MY CHRISTMAS CARD TO YOU

Top Ten Christmas Movies / Top Five Christmas Albums

I've been selling stuff on eBay to make a little money, so, over the past month, I haven't had time to write. But I did want to send out a Christmas gift to all my friends to let you know I'm thinking of you and praying for you. Because of all the hardship going on, this could turn out to be the best Christmas any of us have ever known. God has a way of showing up at Christmas time in very special - and very unpredictable - ways, and He has ways of showing up when times are especially hard. People, too, do special things at Christmas time that they might not normally do. Then there are angels ...

Anyway, I wanted you to know I was thinking of you, and so I put together this list of what I believe are the top ten best Christmas movies and the top five best Christmas albums. There is something about Christmas movies and Christmas music that really touches the heart, and right now our hearts need to be touched. So enjoy this holiday season with friends and family, and enjoy the magnificence of what God did when He came to earth in the form of a tiny, innocent, vulnerable baby boy. And enjoy these movies and music. Let me know if any of them especially touches you.

Top Ten Christmas Movies

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - It's A Wonderful Life is arguably one of the best films ever made - certainly the best Christmas film. Frank Capra is one of the most talented directors Hollywood ever produced, and he considered this to be his favorite film. It has been called sentimental - I would call it heart-warming. It is full of what makes life - and Christmas, and even a film for that matter - wonderful. As far as I know, Jimmy Stewart was the only actor Capra ever had in mind for the part of George Bailey. This is not true of the other characters, although it would be hard to imagine anyone else in any of the roles other than the talented cast he chose. The script is superb, the set is one of the largest ever built, the cinematography is excellent. It is, in essence, a wonderful film of a wonderful story of a wonderful life.

Miracle On 34th Street (1947) - This is a sweet, funny story about a little girl (Natalie Wood) and her single mother (Maureen O'Hara) - who do not believe in Christmas, Santa Claus or anything thing else that involves imagination - and how they come to believe. Gimble's and Macy's are battling it out for the Christmas dollar, and Maureen, who works for Macy's, needs a top-notch Santa Claus to attract customers, so an old man that looks just like Santa (Edmund Gwenn) decides to help her out. Little does she know that he is the real thing - Santa Claus! When Gwenn gets in trouble by being too honest and too helpful, and is threatened with being put in an insane asylum for actually believing himself to be Santa, a young lawyer (John Payne) - who is romantically interested in Maureen and wants to help Gwenn - decides to defend him in court. How he does it is genius and makes this one of the best Christmas movies ever. Avoid the remake - it doesn't compare.

The Bishop's Wife (1947) - An Anglican bishop (David Niven) is obsessed with raising funds to build a very much needed new cathedral for his congregation, but it isn't going too well; and his wife (Loretta Young) and their little girl are suffering because of it - until an angel (Cary Grant) shows up, posing as a new assistant to Niven. With Grant's help, things begin to change - miraculously - but Niven doesn't like it. He resents Grant and his interference and wants him to leave. But Grant says he will only leave when Niven no longer needs him. There are some wonderful performances in this film, especially by Monty Woolley, who plays a friend to the bishop and his family, and is, perhaps, the only one who realizes how much Young is suffering and how much Grant is changing things. Another wonderful Christmas film in which Woolley stars is The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942), with Bette Davis. The Bishop's Wife is a very enjoyable film for any time of year, but especially at Christmas time. Again, don't be fooled by the remake, called The Preacher's Wife, starring Denzel Washington. No comparison.

White Christmas (1954) / Holiday Inn (1942) - I like White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, but I think Holiday Inn is better in many ways. With Holiday Inn, you still get Crosby and the wonderful Irving Berlin song, "White Christmas," but you also get Fred Astaire (!), Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale. The idea is the same in both pictures - let's have an inn and let's put on a show to keep it running - but in Holiday Inn, what a show it is! Also, the chemistry between Crosby and Astaire is much better, I think, than between him and Kaye. Both Crosby and Astaire are at their peaks in Holiday Inn. Other than that, the pictures are very similar. Both have WWII as a backdrop; both contain a blackface number. Of course, White Christmas is in color and Holiday Inn is in glorious black-and-white. It's kind of a toss-up. But - and this is a big "but" when you're talking about Christmas movies - Holiday Inn is about all the holidays in the year (15 to be exact) and White Christmas is just about Christmas.

Scrooge (1970) - There are a lot of versions of Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol out there, but this is the only one that I'm aware of in which the same actor plays both the older and younger Scrooge. Plus, it's a musical! Every year I watch this film, and every year I am amazed when Albert Finney reappears later in the film as the younger Scrooge. Then I remember that he was only 34 in 1970 when he played this role! Finney is best known for his portrayal of Tom Jones in the film by that name; but I don't believe he ever surpassed his portrayal of Scrooge. I don't think most people even realize that it is the same actor playing both roles because they are so different. He really does look and act like an embittered old man as the older Scrooge and a hopeful and handsome young man as the younger. It's incredible acting, and an incredible film - full of lavish sets, a wonderful cast, good (not great) music, and if it doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will. Also check out A Christmas Carol (1999) with Patrick Stewart - my second favorite of this story.

Christmas Story (1983) - Who doesn't like this film? It is nostalgia par excelance and it has almost become a standard at Christmas time. Yes, it's campy - but, what a cute kid Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) was, and how much funnier could a story be? Some of the scenes are classic: like the kid getting his tongue stuck on a frozen flagpole! Darren McGavin is a hoot as Ralphie's dad, who's greatest battle seems to be with the furnace in the basement. (I remember those old furnaces, and they truly were scary.) Melinda Dillon is interesting as Ralphie's mom, who is reluctant but determined to use soap to wash the dirty words out of his vocabulary. The most memorable part of the film is Ralphie's obsession with getting a Red Ryder BB gun, and his mom's warning that he would shoot his eye out. Well, guess what happens? This movie contains childhood incidents most of us will recall, with only the details being different. We all had to deal with bullies, promising "What I Want for Christmas" essays, embarrassing presents we were made to wear, etc. But they were never this funny - at least not at the time. This may not put you in the Christmas spirit, but it will definitely tickle your funny bone and bring back childhood memories.

The Polar Express (2004) - This is a masterful retelling of Chris Van Allsburg's famous children's book. Tom Hanks' voice stars in the roles of Hero Boy, Father, Conductor, Hobo, Scrooge, Santa Claus - it's almost a one-man show. But the real star is the animation. And what kid, grown or little, wouldn't want to take a trip to the North Pole on a magical train? I think this film captures a child's view of Christmas better than any other. I wish I could have seen it on IMAX, because it was made with that in mind. But it is magical on any screen.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005) - Christmas is not the primary theme of this film, nor does it take place at Christmas time - but it does have a Christmas feel about it, and Santa Claus does show up to give the children their special gifts and weapons with which to fight the Witch. And it is set in perpetual winter, which also gives it a kind of Christmas feel. And it is magical, as is Christmas. Maybe it's because this film came out at Christmas time. Whatever the reason, Chronicles of Narnia has a strong association with Christmas for me. It has wonderful cast, sets, costumes, cinematography, special effects - everything. And you can't beat the C.S. Lewis story. Great job by Walden Media - probably their best effort to date. I love the street lamp in the middle of the forest - obviously, since I use it on my website's main page. But it does represent hope in the midst of darkness, and that is what Christmas and this film are all about.

