Countdown to Christmas: Day 4

If my life were a cartoon, this would be the one.

Christmas Movies


I am not a "must watch everything on TV relating to Christmas" kind of person.  I have my Annual Required Movies and they leave me with plenty of time to catch up on American Horror Story - my newest TV obsession.

A Charlie Brown Christmas: One of my favorite Christmas movies.  There is nothing I don't love about it.  The boys and I snuggle up on the couch and spend 22 uninterrupted minutes watching a little boy struggle to find the meaning of Christmas every year.  Also, it's full of wisdom: We all know Christmas is a big commercial racket.  It's run by a big Eastern syndicate, you know.

White Christmas: I saw this for the first time a few years ago and wanted to kick myself for not watching it sooner.  I don't know if it's the era, the theatrical theme or the military connections, but this movie makes my heart all melty.  And the songs are catchy.

Miracle on 34th Street: The original black and white one.  Who does not love this movie?  It's a classic and I watch it sometimes for nothing more than the reminder that Christmas, Santa and the Spirit of the Season are all real.  And that little girl is dang cute.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Clause: Unfortunately, I cannot find the original of this movie or any reference to it online.  Hey Mr. Internet, I thought you knew everything... liars!  It was an old movie made in black and white.  They used to play it on TV every year and my dad has a copy of it on VHS.  I remember curling up with my dad and watching this every Christmas.  It's his favorite movie and the happy memories are probably the only reason I like it today.

A Christmas Story: Another movie I saw way later in my life that I should have seen sooner.  A dear friend loves this movie (before Leg Lamps and ACS crap was in every store) and I watched it mostly because of her incessant grouching that I was a Grinch for not seeing it. It's really freaking cool.  Now, I put this on Christmas Day when TBS runs their marathon.  My kids moan and groan, but I'll watch it at least twice. And... it was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio but takes place in Hammond, Indiana.  I used to live very close to Hammond, so I feel like I "own" rights to liking it more than someone who lives in... I dunno... Florida.

The movie I won't watch by choice: It's a Wonderful Life.  I don't think it's a movie about Christmas at all.  In fact, I think it's not a very good movie either.  I'm all for movies that demonstrate how you need to appreciate your current life because you never know... but this one is over the top for me.  And I really don't like Jimmy Stewart all that much.  Nothing personal, he just comes across whiny to me and I get enough of that with the TV off.


That's about it.  I'll watch Gremlins, Die Hard and Nightmare Before Christmas out of spite for all those other traditional, jolly, festive Christmas movies.  After all, these take place during Christmas and deserve their time in the holiday spotlight, too.