Sans Fig Leaf
"My Favorite Holiday Videos"
4 January, 2001
Tie at Number 5: The Ref
This
little gem stars Denis Leary as a bungling burgler who winds
up hiding out on Christmas Eve in the home of a dysfunctional
upper middle-class couple played by Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis.
The burglar soon finds himself acting as referee and therapist
to the couple, their teen-age son, and their demented relatives.
Glynis Johns (who played the mother in Disney's classic Mary
Poppins) turns in a virtuoso performance as the evil mother-in-law/grandmother.
A couple of the plot twists are a little hard to swallow, but
it's all worth it just to hear some of the fabulous dialogue,
including the moment when the burglar says to the grandmother:
"I know loan sharks with more compassion than you!"
Tie at Number 5: Scrooged
Bill
Murray is at the top of his form as Francis X. Cross, President
of a large television network, and notorious miser and hater
of Christmas. The ghost of his former boss kicks off Frank's
journey into the supernatural, which features very cool modern
takes on the ghosts of Christmas Past and Christmas Present.
Carol Kane is a standout as the demented fairy/Christmas Present.
A lot of what makes this movie great are the subtle touches.
There's a show within a show here, as the network is broadcasting
a live performance of A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve, and
the casting, plus the superflous satellite links to events that
make no sense, and the nearly naked Solid Gold Dancers expertly
skewers all the worst decision any network or hollywood producer
ever made.
Number 4: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The
original animated feature made with the cooperation and approval
of Dr. Seuss himself. I'm not interested in seeing the high-tech
version starring the most over-rated, over-paid, and un-funny man
in hollywood, thank-you just the same. This feature is perfect,
relying solely upon the original verse. Boris Karloff's voice
is perfectly suited to both the Grinch and narration. Thurl Ravenscroft's
basso profundo rendition of the song, "You're a Mean One,
Mr. Grinch," is one of the high points in animation history.
Number 3: A Charlie Brown Christmas
What
can I say? Nearly the perfect holiday fable. There are so many
genius touches in this thing. Vince Garaldi's original, jazzy
score hold up perfectly decades later. During the outdoor scenes
the music captures the magic of watching snow fall. This was the
first animated production of any kind to use child actors to
provide the voice of the child characters, which draws the viewer
into the fictional world and makes it real. Charlie Brown's
quest for acceptance and meaning in a world overrun by commercialism
and selfishness is just as relevant today as it was in the sixties,
if not more so. Even a non-christian such as myself can't help
but be moved when Linus explains the true meaning of christmas,
and puts all the surrounding stresses and expectations into proper
perspective.
Number 2: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
For
many years this was my favorite holiday movie, hands down and
no contest. Edmund Gwenn is completely believable as Kris Kringle,
and yound Natalie Wood is perfect for the skeptical child who
has been raised not to believe in nonsense such as Santa Claus,
nights in shining armor, or true love. Maureen O'Hare is convincing
as the woman embittered by a bad first marriage without coming
across as unlikable or a caricature. John Payne is very likable
and believable as the lawyer who is trying to win O'Hare's heart
by helping Gwenn stay out of an insane asylum. The final solution
to all of the shows conflicts is satisfying without being overly
hokey.
Number 1: A Muppet Christmas Carol
Michael
Caine puts in a great performance as one of the most famous characters
in English Literature. When I first went to see this movie in
theatres, I expected it to be only mildly entertaining and very
silly. I was completely blown away. First, they used extensive
quotes from the original book for the narration and most of the
dialogue between the principle characters. They also faithfully
followed the original book's descriptions of the three Christmas
ghosts. Familiar muppets are used for supporting characters and
for background. The movie does get believable scary when
Scrooge faces his possible future. Casting Gonzo in the role
of Charles Dickens, narrator, gives the filmmakers several opportunities
to lighten the sombre mood of some scenes, without detracting
from the story, and allows a few educational moments to be slipped
in. I'm particularly impressed by the scene from Scrooge's past
where his long lost love, Belle, is singing a mournful song,
and the older Scrooge joins her in a poignant duet, in which
past and present come together, and Scrooge's bitterness and
potential for redemption both become completely believable.