Something that annoys concerning numerous present-day Christmas movies is their overly meta-commentary – the gaudy decorations, the predictable score selections, and the stilted conversations about the true meaning of the festive period. Perhaps because the genre was not yet ossified into tradition, pictures from the 1940s often approach the holidays from more creative and not as anxious viewpoints.
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
One cherished find from exploring 1940s holiday fare is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 semi-romantic comedy with a clever premise: a happy-go-lucky hobo spends the winter in a unoccupied posh townhouse each year. One winter, he welcomes new acquaintances to reside with him, including a former GI and a runaway who turns out to be the heiress of the mansion's rich proprietor. Director Roy Del Ruth imbues the picture with a surrogate family warmth that numerous modern Christmas movies struggle to earn. The film expertly balances a thoughtful commentary on housing and a charming metropolitan fairytale.
The Tokyo Godfathers
The late filmmaker's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers is a engaging, sad, and deeply moving take on the festive story. Drawing from a western movie, it follows a group of down-and-out people – an alcoholic, a trans character, and a teenage runaway – who come across an discarded baby on the night before Christmas. Their quest to reunite the child's parents unleashes a sequence of misadventures involving yakuza, foreigners, and apparently serendipitous connections. The film embraces the wonder of fate often found in seasonal tales, offering it with a cool-toned animation that sidesteps overly sweet emotion.
Introducing John Doe
Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life deservedly receives plenty of attention, his earlier work Meet John Doe is a compelling Christmas tale in its own right. Starring Gary Cooper as a handsome everyman and Barbara Stanwyck as a clever journalist, the movie kicks off with a fictional note from a man vowing to fall from a rooftop on the holiday in frustration. The nation's embrace forces the journalist to find a man to play the mythical "John Doe," who subsequently becomes a national symbol for kindness. The narrative acts as both an uplifting tale and a brutal skewering of powerful media magnates seeking to exploit public sentiment for personal gain.
Silent Partner
While Christmas horror pictures are now a dime a dozen, the Christmas thriller remains a relatively rare style. This makes the 1978 gem The Silent Partner a novel delight. Starring a delightfully vile Christopher Plummer as a criminal Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a unassuming bank employee, the film sets two kinds of amoral oddballs against each other in a sleek and twisty narrative. Largely unseen upon its initial debut, it deserves a fresh look for those who prefer their Christmas stories with a dark tone.
The Almost Christmas
For those who prefer their holiday gatherings dysfunctional, Almost Christmas is a riot. With a impressive cast that includes Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the film delves into the strain of a family forced to spend five days under one house during the holidays. Private issues rise to the surface, resulting in situations of over-the-top comedy, such as a showdown where a firearm is brandished. Ultimately, the film reaches a touching conclusion, offering all the fun of a seasonal catastrophe without any of the real-life cleanup.
Go
Doug Liman's 1999 film Go is a Christmas-set tale that serves as a youthful interpretation on woven stories. Although some of its comedy may feel of its time upon a modern viewing, the picture still boasts many elements to savor. These include a engaging role from Sarah Polley to a captivating appearance by Timothy Olyphant as a charming pusher who appropriately dons a Santa hat. It captures a very style of late-90s cinematic vibe set against a holiday scene.
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Preston Sturges's 1940s farce The Miracle of Morgan's Creek rejects traditional Christmas cheer in exchange for irreverent humor. The movie centers on Betty Hutton's Trudy Kockenlocker, who discovers she is with child after a hazy night but cannot recall the soldier involved. Much of the humor stems from her condition and the attempts of Eddie Bracken's hapless Norval Jones to rescue her. While not obviously a Christmas movie at the start, the plot climaxes on the Christmas, showing that Sturges has created a clever version of the birth narrative, filled with his trademark sharp edge.
Better Off Dead
This 1985 teen comedy starring John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a quintessential artifact of its time. Cusack's
