Top 10 Christmas Movies #2: White Christmas

I’ve written about White Christmas in this space a couple of times, and truth be told, could probably fill a substantial volume writing about all it’s awesome sauce.  It’s one of those movies I’ve seen so many times I don’t even really pay attention to the plot anymore.  I spend my time looking in the background for all the little things I missed on the previous 100 viewings.  And boy is there some great stuff in the background.  Whether you’ve seen it dozens of times like I have or if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of it, do yourself a favor and watch the backup dancers during the Mandy routine.  It’s solid gold.

For the ones that somehow aren’t familiar with this Christmas gem, White Christmas is the story of army buddies Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) who team up after WWII to become a “boffo” song and dance act.  Doing a favor for an old pal from the Army, they meet the Haynes sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), another song and dance duo.  Phil, scheming to get Bob a wife and kids, and therefore some time away from the show biz grind for himself, conspires with Judy, looking for some freedom from Betty, to get Bob and Betty together.  The four travel to Vermont for a little R&R, where they run into Bob and Phil’s old commander, General Waverly (Dean Jagger), who now runs an inn.  Times are tough for the General (who prefers not to be called general, but everyone calls him that anyway).  The lack of snow has been bad for business and the inn housekeeper Emma (Mary Wickes) let’s Bob and Phil in on the secret that the General is in over his head.  Bob and Phil, look to their show business sway to find a way to save the inn and show the General he hasn’t been forgotten.

Song and dance hijinx ensue.  Also, occasional cross-dressing.

Like Holiday Inn, White Christmas has tremendous music penned by Irving Berlin, including of course the eponymous title track.  In a similar fashion, it centers around show biz folks, so most of the song and dance numbers appear like natural performances or rehearsals, not just people randomly bursting into elaborate musical numbers on the street.  There are exceptions, most notably The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing number.  The silliness in which that particular routine ends and abruptly returns to reality only adds to the movie’s charm.  Oh, and this chestnut.

Lovely as it is corny.  I can’t get enough of it.

If you’re the kind of person that enjoys musicals, then you will love White Christmas.  If you’re not that person, you will probably still enjoy it.  It’s a good story on it’s own and Bing and company are impossible not to love.  It’s a funny and sweet movie, and you might just get a little misty at the ending.

If you’re a White Christmas veteran but have never taken the time to appreciate all that’s happening on the margins, do yourself a favor this year and keep an eye on the scenery.  It’s more than just spotting the miscues and continuity mistakes.  There is actually a lot going on outside the main action that  will enhance your viewing experience.

A few clues to help you out:

• Watch modest Bing in the dressing room after Blue Skies
• The aforementioned backup dancers during Mandy
• Watch the coffee pot in the Haynes sister’s dressing room
• Bing’s wardrobe in the Army hospital tent

There’s just a few to get you started.

Not only is White Christmas one of my favorite Christmas movies, it’s one of my favorite movies period.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #3: A Christmas Story

Note:  Here’s Jeff’s take on #3, A Christmas Story.

Do you remember that one Christmas gift you wanted more than any other? Maybe it was a bike or a Cabbage Patch Kid. Depending on when you grew up it might have been a video game system (Atari, Nintendo, Playstation…) or an Erector Set.  The specific gifts may differ from person to person and time to time but the dream is the same. We all went to bed on Christmas Eve hoping the morning would bring us joy tied up with ribbon.

A Christmas Story taps into this universal longing with protagonist Ralphie’s quest to get a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model BB gun for Christmas. He seems to be thwarted at every turn. Whether it’s his mother, his teacher or even Santa Claus himself he always hears the same refrain, “You’ll shoot your eye out”. Sprinkled throughout his pursuit are views into his everyday life.  We get to watch as Ralphie and his friends try to survive encounters with the school bully. We meet his parents (in particular The Old Man). We even get a glimpse into his childhood fantasies. These looks provide some classic moments: Flick and the frozen flag pole, the major award, The Santa Slide, the bunny suit just to name just a few.

All of this leads to Christmas morning. After all the gifts appear to be opened and the Red Ryder is nowhere to be found, Ralphie has one last surprise.

This is my favorite scene in the entire movie. Darren McGavin (The Old Man) deserved an Oscar nomination for this scene alone. He captures perfectly that as great as it is to finally get that gift you have been wishing for it’s even better as a parent to be able to give your child exactly what they wanted for Christmas.

