Christmas would not be Christmas without the “Christmas movies.” There are two movies everyone must see in order to truly experience Christmas.
In 1983, the movie, A Christmas Story, hit the streets to almost immediate success. It was hilarious to say the least.
It introduced us to Ralphie, a normal little kid with the greatest of imaginations. All he wants is a Red Ryder BB gun and throughout the movie, he tells every adult who will listen, the reasons as to why he should have a Red Ryder BB gun. With each explanation, every adult then says, “You don’t need a BB gun, kid. You’ll put your eye out.”
After he finally acquires his BB gun, Ralphie goes out and takes a shot at a target taped to a metal sign. The BB hits the target and then ricochets back to hit Ralphie just below his eye. Then follows the comical scene where he steps on his glasses while trying to find them.
Then he has to explain it all to parents. In the meantime, Ralphies’ dad, “The Old Man,” wins an award, which turns out to be a lamp shaped in the form of a leg of a woman wearing fishnet stockings.
One comedic scene leads to another, leaving viewers laughing out loud.
The other movie is the classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. George Bailey, played by everyone’s favorite actor, Jimmy Stewart, is a lovable guy who gives up his life’s ambitions to help others. He is loved by everyone in town, a town his father is highly responsible for building through his inept business sense, but good heart.
As George prepares to leave home and start his college career, his father dies and George steps in to fill his shoes. He falls in love with Mary and before long, he becomes a member of the community, anchored by his sense of fairness and his own good heart.
The amazing thing about this movie is Jimmy Stewart. Hollywood made the movie in 1946 and released it in January 1947. By the time Jimmy Stewart made this movie, he had returned to his acting career from a war in which he served as a combat bomber pilot and squadron commander.
Many of the lines in the movie seem as though they came straight from Stewart’s life. In real life, Stewart went to Princeton, studied architecture, and wanted to build airports. You can read more about Stewart in my earlier blog about Stewart posted December 11.
Christmas just would not be Christmas without these two classic movies.
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©2010 J. Clark
Both are movies that are loved at our home each Christmas but I still love watching White Christmas each year as well. Merry Christmas Joe! Jeanne
Oh no! How could I have forgotten White Christmas? It is also one of my favorites, but it was not played down here and it was not on my mind. I guess I will have to save it for next year!