Festive Yuletide Flicks, Part 1

Along with a multitude of others, the holiday season is my favorite time of year. It’s a time of joyfulness, peace and goodwill. To me, movies, like the holidays, serve as pastimes that offer a similar sense of imagination, leisure, and magic. In that vein, I decided to pull together some of my favorite movies that celebrate the holidays, in some form or another. Some of these festive flicks might take place solely during the holidays and some might just have a few Christmas-y parts that still create a merry mood.

White Christmas (1954)
A perennial favorite in my family, this musical comedy (shot in gorgeous VistaVision) follows a showbiz team (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) that meets a pair of song-and-dance sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen). The fellas travel with the sister act to a Vermont lodge where the ladies are scheduled to perform a Christmas show. The foursome arrives at the New England inn and encounters an old friend who’s down on his luck. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers join forces to help deliver a bit of a Christmas miracle.

White Christmas is an enchanting and timeless holiday classic with a beloved Irving Berlin score, including favorites like “Sisters,” “Count Your Blessing Instead of Sheep,” “Mandy,” and the title song, “White Christmas.” Aside from the highly enjoyable performances from the four leads, the delightful character actress, Mary Wickes steals every scene she appears in as the comical hotel housekeeper. Listen for Bing Crosby’s amusing turns of phrase that add to the charm of White Christmas, particularly in the largely adlibbed "midnight snack" scene with Rosemary Clooney. Fifty-five years later, and this cinematic gem remains a go-to holiday favorite!

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

For as long as I can remember, my big brother would watch this classic every Christmas Eve. When I was young, it seemed too long and bleak for me, so I never gave it a chance. But a few years ago, I finally gave it a viewing and now, It’s a Wonderful Life holds a big spot in my heart as one of my favorite films ever (not just for the holidays). Aside from my eternal adoration of the movie’s star, James Stewart, I consider It’s a Wonderful Life to be one of director Frank Capra’s finest.

Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a decent man who's spent a lifetime giving up on his dreams in order to helps others and support his hometown of Bedford Falls. When a guardian angel named Clarence (played by the delightful Henry Travers) finds a dejected George about to jump off a bridge, he shows George what life would've been like had he never been born.

In true Capra-esque style, we learn that, even if the cards are stacked against us and despite the sacrifices and challenges life throws at us, these experiences are not in vain. While those around George may have found wealth and glory, after all he’d been through, George was a well-respected man with a loving family who upheld his principles. The people he'd sacrificed for were willing to support him and help him in his greatest time of need because they admired him for his selflessness and values. He built a meaningful life for himself, helping others along the way. And, as Clarence reminds us, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

Elf (2003)

A more modern holiday favorite, I can recall happily anticipating this movie while studying for my college exams back in 2003. It promised an original Christmas story with some heart and humor and it didn’t disappoint. Elf tells the story of Buddy (Will Ferrell), a grown man who was raised as an elf in the North Pole. Gradually becoming aware of his differences from the other elves in Santa’s workshop, Buddy decides to leave for New York City to find his birth father.

This journey to an unknown world presents lots of new experiences and encounters for the sweet-natured Buddy that viewers get to experience through his ingenuous eyes. Along the way, Buddy’s infectious charm brings joy and Christmas cheer to the young-at-heart and a renewed sense of belief to the cynics.

Elf is a fun and silly family Christmas movie with moments of syrupy (please excuse the pun) merriment and exaggerated gags, yet stops short of being overly preachy, nicely balancing between sentiment and cynicism. Buddy the elf reminds us how to enjoy the holidays with child-like revelry and completely immerse ourselves in Christmas cheer, which helps make the season brighter!

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Along with Elf, this holiday classic helps bring cheer to the skeptics and captures the magical Christmas spirit for believers. At the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the stand-in for Santa shows up smashed and unable to fulfill his duties, so Macy’s events coordinator, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara) finds the perfect replacement, an eccentric, old bearded gentleman. The kind man is amazingly convincing as jolly Saint Nick and his services are expanded, being recruited as Macy’s store Santa. Doris soon learns that this man calls himself Kris Kringle and claims to be the actual Santa Claus. The cynical Doris, who discards all notions of belief and fantasy (passing on the same opinions to her young daughter – played by Natalie Wood), grows apprehensive, especially when the old man is committed to an asylum for insisting he is the real Sinter Klaas.

Doris’ neighbor, Fred Gaily befriends Kris Kringle and agrees to represent him in the fight to secure his release. What ensues is a spectacular hearing in which people's beliefs are reexamined and put to the test.

Edmund Gwenn gave an utterly enchanting performance as Kris Kringle and was justly awarded an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his role. Miracle on 34th Street is a whimsical holiday classic that underlines the blind faith and innocent wisdom often found in children and those who delight in the holiday season. Rather than protest about the commercialism that has overshadowed the holiday for years, this movie encourages viewers to adopt a sense of make believe and fantasy and make room for the possibility of a Christmas miracle!

Love Actually (2003)

This romantic dramedy features an all-star ensemble cast and tells the stories of a handful of separate, but intertwining relationships in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Set almost entirely in London, these relationships of romantic and platonic love span all ages and social levels, with some characters falling in love, some falling out of love, and some who are lonely, but still holding out hope for that special someone.

Love Actually isn’t strictly a holiday movie, but it’s theme of the ubiquity of love and varying degrees of goodwill is especially meaningful at Christmastime. The movie’s refreshing, light-hearted mix of sentiment and humor make Love Actually an enduring favorite for any time of the year.

Eloise at Christmastime (2003)
This television movie, based on the legendary children's books by Kay Thompson, follows little rabble-rouser Eloise (Sofia Vassilieva) during her Christmas escapades at New York’s Plaza Hotel, which she calls home, along with her faithful Nanny (Julie Andrews). Mr. Peabody, the owner of the Plaza, welcomes his newly engaged daughter Rachel home for the holidays. When Eloise learns that Rachel is an old flame of her friend (and Plaza waiter), Bill, she sets a plan in motion to help bring the young former couple back together. Other hijinx ensue, paired with an exhausting, but glorious holiday shopping spree, some fun Christmas musical moments, and plenty of laughs.

My mother read the “Eloise” books to me and my sister as we were growing up, so it was fun to see the characters come to life in this TV movie. Julie Andrews perfectly embodies the demure, but sometimes spunky character of Nanny, summoning that cheeky Cockney accent from her My Fair Lady days. All things considered, Eloise at Christmastime is a light, cheerful jaunt for those looking to brighten their holiday spirits.

Some more of my yuletide favorites will follow, but until then, feel free to share some of your go-to holiday movies!