1 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Were I pushed to name the greatest American movie, this would be it. Not until last year watching it and being struck by the brutal darkness that descends upon its final scenes, all thanks to the genius of Frank Capra, did I come to this feeling. Jimmy Stewart's best performance.
2 HOLIDAY INN
Much better than the sequel, White Christmas, this great 1940's musical sails along from song to song, dances up delights, has a good story line with a twist, and great Irving Berlin score. Most of all, for its breezy brevity and swift pacing.
3 A CHRISTMAS CAROL 1938 or 1951
Personally I'd give the edge to Reginald Owen in 1938 from MGM, although others seem to favor the 1951 version with Alastair Sim. Both pack an emotional wallop. Tears are perfectly acceptable on this side of the Big Pond.
4 MEET ME IN ST LOUIS.
A masterpiece from director Vincente Minnelli . The songs include two classics, the miraculously thrilling "Trolley Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Judy Garland in her prime. No film makes a better case for the importance of family over monetary ambition.
5 MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET.
Love the tingle of it all, the busy New York atmosphere, the masterful performance of Edmund Gwenn, who brings off the role as few could. A role he was born to play. Best of all, this brings back a spirit of Christmas closer to the one I grew up in, long before the secular sphere began it's attack on Christmas, religion and the binary family.
6 THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE 2015, BRITISH
No, not the overly long movie. And yes, you may miss Julie Andrews more than you can bear, understood, but at least give this one a chance. It stayed very close to the original script, reinstating two great songs on the darker side that had been callously 86d from the film, but did not reinstate the lovely "An Ordinary Couple" Instead, with Oscar Hammerstein gone, Richard Rodgers composed both music and lyrics -- if you can call them that -- for the weirdly awful "Something Good" to replace it.
7 A CHRISTMAS STORY
Maybe? I must confess, I dread the scene where the kid's tongue gets stuck to a pole. Otherwise, I suppose this one rates high, and maybe I should try watching it again.
ELF?
What about more recent hit films? So, I took on this one, my reaction in texting shorthand: first part in Santa’s factory, loved it, Bob Newhart’s humor steals the scene. Will Ferrell to NY to find father, a stone faced CEO bore Ferrell's hyper antics grow flat, hollow fast. Jim Carey should have played the role. No desire to see again. 85% critics on Rotten, 79% pop meter.
Incredibly, there are so many Christmas movies out there, and yet the way they are rated on various "best" listings can differ widely. A gem on one raking can be a dog on another. For my eyes, classic Christmas films remain canonized in a far more socially unified time. And I will say no more, but.... Humbug!
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