Is it in the same league as It’s A Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street? No, of course not. It’s silly, it’s zany, and it’s more than a little outrageous…yet this is a movie that is close to my heart. I usually have to be in the right mood to watch something in the Chevy Chase/Steve Martin/John Candy slapstick oeuvre, but I think I could watch Christmas Vacation just about any time. Go figure. Maybe it’s the additional influence of John Hughes’ writing, or the presence of Beverly D’Angelo and the rest of this specific supporting cast, but regardless: this movie makes me happy.
This is the third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, and starry-eyed Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is back at it again with his idealistic dreams of the perfect family holiday. This time, however, his expectations seem slightly more attainable– rather than trying to trek across the country (or Europe, for that matter), all he wants is for his family to enjoy a fun, good-ol-fashioned Christmas at home together. Unfortunately for Clark, even that simple goal seems to slip further and further out of reach with one piece of bad luck after another. The tree (which, in direct proportion to Clark’s grandiose ideas about what family gatherings should be, is so “full” that it can’t be contained even by the walls of the house) shatters several windowpanes when released from its bindings, extended family descends upon the Griswolds from all sides, and Clark’s expected company bonus is mysteriously absent. Add to this a few more Chevy Chase-ian mishaps (i.e. falling off/through numerous surfaces, and the meticulous installation of 25,000 twinkle lights–none of which seem to want to work), and Clark finds himself at the end of his rapidly-fraying emotional rope.
Thankfully, though, Clark and the Griswolds DO get their joyful family Christmas in the end (even if there are a few more dead cats and sewer explosions than they bargained for).
I’d wager that when most people think of this movie, they think of Clark’s obsession with the twinkle lights, or Cousin Eddie cutting back on his squirrel consumption because it’s “too high in cholesterol”. It’s true that those scenes are both funny and memorable, but the scene that always sticks with me the most is when Clark accidentally gets trapped in his attic. He gets conked in the head by several loose floorboards, as well as having to don his mother’s mink wrap and gloves to stay warm, but then something unexpected happens. In the middle of all this successful slapstick comedy, he finds an old film reel of Christmas memories from his childhood. Sitting in the floor of his drafty attic, dressed in women’s clothing, Clark watches the reel as Ray Charles croons “The Spirit of Christmas” in the background. Suddenly, we’re not laughing anymore. We see Clark’s eyes misting up (and if you’re me, and you get emotional over Folger’s coffee commercials at Christmas time, your eyes start to mist up as well), and it becomes all too clear what his desperate holiday antics have been trying to recreate. It’s such a powerful scene. Here is a person who, unlike so many of us, has never lost his grasp on how magical the Christmas season can be– even when he’s engrossed in seemingly insignificant minutia, like his 25,000 decorative twinkle lights, it’s all in service of making the holiday special for his family. He wants them to have the same warm memories that he has of Christmas, and at the end of the day, I think that’s what makes the movie so relatable. Yes, it’s a comedy, so everything is exaggerated to the Nth degree. But really, we’ve all been through a semi-dysfunctional family Christmas where you think everything is going to be covered in pillowy snow, pearls, and the dulcet tones of Bing Crosby…and the reality is that your cousin Kurtis stands too close to a candle and lights his sweatshirt on fire.
It’s very nearly impossible to create a “perfect” Christmas for yourself and your family, but none of us will ever stop trying. To me, that’s part of the fun of the season–the memories we make, and the stories we accumulate, while celebrating each other and doing the best we can.
Tomorrow, Micah takes the wheel to review another family classic: Home Alone (1990). Be sure to come back for that one, as well as the last few days of our 12 Days of Christmas review series!!
The post Day 9: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) first appeared on It's Just Awesome DOT com.]]>Santa Claus (1959), directed by Rene Cardona, is quite possibly the worst movie ever made. It has 2.4 stars on IMDb…NOT EVEN TWO AND A HALF STARS, people! We are morbidly, unaccountably obsessed with it at IJA, and have cried tears of mirth (on more than one occasion) while discussing it on our podcast. As such, I thought we could escape its siren call this year, but alas, I drew the short straw and it looks like the task of finding a way to review it in a written format shall fall to me.
