My generation grew up with “A Christmas Story,” now considered a staple of the holiday season.
Does a Christmas go by without someone mentioning a Red Ryder BB Gun or a glorious leg lamp? Didn’t think so.
But that film came out in 1983 – nearly three decades ago. Since then, we’ve been inundated by films trying to recapture that quintessential Christmas spirit.
Does anyone really think “Surviving Christmas” … or “Fred Claus” … or “Christmas with the Kranks” fits the bill? And don’t get me started on “Deck the Halls,” a movie so embarrassing stars Matthew Broderick and Danny De Vito should pool their resources to buy up every copy on the planet – and then set them ablaze.
Only “Elf,” the whimsical comedy starring Will Ferrell as an overgrown Santa’s helper, deserves a place alongside “A Christmas Story” in the modern classic category.
The WWTW family watches it every year, and each time it grows a little brighter, a little more special. Who cares that 9/11 truther Ed Asner plays Ol’ St. Nick?
It makes sense for Hollywood to keep on trying for another “Elf”-like smash. If the elements align just right you’ve got a seasonal institution, a film that generates big bucks every December via cable rights and DVD/Blu-ray sales.
So are there any recent movies that come close to capturing that pure Christmas magic? Or are we doomed each year to suffer along with a variation on “Four Christmases” or other cinematic lumps of coal? And why is it so hard to make a simple, sturdy Christmas movie with the chance to endure over time?
NOTE: 2010 is a Santa-free zone, and the LA Times has noticed his absence.
(Photo: The 2003 comedy “Elf” quickly established itself as a holiday staple.)
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{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
I think you mean we haven’t seen any good “HOLIDAY” movies lately and you’re right. When was the last (or even first!) movie which celebrated Kwanzaa with the proper spirit of the season?
Four Christmases doesn’t deserve to be compared to trash like Fred Claus, but I would agree that we need some better Christmas movies for sure.
I’m not a Will Ferrell fan, but I did like “Elf”. I didn’t think “Christmas with the Kranks” was all that bad though. But then I also liked “Ernest Saves Christmas”.
Does “Bad Santa” count? That’s the most recent Christmas movie I enjoyed.
I love Elf, but I thought the ending lacked something. It’s like they wrote up to that point and didn’t know where to go from there. But I do love it. A true modern classic.
Many people believe that the new Grinch film is good (which I’ve yet to see) but considering it’s a remake, I wouldn’t classify it as much. The problem with some films is that they try to be timely instead of timeless, and thats the key to any good film, let alone Holiday films. We had this discussion at work and we all came to the notion that Elf was the last true modern Christmas classic. I anticipate something new. I hope original, but at least new.
As an aside, one of my mother’s favorite Christmas films was Marlo Thomas’s remake of It’s A Wonderful Like called “It Happened One Christmas” which was made in the 70’s. It starred her, Orson Wells, and Wayne Rogers. I’ve read that it’s been released but I cannot seem to find it. If anyone knows where I could, I would appreciate a shout out. Not my favorite of course, but she loves it.
I thought The Santa Claus with Tim Allen was great. We re-watch that.
And whatever you do, don’t forget the Die Hard is a Christmas movie as is the first Lethal Weapon.
My favorite Christmas movie is While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock.
Weird as it sounds, in my family we’ve adopted a sort of new holiday classic system: We mostly watch Christmas episodes of TV shows on DVD. Any of the Christmas King of the Hills, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson” from South Park, “It’s a Bundyful life” from Married with Children, and so on.
And how about The Nativity Story. 2006. The realistic remake of the events surrounding the birth of Christ. This is really powerful
Home Alone–this is classic
I like The Polar Express and Narnia 1 (which has Father Christmas stop by). That said, I long for remakes of some of Hollywood’s great lost Christmas classics:the Cheaters, It Happened on Fifth Avenue, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and Remember the Night.
99 % of these posts are pathetic. the first one i read, Kwanza? its not a holiday moron, its made up PC bull****. i cant believe how dumb people are these days.
I’m in my late 30’s and I strongly dislike “A Christmas Story,” there’s just something really annoying about it. Same goes for Elf, Will Farrell is the wrong actor for every movie he’s in.
Now, I think the first The Santa Clause was a good movie that everyone in my family has watched every year since it was available on VHS(now on DVD). I also like Jim Carrey’s version of The Grinch that Stole Christmas, and the first Home Alone movie.
The REF! Love it..
I’ve got It’s A Wonderful Life on DVD and that’s all I need.
Cliff,
I didn’t like A Christmas Story very much, either. Hubby dearly loves it, so we watch. My favorite holiday movie is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, if I had to pick one. I also thought the Grinch was ok, and the Tom Hanks movie, Polar Express.
Any of the Christmas King of the Hills, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson” from South Park, “It’s a Bundyful life” from Married with Children, and so on.
How spiritual of you, Yes Charles Manson a great one to celebrate the birth of Christ with. Take another hit of acid idiot.
I recently saw a film version of “The Velveteen Rabbit”. Part cartoon (imagination) and part real.
I believe it was produced or directed by Michael Landon’s son.
It was a tearjerker, well produced, directed and acted. Highly recommended as a Christmas themed family movie.
I’m with Mac1000 on “Home Alone” (1990), although it had to grow on me. There’s also “The Holiday” (2006), where the cloying elements are overtaken by the genuinely sweet stuff.
I haven’t watched “Prancer”, “Joyeux Noel”, or “Polar Express”, but their descriptions look interesting.
“JINGLE ALL THE WAY”
The Bishop’s Wife, Susan Slept Here,Miracle on 34th Street, of course It’s a Wonderful Life. Plus I watch all the old Christmas Carol movies.
My new favorite is Love Actually!
Scrooged and Christmas Vacation. The Grinch who Stole Christmas-the origianl animated version, I hated The Grinch remake because the movie completely turned the original story on its head. a Charlie Brown Christmas. Going waaaay back-Amahl and the Night Visitors.
How spiritual of you, Yes Charles Manson a great one to celebrate the birth of Christ with. Take another hit of acid idiot.
Yup. Didn’t even see the episode did you? It ends with Manson realizing the evil of all the things he has done (after watching a knockoff of The Grinch) and trying to find redemption for his own acts.
Because when I think of Christ, the -last- thing I would -ever- think of is redemption.
Scrooged. Awesomely funny!!
Nice seeing The Ref and Bad Santa love from fellow a-little-bit-naughtier Christmas movie fans.
Not a Christmas move, per se, but the Christmas scenes in Better Off Dead also damn good.
Any excuse to bring up “Better Off Dead” is a good one …
“Chrisssssss-mas … Chrissssmas!”
My husband would put National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation right up there with The Christmas Story and Elf. He forces me to watch it every Christmas and it’s grown on me. And now we all know that Uncle Eddie really is nuts!!!
Oh and I HIGHLY recommend Joyeux Noel for those who haven’t seen it. I think it embodies the real message of Christmas.
My NEW favorite X-Mas movie is Del Toro’s “CRONOS”. What a feel good toe tapper! Make sure your impressionable young ones watch it as well!