"Everything you need to know about life can be found in the movies," I heard that in a movie. I think it was Grand Canyon and I'm pretty sure Steve Martin said it. I'm sure teachers and professors everywhere would dispute this assertion--I would. Having said that, I believe that everything we love about Christmas and the Holiday season is reinforced by movies about the magic of Christmas. Here are my top 5 Christmas movies along with some elaboration-they don't have to be yours, but they are all mine:
1. A Christmas Carol (1951) with Alistair Sim
"A good story bears repeating," they say. I'm an English teacher so this one gets to be first. Whenever someone says that certain pieces of literature are out-of-date, irrelevant, and insignificant I want to ask them, "Do you celebrate Christmas?" Our seasonal traditions stem from a time when people didn't have movies, television or the Internet, but they did have literature.
Washington Irving's Bracebridge Hall and A History of New York along with Clement Moore's The Night Before Christmas (originally titled A Visit from St. Nicholas) both brought the magic of Christmas to the masses. Sherlock Holmes even has a Christmas story--"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle."
Those are all great stories, but Dickens hits it out of the park. There is a legend that Charles Dickens was so inspired while writing A Christmas Carol that his children would sit outside the door to his study and listen to him laugh and cry as he recited parts of the story. Redemption is a powerful thing.
The only thing that feels as good as being forgiven is forgiving someone. I believe this is a "divine spark" that God has blessed us with.
"You're very good at apologizing," Beth once told me.
"I should be. I've had plenty of practice."
Forgiveness is at the heart of A Christmas Carol. One of the things I like about this version is that we get a sense of just how deep the regrets of Scrooge run. His hesitation and body language before he walks into his nephew's house make it obvious that he's thinking, "I wouldn't blame Fred if threw my grouchy old ass out of here quick as Jack Robinson."
Fred doesn't let him down and old Ebeneezer becomes the best uncle ever. I also think the George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart versions convey Scrooge's deep regret in homage to Alastair Sim's performance.
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
This is one of the best movies ever made and like #1 it's set on Christmas Eve and the magic of humanity abounds. Throughout my life I have learned that two of the most important things are also two of the easiest to forget.
One, we need each other, and two, we just don't know how much impact we have on others. George Bailey feels his own lonely nightmare and then he gets a glimpse into just how important he is to others.
This movie runs the emotional gambit, but I always feel just a little envious of Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey. He is allowed to see just how significant he has been to others.
It's kind of like sneaking into your own funeral a la Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Hopefully, some of you knew that was the reason for Clarence's "parting gift" to George. Yeah, English Teacher!
Carson and I were watching one Christmas. Kit (that's what I call him) was very young, maybe 6 or 7. He was having a little trouble following so he asked me a question.
"If George Bailey is in so much trouble why are all those people at his house having a party?"
"They came," I told him, "because, George is in trouble."
"I don't get it," he persisted.
"It's what friends do," I began, but I had to pause because my lower lip had begun to quiver. I refocussed and tried to continue.
"You see, that's what friends do. They heard George was in trouble and like Uncle Billy said 'they didn't ask any questions they just heard George was in trouble and they came running' to help him. Because that's what George would have done for them."
I think I'm going to move on to the next movie now. I'm gonna have to take this new laptop back to Best Buy the screen just got misty.
3. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Who is Santa Claus? Edmund Gwenn! That's who! This fact is supported not only by Mr. Macy, but the United States Postal Service and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well. The guy got an Oscar for his portrayal of Kris Kringle and in my book that means you're Santa Claus.
Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood are two of the toughest Hollywood dames ever and by the end of the film they believe. With the help of John Payne they "get it."
This time of year we see a lot of signs and digital posts with this one word:
Those are all great stories, but Dickens hits it out of the park. There is a legend that Charles Dickens was so inspired while writing A Christmas Carol that his children would sit outside the door to his study and listen to him laugh and cry as he recited parts of the story. Redemption is a powerful thing.
The only thing that feels as good as being forgiven is forgiving someone. I believe this is a "divine spark" that God has blessed us with.
"You're very good at apologizing," Beth once told me.
"I should be. I've had plenty of practice."
Forgiveness is at the heart of A Christmas Carol. One of the things I like about this version is that we get a sense of just how deep the regrets of Scrooge run. His hesitation and body language before he walks into his nephew's house make it obvious that he's thinking, "I wouldn't blame Fred if threw my grouchy old ass out of here quick as Jack Robinson."
Fred doesn't let him down and old Ebeneezer becomes the best uncle ever. I also think the George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart versions convey Scrooge's deep regret in homage to Alastair Sim's performance.
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
This is one of the best movies ever made and like #1 it's set on Christmas Eve and the magic of humanity abounds. Throughout my life I have learned that two of the most important things are also two of the easiest to forget.
One, we need each other, and two, we just don't know how much impact we have on others. George Bailey feels his own lonely nightmare and then he gets a glimpse into just how important he is to others.
This movie runs the emotional gambit, but I always feel just a little envious of Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey. He is allowed to see just how significant he has been to others.
It's kind of like sneaking into your own funeral a la Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Hopefully, some of you knew that was the reason for Clarence's "parting gift" to George. Yeah, English Teacher!
Carson and I were watching one Christmas. Kit (that's what I call him) was very young, maybe 6 or 7. He was having a little trouble following so he asked me a question.
"If George Bailey is in so much trouble why are all those people at his house having a party?"
"They came," I told him, "because, George is in trouble."
