A Christmas Story
Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! I thought, in honor of the holiday and as a chance to wish all of our readers a happy holiday, I would devise a Christmas movie post for you. So I am putting out my list of all time favorite movies that had something to do with Christmas. I had to broaden that category so I could include one movie that is very near and dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy.
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas – I have always loved Charlie Brown. And this Christmas special is no exception. As a child, I enjoyed it because it was funny. But as I grew older, I began to see the message behind it. And it is the perfect message to put out this time of year. This film helped me to appreciate the holiday more, because it taught me that Christmas is not about getting the best gift, or even buying someone the best present. Christmas is a special holiday that is all about giving, sharing, love and kindness. For showing me that, A Charlie Brown Christmas will always be a holiday tradition.
4. The Grinch who stole Christmas – No, I’m not talking about the recent live action adaptation. I love the true Grinch Christmas movie. Another beloved holiday tradition from my childhood. Another movie that I did not truly understand until I grew up a bit. Now I share this movie with my children, hoping that they will get as much enjoyment out of it as I did. It is funny and charming. And it will stand the test of time.
3. Bad Santa – This is definitely not a movie I will be sharing with my children anytime soon. But it is a part of my holiday each year. Billy Bob is fantastic in this hilarious and perverted take on a holiday movie. It ultimately ends well, with a good message. Along the way though, it is raucous, dirty, disgusting and hilarious all at once. It is definitely my favorite interpretation of Santa Claus ever. Tim Allen has nothing on this Santa Claus.
2. The Nightmare before Christmas – Tim Burton always makes interesting and entertaining films. This delightfully darker take on Christmas has the added bonus of being a film that you could enjoy on two different holidays. It was a heart warming tale of monsters trying to enjoy Christmas. The characters were all memorable, and the story was completely original. For the kids, the message was there as well. I laughed out loud. And look at what this movie has spawned- Jack Skellington is somewhat of a goth icon. While that doesn’t mean much to me, it goes to show that this is a Christmas movie enjoyed by all sorts of different people. Fun fact: Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) voiced the character named Lock.
1. A Christmas Story – This movie is an instant classic. 25 years after it was first released, it is still enjoyed by people all over the country just as much as it was back then. I have so many fond memories of this film. The first thing that comes to mind is the image of Santa Claus. As a child, it was terrifying to see Santa at the top of that slide, forcing Ralphie down that giant slide. I couldn’t imagine Santa being so cruel. I’ll always remember “you’ll put your eye out kid.” I felt for Ralphie as he fought so hard to convince everyone that he should get that Red Ryder BB gun. I too was disappointed when he opened those ridiculous pajamas. There were so many things in this film that I can laugh about by just closing by eyes. A true classic if there ever was one. If there is are people out there who did not enjoy this film, I’ve yet to meet them.
So that’s it everyone. I hope my listing of these movies has brought up fond childhood memories for all of you too. That is my gift to all of you. I wish everyone out there enjoys the holiday. If you don’t celebrate the holiday, I hope you enjoy time with your family, and I give you my best wishes . If you do, I say this to you: Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.