Holiday Movies
We're getting into the time of year that I find myself returning to a few key movies that I enjoy. I tend to like ones that capture something meaningful about the season to me instead of a lot of the traditional holiday hits. I've never considered It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th St to be that special. Not to me anyway. Here's what I usually watch at least once or twice over the December span:
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer - Yes, the old Rankin-Bass claymation thing with Burl Ives as the snowman and Herbie the Elf who wants to be a dentist instead of a toy maker. I think there's a deer in there, but I'm still more fond of Yukon Cornelious... although now everytime I hear Cornelious... I hear it being stuttered by Milla Jovovich in the 5th Element. I've seen it every year in my existance and I plan to do so until my stroke. The Rudolph thing... not the Fifth Element. Although I like that one too.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - This is probably not one that people associate with the season, but I place it firmly there. Granted, it's mainly a road flick with Steve Martin and John Candy just trying to get home for Thanksgiving... but it captures a lot of the chaos that lurks around the "perfect" holiday. This may be one of the only films I've seen over 20 times that is a lock to make me tear up. Easily the best John Candy movie out there. And... well...
[Candy and Martin lying in a bed very close together waking up]
Candy: Good morning.
Martin: good morning.
[pause as Martin only sees three hands and that Candy is laying almost on top of him]
Martin: Where's your other hand?
Candy: Between two pillows
Martin: Those aren't pillows!
Scrooged - This is the guilty pleasure. It's just Bill Murray being Bill Murray and it's great. Carol Cane as the pugilistic ghost of christmas present will make me laugh until I have my stroke. This is usually my de-stress movie.
A Christmas Story - This is my sacred holiday movie... if ever I had such a thing. Aside from just being a funny, well told story... it reminds me very much of Christmas growing up. It's not a split your pants laugh riot, nor is it the deepest, most thought provoking film since Schindler's List... it's somewhere in the middle... kinda like the majority of people's lives. I think that's the appeal. Plus... it started Mythbusters on their way with the "Does a person's tongue really stick to a frozen flag pole if licked?"