I'm in the process of putting together my Christmas radio show and something occurred to me. While new Christmas related songs and movies and TV shows are released every year, it seems like a really long time since something entered the "canon" of true perennial classics. Most of the holiday fare that I look forward to revisiting every year goes back at least thirty or forty years or more. Movies like It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas were released before I was born; TV shows like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer all go back to the 1960s. All of the best Christmas songs (or at least the versions I most want to hear again) seem to have come out back then (or earlier) too. The only exception to this is A Christmas Story (you know, Ralphie and the Red Rider BB Gun), which itself is now more than 20 years old.
Is this just a generational thing? Will youngsters today trot out dvds of Christmas With the Kranks or Four Christmases once they hit middle age? It just doesn't seem like the more recent holiday offerings have the same timeless qualities of those mentioned in the paragraph above. I'd be happy to be disproved on this point. Is there something I'm forgetting, or does anyone want to make the case for any Christmas movies, TV specials or songs from the past ten or so years? Surely our society hasn't lost the capacity to produce uplifting Christmas stories or music, has it?
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Dr John,
You bring up a good point (much like always). I'm sure the younger generation will always want to hear "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" but for me the songs of the 40- 30 years ago are what I want to listen to. Maybe because that is our early development, formative years and they bring back fond memories of childhood. There are some new music that I love to hear (Trans-Siberian Orchestra stuff) but most of that is definately based on earlier classics. There is one Christmas tv show that I would love to see again that came out 20 years ago. It is the Will Vinton Claymation Christmas. It is hilarious and full of Christmas spirit. How can anyone not watch the We 3 Kings jazz inspired rendition or even the walrus ice pair skating among others and not love Christmas over again. You can catch this on youtube for sure!
As for movies I would present to you two movies that came out in the last several years. First is the Santa Clause with Tim Allen. It is basic and maybe not critically sound but the storyline is fun to watch unfold and I know my kids still insist we watch it every Christmas. The other one falls more into the romantic branch of cinematography but non the less is definately Christmas in all things. That would be Love Actually. Following several story lines through the Christmas season, and how Christmas affects those people. If I think of more I'll let you know.
Lil' Sis
Dr John,
Ok my better half is home and he came up with three if you are more into the action type Christmas... They would be: Die Hard (1 or 2), Lethal Weapon, and of course Bad Santa. Definately need a hard stomach for these but the ever pervasive Christmas themes in contrast to the toughness seem to sit well with the "manliness" want of the season =0
Lil' Sis
Lil Sis,
I know Trans Siberian Orch. is hugely popular, but I don't get it (nor do I get the appeal of the Mannheim Steamroller stuff). But that's just personal taste.... Gramma Got Run Over is over 20 years old, but that's about the same as Christmas Story, so it might qualify as the last-minted classic. I wondered if The Santa Claus might become a standard, but I don't have the sense that it has yet (maybe it's too early to say for certain)-- does it get primetime network play (as It's a Wonderful Life does every year)? I didn't see Love Actually, but from the previews I never would have guessed it was a Christmas themed movie, nor do I think the Die Hard or Lethal Weapons qualify as Christmas themed films, even though they are set at Christmastime. I think Bad Santa is a great film, and despite the raunchiness has its heart in the same right place as the classics (in a way, it's a twisted version of the same story as It's a wonderful Life)-- but the odds are that it will never be shown on network TV in anything remotely close to its theatrical form, which makes me think it'll only remain a cult classic as opposed to a widely beloved holiday perennial. I'm not really arguing against any that you mentioned-- but they don't seem quite the same as the oldies.
Dr. John
Dr John,
I actually agree that those shows don't seem quite like the oldies but if I remember when It's a Wonderful Life was released I believed it was considered a flop. I don't think it was considered a classic till the vast majority of consumers had tv's and it started showing multiple times during the Christmas Season.
Anyway my actual favorite Christmas movie was The Bishops Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young - Now there is a great Christmas movie!!!! (Alas it also is from the golden time of movies)
I think Elf might make it - that and The Santa Claus are the only two that fit my idea of movies I enjoy trotting out every year along with Wonderful Life, Christmas Carol (must be the one with Alstair Sim) and the Rankin Bass animated classics oh, and Christmas Story and Charlie Brown.
Some of the newer animated stuff that the networks push on us are almost a little offensive - too much negativity and hardly any charm.
Just my 2 cents,
T
T,
Yes- charm! That's what seems to be missing from the recent stuff. I guess I can see Elf in that category (though I've only seen parts of it on TV). Based on the ads, there certainly doesn't seem to be anything charming about Four Christmases, though I'd bet anything it ends in some kind of syrupy wrap-up that's completely at odds with the grossness which precedes it. Although I ought to be careful of judging things too harshly based on such scant evidence.
Dr. John
Hey Dr John,
I did come up with a more current song that I have come to love as a great Christmas staple. I really don't like the original (I think) singer (Mariah Carey) but the song is timeless - can you guess? "All I Want For Christmas Is You" It has the charm you talk about and it is the final song at the end of Love Actually sung by a 12 (+/-) year old girl that makes you smile and cry at the same time =) What do you think?
Lil' Sis
Lil Sis,
I don't think I've ever heard it, or if I have, it hasn't registered. Is it enough of a standard that it will pop up on the radio over the holidays?
Dr. John
Dr John,
I actually have heard it a couple of times on the radio. There is a station locally that plays only Christmas songs (starting around Thanksgiving on through the New Year). Although usually when I get in my car I only really listen to the cd's I made of the Christmas songs I really like and unfortunately it is not on those. Here is the youtube of the song from Love Actually. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkihOkI_7eM
Maybe you will enjoy this =)
Lil' Sis
Dr John,
You really had me thinking on this topic. I have another movie for you to consider. Have you ever seen Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas?
Maybe considered a bit of a "new" classic.
Lil' Sis
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