It’s…I…I legitimately don’t know where to start. Santa is an alien? He’s friends with Merlin? There’s a lactose-intolerant demon named Pitch who is trying to thwart Santa by corrupting the children of Mexico City? You tell me.
I guess we’ll start with the basics. This was originally a Spanish language film, but the copy we’ve all seen at IJA is the dubbed-over English version. I’m not sure if the producers didn’t quite have the budget to pull it off, or if they just didn’t care about the English version enough to devote more time to its creation, but the result is laughably absurd. The horrible dubbing and bizarre voiceovers work in tandem to set an incredibly low bar, right from the opening sequence (which, by the way, is a ten minute head-scratcher of Santa just pumping his arms up and down on the organ and listing the countries of the world).
On top of the hashed-together quality, the storyline makes NO SENSE. In this version of the Santa legend, Saint Nick isn’t a magical human or an elf, but is instead a festive, jolly alien who spends 364 days a year circling the planet in his wintry spacecraft. He also has several helper children aboard the ship, all from different and specifically-mentioned countries, but then later we start to wonder if they might actually be aliens as well (they have no idea what Earth customs are or what humans eat). Basically, the story boasts more plot holes than I would have thought possible for a movie that made it all the way through production, and it’s kind of hilarious how glaring most of them are. If we were to discuss all the gaps and oddities in detail here, however, this review would be 78 pages long. So, I guess I will refrain. But…wow.
Santa’s main mission throughout this gem of a film is, of course, to fly down to Earth on Christmas via his animatronic reindeer sled. In addition to these creeptastic deer-bots that he winds up with The World’s Largest Key, Santa has a few other tricks up his sleeve as well. Courtesy of his friend Merlin the magician (?!), Santa can harness the powers of an Invisibility Flower, some Dream Dust, and a vibrating, waistline-reducing, workout belt that I can only assume he or Merlin bought from a space infomercial at 3 a.m. Seriously. All of these things are real in the movie. Unfortunately for Santa, his gift delivery process is impeded by the antics of Pitch–one of Satan’s minions, who has been threatened with chocolate ice cream if he fails to corrupt enough children to keep Santa from giving out presents (yep, that’s real also).
It’s a weird, awful, train wreck of a movie. Oddly enough, I think Santa Claus would have made a better stage production. It reminds me in many ways of a nightmarish Nutcracker ballet, and I wonder what could have been done to that end with the right director and budget. The costumes (Pitch is dressed in a spandex/Shakespearean pantaloon combo throughout), the song and dance numbers, and the theatrics in general all lend themselves much more to a ballet than a film, if you ask me. It will probably never happen, and it likely shouldn’t, but if Santa Claus ever DID make it to the stage…I have to say, I’d be intrigued. Hamilton happened, so the sky is apparently the limit with what can be successful on Broadway!
Tomorrow, be sure to join Micah for Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas series, as he reviews A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Now that we’ve gotten Santa Claus out of the way, things can only go up from here!!
The post Day 4: Santa Claus (1959) first appeared on It's Just Awesome DOT com.]]>Just so there’s no confusion, I am talking about the original 1947 classic, not the 1994 remake. And while I actually like that movie considerably, nothing holds a candle to the original.
It’s not just the best Christmas movie on our list, it’s probably the best Christmas movie ever, and one of the best movies of all time. I’m sure there’s a certain sense of nostalgia at play here, because I certainly remember watching this with my mom every Christmas when I was a boy. This film that she watched as a girl was now captivating me, and though I didn’t know it at the time, it helped foster my love for movies, and for the wonder of them and the joy they could bring.
