A Seasonal Celebration: Exploring Overlooked Holiday Movies
Something that bothers concerning a lot of contemporary holiday features is their excessive self-consciousness – the gaudy decor, the formulaic soundtrack tunes, and the stilted dialogue about the real spirit of the festive period. Perhaps because the genre was not ossified into routine, movies from the 1940s often tackle Yuletide from increasingly imaginative and less neurotic perspectives.
The Fifth Avenue Happening
An cherished gem from sifting through 1940s holiday fare is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 lighthearted comedy with a clever premise: a happy-go-lucky vagrant winters in a empty posh mansion each year. That season, he invites new acquaintances to live with him, including a ex-soldier and a teenager who happens to be the daughter of the mansion's wealthy owner. Filmmaker Roy Del Ruth imbues the picture with a makeshift family coziness that many contemporary holiday stories have to labor to earn. The film perfectly occupies the space between a class-conscious commentary on affordable living and a charming city romance.
Godfathers in Tokyo
The late filmmaker's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers is a fun, heartbreaking, and thoughtful version on the holiday tale. Inspired by a western picture, it follows a group of homeless people – an drinker, a transgender woman, and a teenage runaway – who discover an discarded infant on Christmas Eve. Their journey to locate the baby's family unleashes a chain of unexpected events involving crime lords, newcomers, and seemingly magical encounters. The animation embraces the wonder of chance frequently found in Christmas flicks, offering it with a stylish aesthetic that sidesteps overly sweet sentiment.
The John Doe Story
While Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life justifiably receives a lot of attention, his lesser-known work Meet John Doe is a notable holiday story in its own right. Starring Gary Cooper as a down-on-his-luck drifter and Barbara Stanwyck as a plucky reporter, the story starts with a fictional note from a man vowing to fall from a rooftop on December 24th in protest. The nation's embrace compels the reporter to hire a man to play the fictional "John Doe," who then becomes a country-wide symbol for neighborliness. The narrative acts as both an inspiring tale and a sharp indictment of ultra-rich publishers trying to exploit grassroots feeling for their own gain.
The Silent Partner
Whereas Christmas slasher films are now plentiful, the festive suspense film remains a relatively niche style. This makes the 1978 film The Silent Partner a fresh surprise. Featuring a delightfully vile Christopher Plummer as a thieving Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a unassuming bank teller, the story pits two types of amoral oddballs against each other in a stylish and surprising narrative. Mostly ignored upon its original debut, it merits a fresh look for those who enjoy their holiday entertainment with a chilling tone.
Almost Christmas
For those who enjoy their Christmas get-togethers chaotic, Almost Christmas is a hoot. Featuring a impressive ensemble that has Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the movie examines the strain of a household gathered to spend five days under one house during the festive period. Secret dramas rise to the top, resulting in moments of over-the-top farce, such as a dinner where a shotgun is produced. Ultimately, the narrative finds a touching resolution, offering all the entertainment of a holiday disaster without any of the actual consequences.
Go Movie
Doug Liman's 1999 feature Go is a Yuletide-themed tale that functions as a youthful interpretation on crisscrossing stories. While some of its comedy may feel of its time upon a modern viewing, the picture nonetheless boasts many aspects to savor. These include a composed role from Sarah Polley to a standout performance by Timothy Olyphant as a charming pusher who appropriately wears a Santa hat. It captures a very kind of late-90s movie attitude set against a festive setting.
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Preston Sturges's wartime farce The Miracle of Morgan's Creek forgoes traditional seasonal sentimentality in return for bawdy comedy. The film centers on Betty Hutton's Trudy Kockenlocker, who ends up expecting after a hazy night but cannot remember the man involved. Much of the comedy comes from her predicament and the attempts of Eddie Bracken's lovestruck Norval Jones to marry her. Although not explicitly a holiday film at the beginning, the story winds up on the Christmas, making clear that Sturges has refashioned a clever interpretation of the nativity, filled with his signature witty style.
Better Off Dead
This 1985 adolescent comedy with John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a quintessential example of its time. Cusack's