Millions (2005) - This is not a film for everybody. For one, it is set in Northern Great Britain - Scotland? - so the accents make the dialogue sometimes hard to understand. For another, it is very artsy - but in a fun way, and the cinematography is absolutely stunning. The story is off-the-wall. It is about a little boy who talks - literally - with dead saints. He knows everything about them and can recite the information the way other kids recite statistics on their favorite ball players. These saints are very real to him. (You can decide if they're supposed to be really real.) They walk in and out of scenes and he has conversations with them continually. What I like best about this film is its humor. It is very dry, tongue-in-cheek, off-the-wall - in a word, British, so many people won't get it. If you want something more obviously funny, try Home Alone, The Santa Clause or Elf - all three hilarious. But this film has something to say - something about money and the place it holds in our lives, and something that is more important which only a little boy sees, apparently. The filmmakers drop the ball several times and don't really make their message stick - but is a good try and very entertaining.

Nativity Story (2006) - This is a very intelligent Christian film. It is the first movie about the Bible that I am aware of that actually gives the story a Middle Eastern setting. It makes the viewer feel he really is in the land where these events took place, and that these really are the people that made them happen. Catherine Hardwicke (direction), Mike Rich (screenplay) and company have done their homework well. Almost every scene is an authentic and powerful picture (kudos to the art department): from Zechariah’s revelation in the Holy of Holies, to the Persian wise men in their observatory, to the plotting of the two Herods in their palace, to continual confrontations with the Roman soldiers in the streets, to Mary and Joseph passing through Jerusalem on their way to Bethlehem, to examples of the humble pastoral existence of the Nazarene peasants. Every scene seems like that must have been the way it looked. My favorite part is the relationship between Joseph and Mary, most of which has been invented, but is still consistent with the Bible and intelligent in its assumptions. This is not a film to "get you in the mood" for Christmas; but definitely one to remind you of the true meaning.

Top Five Christmas Albums

Peace (2003) by Jim Brickman - Gorgeous piano music, with occasional lyrics sung by Anne Cochran, Tracy Silverman, Kristy Starling and Susan Ashton, with Collin Raye singing the cover song. This is a mixture of songs that are traditional carols in new settings, plus some that are new, contemporary and upbeat. All are gorgeous. Other Christmas albums by Brickman include Christmas Romance (2006), Homecoming (2007) and Hymns & Carols of Christmas (2008), but to me, "Peace" is his best.

Ultimate Christmas (2003?) by Various Artists - Quite a mix of traditional and pop Christmas songs, from Franz Gruber's "Silent Night" and Adolphe Adam's "O Holy Night" to Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song." Even includes some off-the-wall Christmas favorites like Tony Springer's Santa Baby (not my favorite) and Bill Hayes' Blue Christmas. Great standards like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Sleigh Ride"are included.

Essential Energy Christmas (?) by Various Artists - This album is really hard to find now, but it is well worth the effort. Includes "Little Drummer Boy" (Jars of Clay), "O Come O Come Emmanuel" (Third Day), "What Child Is This?" (Caedmon's Call), "The First Noel" (FFH) and "O Come All Ye Faithful" (V*enna). This must be a promo album because it only contains five songs. But it is still worth it because they are so good. I guess these songs must exist on other albums. But this has got to be the cream of the crop. It is available on Amazon for a song. :)

A Christmas Celebration (?) by Dino - Also a difficult album to find, but well worth the effort. Dino partners with some very talented musicians and singers to produce some very contemporary renditions of traditional favorites, including "I Don't Want to Be Alone for Christmas (Unless I'm Alone With You)," "It Took a Child to Save the World," "Caroling, Caroling," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Dino's Rockin' Christmas Medley" and "Happy Holiday." Available on Amazon.

WOW Christmas (2002) by 30 Top Christian Artists - This is the first in the series of WOW Christmas albums. I don't know what the others are like, but this one is terrific. It includes just about every top Christian artist that was recording six years ago, and just about all the popular favorites, plus some that are less known. Mostly it's familiar songs done in non-traditional settings. Great variety, some surprises, and all good. Two discs.

I hope these help make your holidays bright. If you'd like to see the collectables I have for sell on eBay, go to http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/waitsel I'm adding more each day, so visit often. And have a very merry, very blessed Christmas!



Waitsel Smith, December 19, 2008

Text © 2008 Waitsel Smith. Photos © the respective movie studios. All Rights Reserved.