1. Scrooge: For me, the Christmas season doesn't officially begin until I watch this movie. Beautiful staging, timeless music, brilliant acting! The opening strains of the Overture never fail to make me teary for some reason. Perhaps because they unearth happy flashbacks to the Just Kiddin' days when we performed these songs at every mall and rest home in the Greater Salt Lake area and had a ball doing it! Or maybe it's just the general themes of hope and redemption, set to catchy show tunes like "Thank You Very Much" and "December the 25th." I LOVE this movie. For me, is the harbinger of all Christmas Spirit and I don't feel that the season is complete without it.
2. It's a Wonderful Life. My mom hates this movie, and I can see why, I guess. All these terrible things happen to a guy who's just trying to live a decent life. But still, if you want to talk about hope, love, and service, this is IT. Mary Bailey is one of my heroes. Maybe I love this movie because I truly believe that it is the little things we do which makes the biggest difference in the lives of those around us, even if we don't get immediate validation of their importance.
3. Meet Me in St. Louis. Okay, technically this isn't really a Christmas movie because it takes place over a whole year in the life of a lovely turn of the cenury family, but it contains my very favorite holiday cinema moment ever. The scene featuring Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien where Judy sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is sheer magic. If you haven't seen it, RUN to the nearest Blockbuster (or Netflicks) because you don't want to miss it! The summer, Halloween and spring scenes are also simply delightful.
4. Muppet Christmas Carol: So it's the same old story, also set to music, only enacted by oversized puppets instead of Albert Finney. I don't know really why it's so, but this movie always brings a big ol' grin to my face. And my heart. "Whenever you find home, it feels like Christmas!" "We're Marley and Marley... whooooooooooo!"
5. Tie: A Christmas Story ("You'll shoot your eye out!") and Elf. I know, sick and wrong. But so, so funny. This is a family favorite. "I just like smiling, smiling's my favorite!" "Candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup!" "These toilets are ginormous!"
Runners Up: Miracle on 34th Street (the old black and white version); Holiday Inn; White Christmas; and The Nutcracker, featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov. (Can you get more beautiful lines than Gelsey Kirklands'? Do they even play this any more? Crying shame. I'd gean the newspaper for the holiday tv listings every year growing up to make sure I didn't miss this. I have it on VHS somewhere, and need to see about burning it somehow to dvd... Gary's a genius at stuff like that...)
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Oh, such fun movie memories....so glad that there is someone on the planet who shares my love of old-time movies set to catchy show tunes (we have mom and Just Kiddin' to thank for that!) Love you, Minds!
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