"I don't get it," he persisted.
"It's what friends do," I began, but I had to pause because my lower lip had begun to quiver. I refocussed and tried to continue.
"You see, that's what friends do. They heard George was in trouble and like Uncle Billy said 'they didn't ask any questions they just heard George was in trouble and they came running' to help him. Because that's what George would have done for them."
I think I'm going to move on to the next movie now. I'm gonna have to take this new laptop back to Best Buy the screen just got misty.
3. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Who is Santa Claus? Edmund Gwenn! That's who! This fact is supported not only by Mr. Macy, but the United States Postal Service and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well. The guy got an Oscar for his portrayal of Kris Kringle and in my book that means you're Santa Claus.
Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood are two of the toughest Hollywood dames ever and by the end of the film they believe. With the help of John Payne they "get it."
This time of year we see a lot of signs and digital posts with this one word:
"BELIEVE."
The magic of this movie is that it reminds us that we are right to believe. And I will argue that with my dying breath. Like Maureen O'Hara says, "Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to." Words to live by.
4. A Christmas Story (1983)
I wish I had gone to see this in a movie theater when it came out, but like most people I discovered it on VHS and TV broadcast. Perhaps we all owe a tip-of-the-hat to Ted Turner and his networks for planting this movie in our collective psyches.
I don't even want to know how many hours I've spent watching this movie. Guess how much sleep I'll lose over that--that's right DONUT!
We can all relate to Ralphie's Christmas quest. Yes, it is "better to give than to receive", but isn't that expression a bit of a paradox? Somebody has to want or need something in order for us to be compelled to give, right? Sometimes that want is so pure that it supersedes one's own ocular safety.
It would be easy to list 150 or so of the best lines from this movie, but I'll leave you with one suggestion and one question.
I suggest you check out the source material, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by the late Jean Shepherd. According to imdb.com, he inspired (in part) the writing of Jack Kreouac and Sidney Lumet's Network.
Here's my question, "Could there be a more overlooked national treasure than Darren McGavin?" One Friday afternoon, on the last day of school before Christmas Break, I was celebrating, in a pub (can you believe that), with my colleagues. Mike Cronley, our chief custodian, spontaneously rose to his feet. He hoisted his glass skyward and proclaimed, "To the late, great Darren McGavin! The fiercest furnace-fighter in Northern Indiana!"
We all rose as one and the sound of our glasses clinking echoed throughout the bar.
5. Christmas Vacation (1989)
Just as #4 above reflected the way we saw Christmas as kids. This film shows how we as adults yearn for the way we remember the Christmases of our past. Let me clarify, we yearn for the way we remember them. In fact, our memories are most likely not exactly as things were, but that's okay, because it's the spirit and the flavor of memory that matters the most.
Chevy Chase was born to play Clark Griswold and Randy Quaid was born for the role of Cousin Eddie. Here are my top 5 moments from one of the funniest movies ever made:
"Thanks for noticing, Art."
"Right you are, Edward!"
4. A Christmas Story (1983)
I wish I had gone to see this in a movie theater when it came out, but like most people I discovered it on VHS and TV broadcast. Perhaps we all owe a tip-of-the-hat to Ted Turner and his networks for planting this movie in our collective psyches.
I don't even want to know how many hours I've spent watching this movie. Guess how much sleep I'll lose over that--that's right DONUT!
We can all relate to Ralphie's Christmas quest. Yes, it is "better to give than to receive", but isn't that expression a bit of a paradox? Somebody has to want or need something in order for us to be compelled to give, right? Sometimes that want is so pure that it supersedes one's own ocular safety.
It would be easy to list 150 or so of the best lines from this movie, but I'll leave you with one suggestion and one question.
I suggest you check out the source material, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by the late Jean Shepherd. According to imdb.com, he inspired (in part) the writing of Jack Kreouac and Sidney Lumet's Network.
Here's my question, "Could there be a more overlooked national treasure than Darren McGavin?" One Friday afternoon, on the last day of school before Christmas Break, I was celebrating, in a pub (can you believe that), with my colleagues. Mike Cronley, our chief custodian, spontaneously rose to his feet. He hoisted his glass skyward and proclaimed, "To the late, great Darren McGavin! The fiercest furnace-fighter in Northern Indiana!"
We all rose as one and the sound of our glasses clinking echoed throughout the bar.
5. Christmas Vacation (1989)
Just as #4 above reflected the way we saw Christmas as kids. This film shows how we as adults yearn for the way we remember the Christmases of our past. Let me clarify, we yearn for the way we remember them. In fact, our memories are most likely not exactly as things were, but that's okay, because it's the spirit and the flavor of memory that matters the most.
Chevy Chase was born to play Clark Griswold and Randy Quaid was born for the role of Cousin Eddie. Here are my top 5 moments from one of the funniest movies ever made:
- "The little lights up top aren't twinkling, Clark."
"Thanks for noticing, Art."
- "Eddie, if I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet I couldn't be any more surprised than I am right now."
- JELLY OF THE MONTH CLUB! "That's a gift that keeps on giving the whole year, Clark."
"Right you are, Edward!"
- "He's got a little bit of Mississippi leg-hound in him. If he starts in on you, best to just let him finish."
- "HALLELUJAH! Where's the Tylenol?"
As always, thanks again for stopping by. Happy Holidays, Happy viewing and Merry Christmas to all.
Witty, just the way I like it!
ReplyDelete