Tag Christmas

The almost annual Christmas movie review

Michael 2 Comments

Welcome to the almost annual Christmas movie review! This year, the non-Christmas Christmas movies.

Did you know that some group out there surveyed the entire country about their favorite non-Christmas movies that are set during Christmas time. I know it was the whole country because the nice people on the TV news desperately searching for filler material found this report and it included a map of the U.S. noting each state’s favorite. I assume they mean the movie most commonly cited by the survey participants in those states, but “they” said the state’s favorite so let’s go with that.

Surprisingly, none of the favorites included “The Poseidon Adventure” which I think is a dandy Christmas-set non-Christmas movie even though it’s really set on New Year’s Eve. That counts as the Christmas “season,” right? The most often mentioned movie was or is depending on how current this information is (filler, remember), is “Mean Girls.” Only one state named “Die Hard” as their favorite which is where it belongs. Err, in the Christmas-set non-Christmas movie category, not just in one state. Although as a Christmas-set non-Christmas movie it’s really not that good. So there’s a tree it in. Big freaking deal. If the line had been written as “Yippie ki yay fella” it would have disappeared 3 months after its release. Anyway, the second most cited movie was/is lGremlins.” I suppose that’s reasonable.

But that was them. This is me. And naturally, I have my own ideas, just as I did in the most recent almost annual Christmas movie review when we discussed (haha, when I told you), the best Christmas movie ever (i.e. my favorite that year), I will lead you gently to the most Christmassy Christmas-set non-Christmas movie.

It’s quite amazing how many such movies there are. For some reason, the first that comes to mind is “When Harry met Sally,” although, like Poseidon, that leans more to New Year’s. And then that makes me thinks of “Ocean’s Eleven,” the good one (aka the original) which also is set mostly on New Year’s Eve. But with all the planning that went on, you know there was a Christmas tree and presents exchanged upstairs in Mr. Acebos’ living room.

A good choice that is, but there are other Christmas-set non-Christmas movies from the golden years of cinema. Let’s look at some of them.

For those who can’t imagine Edward G. Robinson in a Santa Suit there’s “Larceny, Inc.” from 1942. If you watch it, you will still have to imagine him thusly costumed because he wears a regular suit in it all the way through, but the action does take place during the Christmas shopping season.

Another possibility is 1946’s “Lady in the Lake.” I wrote about it a few years ago and mentioned that even though the opening credits of the movie were presented in a series of Christmas cards, Christmas carols provided the background music, trees and wreaths are prominently displayed, and one scene even opened with a recitation of Dickens “A Christmas Carol” playing on the radio, the Philip Marlowe mystery definitely is not a Christmas movie, merely another Christmas-set non-Christmas movie.

But my favorite Christmas-set non-Christmas movie from those olden, golden years is “The Thin Man,” the Hackett and Goodrich adaption of Dashiell Hammett’s mostly fun murder mystery featuring Nick and Nora Charles. The story begins some unspecified time before the end of the year that I contend was around Thanksgiving, and concludes with them on a train heading home where they disembark on New Year’s Eve, encompassing the entirety of the Christmas season. How much non-Christmassy can you get.

That’s all folks!

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The holidays bring a sense of generosity and togetherness. We can maintain this spirit throughout the year.  Small acts of kindness create a caring and enthusiastic world.
If you think that’s profound, you should read the rest of Do Unto Others. You know, life is life lived alone

But before you go look, have you still not thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website? In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Friday Flashback repost of one of our most loved publications. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.

Sneak non-peek, ‘Tis the Season

Michael 3 Comments

Are you feeling holiday stress now Ethan we deep into the Winter Holiday Stress Zone? I bet is not the same stress I’m feeling.


Stress. We were reminded of that when we were talking about how quickly the year has gone, bringing us to the annual Winter Holiday Stress Zone. That is how we describe the days that begin at Halloween and end with January 2. And that’s not meant in a bad way.

Stress is a funny thing. Ask most people what they think of when they hear the word stress and you may hear things like stress management and stress relief, stress hives and stress headaches or maybe stress test or stress fracture.

The dictionary stresses a different side of stress.

I’m going to stop there. I don’t want to give away all of it!  It’s another sneak peek but that’s all you’re getting today. That’s part of a post we published to ROAMcare last November. ‘Tis the Season talked about the good stress of the holidays and every other day. We’re featuring it in tomorrow’s Flashback Friday.

