Covid has managed to disrupt many people’s holiday celebrations. But if you’re in need of some festive cheer from the movies, there’s lots on offer. What are your favourite Christmas movies?
Depending on where you live, some cinemas may be open for you to enjoy festive fare, including new films like “A Christmas Gift from Bob” (that’s Bob the famous street-cat I should add… not Bob the Movie Man!). Many more of you though, I suspect, will be content to curl up with a good movie on the box. So, by way of distributing Season’s Greetings to all my followers from around the world, I thought I’d provide you with a list of my own personal top-5 Christmas movies, and where (if viewing in the UK) you can see them on the different streaming channels available.
They are my personal favourites… so by definition, this list isn’t ‘wrong’! But I acknowledge that you may have your own favourites…. so please comment if so!
“Home Alone / Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”
(Disney+ or rent from Amazon Prime):
Who’s not to love some Christmas ‘Tom and Jerry’ style GBH as the McAllister’s – most careless parents in the world – leave young Kevin to the mercy of Marv and Harry: the hapless “Wet Bandits”. Yes, both films deliver some mawkish sentimentality that will make the kids restless. But together with glorious music by John Williams (and a cameo conducting role in HA2**), both films are a cringe-inducing delight. (By the way, any later Home Alone films come with a warning label on the wrapping paper…. and the label says “Avoid!”).
** See “Postscript” below!
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
(Rent from Amazon Prime or Google).
This Frank Capra perennial favourite has James Stewart plunging to the very depths of despair as George Bailey – “Oh, Daddy!” (sob) – before being saved by fallen angel Clarence. Long before the “Back to the Future” trilogy, this was the original alternate timeline movie, and it’s done brilliantly. If the feelgood ending doesn’t give you a lump in your throat, you are made of stone!
“Love Actually”
(ITV/ITV2 – various showings – or Amazon Prime).
OK, so this is a “Marmite” movie, but I love it. The telling of multiple intertwined stories in the run up to Christmas misses (and badly so in a ‘PC’ way) on occasions. But the delights of Hugh Grant’s dancing PM, Colin Firth’s clumsy Portuguese romancing and Kris Marshall’s fantasy Wisconsin bar more than make up for that. A movie that never fails to get me in the Christmas mood.
“The Santa Clause”
(Disney+ or rent from Amazon Prime or Google).
Younger kids might be upset or confused by Santa’s early demise in this movie. But Tim Allen as the default replacement is a joy to watch as he struggles to balance his executive office life with his new responsibilities. Another feelgood classic.
“Die Hard”
(Sky Cinema / Now TV).
Courting controversy! But I’m with Mark Kermode on this one! And for me it’s a quintessential Christmas movie. It has a man dressed as Santa with “Ho Ho Ho” written on him* for mistletoe’s sake! You can’t get much more Christmassy than that! (* We’ll quietly ignore the “Now I have a machine gun” bit).
Fun fact: for Alan Rickman’s final fall, he had to fall about 40 feet into a green-screen air-bag. But instead of “3-2-1 Release”, they let him go on “2”. So the look of surprise and terror on his face is not JUST good acting!
Merry Christmas All!
Whatever you watch, enjoy your movies, stay safe and let’s hope that the vaccinations of 2021 deliver us an environment where the cinemas can start showing the backlog of movies to come…. it should be a bumper year!
Postscript
I have *always* thought that John Williams was conducting the orchestra in Home Alone 2, since it seemed such a natural cameo for him to have. But having watched it again today I started doubting myself…. and I think I’m wrong! Although the gentlemen are very similar, they are I think different men… and the internet seems to confirm that (like… what does it know!).
The conductor in “Home Alone 2” (left) and John Williams circa 1992 (right).
