It happens every year: After the holiday meal has been devoured and all the gifts exchanged, there’s that awkward social interval that must be navigated with seldom seen relatives (for good reason, perhaps). Until Uncle Ed and Aunt Patrice decide it’s time to go home, why not fill that impending conversational void with a Christmas video marathon?
The Nice List
When it comes to family gatherings, it’s likely you’ll be in mixed company. Play it safe and select films that are sure to have a broad appeal for all your guests.
Holiday Inn (1942) — The original vehicle for Bing Crosby and his rendition of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” Fred Astaire vies with Crosby for the affections of the same woman against the back drop of a New England holiday resort. Black &white.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — Jimmy Stewart’s performance as the careworn George Bailey is stirring and emotional; like “A Christmas Carol,” it has its dark moments yet it is ultimately cathartic. Black &white.
The Bishop’s Wife (1947) — Cary Grant is a suave angel sent to help David Niven get a new cathedral built for his congregation, but the angel’s attentions to Loretta Young are misinterpreted by the bishop. Black &white.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) — Edmund Gwenn is a man named Kris Kringle who must convince a very young and adorable Natalie Wood — and her stunning mother, Maureen O’Hara — that Santa Claus really does exist. The 1994 remake, starring Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins and a precious Mara Wilson in the Wood role, manages to do the original justice. Black &white.
White Christmas (1954) — Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen belt out Irving Berlin classics in lavish Technicolor costumes to save a failing Vermont inn run by a former Army general — who was also the song-and-dance men’s superior officer during World War II. Color.
Scrooge (1970) — Albert Finney takes on this musical update of Dickens’ Christmas Carol, and the result is a distinctly British affair.
A Christmas Story (1983) — This nostalgic tale of Ralphie and his quest for a Red Ryder BB gun keeps getting better with age. Color.
A Christmas Carol (1984) — While Alastair Sim’s 1951 turn as Ebenezer Scrooge is regarded as the definitive cinematic portrayal, it’s George C. Scott who humanizes the role as he experiences spiritual redemption after visitations by the ghosts of Christmas. Color.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) — Beautifully rendered, off-beat 3D animation and peculiar characters may not appeal to everyone in your crowd, but this ultimately heartwarming tale of Pumpkin King Jack Skellington is definitely in the Christmas spirit.
The Naughty List
After the children have been tucked in bed for the night and the out of town relatives are long gone, settle in for one or more of these “holiday” movies. Note that “Christmas film” is a relative term; either the holiday is a backdrop for adult hijinx or just an excuse to make an awful movie.
Black Christmas (1974) — Doomed sorority girls are stalked by a madman whose repeated calls are — surprise — coming from inside the house! Of note is that this early slasher film was directed by Bob Clark, who later made “A Christmas Story” (see Nice list).
Trading Places (1983) — A wager between wealthy old codgers Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy throws Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd into hilarious role reversal chaos as privileged Aykroyd is stripped of his wealth and down-and-out Murphy gets a new lease on life.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) — A disturbed teenager, abused in the Catholic orphanage he was raised in following the murder of his parents, goes on a murderous rampage in a Santa suit.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) — Like you, long suffering Clark Griswold must endure the extended visitation of his in-laws. Unlike you, the result is tasteless, obnoxious and laugh out loud funny.
Scrooged (1988) — Bill Murray plays a nasty television executive who has a series of run-ins with some unpleasant Christmas spirits — or are they just native New Yorkers?
Die Hard (1988) — Bruce Willis is New York cop John McClane, who gives a group of terrorists the gift of Christmas whoop-ass when they take hostages in a Los Angeles office hi-rise.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) — A lesson in why some things are better left alone; in this case, Jim Carrey suits up as Dr. Seuss’s antagonist and proceeds to inflict terror upon Whoville. I say, stick with the 1965 animated version narrated by Boris Karloff.
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