Silver bells, silver bells, it's Christmas movie re-run time in the city (and anywhere else where there's basic cable). That's right - it's mid-November and that means along with the premature playing of Christmas carols and ceaseless holiday commercials comes, of course, the showing of classic holiday movies on television.
You might be wondering, "How will I manage to drink all this eggnog and watch these fine Christmas films?" Well, wonder no longer: here is your concise guide to viewing the holiday movie classics.
A good starting place? Might as well start with the paramount Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life." Frank Capra's 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed still quiets the cynic in all of us, if only for two hours. George Bailey (Stewart) is the most honest, moral man in Bedford Falls, the town he sacrificed his big city dreams to maintain. But financial troubles at the hands of a greedy, crusty old man make George contemplate suicide. Clarence, coming to George in true guardian angel form, will have none of it. Clarence shows George how terrible life in Bedford Falls would be if George had never been born, proving that George has indeed led a wonderful life.
From a man with a town full of friends to a man (er, Grinch?) with none - the 1966 Dr. Seuss classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" is another beloved holiday favorite. The Grinch, with his isolated, mountaintop cave dwelling and hearty disdain for all things involving Christmas and Whoville, crafts a Santa suit and sleigh with remarkable skill (seriously, how did he learn to sew like that?) in the hopes of stealing all the happy little Whos' presents and food. When the theft of their goodies does little to quench the Whos' sizeable holiday spirit, the Grinch thinks: "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more." Nothing like a good moral that rhymes.
Rhyming cartoons aren't your cup of tea? Though you are no fun, there could still be a holiday film for you. Set in the 1940s, "A Christmas Story" (1983) tells the story of young Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), a boy who wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Even repeated warnings that he'll "shoot his eye out" do not deter Ralphie in his quest for the perfect Christmas gift. "A Christmas Story" is that rare holiday film that so aptly and hilariously focuses on the ludicrousness of the holiday season, family dynamics and the poignant trials of pre-adolescence.
Not only does Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer have a very shiny nose, he also has a very schmaltzy, beloved Christmas special. We all know the story: Rudolph is a misfit among a bunch of non-shiny nosed reindeer, but he turns his handicap into an asset and saves Christmas for all the little children of the world. This predecessor to the claymation style of animation we know today has been popular with children since its creation in 1964. Also attracting viewers is the well known song of the same title which, if not already stuck in your head, will be now: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw him you would even say it glows..."
You're welcome for that.
A holiday movie list would not be complete without mention of Charles Schulz's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Charlie, always wary of the world and its people, finds himself disillusioned with the rampant materialism that persists during Christmas time. With the help of his old chum Linus, Charlie is able to rediscover the real meaning of Christmas. "A Charlie Brown Christmas," when first released in 1965, was criticized for taking on overtly religious tones in a secular nation, but ultimately the special is feel good fun for all.
"A Christmas Carol" is yet another pillar of holiday entertainment. We've seen adaptations of the Dickens classic performed by the likes of Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammer and even Fred Flintstone. But perhaps the most successful, or at least the most humorous, is Bill Murray's take on Scrooge in, appropriately, "Scrooged" (1988). Frank Cross (Murray) runs a TV station and is disillusioned with Christmas and all its darn cheer. It takes the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future to make him change his ways.
Now you have everything you need to celebrate the holidays the right way: by watching all the TV you can and speaking to your family as little as possible. Enjoy!
