#3 - Love Actually (2003)
Now, I know there's been a lot of pushback against this film the last year or two, especially in the possibility of calling it a Christmas film. Some people think the film is over-rated and evil incarnate, because it's superficial in what love is and that it's not realistic. All I can say to these moaners is to drink Drain-O. (I'm looking specifically at Alyssa Rosenberg at Think Progress and Chris Orr at The Atlantic. Two of the worst social commentators in magazine history.) The movie is very funny, it has a stellar cast, and it's miles better than most romatic comedies out there. In fact, a lot of us consider it the ultimate romantic comedy. The movie takes place in the five weeks leading up to Christmas following a whole bunch of people who are effected by love, or the lack thereof in the Christmas season. Hugh Grant is a single prime minister, Alan Rickman is an office manager... his wife in the film, Emma Thompson, is a stay-at-home mom who doesn't always feel her husband's love, Bill Nighy is an aging has-been rock star looking for a holiday single comeback, Liam Neeson is a widower taking care of his lovesick stepson, and many more recognizable faces.
I can see why some would dislike the film. It's slick and polished, it doesn't really have much to do with Christmas as a holiday more than setting it at that time of year, it's version of love can be seen as superficial or even sad (as those two commenters I mentioned earlier proclaim), and it's definitely an R rated comedy. Still, I love the film. I watch it every holiday season, usually on Christmas Eve (watching it right when I finish this blog actually), and I still find the film amazingly funny and warm. Heck, it's one of the movies I quote the most, and those that know me well know that I quote movies whenever I can in conversation. I think a major problem that Americans have with the film is that the humor is British. That is to say that there's a lot of jokes about growing old or gay people or other depricating jokes, whereas American humor is mostly sex, bodily function or slapstick based. The English love plays on words and making fun of people whereas here the PC police have taken over. This is why I find many American comedies so stupid and unfunny.
As for the film being unrealistic, I agree in part. No goofy-looking English guy is going to come to America to Wisconsin, go to a bar and discover three fantastically hot women who all want to share a bed naked with him. (Not unless he's offering them millions of dollars.) The Prime Minister of Britain is not going to accidentally end up deeply kissing his personal assistant in front of an auditorium full of parents of schoolkids at a Christmas pageant. However, I love that the film ends with not everyone falling in love. There's one in particular that's been cheated on and is clearly no longer in love with her husband. The rock star doesn't even enter a relationship in the film. In that way it's more truthful. Not everyone is going to be okay. I'm sure most of you reading this have seen this film already as it's so popular; popular enough to have become a Christmas classic to many, actually. And this goes for me as well. Here's a great scene from the film concerning the aging rock star, Bill Nighy.
#2 - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Here's another REAL Christmas classic. About everyone agrees on this one, and I won't dispute it. This movie is about the real Santa Claus taking over for a drunken fake Santa at the Macy's Day Parade, and afterwards he gets a job at Macy's as the department store Santa. While there, those that hired him become suspicious that he may be a mental case after he suggests that he really IS Santa, especially after a vindictive psychiatrist that works for Macy's implores that Santa be committed. Thus begins a court trial to decide whether the man is Santa or not or if there even really is a Santa.
Sure, the movie sounds corny and has a really odd plot, but there are very few Christmas films that don't. Just look at the 13 films I mentioned before this one! Despite it's oddness, it's a heartwarming, funny, and delightful film. I just saw this movie again for the first time in about 15 years the other day. I remembered as a kid I didn't find it that great. It wasn't consistently funny as Abbott and Costello films were, it wasn't as full-on Christmasy as The Santa Clause or the Rankin/Bass specials. It was just an old timey Christmas film. Now that I'm older, I can enjoy it for what it really is. Which is to say one of the best Christmas movies, heck one of the best 1940s movies out there.
The film also has a pretty great Santa Claus. He's not fat or even as old-looking as most Santas are. In fact, he's rather trim in this film. Still, he's a jolly old soul and believes in the kindness and generosity of humanity. And he loves children. I love the scene where a mother brings a little girl she adopted from the Netherlands who doesn't speak one word of English, and Santa begins to converse with the girl in dutch. Or the scenes of Santa bonding with the daughter of the woman that hired him. I used to think the movie was about the little girl, (Natalie Wood, who would drown under questionable circumstances in 1981 while on a boat with Christopher Walken and her husband Robert Wagner.) but re-watching the film, I noticed that's not the case. The film is 100% about the Santa character. I believe they may have focused more on the little girl in the 1994 remake, but I haven't seen that one since it was in theaters back in 1994.
As you may have noticed, I've run out of words to express Christmas films. They're so alike there's only so much you can say. All I can is that this is much more worthy of Christmas praise than the likes of Elf, Fred Claus, Arthur Christmas, and the other holiday movies that have come out since I was born. It's something you don't get often. It's unpretentious but not stupid either. It's wholesome, but still takes some radical chances (the mother is clearly a no nonsense atheist). Watch it with your family sometime. It rarely disappoints.
#1 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Here's one that, surprisingly, I saw for the first time just this year! I'd been meaning to watch it for a few years now, since I loved the first two films in the series, National Lampoon's Vacation and National Lampoon's European Vacation. Those are actually two of my favorite comedies! In fact it was so often hearing this movie called the best in the series that caused me to NOT see it. I was sure it couldn't live up to the other two, and well, it doesn't. The other two are better. Still, this one is a hilarious comedy and the funniest film on this list.
The plot is simple. The Griswalds have invited their extended family to their house for the holidays. Of course more than were invited show up, including Clark Griswald's least favorite family member, Cousin Eddie. Hilarious hijinks ensue as another Griswald vacation is nearly ruined. And of course this time a lot of the humor is Christmas centered. Here's one of my favorite bits.
I was laughing so hard at this scene. And guys, this is how comedy is done. A simple line or bodily function isn't enough. In an ensemble scene such as this one, the looks and actions of those around the table are what make it so funny. And at the end of the film, there's a bit of a reprise to this scene which is just as funny, if not funnier. And boy does this film have the Christmas spirit. It satirizes just about every single aspect of the holiday. You have the family get-together that's like walking on eggshells, the dinner, the Christmas tree and finding one that's just right, outdoing the neighbors with your decorations (Home Improvement made this a theme every Christmas season), snow sledding, Christmas bonuses, even the movies that come on at Christmas. Watching this film is like bringing Christmas into your house. It's that good at what it does.
Of course the movie works in other ways too. Part of this has to do with the Griswald family already being well-loved from two previous outings (even though the kids are played by different actors each time). I identify with Clark Griswald, and I'm pretty sure if I had a family and was his age, I'd be pretty much the same as he is. (I know, not a compliment to some.) I mean, who wouldn't react the same way the family reacts when they find a squirrel in their Christmas tree?
Oh, hilarity. I very much recommend this film because it embodies Christmas. And none of the scenes are even set ON Christmas! It all takes place in the few days before the holiday! There are a lot of families out there that try to make their Christmas perfect just as Clark Griswald does, but it never works out completely right. (Hopefully theirs ends up better than Clark's does, though.) If you haven't seen the film, or just haven't seen it in a few years I highly recommend you see it. It's great fun, it's very pleasant, and it's even somewhat family friendly with just a PG-13 rating. It's not as good as the former two films in the series, but only by a smudge as the child actors aren't as good as their predecessors and the fact that the other two are some of the best comedies out there. At least it's apparently better than Vegas Vacation. (I've not seen that one either.)
Merry Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus, etc to all and to all a good night!
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