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Winter holiday film favorites
Thursday, December 24th, 2020 03:14 pmA few days ago, I asked about favorite winter holiday episodes/specials of fannish shows. Thank you for the recommendations!
Today, may I ask about your favorite winter holiday movies? These would be standalone feature films or made-for-TV movies, not specials (like my precious, precious Rankin-Bass holiday specials) or spin-offs from shows.
My own personal all-time favorite is the original Miracle on 34th Street (1947), preferably in black-and-white. I pretty much love everything about it. I watch it every year on the evening of US Thanksgiving. It makes me happy.
My runner up is The Night They Saved Christmas (1984), which is set in my home state, and which I watched on TV as a child. I know it's not an extraordinarily good movie, but I love it. In the midst of what you could expect from many a family '80s Christmas made-for-TV movie with Santa and the North Pole, there is also an aching subplot in which some of the characters believe the rest of their family has died, and they have to go on without them (though in the end, everyone is okay). And did I mention it is set in my home state, and is almost realistic!? Nothing is set in my home state, never mind remotely realistically! (Okay, not literally "nothing," but you know what I mean. ~grin~)
An odd -- I'm all with the odd! -- third place goes to Bed of Roses (1996), which has barely three scenes set at Christmas, and that all goes wrong, so maybe it shouldn't count as a Christmas movie at all. But I just love this bittersweet movie about broken people trying hard, and I think of it at Christmas. (Also While You Were Sleeping (1995), which is in some ways similar, but much lighter fare and happier ending than Bed of Roses.)
Also An American Christmas Carol (1979) starring Henry Winkler as Scrooge.
Today, may I ask about your favorite winter holiday movies? These would be standalone feature films or made-for-TV movies, not specials (like my precious, precious Rankin-Bass holiday specials) or spin-offs from shows.
My own personal all-time favorite is the original Miracle on 34th Street (1947), preferably in black-and-white. I pretty much love everything about it. I watch it every year on the evening of US Thanksgiving. It makes me happy.
My runner up is The Night They Saved Christmas (1984), which is set in my home state, and which I watched on TV as a child. I know it's not an extraordinarily good movie, but I love it. In the midst of what you could expect from many a family '80s Christmas made-for-TV movie with Santa and the North Pole, there is also an aching subplot in which some of the characters believe the rest of their family has died, and they have to go on without them (though in the end, everyone is okay). And did I mention it is set in my home state, and is almost realistic!? Nothing is set in my home state, never mind remotely realistically! (Okay, not literally "nothing," but you know what I mean. ~grin~)
An odd -- I'm all with the odd! -- third place goes to Bed of Roses (1996), which has barely three scenes set at Christmas, and that all goes wrong, so maybe it shouldn't count as a Christmas movie at all. But I just love this bittersweet movie about broken people trying hard, and I think of it at Christmas. (Also While You Were Sleeping (1995), which is in some ways similar, but much lighter fare and happier ending than Bed of Roses.)
Also An American Christmas Carol (1979) starring Henry Winkler as Scrooge.
