Holiday Movies

I've never been a big fan of the holiday movies that have been released in, say, the last 15 years. Oh, there are a few I've liked, like A Christmas Story and Home Alone, but they can't hold a candle, in my opinion, to Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, or It's a Wonderful Life.

Recently I've become a huge fan of Love Actually, a Christmas movie that looks at the month before the holidays, where 8 different couples who seem to be unrelated, are actually intertwined. My son loved Elf, a movie I haven't seen because Will Farrell... I just don't get him. He's also a big fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I consider that a Halloween movie, even if the title disagrees with me. We tend to disagree on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where I think it's hilarious and he...not so much.

We've never seen Bad Santa, but the reviews left me cold. I'm not all that interested in a foul-mouthed Santa. But we all agree on The Polar Express, a movie that I think might go down as the classic Christmas movie of this decade. Beautifully illustrated and poignant, it leaves you with that lump in the back of your throat that, to me, defines a Christmas movie. Another film I love that very few would describe as a great Christmas movie is The Family Man, starring Nicholas Cage. I love me some Nicholas Cage in any guise, but he's particularly charming as a rich snobby Wall Street shark that meets an angel and is taken to another dimension where he is married to his college sweetheart Tia Leone and the father of two adorable children. A nice love story set at Christmas time, it's a take off on the original A Christmas Carol.

Note that I'm definately not a fan of any of the animated films that are shown ad nauseum during this time period. Charlie Brown's Christmas is a total yawn. I've never even bothered to watch the Grinch in any form, nor have I seen Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, or any of the other sweeter than sugar Christmas fare. I like my holiday films with humor, bite, and a tiny bit of tragedy.

My favorite all time Christmas movie has to be White Christmas. Danny Kaye. Bing Crosby. Vera Ellen. Rosemary Clooney. This is a classic. The music score, the Bob Fosse coreography, the wonderful comedic lines delivered by the always adorable Danny Kaye....sigh. This is a movie! I can sing every single word from the song Sisters, and when Bing Crosby sings "What do you do with a General, when he stops being a General" I tear up every time. I know, I'm a sentimental sap, but I just love this movie.

I just wish there was a Hanukkah movie. The only one ever made, as far as I know, is Eight Crazy Nights with Adam Sandler. Um....we own it. That's about all I can say about it. So not a favorite of mine. What we need is some decent Hanukkah movies. How about:

10) Three Men And A Bubbie
9) A Few Good Mentches
8) The Cohenheads
7) The Rocky Hora Picture Show
6) Shalom Alone
5) Goyz `N The Hood
4) A Gefilte Fish Called Wanda
3) The Wizard Of Oys
2) Who Framed Roger Rabbi?
1) Prelude To A Briss

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[ READER COMMENTS ]

1

Brianne said:

I absolutely LOVE your list of suggested movies! How great!

And I agree, there aren't enough "good" Christmas movies out. I adore White Christmas and try to make my husband watch it with me every Christmas. And I saw The Family Man just the other day - I had forgotten how good that one is. The Polar Express is a great movie, which is saying a lot from someone who doesn't "do" Santa.
I guess we'll just have to stick with our old staples until hollywood decideds to give us something more memorable...

Posted at 10:24 AM, on December 3 2006

2

D. said:

Oh my God, that Jewish movie list is hysterical!!!!!

Posted at 07:54 PM, on December 5 2006

Holiday Movies

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