You can read it all of tomorrow, by subscribing to Uplift today.Join the ROAMcare community and subscribe to have Uplift delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website. In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly our Monday Moment of Motivation and the email exclusive Flashback Friday repost of one of our most loved publications every Friday. All free and available now at ROAMcare.org.

I know. I’m getting mean in my old age.

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Watchful Waiting

Michael 7 Comments

Throughout the western Christian world, Advent begins this week. A season often lost among the secular preps for the Christmas holidays. Advent is a time of watchful waiting with its own traditions and music, not unlike all the religions that I can think of that incorporate some sort of waiting for or ramping up to the “big” holiday. And like Advent, most often those periods are met with somewhat tepid responses.

Like most Americans, we’re probably waiting for Santa. And let’s face it, we’re not exactly great at waiting. Christmas decorations already are up everywhere, including office lobbies, restaurants, and airports. And I bet most of you reading this have your houses decked out too. Granted, there are only 25 days until Christmas, but I’d say over half of those decorations were put up more than a week ago.

We really don’t like to wait. I was out for Thanksgiving dinner. After the meal, our hostess asked if anyone wanting coffee. “I’ll warn you,” she said, “it’s from a Keurig so you’re going to have to wait for it.” Last time I checked, my Keurig spits out a cup of coffee in abut 30 seconds. Quelle horreur!

We complain about waiting in line and we complain about waiting on hold (but companies who insist on using robo-answerers instead of human operators deserve all the complaints you can throw at them). We look for the fastest route to wherever were driving and the shortest lines at the local mega-mart.

We can use a period like Advent to slow down and appreciate all the season has to offer. Imagine the calm you might experience if for each day in December you spend a quiet moment in meditation, solitude, prayer, or just staring out the window and enjoy a moment not spent in cleaning, decorating, baking, writing and mailing cards and packages, and complaining about where all the time goes. Doesn’t matter where, it just goes.

I think I’d take some of those moments for yourself before someone else gets to them.

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Time again for a shameless plug for the latest Uplift blog post. Even though Thanksgiving is over, it’s still a good read about how it’s a good time to celebrate our love and dysfunction. Yep, they really do go together. Despite life’s imperfections, it’s still a celebration worth being thankful for.

But before you go look, have you still not thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website? In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Friday Flashback repost of one of our most loved publications. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.

Jingle all the way

Michael 5 Comments

Jingle all the way and other random notes from the depths of my cobwebbed brain.

Happy Veterans Day dear fellow veterans. You would think in 14 years I’d have published 14 Veterans Day posts. A search for “Veterans Day” turned up three. I don’t believe it. I am sure I wrote more than three. I am also sure I’m not to go looking for them all. I think I’ve earned a year off the seemingly required uttering of the, pardon my frankness, trite “Thank you for your service.” What started as a beautiful sentiment is now a mere platitude of the sort as “have a nice day.” Yes, some people are sincere, very sincere. Most are not. As a veteran I’d rather you return the favor and start serving those who served. You surely know someone who served. Look to them as examples. Phone calls, meals, random cards, offers to cut grass, shovel snow, rake leaves made to the older vets. In today’s Moment of Motivation at the ROAMcare site we will just the millions who pay tribute today. Our thought for the day, “They came from all over for all different reasons. They served for only one. Look to their example. Find your reason to be of service.”

Now for some positive news from Jingle’s dog house. Actually, he doesn’t have a house. He has his own room at my daughter’s house. I figured it was time you had an update to how the little tri-pawed is doing. When we last left our hero, he was adapting nicely to life on three legs. You will recall due to an osteosarcoma he had his left front leg and shoulder amputated. That was just over a month ago. Since then he has started chemotherapy. He goes once every 3 weeks for 6 treatments. His first was 2 weeks ago and after being a little groggy from the sedatives, the very next day he bounced back to normal in all his Jingle-ness. He even is back to 1&1/2 to 2 mile morning walks every day. Their regular route takes them past my house and occasionally he stops in for water and to have his ears scratched. Daughter is doing well also. He has impressed us all so much over this month that he will be featured in this week’s Uplift when we talk about resilience. Mark your calendar to read that one.

