Posted on 11/30/2004 7:18:48 AM PST by nypokerface
Good news, holiday movie shoppers: Some great Christmas pictures are coming your way this month.
The bad news is they're coming to your TV set and they're the same ones that have been coming for decades — "It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street," "A Christmas Carol."
The last new member added to the Pantheon of Exalted Holiday Classics was Bob Clark's "A Christmas Story" — released 21 years ago! Last year's gentle Will Farrell comedy "Elf" may charm its way into the hall, and the current "The Polar Express" certainly expresses all the right messages. But most of Hollywood's recent Christmas movies have been lumps of something worse than coal — including this season's dumb and dumber entries, "Surviving Christmas" and "Christmas with the Kranks."
These cynical, slapstick confections mock holiday tradition, then tack on redemptive endings that are without a whit of conviction. If the filmmakers don't believe in their material, how can they expect us to?
The answer is, we don't.
"Surviving Christmas" with Ben Affleck, released in late October, barely survived Thanksgiving. It will end its run with less than $15 million in ticket sales. "Christmas with the Kranks" opened Wednesday to some of the year's most pained reviews and did a less-than-stellar $31.2 million over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
These movies could stand on each other's shoulders and still not be able to see the classics — even if they used a boost from Ron Howard's' labored "Dr. Seuss's The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and Billy Bob Thornton's bawdy, drunk, filthy-mouthed "Bad Santa." So, what's up? If Americans are still desperate for holiday movies — and people who bought tickets to "Surviving Christmas" and "Christmas With the Kranks" were nothing if not desperate — why can't Hollywood make 'em like them like they used to?
The answer, in a roasted chestnut-shell, is that the film business and American culture aren't what they used to be.
With the exception of "A Christmas Story," the movies we regard as evergreens were made before the breakup of the studio system and the cultural revolution. Through the 1930s and '40s and into the '50s, Hollywood made one-size-fits-all products, movies conceived and created with the entire family in mind.
In the pre-TV era in which so many classic holiday movies were made, the local Bijou was the family attraction, and filmmakers took into account the age range and interests of their audiences.
Take Henry Koster's 1947 "The Bishop's Wife," starring David Niven as a distressed bishop, Loretta Young as his neglected wife and Cary Grant as an angel who responds to his prayer for guidance.
The couple has a small child for kids to identify with, and the angel whips up some mighty entertaining miracles — like decorating the Christmas tree with the wave of his hands.
But what makes "The Bishop's Wife" a classic is the romantic tension between the wife and the smitten angel, and the growing insecurity of the bishop. It's mature stuff that doesn't get in the way of the kids' enjoyment — such as when the bishop gets his butt glued to a chair.
Frank Capra's 1946 "It's a Wonderful Life" is a dark movie with many bright spots and one of the greatest endings. And it, too, is laced with sexual tension.
The scene where James Stewart's George Bailey throws away his dreams of travel for Donna Reed's Mary Hatch after becoming intoxicated by the smell of her hair, is one of the most powerful romantic moments in film — and way, way over kids' heads.
Look how the culture has changed. "Family movies" are now those that appeal to adults and to pre-pubescent children. Teenagers are now a separate category, as are young adults without kids.
Instead of making movies with overlapping content appealing to each age group, we have separate classes of movies organized by the 36-year-old ratings system. Each rating has its commercial advantages and limitations, and it's the rare exception that has across-the-board appeal.
The closest that modern films come to having the double layers of content for family audiences is in animated features like "Shrek" and "Shark Tale," where kids are mesmerized by the colors, characters and action and their parents are kept alert by the pop references.
The business of distributing films has changed, too. Though a good Christmas movie can still make it into holiday TV syndication, that's not where the big money is. A movie has to have a video afterlife these days, and films that people are likely to buy or rent only during the holidays don't have great prospects. Video chains aren't going to stock them in large numbers year-round.
Finally, we are still living in the Age of Irony. Thus, we get the sourness of "Grinch," "Bad Santa," and Richard Donner's 1988 "Scrooged," the Madison Avenue version of "A Christmas Carol" starring Bill Murray at his smarmiest.
Even the seemingly gentle "The Santa Clause" movies began with Tim Allen's suburban dad accidentally killing the real Santa, And now there's "Surviving Christmas" and "Christmas With the Kranks," glib and soulless comedies made only because of their studios' unwarranted faith in the drawing power of Ben Affleck and Allen.
In case they need help understanding the message shared by every holiday classic, I'll spell it out: When telling stories about the spirit of Christmas, put your faith in the stories, not in the stars.
