By Zack Mandell
Christmas is a joyful holiday that attracts moviegoers to the theaters throughout the world. While the blockbuster may rule the box office, the best Christmas-themed movies have always captured the attention of audiences. Here are five of the most classic.
1. “A Christmas Carol”
The timeless Charles Dickens story of a miser who has long since lost the spirit of Christmas is a favorite among moviegoers. “A Christmas Carol” has been made into films multiple times, from the 1938 classic staring Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge to the 2009 version with Jim Carrey in the classic role. In between, there’s been a Muppet version, a Smurf version, and even a Disney version with Scrooge McDuck taking the place of Ebenezer. Throughout them all, the classic story of redemption has thrilled audiences. In a single night, the reprehensible Scrooge is reborn into a kind-hearted man, filled with Christmas spirit and ready to make the world a better place. That redemption makes this one of the better Christmas movies out there, no matter which version you watch.
2. “A Christmas Story”
Thanks to the wonders of modern cable television, this 1983 Christmas gem continues to delight audiences decades after its initial release. The film is an homage to days gone by, taking place in small town America in the 1940s. At the center of the plot is young Ralphie, played by Peter Billingsley, who only wants one thing for Christmas that year: an official Red Ryder BB rifle. When he states this wish to his parents, or any adult for that matter, he’s met with a resounding no. Santa even emphasizes the answer with a line that will live on forever in movie quote infamy-“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid”-before kicking Ralphie down a slide attached to his department-store perch. The scene perfectly demonstrates the quirky nature of the film, displaying the casual hostility that Ralphie faces from the world around him and the personal frustration he feels at being thwarted at every turn in his quest for the only Christmas gift worth having.
3. “Miracle on 34th Street”
“Miracle on 34th Street” is another Christmas gem that keeps being remade through the years. The original may still be the best version, though, with more than enough star power to spare. This 1947 version showcases the acting talents of Maureen O’Hara as a world-weary but loving mother who refuses to allow her daughter to believe in Santa Claus. Her own somewhat cynical view of the world is called into question as she’s forced to fire a drunken department store Santa and replace him with a nice old man who looks the part. The old man, played to perfection by Edmund Gwenn, fits the role too well and is soon institutionalized for claiming that he’s the actual Santa. In time, O’Hara, with the help of Santa’s lawyer, played by John Payne, and her daughter Susan, played by a young Natalie Wood, manages to get Santa free. In the process, her cynicism is broken and her belief in miracles is restored. It’s a beautiful story and a great introduction for audiences of the time to Wood, who would later become one of Hollywood’s leading stars.
4. “Christmas Vacation”
Not all classic Christmas movies are about the best aspects of the holiday season. The 1989 film “Christmas Vacation,” which stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo as Clark and Ellen Griswald, sets out to prove that Christmas can sometimes be anything but joyous, no matter how much energy you put into it. The film takes a hilarious look at how good intentions can often go wrong as Clark Griswald sets out to give his family the perfect Christmas. Instead, he ends up with a series of disasters. His house is overdecorated, his boss is a modern-day Scrooge, and his extended family is descending upon him whether he wants them there or not. The resulting movie contains darkly comedic laugh-out-loud moments throughout. As in many other Christmas movies, though, the characters leave the season with their Christmas spirits intact.
5. “It’s a Wonderful Life”
No list of classic Christmas films would be complete without “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This 1946 film is still a fan favorite, with showings every Christmas. Jimmy Stewart heads the cast as George Bailey, a troubled businessman who’s at the end of his rope and looking for answers late one Christmas Eve at the edge of a bridge. Before he jumps, an angel played by Henry Travers gives him a look at the world as it would have been had he never been born. This is a movie about transformation, both the transformation of a town through the existence of one man and the transformation of that man through a look at what may have been. In the end, Stewart’s character is taught the true meaning of Christmas, which is proven to him when he returns home from his near-fatal journey to find the town rallying to his aid. It’s a Christmas movie whose purity of motive has served as a barometer against which subsequent movies have been compared and often found lacking.
Zack Mandell currently owns and manages the movie website, http://www.movieroomreviews.com.