A Christmas Story is set in Hammond, Indiana during  the post WWII 1940’s, It is a period piece that perfectly presents its era yet it ties into themes that audiences from any generation can relate to. The result is that whether you are a Baby Boomer, Gen X, Gen Y, or even a dreaded Millennial you walk away from this movie with a sense of nostalgia.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #4: Home Alone

As a 13-year old, I saw Home Alone in the theater when it was released in 1990.  For reasons explained elsewhere, I did not go to the movies much as a kid, and persuading my mother to let me see the hottest new movie amongst my demographic in the theater was something of a coup.

Some time later, a family member informed my mother, who still had not seen Home Alone, about the bad attitude Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) has toward his family and how disrespectfully he speaks to his mother (Catherine O’Hara).  Mom pointed this out to me, as if I had been keeping it a secret from her.  I assured her I knew Kevin’s attitude was not acceptable, as I probably rolled my eyes while she wasn’t looking.

A parent myself now, I can of course understand a little better Mom’s concerns about how a Hollywood movie might influence her child.  But, Kevin’s terrible attitude is of course central to the plot of Home Alone (and I’m happy to say Mom has since seen it and, by appearances, seemed to enjoy it).

When the movie opens, we find the McCallister house a-bustle with activity, as the family and extended family prepare to leave for France the next morning.  Eight year-old Kevin is fed up with all the relatives and the lack of enough plain cheese pizza.  In his defense, his siblings and cousins do treat him cruelly, insulting him in French, calling him a disease, and eating all the aforementioned cheese pizza on purpose.  This last offense breaks the camels back and Kevin flips out, causing a scene in the crowded kitchen which results in some misplaced travel documents.  Only adding to his disdain for his own family, Uncle Frank spews a sneering invective in one of the greatest insults in movie history ever leveled at an eight year-old:

Somewhat understandably, yet completely inappropriately, Kevin declares he wishes he didn’t have a family.  Hurt, his mother hopes he doesn’t mean it and sends him off to bed in the attic.

When he awakes the next morning to find the family gone he thinks his wish made his family disappear (in their rush to leave for France, they just forgot him).  At first, it’s a dream come true and he revels in it.  Enter the Wet Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), a couple of burglars who have had their eyes set on the McCallister house, the “silver tuna”, since they started working the neighborhood.  As the days go by and Christmas Day draws nearer, Kevin defends his house from the criminals, conquers his fears, and realizes he misses his family and loves them after all.

The final John Hughes movie on our list, in Home Alone Hughes again reminds us that while family can drive us nuts, when it comes down to it, it’s what really matters.  There are great performances by Culkin, Pesci, and O’hara.  The late, great John Candy has a fairly minor, but scene stealing role as Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, who helps O’hara get home to Kevin.

For us 90’s kids, Home Alone is a Christmas classic, but I wonder if today’s kids have realized that the whole madcap scenario could have been solved rather easily since the advent of cell phones.  My kids haven’t clued in on that yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.  For it’s time, the movie does a pretty good job of realistically thwarting all of the family’s attempts to contact Kevin from France, though I would not give their communities police department high marks for diligence.  One unanswered knock on the door and the officer assumes the abandoned eight year-old is fine?  Okay.

Of course, you can’t talk about Home Alone without bringing up the funhouse of horrors Kevin transform his house into when the Wet Bandits make their final assault.  Irons to the face, blowtorches to the head, and broken glass to the feet are just a few of the booby traps Kevin sadistically dreams up and employs.  I recently read an article that documented all the injuries Pesci and Stern’s characters would have suffered in real life.  It’s a Christmas miracle they survived.

Home Alone is a full of slapstick fun and a lot of heart.  Good performances, a great–and Oscar nominated–soundtrack from John Williams, a ton of quotable lines and memorable scenes also help to make it #4 on our list.  Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.

 

Top 10 Christmas Movies #7: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Note:  Here’s Jeff’s take on #7.  Enjoy!

The only reason this movie is not higher on our list is because it is not a Christmas movie. It is a Thanksgiving movie and it is maybe one of the two or three funniest movies I have ever seen.Written and directed by John Hughes (who was involved in two other movies on this list and the ’94 version of Miracle on 34th Street) it stars two of the all time great comedic actors, Steve Martin and John Candy.  It is a shame that this team never collaborated again because when they did, it resulted in pure gold.

Martin plays Neal Page, a straight laced, sort of uptight ad executive who is on business in New York City. All he wants is to get home to his family in Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. His path crosses with Del Griffith, played by Candy, a friendly but uncouth shower curtain ring salesman. When bad weather strands them in Wichita this unlikely pair teams up to try and make it back to Chicago in time for Neal to get his turkey. Thus begins the road trip from hell.