Jack Mathews' Pantheon of Exalted Holiday Classics
"A CHRISTMAS STORY" (1983) Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley
"MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET" (1947) Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne
"IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" (1946) James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
"HOLIDAY INN" (1942) Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds
"THE BISHOP'S WIFE" (1947) Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven
"SCROOGE" (1951) Alastair Sim
"A CHRISTMAS CAROL" (1938) Reginald Owen
"CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT" (1945) Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet
"WHITE CHRISTMAS" (1954) Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen
I liked the "Santa Clause". Not a perfect movie, but it was cute. It's a keeper.
"I also like A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart..."
The one starring George C. Scott is my favorite. I do watch that one every year.
"Does "Die Hard" qualify as a Christmas classic?"
As far as I'm concerned, it does. Thanks, I'd forgotten this one.
Great analysis of Scrooge!
My only, minor, complaint about the film - and I know it's in really poor taste to criticize - is that I think it would have been interesting if they had stuck even closer to the book. One or two of the "additions" to the narrative of the Ghost of Christmas Past (showing the moment of Fern's death as the dramatic turning point, and adding the twist about death during childbirth), and some other stuff, don't ring 100% effective to me. (Maybe that sounds a bit "Scroogelike" of me to say it!) But I love the film, and it is the best version. It's as close to perfect as one can get.
I like the 1999 Patrick Stewart version, since it does seem to follow the book more. Slavishly, perhaps, in dewlling on scenes more properly left in the book alone and not dramatized.
I dunno. Certainly no one's going to out-do the 1951 version.
PS This is as good a place as any to plop down a somewhat unrelated thought. When I saw Mel Gibson's "The Passion" it struck me (among oher things) how UN-IRONOC, for lack of a better word, it was. Everything we see today (even the 1999 scrooge I mentioned) seems to have to have some kind of "edginess" or sly, sarcastic "cleverness" in its tone. Sort of a wink to the audience or something. I am not a film reviewer and don't even have the vocabulary to describe it. A touch of "Bart Simpson" or something. Obviously, The Passion played it absolutely straight, in a way that even other serious movies like Saving Private Ryan did not. The Passion is, I believe, exactly as it would be if cameras were available to make a movie 500 years ago. This is meant as a compliment! I can't seem to describe this quality, but there it is.
I will have to watch that one again. It's been a while.
"Last weekend I drove by some neighbors who were moving and there were some mannequin legs in the pile of refuse.
I thought about snagging them to make a lamp, but the wife would never understand."
Oh, but WE do. Thanks. Great visual. Great movie. Ah, to be a kid again.
Amen. I peed my pants laughing the first time I saw that movie. It's definitely a classic in my book.
That was one message. I think the overriding message - and what makes it a classic and touches our hearts - is that no man is a failure who trusts in God. The end, where George Bailey is being chased by the townspeople, Bert the Cop shoots at him, he runs back to the bridge. At first, he prays to Clarance and nothing happens. When he unknowingly prays to God, it starts to snow again and he is back in his now and when. People get the connection - with God all things are possible!
Once upon a time, Hollywood became a star, built its star power, if you will, because it portrayed the hopes and dreams of Americans.
Hollywood was once a service industry, but it has, by its own greed and lust for power, a socialist dictatorship.
Perhaps oddly, our Christmas movie is "Lion in Winter" - the original with Katherine Hepburn. We've watched it every Christmas eve for years and it's our 22 year old son's favorite movie.
It doesn't qualify as a movie, but nothing, and I mean nothing, means Christmas to me like the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" special with Burl Ives as the Snowman. Every minute of it brings me back to childhood in the 60's, lying on the living room floor watching it with my brothers. Now it's my 4-year-old daughter's favorite, too. Everything about it is special.
See also "The Charlie Brown Christmas" and "The Homecoming", that first Waltons movie, with Patricia Neal.
I listened to the audio book of "Skipping Christmas" on which the movie was based. It could be done well as a movie, but I suspect it's more slapstick than it needed to be.
Check your listings. I believe the network airing is tomorrow night! (And we'll be watching)
A store at the mall had a "leg lamp" and I had to explain to my husband about a Christmas Story. I may make him watch the movie.
I would add two other versions of "A Christmas Carol".....one starring Alastair Sim in 1951 (?) and one starring Goerge C. Scott (1984)
If you want to read an excellent Christmas story for "older" kids, Dean Koontz "The Oddkins" will stand the test of time. Many years ago, my son brought it home from school for us to read. It was great.
Now, unless it has been reprinted, it is a very expensive book.
The Kelsey Grammer "Scrooge" movie was very well done. Finally, something that the entire family could watch together. This version of Scrooge was visually beautiful; and even the fact that it was a musical made it different and enjoyable.
That's too bad about Christmas with the Kranks. I have the John Grisham short novel it's based on (Skipping Christmas, released last year I think) and it's a funny book with a great ending.
Christmas Vacation is a personal favorite. :)
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