Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Tuesday Talkback: Your Favorite Christmas Movie

It's that time of year. What's your favorite Christmas movie?

I have two. I can watch A Christmas Story a million times and never get bored with it. It's a timeless classic for too many reasons to list here. Home Alone is a very close runner-up. Last Christmas I watched it for the first time in a decade and it still held up. It works because it's a kids movie that isn't afraid to slow down and go for a beat of genuine emotion, such as the whole subplot about the old man on the block who has been estranged from his family for many years. I can't help but think that if that movie were remade today, 95% of the focus would be on the traps that Kevin puts the burglars through and all the heart would be written out of the movie for fear of alienating audiences.

Honorable mention goes to Die Hard, which makes me realize that the third act of Home Alone is essentially Die Hard in a suburban home. So does this mean that Kevin McAllister grows up to be John McClane?

Wow, that was a weird stream-of-consciousness tangent. Anyway, sound off below.

7 comments:

  1. I don't have a fav but did think "Elf" was cute, pretty funny.

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  2. I also think ELF was clever.

    ummm... let's see.... I guess I like John Hughes movies for Christmas-- such as Planes, Trains and Automobiles (although that was set on Thanksgiving, I think) and Home Alone.

    A Christmas Story, too, of course. It's a classic.

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  3. It's always Die Hard. Maybe Bad Santa too.

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  4. "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977 Mini-series), "The Family Stone" (2005), "Rudolph the Red-nose Raindeer" (1964 TV movie).

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  5. I agree with Emily - Die Hard wins hands down.

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  6. My mother expressed mortification that I forgot National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and I have to agree with her. I can't believe that slipped my mind. This wins hands down. It gets quoted WAY too often at gatherings of friends and family.

    Top quotes:

    Ellen - "Clark, Audrey's frozen from the waist down."
    Clark - "All part of the experience honey.

    Neighbor - "Where are you gonna put a tree that big?"
    Clark - "Bend over and I'll show you."

    Uncle Lewis - "Griz, you're not doing anything constructive. Run in there and get my stogie."
    Clark (annoyed) - "Anything else I can do for you, Uncle Lewis!"

    Chevy Chase's delivery on the last one makes me laugh ever time.

    But I guess if I had listed this from the start, I couldn't have made the DIE HARD joke. Then again, it wasn't that funny.

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  7. Scrooged is still my favorite. Lethal Weapon takes second place away from Die Hard.

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