Holiday time is the perfect time to grab your snuggie, stoke the fireplace, and curl up with your significant other while watching a classic Christmas film. Too bad the weather never cooperates here in Cayman and we end up sweating by the pool. I have a solution… crank the air conditioning down to a wintery 68 and pop in one of my two favourite holiday classics below.
A Christmas Story, 1983:
No other holiday movie in history has sparked as many marathon showings back-to-back all day long on December 25th like A Christmas Story. Set in Hammond, Indiana and revolving around nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, played by Peter Billingsley, wanting "an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time."
Any person between the ages of 24 and 45 could probably recite that line along with Santa’s response: "You'll shoot your eye out, kid. Merry Christmas! Ho, ho, ho!" and then mimicking the pushing of Ralphie down the long slide with his boot. There’s so much “family” in A Christmas Story; be it dysfunctional, maniacal, and embarrassing; it’s always loving. A Christmas Story is the telling of the reality behind what we’ve romanticised about childhood desires, and the way they were fulfilled. And no other movie has created such a huge market for full body bunny pyjamas and stocking-clad leg lamps.
Scrooged, 1988:
Scrooged is my favourite holiday movie. It’s an updated telling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with Billy Murray as Frank Cross, a network television exec who has commercialised the Christmas holiday. The way screenwriters Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue apply the modern twist on this classic is superb. From David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter) psychotically driving a taxi back to Cross’ days growing up as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Carol Kane as the Ghost Of Christmas Present trying to literally beat some sense into Cross, to the ambiguous creature as the Ghost Of Christmas Future, Scrooged always maintains its orbit around comedy genius Bill Murray.
One can totally buy into his portrayal of Cross and when his back-story is revealed, the character becomes more three dimensional. I should also add that the very funny Karen Allen plays Frank Cross’ love interest, Claire Phillips. Claire is the perfect foil for Frank’s greed and selfishness, and once the story comes to a close, it’s very satisfying to see the two together. With supporting cast like John Forsythe, John Houseman, John Glover, and Robert Mitchum and cameo appearances by Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, musicians Larry Carlton, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, and Paul Shaffer, actor/singer Robert Goulet, and actors Jamie Farr, Buddy Hackett, Lee Majors, and Pat McCormick as well as the Solid Gold Dancers, Scrooged is a blast of comedic fun for the holidays.
When all is quiet in the wee hours before Santa arrives, the true genius of Scrooged is the ability to retell the original story in a way that not only relates to a modern audience, but also provides a commentary of the Spirit Of Christmas, that of giving and of lightening up.