My favourite movies and television specials for the holiday season

Among the enjoyable activities of the Christmas holiday season is watching my favourite holiday movies and television shows. In the following sections, I will discuss my go-to holiday specials and why I enjoy them so much.

Scrooge

The 1951 version of the adaptation of Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol is my favourite with Alastair Sim in the eponymous role. Giving the viewer insight into the traumatic events from Scrooge’s past helps us to understand the roots of his greedy and hurtful behaviour.

The message that it is never too late to turn one’s life around for the better is inspiring to me. Similarly uplifting is the forgiving attitude of people close to Scrooge once he resolves to make amends. People he had treated badly such as his nephew and his faithful employee Bob Cratchit allow Scrooge back into their lives rather than holding a grudge as often happens in everyday life.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I enjoy this 1966 animated classic for some of the same reasons I love Scrooge in terms of its tale of changing one’s life for the better. The rhyme-filled Dr. Seuss script and several wonderful songs (especially ‘Welcome, Christmas’ and ‘You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch’) enhance my attraction to the story.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Speaking of great music, A Charlie Brown Christmas from 1965 is filled with it thanks to the work of Vince Guaraldi. Humour pervades the narrative such as when Snoopy wins first prize in a Christmas lights and display contest.

Charlie Brown sticking to his guns amid criticism regarding his unusual choice of a tree for the Christmas concert eventually helps his friends to realize the true meaning of Christmas. It reminds me of the steely resolve of the lone juror voting for a not guilty verdict in the film Twelve Angry Men until he persuades his fellow jurors that acquittal is the right decision.

Miracle on 34th Street

Still with the subject of sticking to one’s guns to persuade people, this theme also pervades Miracle on 34th Street. In this 1947 classic which was remade in 1994, Kris Kringle and attorney Fred Gailey never give up trying to get department store executive Doris Walker and her nine year-old daughter Susan to believe in Santa Claus without facts and evidence supporting his existence.

Watching the face of Susan light up when she uses her imagination illustrates for me the value of giving yourself a break from the often dreary reality by fantasizing through reading novels, watching movies, playing make-believe and other activities.

Frosty the Snowman

This oldie but goodie animated special from 1969 contains one of the scariest and saddest scenes which haunted me when I first watched it in my youth (spoiler alert) – Frosty gets trapped in a greenhouse by an evil magician and then meets his maker by melting.

Fortunately, resurrections occur with snowmen as Santa Claus correctly predicts that Frosty would return at the next Christmas snowfall. Humour and music also drew me to Frosty the Snowman along with the titular character’s catchphrase, “Happy Birthday”, which he utters each time he comes to life.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Like Frosty the Snowman, this 1964 animated special is a Christmas song adapted to the form of a story. Unfortunately, the message in both the song and the television special is not a good one. That is, Rudolph is instantly reviled and shunned when the other reindeer discover that he possesses a physical characteristic which is not to their liking.

And although Rudolph eventually is again liked and accepted, it is not because his colleagues realize that it is wrong to engage in prejudice and discrimination. Instead, their 180-degree turn from hatred to love is based solely on identifying a use for Rudolph’s bright red nose which meets their needs. I could understand this reasoning based on self-interest if it were only coming from the other reindeer. Unfortunately, this mindset also applies to Santa Claus and Rudolph’s father.

Despite this less than uplifting message, I still enjoy Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for its animation, its characters including Hermie the aspiring dentist, lumberjack Yukon Cornelius and the terrifying (to me, when I was a youngster) Abominable Snowmonster. I also like the narration and singing of Sam the Snowman, a.k.a. Burl Ives.

Home Alone

I enjoy 1990’s Home Alone for its humour, particularly the scenes in which burglars are thwarted continually by eight-year-old Kevin McCallister with a myriad of traps. It reminds me of cartoons in which the Roadrunner repeatedly bests Wiley E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny outsmarts Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam and countless others who try to destroy him. I also enjoy Home Alone it for its touching moments such as when Kevin and his misunderstood neighbour confide in each other while listening to Christmas music from a church choir.

The Polar Express

Although I agree with critics regarding the off-putting look of its animated characters, I still find much to like in The Polar Express from 2004. This includes the exciting and tumultuous journey to the North Pole, intriguing characters such as the mystical hobo who lives on top of the train, and a beautiful duet featuring two of the child passengers.

Love Actually

Multiple storylines with a star-studded cast lead to many touching moments in this 2003 Christmas movie. My favourite storyline is the romance which develops in the face of language barriers between a British writer played by Colin Firth and his Portuguese housekeeper played by Lucia Moniz.

Although subtitles point to the housekeeper being amused by the writer’s many challenges early in their relationship, eventually they reveal that she is falling in love with him. Unfortunately, she is unable to communicate this to him.

That’s a wrap for this year

I thought it would be nice to make my last blog article of 2024 a fun one with a holiday theme. If you have not seen one or more of my favourite holiday special picks, I recommend them for your Yuletide viewing pleasure.

I normally schedule my blog article posts for every two weeks. However, I will be taking an extra week off for the Christmas holidays so that my next post will be in three weeks.

May you have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday and a Wonderful New Year,

-Dr. Pat