely under-value Holiday Inn and White Christmas. I’m just sayin’… :P)
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Put me on the list for I HATE A CHRISTMAS STORY, lol. All of my cousins on Papa’s side of the family thinks it great and I despise every second of it.
Top favorite Christmas movie of all time is White Christmas. We only watch it during Christmas and literally wore out our VHS copy, before it came out on DVD. The year we didn’t get to watch it was absolute torture. Just watched it again this evening. Can quote the whole thing, sing all the songs. LOVE it.
Also like Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut, all 3 Santa Clause movies, Jingle All the Way, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the old stop-motion Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town from the 60’s, and The Nutcracker. We have a Royal Ballet production from the 80’s on VHS. And I like just sitting down on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon with Lifetime or Hallmark on. Lots of Christmas movies to choose from on those two this time of year.
Oh! And the Grinch. Both versions.
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Somebody beat me to it! But I’ll second 1945 CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT starring a young Barbara Stanwyck. It’s both sweet & sassy; very comical & witty; sort of more sentimental softening of 1930’s romantic screwball comedies.
Stanwyck plays a smart career woman magazine writer, who has column by “Elizabeth Lane”, who’s like combo of Betty Crocker and today’s Martha Stewart. Only problem is: she can’t cook.
Her cherubic Uncle Felix, a wonderful chef from Vienna comes to her rescue when her publisher (Sydney Greenstreet–Fat Man in MALTESE FALCON) invites himself–and a handsome navy hero for Christmas with “Mrs. Lane” and her “husband”, a pompous bore of an architect.
I think there’s Christmas or New Year’s ending in MEET JOHN DoE, a Depression Era Stanwyck film in which she plays more hardboiled journalist who at first takes advantage of, then falls in love with, down on his luck Gary Cooper.
Other oldie but goodie romance movie faves with some Christmas scenes are BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON musical with Doris Day; GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME with Judy Garland (BTW, that’s a musical remake of b&w Jimmy Stewart film SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, remade with Tom Hanks as YOU’VE GOT MAIL.)
Another old musical, HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL set in 1920’s, ends up with Christmas scenes.
P.S. Not a film, but another old-fashioned Christmas is described in book by classic Christian author Grace Livingston Hill, PRODIGAL GIRLin which family learns what is truly worth while in life.
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Just noticed this thread is from last year! Oh, well, hope others may stumble on it to get ideas for movie viewing…
Trio of films that might fit under “Wistful Christmas movies” (for people not in mood for relentless jolly fare):
THE HOMECOMING based on on one of the stories that inspired Walton’s tv series; child cast & Grandma are same as TV, differerent Olivia & John Senior & more refined Grandpa.
Most romantic films feature young lovers just meeting, HOMECOMING shows non-glamourous setting & characters, who after having eight kids and little material wealth, know better than the young & “beautiful” true meaning of love (very moving tender romantic moment at the end).
HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE (set also in Great Depression or WW 2 era?) features great character actors in roles of father & grandma of little girl whose mother died when she was a baby; Dad learns lesson about continuing to live after loss.
MEET ME IN ST LOUIS debuted a Christmas song that young Judy Garland thought was too sad at first; lyrics were changed, but still low-key in tone. (Father plans to move family away from all their friends & only home they ever knew).
BTW, one reason CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT may appeal to me is that it’s based on story by a woman writer! (I also enjoy 1940’s romantic mystery LAURA based on novel by Vera Caspary–set in hot summer, not Christmas per se–but I like to read or watch stories set in hot weather during cold winters–helps warm me up mentally, anyway!
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