“I’m giving thanks that we don’t have to go through this for another year. Except we do, because those bastards went and put Christmas right in the middle, just to punish us.” — Anne Bancroft in “Home for the Holidays”
As an adult, life has beaten me down and I often need to find a pick me up. This year has not been the exception, but rather, the rule. What has continued to bring me joy in the last couple of months?
Christmas Movies.
Before the eyes roll and you look away from this hilarious account of my dreams, hopes and ultimate cheesiness, please hear me out.
I follow an extremely positive individual who I somehow found on social media. I believe promotions of said individuals can’t occur on Medium but one thing he talks about is how you can truly relax and give yourself a break when watching a movie. Not necessarily binge watching TV shows (“Scrubs”) moreso a brief moment where you live somewhere else and absorb a world (“Avengers”) and then disappear into it for a couple of hours.
This year I focused on my tried-and-true favorites, the ones that have brought me joy in a time where people get sick and die every day, and few seem to care.
“Scrooged”
With Bill Murray, the reality is that you can never go wrong. He symbolizes all that is selfish, greedy, and comedic about the main character who walks through life stepping on everyone, cheaply holding onto his wealth, and then redeeming himself by falling back in love with the only person who loved him dearly. This one gets me every time.
“While You Were Sleeping”
The movie of hope beyond hope. Sandra Bullock is the always endearing woman who is looking for happiness in a life without a family. Bill Pullman is the sweet brother who loves her beyond all else. It is a story of the loneliness we all carry and how that can be overcome with just a little love and goofy luck.
“Die Hard”
The debatable cliché lives on in this movie. You want John McClane to be the guy. And he is with his sidekick Reginald VelJohnson (“Family Matters”). Alan Rickman is immortalized as the perfect villain. You are excited, delighted and cheering at the end for Bruce Willis who wins back his wife and beats the bad guy in the end.
“Christmas Story”
The quintessential classic filled with so many references to the “old” days, nostalgia is too light of a term to describe this movie. Filmed in 1983, Ralphie reminds me much of my childhood, playing with the neighborhood kids, corded telephones in the house, buying real Christmas trees, and getting in trouble with parents who parented in the old-school way. And don’t forget chalkboards. Imagine yourself transported back to where it all began.
“Home for the Holidays”
The close-to-my-heart dysfunctional family movie where Holly Hunter and Robert Downey, Jr. transport you into what a family holiday can look like. While my own family did not have the same issues the main characters face, the movie is relatable when you think of family problems, quirky personalities, and the general sadness related to growing older and realizing certain truths about your life.
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I also watch the various Hallmark/Lifetime movies to pass the time (“Holidays in Handcuffs”) but the aforementioned classics I come back to every year. They hold a special place in my heart and remind me of the joy of the season while reminding us that we are all suffering a little bit inside, but hope is there if you seek it out.
