It’s Christmas week! What better time to fill your days with thoughts of joy and Christmas movies?
For us, the Christmas Movie Watching Season (yes, it’s a proper noun in my book) officially starts sometime around Thanksgiving when Hans Gruber falls off the Nakatomi Plaza. I’ve heard the argument that Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie. To me, it absolutely fits. The whole movie takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning! Even better, good triumphs over evil as the movie ends. Greg likes it so much I bought him a Die Hard themed advent calendar! For the record, Die Hard II is also a great Christmas movie, but sequels are never as good as the original!
Then there are the perennial favorites from our youth, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Comes to Town, and The Little Drummer Boy. The animation technique may not be state-of-the-art today, but producers Rankin and Bass take us back to a simpler time.
You can’t even think about classic favorites of childhood without mentioning A Charlie Brown Christmas! Charlie and Linus remind us of the true meaning of Christmas. Linus with his moment in the spotlight during the play and Charlie Brown as he embraces the Christmas tree that needs him among the glitz of the day (even in the 1960s!).
And let’s not look too askance at Hallmark Christmas movies. Even the “Christmas in July” showcase of the rom-coms can spark a little holiday cheer. Sure the plots are agonizingly similar and some of the acting isn’t the greatest, but they’re universally sweet reminders of the joy of the season. The other night, we were delighted by a new Netflix addition to the rom-com Christmas movie genre – Christmas With You – starring Freddie Prinz Jr. and Aimee Garcia.
When it comes to the classics, White Christmas is my absolute favorite. We sing along with Bing and Rosemary to all our favorite tunes and marvel at the incredible dancing. And, when the men of the fictional 151st Armored Division march into the dining room to surprise the general, my eyes fill with tears along with General Waverly … Every! Time!
There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. ‘Tis the season, cuddle up on the couch and watch a Christmas movie with someone you love!
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