Thanksgiving is still on, right? I notice all of last last week’s food centered supermarkets had ads that featured turkeys and fall foliage to highlight their ample supplies of frozen turkeys, fresh cranberries, and the sweetest sweet potatoes this side of Marshmallow Fluff. But walk into the store and you are greeted with 8 foot tall candy canes, fake fireplaces with fake snow, sparkly lights, and tree shaped peanut butter cups. The mega-mart sized stores where food is just a sideline skipped the pretense and went straight Christmas in their ads. Ten foot skeletons were replaced with ten foot snowmen in the store displays and Jingle Bells (the musical kind) played through the PA systems. I like the season. But it should start after Santa rolls up during the Thanksgiving Day parade just like Mr. Macy planned it.

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Here we are again. That place where I say go look at the latest Uplift blog post. We’re confident you’ll like this post about self-help.

But before you go look, have you still not thought about joining the ROAMcare community and have the weekly Uplift blog delivered to your email as soon as it hits the website? In addition to an Uplift release every Wednesday, you will also receive weekly a Monday Moment of Motivation, and our email exclusive Friday Flashback repost of one of our most loved publications. All free and available now at  ROAMcare.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Christmas to All

Michael 3 Comments

Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good start for
a healthy, happy new year!

Buon Natale

Frohe Weihnachten

Veselé Vánoce

Joyeux Noël

Nollaig Shona

Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus

Feliz Navidad

Hyvää Joulua

Boldog Karácsonyt

Feliz Natal

Nadolig Llawen

Mutlu Noeller

Geseënde Kersfees

Selamat Hari Natal

Linksmų Kalėdų

Gëzuar Krishtlindjet

Sretan Božić

Glædelig jul

Maligayang Pasko

Häid jõule

Wesołych Świąt

Καλά Χριστούγεννα

Lorem Nativitatis

Merry Christmas!

Our gift from ROAMcare to you is finding 7 gifts that make the best re-gifts. Read It’s Better to Re-Give here.

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The Bishop’s Christmas Movie

Michael 14 Comments

If you’re keeping track, it’s the first Monday in December which really means nothing most years but this year I remembered so it’s time for my Kind of Yearly When I Remember It Annual Holiday Movie Special Post. It’s not a “best of” list or even “my favorites” list. You see, every year I seem to find a new holiday to be my current favorite. “I say my current favorite because like children there can be no real favorite among Christmas movies. The favorite is the one making you smile today or remember yesterday, the one encouraging a perfect alternative to an imperfect world and providing an escape from the ordinary.” That was true in the 2019 version of this post, was true before I wrote that, and is true today.

There are so many movies to pick from. Christmas movies, real Christmas movies, not the movie mill versions put out by television networks that would have been better off sticking to greeting cards, come in two varieties…this who ask of a great deal of suspension of disbelief such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” and those that seem they could have been plucked from among your own family movies like “Love the Coopers.” This year’s choice falls between. It certainly asks for a great deal of suspension of disbelief but is the perfect alternative to the imperfect world as seen through a rather special home movie.

There is something for everybody in this year’s favorite.  For the lover of classic film Elsa Lanchester shows up now and then. Intellectuals will enjoy seeing Monty Woolley and for the more down to earth there is a scene or two featuring James Gleason. Gladys Cooper is the perfect gift for those who look for high society types in their movies. The lover of all things continental will love seeing David Niven, the lover of poise and grace will love seeing Loretta Young, and lover of people whose very lives beg for a suspension of disbelief will love seeing Archibald Alec Leach. Once told by an interviewer, “Everybody would like to be Cary Grant”, Grant is said to have replied, “So would I.” And so Archibald spent his life becoming Cary Grant.

If you haven’t recognized it from that cast list, the movie is “The Bishop’s Wife,” David Niven is the bishop, Loretta Young the wife, and Cary Grant is an angel is disguise. Actually, not much of a disguise as he tells the bishop at their first meeting that he is an angel sent to help the bishop once the bishop figures out where he needs help.

The story of the making of “The Bishop’s Wife” is as much a story as the movie itself. Originally Niven was cast as the angel and Grant the bishop. There are differing accounts if producer Samuel Goldwyn or director Henry Koster made the switch, but there is no question the role reversal worked to the movie’s benefit. Critic Bodley Crowther wrote, “it comes very close to being the most enchanting picture of the year.” (New York Times, Dec. 10, 1947) It’s also been said Grant did not want to switch roles but did at Goldwyn’s insistence. Considering Archibald turned himself into Cary it was a piece of cake for Cary to turn his bishop demeanor into that of a charmingly charismatic guardian angel.

