Kris Rasmussen is certainly one of Idol Chatter’s best bloggers, and her “Best Holiday Moments in Film” article is worth reading if you’re a fan of Christmas movies, blogs, and/or blogs about Christmas movies. We all of have own tastes, and I hope her article triggered thoughts about your own favorites.
Her “Moments” are compelling but only 2 of my own Top Ten were in her list (“A Christmas Carol” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”) Here are my other eight:
“Miracle on 34th Street”: The Closing Argument
Who can deny the magic of when the post office workers drag hundreds and hundreds of mailed letters and deliver them to Kris Kringle. I think we all always wondered where our letters went, and now we knew! They went towards “proving” to the courts that Kris the real Santa!
“Home Alone”: The Church Conversation
It’s about hijinks, goofy bandits, and destructive kids until the moment where it’s really about reconciliation between a scary old man and his son, and between a rowdy boy and his beloved mom. Oh that all Christmases would draw us together like that!
“Home Alone II: Lost in New York”: The Bird-Lady
America’s campus quad is Central Park, and a young boy’s gentle clarity that restores a lonely old woman is outpaced only by his awesome reconciliation with his mother and generosity towards his family.
“Three Days of the Condor”: Big Finish
Now you’re wondering, what was “Christmas” about that R-rated story of CIA intrigue, secret conspiracies, murder and cover-up. Well, it was the Christmas shopping background as Mr. Redford confronts Ms. Dunaway with a fantastic story that’s truly unbelievable, and then the denouement –complete with carolers, Santa, and shopping crowds in the heart of New York–that gives us Redford and Cliff Robertson creating the sublime tension between the truth of Christmas and the reality of our present situation.
“Bells of St. Marys”: Dress Rehearsal
There’s just nothing like some young children explaining to Bing Crosby the nuances of the Christmas story–without seminary or even flannel board. The gentle truth empowered a generation.
“Fitzwilly”: Christmas Caper
Okay, this is not on most famous lists, but it’s a rare and lost find if you can hunt it down. Dick Van Dyke brings dignity to a declining widow’s estate through, well, burglary, only to find out that true love conquers his vices and honest giftings provide for the widow’s lifestyle. It was simpler time and I long for it.
“Jingle All the Way”: Everyone’s Hero
Procrastinating Ah-nold’s single-minded focus upon bringing the right gift for his son results in comedic brawl with Sinbad and then the climactic reconciliation scene where his son exclaims “I’ve got the real thing right here!”
“A Charlie Brown Christmas”: Step Up, Linus!
Yes, it never made the big screen, but the small screen version almost never made it to the screen as the CBS execs thought it was “too slow,” at least according to a 2005 USA Today article. Linus’ simple recital of the Gospel According to Luke was among the clearest gospel pronunciations that even Sunday School kids had heard, and its truth makes the show worth finding and watching this TV season.
Okay, you now have two lists. Go ahead and submit yours below!
