Friday, December 19, 2008
What is the (second) best Christmas movie?
It is the Friday before Christmas week, so I'm guessing that most of you are looking for a reason not to write your annual performance reviews. So here goes: Other than The Lion In Winter
CWCID: Cassandra, who is listing the best movie monologues. I cannot account for the fact that she did not nominate this classic courtroom scene, which I think would have been directed quite differently, but with the same words, had the movie been made ten years later.
14 Comments:
By 
Viking Kaj, at
Fri Dec 19, 10:13:00 AM:
Best Christmas movie of all time is "Holiday Inn".
Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire with an Irving Berlin score. How can you top that?
It was shot in 1940 and was the original venue for the song "White Christmas" which went on to be one of the top grossing songs ever as the greatest generation went off to war.
It also features the famous Astaire firecracker dance.
But don't let anyone from the President-select's PC staff see the "Father Abraham" number with Bing in black face for Lincoln's birthday...
By TigerHawk, at
Fri Dec 19, 10:26:00 AM:
Sorry Viking. I am only accepting nominations for the "second best" Christmas movie, because The Lion In Winter has already been determined to be the best. I did that long before I established this blog, so it is not your fault that you did not know that.
By Dawnfire82, at
Fri Dec 19, 10:59:00 AM:
Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 version.
By m.e., at
Fri Dec 19, 11:07:00 AM:
Family Man with Nicholas Cage. When he comes to the realization his best life was actually the one as a tire salesman instead of a high-powered exec in NY I get all choked up.
By Viking Kaj, at
Fri Dec 19, 11:17:00 AM:
Ok TH, I hereby nominate Holiday Inn for 2d best.
Nomination for 3d best: Bad Santa.
By Viking Kaj, at
Fri Dec 19, 11:23:00 AM:
PS. I'm a huge Plantagent fan (I actually wear a stalk of broom in my helmet) as well as Poitevin and Angouleme, so LIW is fine by me.
Didn't Kate get one of her Oscars for that performance?
By 
, at
Fri Dec 19, 11:40:00 AM:
Christmas? c'mon ... It's a wonderful life.
Great movie moments ... Andy Dufresne and Red ... get busy livin', or get busy dyin'.
For Christmas chuckles ... I kinda like Scrooged.
By , at
Fri Dec 19, 12:15:00 PM:
Colonel Jessup's monologue is indeed a classic, but only as far as the line, "I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." Thereafter, it is a farce worthy of a Perry Mason episode. Even the most ordinary criminal defendant does not confess his crime under courtroom cross-examination. As courtroom drama this scene loses credibility when Colonel Jessup does so.
By , at
Fri Dec 19, 05:01:00 PM:
I never think of The Lion in Winter as a Christmas movie, although I know it's about the Christmas court and all. It is one of my top three movies, though. But for the specific category of Christmas movies, that would be my second best one, I guess.
By , at
Fri Dec 19, 06:08:00 PM:
Bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton followed closely by National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.
Seriously. Hysterical movies and both are strangely uplifting.
By Fellow American, at
Fri Dec 19, 08:02:00 PM:
The Ref, followed by the one with the kid who wants the BB gun.
By Miss Ladybug, at
Fri Dec 19, 08:30:00 PM:
Fellow American - that would be A Christmas Story. I was never really a fan, but my cousins (all boys) loved it when we were kids.
I don't think I've ever seen A Lion in Winter. Maybe I'll have to change that...
As for my favorites, White Christmas (Christmas & patriotism all in one movie; who could ask for more?), the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street (I can't stand the one from the 70s, but the newer one is passable), It's A Wonderful Life. I also like the TNT production of A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart.
By , at
Sat Dec 20, 05:02:00 AM:
"A Christmas Carol".
The 1951 Alastair Sim version.
By , at
Sun Dec 21, 08:07:00 AM:
I second Rickl's post:
Alastair Sim's version of Scrooge can not ever be replicated. And actually every version thereafter is tough to watch. Moreover, I think if Charles Dickens were to make a movie of a Christmas Carol it would have been this version.