The movie is Christmas. It is most of what anybody would want to expect from any holiday. It’s charming, delightful, thoughtful, warm, and fells like an old friend. If it doesn’t leave you with a tear starting to form, if not already running down your cheek by the final scene, then you have no soul. Adapted from Robert Nathan’s novel, it was not well received in 1947, audiences feeling it to be too religious. In 2023, I find it perfect to be this year’s favorite holiday movie. Maybe it’s time we get some religion in us. That would be a true escape from the ordinary.

Merry Holidays!

Does stress get a bad rap? Most people find stress distressing especially during this season. Don’t let that stop you from finding a positive way to think about stress and enjoy these days! Read how we stress the better side of stress in ‘Tis the Season,” the most recent edition of Uplift! at ROAMcare.org.

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It’s that time again

Michael 12 Comments

It’s that time again. You have one person on your list and after a month’s worth of early holiday sales, you still don’t have anything for her. Or him. Or them. Not even an idea.

Fortunately, you’re in luck. We’ve entered that no man’s land of take no prisoners marketing blitz that falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Get ready for it. Every day will bring a new email from some company you bought one thing from 18 years ago before you even had an email address. Your physical mailbox will be bulging with sales flyers for stores around the corner than you thought closed last April. Television and radio will exchange political ads for “The very very last chance at Black Friday savings!” sale ads. And even the grocery stores will line their entrances with poinsettias, wreathes, and 6 foot inflatable Santa and reindeer yard balloons.

Speaking of yards, I was amazed at how many yards were over-the-top decorated for Halloween this year and the number of huge (like 10 foot tall huge) skeletons and Jack Skellington replicas. I am happy to report that many of the people in my neighborhood who spent hundreds of dollars on these monster size monstrosities have repurposed them for Christmas by soliciting their giant skeletons to help string lights across the front of the house. Very festive.

Back to business though, you can also count on your sleepy neighborhood hardware store to fill their parking lot with every Christmas character from Santa and his sleigh to a life size nativity set all in inflatable forms, and a special section inside devoted to “As Seen On TV” leftovers.

Excluding paper routes and summer grass cutting/winter snow shoveling gigs, the first real job I had was working for Gimbels department stores during college semester breaks. Admittedly that was in a different century, way way back in a different century when the day after Thanksgiving was just the day after Thanksgiving, no fancy name to it other than the “official” start of the Christmas season and sales were still four weeks away. You wanted door-busters back then, show up at 7 on the morning of the day after Christmas. Now those were sales! Anyway, I still recall being told I was not only there to run the cash register and suggest our gift wrapping services available at the service desk. I was also there to help, make suggestions, and see that the customer found what he, or she (those were the only choices then) wanted.

If you haven’t had any luck shopping for that elusive perfect present for your special him or her or it while shopping over the previous week’s many iterations of Pre-Black Friday, Every Day is Black Friday, Black Friday, Black Friday Weekend, and Cyber Monday, and toss in Small Business Saturday, you aren’t going to get it now, so don’t bother to look any more. Instead, maybe check out the crafts aisle in the dollar store, spend a ten spot and make something personal for the one person in your list you can never buy anything for.

She or he or they probably won’t like it, but they’ll love you for trying because after all that is what the season is all about. And don’t bother with a gift receipt. It won’t be returned.

Especially during this season, we know we can never say it enough. Read why we say saying thank you for the little things in your life makes a big difference to it. We can never say it enough is our most recent Uplift! article, and did we thank you for reading it yet?

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Dear Santa

Michael 6 Comments

I was asking just last week, do kids still write letters to Santa Claus? For many children, the Letter to Santa was their first exposure to letter writing and a sneaking way for parents to teach their children the etiquette of personal correspondence. But now in this time of text messages, emails, and social media direct messaging, are the parents even aware of letter writing and getting that all so important wish list to the big guy at the North Pole?

Fast forward a few days to just last weekend and I uncovered some answers to some of those questions. Yes indeed, children still write letters to Santa, and the United States Postal Service is there to help. Who better than the USPS to promote letter writing, even if just to Santa? And they do it in an intriguingly organized program that nearly everyone can join, Operation Santa.

In 1912 (that’s 110 years ago!), Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock created Santa’s first mailroom and officially authorized local postmasters to open up letters sent to Santa, and when possible, to answer the children. Sometime in the 1940s the program was open to the public and the current program was born. Operation Santa has four “steps.” Children write and mail letters to Santa (if they, or their parents, need help with that, the USPS even has letter templates available on line), volunteer letter “adopters” read the letters and as much as they can fill the children’s wishes, they buy, wrap, and ship the presents, and the kids get a surprise under the Christmas  tree. 

