Christmas Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Christmas Movie Party
By Katerina Octanova
The Christmas season is indeed a time for joy and celebrating
with one’s family. However, the more recent Xmas films always
seem to have that dysfunctional-family quality about them. While
the classics may have had Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed as a loving
couple, today’s holiday selections have soldiers returning from
Iraq, suicides, infidelity and relatives dying of cancer.
Frank Farley, a psychology professor at Temple University explains,
as Tolstoy said, "Happy families are all alike. Every unhappy
family is unhappy in its own way." A perfectly happy family
in a Christmas movie is not going to sell anything." Here
is a look at some old and some new movies that will get us in
the festive mood.
Christmas Classics Capturing Innocence And Goodwill
Christmas classics seem to reign supreme for the baby boomer
generation. The black-and-white nostalgia of "It’s a Wonderful
Life" (1946) captures the innocence and the good will of
a nation struggling to regain a sense of optimism following World
War II. James Stewart and Donna Reed give compelling performances
in a heart-wrenching tale of a suicidal man’s realization that
he meant so much to so many people.
Another old Christmas season classic from the same era is "Miracle
on 34th Street" (1947), which was remade in 1994. A department
store Santa finds himself in court when he professes to be the
real deal, which captures the heart of a six-year-old skeptic.
Lastly, White Christmas (1954), starring Bing Crosby, where dance,
romance and hard economic times take center stage.
Dysfunctional Merry Christmas Tales
If you’re a family who likes to laugh together and your kids
are a bit older, then perhaps Christmas dysfunction is more your
motif. In addition to the ever-popular "A Christmas Story"
(1983), don’t forget "Home Alone" and "Trapped
In Paradise" (1994). A 2008 dysfunctional Merry Xmas tale
is "Four Christmases," starring Reese Witherspoon and
Vince Vaughn who try to race from place to place to see all their
divorced parents.
Then there’s always the reliably hilarious "National Lampoon’s
Christmas Vacation" (1989), starring Chevy Chase. "He
wants a wonderful experience with his in-laws, who turn out to
be creeps. He wants a close relationship with his kids, but it
is stressed. He considers his decorating a grand achievement,
but it’s mocked as a disaster," explains Gary Hoppenstand,
a professor of American Studies at Michigan State University.
"The holidays can be a depressing time. Comedy can help us
laugh at ourselves and realize we are fallible, too."
Other Christmas Movies At Your Christmas Party
There are also a number of goofball movies to entertain the whole
family at Christmas. "The Santa Clause" (1994) with
Tim Allen as the inadvertent Santa is known for its wide-appealing
humor and beautiful scenery. Will Ferrell’s "Elf" (2003)
has a child-like innocence to it that will have everyone in the
family guffawing as "Buddy" realizes he lives like a
North Pole elf but is, in fact, a human from New York City.
"Ernest Saves Christmas" (1988) is truly a "holiday
comedy like no other," with the main character confronting
job layoffs, Alzheimers, prison, insanity and greed; yet manages
to do so in a goofy, chuckle-worthy way. "Jingle All the
Way" (1996) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is about a dad
who goes through extremes to get the "toy of the season"
for his son; it’s by no means the best Arnold flick, but the kids
will love it.
About the Author:
Katerina Octanova has written a number of articles on food and
cooking including Christmas
Gift Baskets, The
Christmas, Santa
Claus, Christmas
Gift Food, Christmas
Hamper, Christmas
Party, Christmas
Gift For The Office, Christmas
Gift Idea For Family.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know This About Christmas?
As any adult can attest, Christmas is a very busy time. There
are countless parties to attend and special functions that require
your time. But it is also a time when the kids are out of school
on holiday break.
A bored child can be a handful and can be very frustrating. The
key is to finding great holiday activities and crafts that will
occupy their time. Puzzles, crafts and coloring pages can give
your little one plenty to occupy their time.
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