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Plucking this quote from a post by miliosr in another thread:

I watched my favorite holiday-themed movie this weekend -- Holiday Inn w/ Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale. It's not without its problems (i.e the "Abraham" number done in blackface) but there's something about this movie that really gets me in the Christmas spirit.

Before said Christmas spirit fades away completely, I thought I'd ask BA posters: What's your favorite holiday movie?

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As far as Christmas Carols go, my favorite is George C Scott -- I love the period specificity, and Scott's bombast. But my family always watches A Christmas Story -- we've been Jean Shepherd fans since long before the recent popularity of the film. When I was young, we went out for Chinese food every Christmas Eve, so the final scene always makes me snicker.

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I sawThe Bishop's Wife recently and enjoyed it considerably more than I thought I would. (Loretta Young not being a raving fave of mine and I thought the whole Cary-Grant-as-an-angel premise dubious. But it works!)

It's not a holiday movie, but I've always associated The Sound of Music, a guilty pleasure of mine, with this time of year because of the annual ABC broadcast. I could watch it on DVD free of commercials, but upholding tradition is important.

I also enjoy a viewing of The Ref as an antidote to too much holiday cheer. Also Christmas Holiday.

Traditional Christmas favorites I'm not that crazy about: Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life.

Any more out there?

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See It's a Wonderful Life in the cinema - it's a much better experience. It is both funnier and darker than commonly thought.

New Year's Eve tidbit: For some reason Michael Jeter has been on my mind lately, and for New Year's, I posted this youtube Tony performance of We'll Take a Glass, Together on my facebook page. Enjoy!

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"The Dead" couldn't hope to be as good as the original story but it was made with love and reverence for it and one respects that. I never thought of it as a Christmas movie but I think it's an excellent choice and will keep it in mind for next year - although it's important to read the story first.

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Definitely It's a Wonderful Life.

The holiday ritual of watching the movie has probably robbed it of some of its force. The movie is not only darker than is generally supposed, but also very frank in its treatment of family relationships (e.g. sibling rivalry, the fraught relationship between father and son). And the movie is especially frank in its treatment of the intimate relationship between man and woman.

For instance, there's a wonderful moment in the film where George arrives at the Granville House the night of his honeymoon. It's raining, and George enters the threshhold of the house, where he is greeted by Mary, wearing an apron and fixing up dinner. There's a POV shot from George's perspective: the camera pans to an open door, through which George glimpses laid out on the bed his pajamas and Mary's nightgown. The scene would be remarkable enough if it stopped here, with its delicate promise of sex. But the scene doesn't fade to black immediately. The camera registers George and Mary's expressions: George's astonishment, and Mary's care and solicitude. To use a cliche, the scene isn't about sex so much as the emotions which go along w/ sex, and this makes the scene very intimate indeed.

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There are SO many I love, and I try to watch them all every year! OK - Jingle all the Way, Elf (both make me laugh so much!), Love Actually, The Holiday, The Snowman, Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street. I am a sucker for Christmas movies, and not forgetting I have to see The Nutcracker!

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Greatest movie ever: Children of Paradise. ok, its not a Christmas story but back in the day (70s and 80s the York Theatre in San Francisco on 24th Street deep would show it every Christmas.

Any movie you identify closely with the season is acceptable. :) Upthread I mentioned The Sound of Music, which we watched on ABC every year when I was a kid. ABC still shows it. I guess that would also make DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" qualify.

And yes, CofP is right up there....."What do I have that thieves can steal?" I always wanted to use that line, but somehow the occasion never quite arose. "Paris is small for lovers like us."

Also, are there favorite moments in your favorite holiday movies?

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Time for the annual bump-up for this thread. Here's an article about a different kind of Christmas flick, Christmas Holiday with Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin.

Quote

What is most oppressive is the fact that they were living as young newlyweds with Robert’s very grand and protective southern mother, played by Gale Sondergaard, who appears to be withholding from Abigail what she knows about her son’s propensities. It all builds up to a horrible climax in the present day – that is, Christmas night, although it is one of this film’s oddities that aside from some remarks at the beginning, and the midnight mass scene, none of the characters refers to the fact that it is Christmas, or that various diners and clubs are open on what the title declares is a Christmas holiday.

 

Any new additions for the list?

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Sentimental fare is OK with me at the holiday time.  ;)

I will echo most of the past choices -

The more adult-oriented ones:
Remember the Night
The Shop Around the Corner
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A Christmas Carol
(1951)
Meet Me in St. Louis
It’s a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
(1947)

The Bishop’s Wife

Holiday Inn / White Christmas (I can watch both of these over and again)

Youth-oriented:
Hans Brinker (The Silver Skates)
A Christmas Story
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(though I don't like the newer version with 'adjusted' color)
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
A Charlie Brown Christmas


And The Nutcracker, naturally, by various companies.

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