Neal and Del find themselves facing every imaginable obstacle on their journey: robbery, biting  dogs, missing rental cars, the worst imaginable wrong turn, exploding cars, and uncomfortably affectionate bus mates just to name just a few. When you add the oil and water quality of their personalities to these foibles you get as many laugh out loud moments as I can remember having in any movie. (As I write this I have been giggling just thinking about some of them)

What makes this movie stand out though is that with the laughs comes real heart. Neal may be uptight but he loves his family. Del is obnoxious but he possesses more than meets the eye behind his goofy mustache.  The scene below is one of my favorites. Forced to share not just a motel room but also a bed Neal is driven to the breaking point by Del’s nighttime routine. He delivers a rant for the ages. It’s hilarious, but watch as Hughes with his writing and Candy with his acting take this from being simply a funny tantrum to a truly poignant moment.

This scene is followed up with one of the biggest laughs ever in a movie. I won’t spoil it here but after you see it the words “Those aren’t pillows!” will be forever burned into your mind.

This movie has become a part of my Thanksgiving routine. It gets the holiday movie viewing off to a fantastic start. (One warning: if you watch an unedited version of this movie on DVD or by streaming, it it does contain strong language. In one scene Steve Martin uses one particularly profane word 19 times in one minute. This is done for comedic affect and it is pretty funny but I didn’t want anyone to be caught off guard by it).

Top 10 Christmas Movies #9: Miracle on 34th Street

Note:  Here’s the latest offering from You Know What I Mean? for our Top 10 Christmas Movies.

What do you do when the same Christmas movie has been made twice and both are excellent? One option would be to include both in our list. Another option would be to have them face off in a head to head, winner take all death match to determine dominance and therefore inclusion. Based on what I have observed in shopping malls, this seems to be in keeping with the holiday spirit so let’s go with option two.

This first MO34S (as it shall be referred to henceforth) was released in 1947 and stars Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood in the essential roles. The second came out in 1994 and correspondingly stars Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Attenborogh, and Mara Wilson. Both follow the same basic plot line. Little Susan Walker has been raised by a single mom (an executive at a New York City department store) to be a realist and therefore does not believe in Santa Claus. Enter the store’s new Santa for the Christmas season
who not only looks and acts the part to degree never seen before but actually believes that he is Santa Claus (he even enters Kris Kringle as his name on his employee information). Kris sets out to convince Susan that he really is Santa Claus culminating in a court battle to determine his true identity.

I like both of these movies but I can only include one. I am going to compare 4 important elements side by side and let that determine which Miracle rises to the top. (Warning, this will contain spoilers)

1. The Santas:
If you want to make a movie about whether or not there really is a Santa Claus you had better have an actor that brings the goods when it comes to that role. As it happens, both versions possess that. In the 1947 MO34S Edmund Gwenn actually won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal. (Apparently Natalie Wood was convinced that he really was Santa Claus until the wrap party.) Richard Attenborogh for his part exudes warmth and charm and hits all the right notes in his performance. He also looks the part. It’s hard to imagine other actors from their respective eras doing a better job than either of these two.
(Edge: Even)

2. The Susans:
MO34S 1947 was Natalie Wood’s first major film role and to be honest it shows. She would grow up to become a big star and respected actress. She gives a fine performance but it’s pretty much one note. Mara Wilson’s acting though, is nuanced. She displays a wide range of emotions, often with just her facial expressions and instantly makes the audience care about what happens to her. Plus she is completely adorable.
(Clear Edge: 1994)

3. The Moms:
In both movies the mother has been hurt by her past and has had to make it on her own. She is obviously strong and resourceful but she is guarded and even cynical. The difference in the performances is that in MO34S 1947 Maureen O’Hara is able to show a spark of warmth behind the layers. Her change of heart for Kris is more subtle and seems organic. Elizabeth Perkins comes across as an Ice Queen. She is prickly and almost mean. I honestly don’t see what her kindhearted love interest sees in her other than that she is pretty. When she finally comes around it seems to come out of left field.
(Edge:1947)

4. The Climax
As mentioned before, both movies wind up in a courtroom for a competency hearing to determine whether or not Kris should be committed. The only way for him to be declared sane is to somehow prove that Santa Clause does in fact exist and the Kris is Santa Claus. In both movies this appears to be a lost cause until a last minute maneuver tips the scales of justice in Kris’ favor. In MO34S 1994 the judge uses “In God We Trust” being printed on U.S. currency as the basis for an argument that Santa Claus is real. It’s confusing and anticlimactic. The 1947 version does a more satisfying job of proving Kris’ case.

This has become on of the most iconic scenes in movie history and is one of the main reasons this movie has been a Christmas mainstay for almost 70 years.

(Overwhelming Edge: 1947)

 

Winner: 1947

While I had to declare a winner, I recommend you make time for both of these movies this Christmas season. You will find plenty to love with both.