Had enough of same-old, same-old Hallmark Christmas stories which run 24/7/365? You would think the true meaning of Christmas was to fall in love with someone you may or may not like when you first meet them. Longing for some ‘meat’ or meaning? Here are10 films in release order that might be a tad more inspirational or just plain fun, with a little romance on the side.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946 Jimmy
Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and the adorable Henry Travers. And the originally ‘Bert and Ernie’ Ward Bond
and Frank Faylen. Who could forget,
‘Zuzu’s petals!’ Enough said.
THE BISHOP’S WIFE
1947 starring the lovely Loretta Young, Cary Grant and David Niven, about a
debonair angel sent in answer to a prayer.
MIRACLE
ON 34TH STREET 1947 starring 8-year-old Natalie Wood and Maureen O’Hara, John Payne and
Santa Claus (Edmund Gwenn). “I believe,
I believe.”
CHRISTMAS
CAROL 1951 starring Alistair Sim. The
master of the double take, whose hooded eyes that try to hide all those
feelings until they cannot be suppressed on Christmas Morn. “It all happened! Now I know I never knew anything! I must stand on my head!”
AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS Gain Carlo Menotti’s 54-minute opera was first
broadcast in black and white on network TV in 1951 starring Chet Allen and
Rosemary Kuhlmann. There is a color
version starring Teresa Stratas which is also good. It is the story of a lying cripple boy and
his poverty-stricken mother who host the Three Kings as they journey to find
the newborn King. The music is enchanting and the voices soar opening your
heart to the question, “Have you seen the Child…?
SANTA & PETE
1999 starring James Earl Jones, Hume Cronyn and Flex Alexander tell the tale of
Bishop Nicholas’ journey to the New World to bring cheer to the newly arrived
settlers, people of color and the Natives.
It is a charming telling of how St. Nick became Santa Claus.
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT 1945 Starring
Barbara Stanwyck posing as a
type of Martha Stewart, except she is inept at any
of those homey virtues. Also starring
Dennis Morgan as a war time hero and the wonderful character actor S Z Sakall.
This tasty comedy is a delight from start to finish.
NOEL 2004
Starring Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Penelope Cruz, Paul Walker and
Alan Arkin. A Christmas Eve drama revolving
around the lives of five sad and lonely people whose stories interconnect and
try re-create happy Christmas memories.
SILENT NIGHT
2004 This gripping Christmas drama stars Linda Hamilton as a German mother
taking her 12-year-old son away from the horrors of WWII to her family’s cabin
in the woods only to be invaded by 3 American GIs and 3 German soldiers on
Christmas Eve. She orders the men to
leave their weapons outside.
Will they obey?
BONUS
NOELLE 2007 written, produced, directed and starring
David Wall with his wife and daughter, Kerry and Brennan Wall and Sean Patrick
Brennan. It is a human story of two
priests in search of the true power of love, forgiveness and redemption in a
remote quirky village.