There is more to the program than that simple outline but not much. Letters have to go to an official Santa address (123 Elf Rd., North Pole 88888). People who are interested in adopting letters must be vetted by the USPS. Only US residents can send and adopt letters.

I tried to find out how many children have had Christmas wishes granted through this program or how many individuals and teams have adopted letters but couldn’t dig those figures up. That might be proof that the USPS is serious about their commitment to keep personal identifying information of letter writers and adopters secure. I also tried to find out why I never heard about this before. You readers know better than anybody how arcane some of the information I share is, yet this didn’t even make it to my radar screen.  If you’re as intrigue by Operation Santa as I am, you can find all the information you could even ever want, or at least enough to join up, at the official Operation Santa website.  

Merry letter writing to all, and to all a good present!

On a related note, December 7 was National Letter Writing Day. In a day of quick text messages and emails, letter writing sets you free to pour your thoughts out completely, taking part in an activity so special you may call it noteworthy. Naturally we at ROAMcare had some ideas about letter writing in general. Read our letter to letter writers everywhere here.

📷 USPS Operation Santa

 

The sort of annual way too talked about Christmas movie controversy and why I’m right again

Michael 12 Comments

It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving and that can mean only one thing. Well it could mean billions and billions of things but if you’re here (and clearly you are) it means it’s time for this year’s My Favorite Christmas Movie post. If it’s my favorite why do we need to rehash this every year? Because, “I say my current favorite because like children there can be no real favorite among Christmas movies. The favorite is the one making you smile today or remember yesterday, the one encouraging a perfect alternative to an imperfect world and providing an escape from the ordinary.” –Me, 12/5/2019. One more thing. It’s the sort of annual because I missed a year here and there. Maybe more than here and there but I’ve done a lot of them!

This year I started watching Christmas movies early and I’ve already seen close to a dozen of them. And only one of them had “Christmas” in the title. And that got me wondering, how many movies have been released as Christmas movies and included the word Christmas in the title? There are plenty of movies and you often know from the title you are going to be in a holiday themed show, but in the grand scheme of things, precious few come right out and mention the word “Christmas” or even “Holiday” and leave no doubt. (Just so there is no doubt, Twentieth Century Fox and John McTierman could have shimmied out on that limb and title the 1988 disaster of a flick “Die Hard on Christmas Eve” and it still wouldn’t be a Christmas movie.)

“Miracle on 34th Street” could be about any inexplicable event happening in New York City in December but it’s pretty clear we’re talking Santa, and “Elf” could be about cookie bakers living in hollow trees but again Santa clarifies that point. The majority of Christmas movie titles themselves can be addressing almost anything. “Love, Actually” could be a garden variety romcom. “The Polar Express” might be an Agatha Christie mystery gone north. “Home Aline” could be about the plight of inner city latch key kids, “The Apartment” might be a prequel to “Rent,” and “Meet Me in St. Louis” a travelogue. Even my favorite from last year, which is still a favorite in any year, “Remember the Night” might be about the sinking of the Titanic if your memory is just a little faulty.

So I did some research and I tried to dig up all the Christmas movies with Christmas in the title. Naturally I mean theatrical releases, not Hallmark or Lifetime or any other movie mill cable network holiday offerings. It’s not an exhaustive list but a list until I became exhausted by it. (And you won’t find “Black Christmas” and “Christmas Evil” among them because even though they have Christmas in the title, see the Die Hard in Christmas Eve explanation above. And unfortunately you will not find “A Charlie Brown Christmas” among them either because it was released directly to television.)

  • A Christmas Carol (all 20-some versions)
  • A Christmas Story
  • A Christmas Story 2 (really, from 2012)
  • A Christmas to Remember (I didn’t)
  • A Muppet Christmas Carol
  • Christmas in Connecticut
  • Christmas in July
  • Christmas with the Kranks
  • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • White Christmas

Almost all worthy to carry the word Christmas in their titles, there are a couple that stand out for me. “Christmas in Connecticut” stars Barbara Stanwyck and that’s never a bad thing, and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” made moose head egg nog cups complete with antlers THE gift in the early 1990s. But of them all, my favorite Christmas movie with Christmas in the title has to be “White Christmas.” It has singing, dancing, comedy, romance, a gruff old guy and a gruffer old gal. It’s one of only two movies with Vera-Ellen that I can name off the top of my head (“On the Town” is the other), and it’s just plain fun. How can you not look at the final scene when the wall opens and the first snowfall of the year is blanketing the Vermont countryside and not smile about it.  

What was that I said? “The favorite is the one making you smile today or remember yesterday.” I’d say “White Christmas” does a little of both. 

Merry Christmas Movies everyone!

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There aren’t any post about Christmas movies but there are lots of articles on refreshing your enthusiasm for life and finding the motivation to push through the day everyday at ROAMcare.org. I’d be honored if you were to visit.

I remember…

Michael 5 Comments

Oh we are so very close. Just a couple days separate us from Christmas which means it’s well past time for a Christmas movie post.

I didn’t talk about Christmas movies last year. We were too busy praying. Actually, one can never be too busy praying but last year I put the prayer out in public. But this year, let’s talk movies again.

I’ve visited this subject four time before, the most recent from 2019 when I revealed my then current favorite Christmas movie. At the time I said, “I say my current favorite because like children there can be no real favorite among Christmas movies. The favorite is the one making you smile today or remember yesterday, the one encouraging a perfect alternative to an imperfect world and providing an escape from the ordinary.” I stand by that thought still. There can be no favorite among the 873 bazillion holiday film offerings, even if only a handful are truly good movies. If they make you feel good, then they are. Except Die Hard. It isn’t, it never was, it never will be, end of discussion, period. (And it’s not a western either even though the main character does say, “Yippee ki yay.”)

When you get down to it, almost any of our favorite “Christmas movies” can be reworked to be set in some other month, some other season, with some other set decorations, and would play just as well. Maybe we set the bar too low for what we expect of holiday film fare. Maybe we really need those classics that wouldn’t work any other time of the year. Ebeneezer Scrooge would not convey the same sense of repentance in August. A Christmas Carol is a Christmas movie.

My current favorite most likely would work any other time of the year. In fact, the basic story is released dozens of times every year, and I’m surprised Hallmark or Lifetime or whoever churns out a new Christmas story every evening between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve hasn’t lifted the very plot for one of theirs. My current favorite wasn’t even in the theaters at Christmas, its general release coming in mid-January although it had a Boston release on New Year’s Day. That’s not at all unusual. There are more Christmas movies released in the summer months than any other time. Many studios feel winter releases won’t generate the type of first weekend or first month income their investors demand. One of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, Miracle on 34th Street, was released in June, the classic White Christmas was released in October, and for the younger crowd, it was barely October when Elf arrived. However, you have to give credit to George Minter Productions who managed to get the definitive Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge released on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. in 1951. No, release date does not a Christmas movie make.

If you are to go by set decorations and locations, it would be difficult to call my current favorite a very Christmassy Christmas movie. The tree in the Poseidon Adventure gets more screen time and there are few, precious few, presents unwrapped. Most of the action is in a court room and there is one scene where our top credited stars milk a cow. Other than snippets of “Jingle Bells” heard occasionally, there is no Christmas music in a movie featuring a half dozen full songs. Appearances don’t seem to make a Christmas movie either.

So what does make a Christmas movie and why should my current favorite rank so high this year? It has the same unknown last year’s favorite has. Imperfect characters making imperfect plans, and ordinary people doing ordinary things while dealing with ordinary problems. Somehow, among all that mediocrity come glimpses of joy until the end when you find yourself smiling amid the improbability of a happily every after ever happening and the true desire to wish it could.

2021-12-22 (1)My current favorite Christmas movie is the 1940 production of “Remember the Night,” pairing Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck four years before they team up to become the couple you love to hate in “Double Indemnity.” Here they are the non-couple you want so badly to become the couple you love. All the printed synopses are blah. The story they describe isn’t the movie at all. I saw this movie years ago and promptly forgot about it. Maybe it was where I was in my life. Maybe I wasn’t looking for joy. I saw it in the summer and maybe the joy was there but lost in the stifling heat of July. I saw it again a few years ago at Christmas and fell in love with it. This year I can’t get enough of it. To me, it really is “a perfect alternative to an imperfect world.”

As I was doing some research for this post, I discovered it is #69 on Rotten Tomatoes list of top Christmas movies. There are any number of questionable offerings ranked higher, including their number 2, but at least Die Hard isn’t among them and that my friends, is this year’s true Christmas miracle!

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Watch “Remember the Night” trailer