My Top Ten Holiday Movies
By Larry Johnson on December 25, 2008 at 3:54 PM in Current Affairs
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanuka. Part of the holiday tradition, at least for me and my family, are the holiday movies. I have been thinking about my ten favorites in this category and came up with the following. You will note that the movie, A Christmas Story–directed by Bob Clark, written by Jean Shepherd, and shown 24 hours straight on TBS every Christmas in recent memory–is a faux midwestern childhood memoir about a nerd before there were nerds (Ralphie Parker) who wanted a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. My definition of a great movie is one I would enjoy watching repeatedly. A Christmas Story was okay once, but I can’t stand it in repeated doses. I find myself thinking Scrooge thoughts, hoping Raphie shoots himself in the head with the BB gun. Sorry, but I wanted to be honest about this. I hate that movie.
So, in reverse order here are my top ten:
Number 10: White Christmas. This movie was made in 1954 and features Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. It is a buddy movie of sorts. Crosby and Kaye, who play Broadway/nightclub entertainers, take their show to a Vermont Christmas Inn, which is owned and operated by a retired Army General who has fallen on hard times. It is a fun movie and ends with the singing of White Christmas, Crosby’s signature song. Crosby originally introduced the song in the 1942 movie, Holiday Inn. That movie will give you a bit of the creeps, when Bing Crosby does a black face number along with two actual black children.
Number 9: Die Hard. The 1988 Bruce Willis thrille (has it really been 20 years?) that made him a star. Nothing says Christmas like a mix of terrorism and Santa Claus. The subliminal message of the movie is that holiday parties, especially office parties, can be risky.
Number 8: Elf Directed Jon Favreau (not the Obama speech writer) and starring Will Farrell. It is stupid, funny, and quintessential Christmas brain candy.
Number 7: The Santa Clause. Is Santa actually a divorced dad with custody issues? Watch this movie and decide for yourself. Featuring Tim Allen it is funny and you can watch it with your mom without feeling embarrassed.
Number 6: Miracle on 34th Street. I prefer the 1994 version, which features Richard Attenborough, Dylan McDermott, Elizabeth Perkins and Mara Wilson. The is the 1947 version as well, which introduced Natalie Wood as the little girl who did not believe in Santa.
Number 5: Home Alone. Best physical comedy in any movie, much less a Christmas movie. Unlike the warning from the wretched “Christmas Story” (e.g., be careful with the BB gun because you will shoot your eye out) we see the danger in action–Macaulay Culkin blasts Joe Pesci in the “christmas” nuts and Pesci ain’t too jolly.
Number 4: National Lampoon Christmas Vacation. A must see. Even if you don’t like Chevy Chase you will like Chevy Chase. If you are Jewish and don’t understand the Christmas thing, watch this movie. It is an anthropological study of the average American Christmas nightmare. Love it.
Number 3: Love Actually. This is a funny ensemble movie, with Hugh Grant leading the way. Yes, it’s largely a chick flick but I’ll fess up–I like it. Let’s face it, love may break your heart but it also is funny.
Number 2: It’s Charles Dickens. There are three versions of his classic story, A Christmas Carol, that I really like. My favorite is Scrooge, which is a musical and stars a 34 year old Albert Finney as old Ebenezer Scrooge. Alec Guinness makes a couple of brief but memorable appearances as the ghost of Jacob Marley. The songs in this are terrific.
Second up is Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. I like this best among the pre-1970 versions. It stars Alastir Sim and a bunch of folks you never heard of unless you were raised in the United Kingdom. Let’s give our English cousins their due–they know how to make great Dickens’ movies about Christmas.
Last there is the Bill Murray version, Scrooged. If you don’t like Murray you will hate this. If you like him, hysterical. Carol Kane plays the best ghost of Christmas present ever.
Number 1: It’s A Wonderful Life. Schmaltz? You betcha. Frank Capra delivers and Jimmy Stewart traditionally gets the credit for coming to his senses and realizing that he is important to the happiness and welfare of others. But the real star of the movie is Donna Reed. While Stewart has a meltdown and tries to kill himself–he goes batshit when money goes missing at the savings and loan–it is the woman who remains calm and works the problem. Weird. Stewart behaves like a selfish prick and gets the credit. Reed stays calm and saves the family (she does a form of community organizing). And once again, the woman gets to play second fiddle.
Merry Christmas from No Quarter.
, the basis for the Best Motion Picture Nominee (Golden Globes) starring Brad Pitt.
, the novel by John Le Carre, a new motion picture starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.
by 
* (Included in the 
* 
.by David Fredosso who wrote 2008's 
- You'll have access to 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books, as well as ultra-fast Web browsing with Amazon Silk -- faster than iPad. Full e-mail and document access and a keyboard. Fire can transmit what is on your screen onto a connected TV or monitor without an accessory. It runs Flash (iPad doesn't). 
