Christmas movies, like Christmas music, need reviewing in a slightly different vein than other forms of entertainment. I’m no believer in cutting holiday movies slack because they’re holiday movies; there are certainly enough good ones that there’s no excuse for watching drivel just because it happens to involve jingle bells.
That said, however, each new holiday movie is seen with a critical eye. Will this movie become a staple of the yearly celebration? Will it stand up to yearly re-watchings, or is it the sort of thing you put on in the background of a holiday party, knowing no one will really be watching it?
The first thing to consider is A Christmas Carol. Dickens’ novella, in many ways, defined the secular Christmas we know and love today, and few would make a list of favorite Christmas films that didn’t include at least one feature-length version. There are animated versions, old versions, new versions. It’s a story that will hold up under countless retellings, and choosing the best becomes, ultimately, a matter of taste. I am quite fond of the musical Albert Finney version, called Scrooge (incredibly cheesy in places, but fun):
Not to be confused with the also-delightful Bill Murray Scrooged. But, and without a wink, my actual favorite has to be The Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s more than a decade old, but wears well all the same. The jokes still work, it’s kid friendly without being condescending, and the scary parts are legitimately creepy. Michael Caine is pitch perfect, not redeeming Scrooge too soon, and preserving Scrooge’s wonderful sense of humor.
Scrooge hates caroling bunnies.
With A Christmas Carol, you’re telling a story everyone knows; it’s the film equivalent of The Nutcracker. (I’ve seen a couple movie adaptations, but I’d give them all a skip and see the ballet live if you can.) Some Christmas movies, while not adapted over and over, have achieved this same mythical status. It’s A Wonderful Life, thanks to syndicated television, certainly makes the grade, and White Christmas does too. (I watch Holiday Inn, mainly because I love Fred Astaire, but its cringe-inducing blackface number means it’s never going to be a mainstream choice again.) The original Miracle on 34th Street, for me, is another that the season doesn’t feel complete without. Though I’ve seen one of the several remakes, I was unimpressed; original, non-colorized all the way.
Yes, please.
These are films that, through annual re-watching, you know by heart, almost shot for shot. It’s hard to keep a critical distance through the combination of familiarity and nostalgia, though when you do, it can yield some interesting results. (I’ve been much more interested in It’s A Wonderful Life once I realized what a dark, unsettling movie it really is.) Repetition can eventually open new aspects of a movie that you weren’t looking for.
Then there are films you know aren’t objectively good, but that you’re so used to watching, you keep watching anyway. My family watched March of the Wooden Soldiers every year, and while Laurel and Hardy are a delight, the rest of the story is pretty feeble. (“Nevermind, Bo Peep” will be stuck in your head forever, though, once it lodges there.)
I’m also fond of the first installment of Tim Allen’s Santa Clause franchise, though neither of the sequels; partly, this is because I loved it as a kid, and was also a big fan of Home Improvement at the time it came out. I know many people who love National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, though I’m a little meh on it; I have nostalgic affection for Home Alone, but no drive to rewatch it. My parents love A Christmas Story, which bored me as a child, but I’ve grown into as an adult.
There are movies that aren’t technically Christmas movies, but have a Christmas element to them. Little Women (1994) definitely fits this bill, as does Edward Scissorhands (but if you’re in the mood for Tim Burton, I’d just go with the stellar The Nightmare Before Christmas instead). Though I think it works better on stage, The Man Who Came to Dinner is certainly considered a classic. And while The Apartment is one of my favorite movies, it doesn’t feel very Christmas-y, despite the centrality of the holidays to the plot.
At the risk of just turning this into a laundry list of holiday films, I will summarize by saying that the holidays are a time to celebrate traditions. For some families, these traditions are musical, or culinary. They might include visits to particular places, or reading particular books. In my family, Christmas always included Christmas films, some the same, some new. (I had never seen Love Actually before this year. I know, horrifying. Bill Nighy, I love you.)
But it’s nice to use my critic powers only for good, and to revisit these annual films like the old friends they are.
The Exploding Macguffin 