Everyone needs a break from work now and then, so this week let’s talk about our favorite Christmas movies. My favorite is “Elf”, but a very close second is White Christmas. Every December I think, “This is the year I’ll get tired of watching White Christmas.” And every year – “Nah.” In fact, sometimes I watch it in July too. Why is it so appealing? It’s a long movie by today’s standards clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes, and it doesn’t have any special effects to keep your attention. Although, it was the first film shot in VistaVision and when you throw in Technicolor and Edith Head’s costume design, it produces some special effects (vivid colors, sweeping scenery for the dance numbers, etc.). I realize I’m not the only one in love with this movie. Back in 1954 when it was released, it was one of the top earning films that year grossing $12 million which was a haul back then. It came in as the second highest grossing movie that year (Citizen Cane came in first). Why do we love it so much?
Is it the characters? The main characters are easy to identify with and every year I feel like a different one. Bob Wallace: Who hasn’t owed someone a favor and keeps repaying it over and over again? Phil Davis: Who doesn’t want their ideas and hard work to succeed? Betty Haynes: Who hasn’t felt responsible for another person’s happiness? Judy Haynes: Who hasn’t wanted to get out from under someone else’s authority?
Is it the music? Two words: Irving Berlin. Last year, a local independent movie theater in the town where I live hosted a sing along version of the movie the second weekend in December. If you ever get a chance to go to one of these, do it. That black dress Rosemary Clooney wore for the Carousel Club scene makes me want to dress up and go to the theater a la Rocky Horror. Grab a baby blue ostrich fan and join me! Singing “Snow” with a theater full of people (it didn’t matter that none of us could win “The Voice”) was practically a religious experience.
Is it the chemistry? The actors seem to genuinely like each other and are having a blast. Did you know the scene where Wallace and Davis “dress up like dames” and lip sync the Haynes sisters’ famous “Sisters” number was not in the original script? Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye were just messing around and the director (Michael Curtiz) thought it was so funny that he wrote it into the script.
Is it the story? It’s a simple one, really; with elements like patriotism, friendship, and kindness. Wallace and Davis argue, but they don’t leave the argument unsettled. The Haynes sisters make up quickly after Judy’s deception of a fake engagement to Phil. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII and one was a POW for 11 months, so the General Waverly storyline gets me right in the feels every time. Especially when his granddaughter, Susan, sees him coming down the stairs to go to the show in his dress uniform.
During this busy holiday season, watching a Christmas movie is a great way to practice self care. So take a well deserved break, then tell me about your favorite here: