Movies and Specials For the Season

It’s that time of year again!  Not only is it time to dust off those Christmas decorations or join in the hustle and bustle of the shopping season, it’s time to dig out holiday movies and set the VCR (or Tivo) to capture some favorite shows.  Whether you’re a fan of comedy, action/adventure, horror or even classic film, there is something available for just about everyone.  What are some holiday treasures that you may have forgotten about?

Although some versions have been colorized in recent years, the original black and white format of It’s A Wonderful Life remains a classic.  Everyone knows the story of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart).  After making sacrifices that always benefited others throughout his life, George finds himself at the end of his rope on Christmas Eve.  While contemplating whether or not to end his life, he meets Clarence (Henry Travers), his guardian angel, who shows him what life for others would have been like if George had never been born.

“Miracle on 34th St.” and “The Bells of St. Mary” are also good Christmas viewing choices.  Natalie Wood starred as 6-year-old Susan Walker in 1947’s “Miracle on 34th St.” where Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is put on trial.  Silver screen legends Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby starred in “The Bells of St. Mary”.  Sister Mary Benedict (Bergman) and Father Chuck O’Malley (Crosby) have differing views on how to discipline the children who attend St. Mary’s but ultimately they both have the best interest of the school at heart. 

Classic films also mean classic tales!  Who hasn’t heard the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  There are a number of versions of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”.  From one of the first in the 1930s to updated features in recent years, a number of actors have filled the shoes of Scrooge.  Most notably have been George C. Scott (“Patton”), Albert Finney (“Big Fish”) and Patrick Stewart (“X-Men”).  Bill Murray starred in an adaptation of the story in 1988’s “Scrooged”.

The airwaves are filled with plenty of animation during the holidays.  “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and “Frosty the Snowman” have been favorites of young and old alike since debuting in the 1960s and are a staple in most households during the season.  There’s also “The Year Without a Santa Claus” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”.  Both were first aired in the 1970s and have Mickey Rooney voicing Kris Kringle/Santa Claus.  For fans of more recent animation, there is 2004’s “Polar Express” which tells the story of a young boy who questions the existence of Santa Claus.  A number of the movie’s characters are not only voiced by Tom Hanks but were computer generated to resemble the actor as well.

If you like to have thrills and chills with your festive flicks, there are plenty of action/adventure and even horror holiday film treats.  1988’s “Die Hard” found John McClain (Bruce Willis) fighting for his life when a Christmas party at his wife’s company is taken over by terrorists.  For a mixture of crime and humor, there is “The Ref” starring Dennis Leary as Gus.  A robbery goes horribly wrong when Gus ends up holding a dysfunctional married couple (played by Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage on Christmas Eve.  “Santa Claus: The Movie” offers a little more adventure.  The movie, starring Dudley Moore as Patches, tells the story of B.Z. (John Lithgow) who plans to run Santa out of business.  “Black Christmas” showed the thing that goes “bump” in the night might not be Santa Claus!  This horror flick told the story of murder at a sorority house during Christmas.

It’s time to celebrate love and family during the season too!  Bing Crosby starred with Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney in “White Christmas”.  Will two showmen find love in Vermont during the holidays?  In 2000’s “The Family Man”, Nicolas Cage played Jack Campbell, a man who gave up love for his multi-million dollar job.  Jack is then given the opportunity to see what his life would have been like if he had stayed with his college sweetheart, Kate (Tea Leoni).  2003’s “Love Actually” showed the people in nine different relationships trying to find/reclaim love in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The holidays are a time to laugh and there are plenty of comedies to watch during the season.  No matter where you are, you’ll probably see parts of 1983’s A Christmas Story this year.  Everyone knows the story of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), his family, friends and his wish for a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.  The laughs don’t stop there!  There are always the adventures of Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his family in “Christmas Vacation”.  Will Clark survive the holidays when the entire family comes to visit?  “Home Alone” starred Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, a boy who is accidentally left behind when the family decides to take a trip during Christmas.  Shenanigans ensue when he discovers his home is next on list to be robbed.  In the last few years we’ve also been introduced to “The Santa Clause” (and its sequel) with Tim Allen, a live version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey and “Elf” starring Will Ferrell.

Christmas just isn’t the same without viewing some of these holiday classics.  So light up the tree, sit back and enjoy your favorites!

These movies are available for purchase at Amazon.com and Half.com