Before I get too mushy and sentimental, here’s a summary: Macy’s Department Store quickly needs a Santa Claus replacement for their Thanksgiving Parade after their planned one shows up drunk, and who else should be there but a man named Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn in an Oscar-winning role). Kris is quite simply incredible and so, the Director of Special Events, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), hires him to continue “playing” Santa at the store. Naturally, he’s widely successful there as well, but he’s being completely open and honest with Macy’s customers, even if that means sending them to other stores where certain Christmas gifts can be had for cheaper. Once the management find out, they’re not too happy. Tack on the fact that Kris actually believes he’s the real Santa, and they decide he needs to be institutionalized. A court case ensues, and Fred Gailey (John Payne), is the only young lawyer who will help defend him. Fred also happens to be in love with Doris, but she’s pretty emotionally distant. She’s taught her daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood), to be detached as well and to not believe in fantasy and make-believe, including Santa Claus. So, not only must Kris win his case and prove he’s the real deal, but he also must somehow convince Doris and Susan that there is magic in the world, and that miracles do exist. A tall order perhaps, but not for Kris Kringle!!
There’s a particular scene with a young Dutch girl whose adoptive mother doesn’t think will be able to speak with Santa, but lo and behold, Santa speaks her language!! But OF COURSE he does!! Even though this beautiful moment is brief, it still manages to catapult the film into another level.
Then there’s the courtroom scene with all the mail bags being brought it. I can’t help but smile each and every time I see it.
Gwenn gives the definitive portrayal of Santa Claus, in my opinion. It goes beyond an actor playing a role. It’s transcendent. He makes the audience believe in him, as well, and the Christmas joy he spreads feels genuine, and never too saccharine. There’s a magical twinkle in his eye that will live forever in celluloid, and that Christmas joy will only continue to spread as future generations embrace this movie, just like it did for me and my mom… and soon my daughter.
Tomorrow, it’s Day 3 with Topher reviewing White Christmas!!
The post Day 2: Miracle on 34th Street (1947) first appeared on It's Just Awesome DOT com.]]>This timeless, Christmas classic is a movie that is appropriate to watch all year long, because it’s really not about Christmas. It is, however, about many aspects of the human experience that we all reflect on a bit more during the holiday season. It’s about family dynamics, the karmic wonderment of selfless deeds being repaid, compassion for your fellow man…the list goes on. Frank Capra is often known for the unabashed and over-the-top wielding of sentiment in his films, but It’s a Wonderful Life tugs on your heartstrings in all the right ways.
In an “aw shucks” casting match made in heaven, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed (#Pearlz4Dayz) star as sweethearts George Bailey and Mary Hatch. The story mainly follows George as he grows from boy to man in the small town of Bedford Falls; Mary, too, is an integral part of both the story and George’s happiness. As their life together unfolds, we see that George is a very special person with a tender heart. He saves his brother from a deadly fall through thin ice, stops a bereaved pharmacist from accidentally pouring poison into pill capsules instead of medicine, and takes over his father’s struggling Building & Loan company even though it means putting his own college dreams on hold. Time and time again, George thinks of others before himself, but a lifetime of doing so eventually starts to wear him down.
He becomes frustrated that despite his best efforts, his family lives in a drafty house and has so little money with which to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the power-hungry Mr. Potter (who has Bedford Falls squarely in his pocket) makes money hand-over-fist by exploiting the townspeople George fights so hard to take care of. He feels defeated, insignificant, and crushed beneath the weight of a world that’s moving too quickly to appreciate him. When his uncle misplaces a large sum of money needed to balance their business accounts, George finally loses any shred of hope he had left, and believes he is worth more to his family dead than alive. He goes to a nearby bridge to jump, thinking that his debts can at least be wiped clean with his life insurance policy, but he is stopped by the appearance of his guardian angel, Clarence. George is skeptical at first, but Clarence is able to show him the life his family and friends would have had if he had never been born (suffice it to say that their Georgeless lives are much worse). Much to his surprise, George realizes just how much of an impact he has had on everyone he knows, and he urges Clarence to let him go back to living again.
It’s a Wonderful Life has been parodied and referenced frequently in pop culture over the years, but it’s impressive how well the film holds up today. There is great acting all around, and I defy you not to tear up a little when the citizens of Bedford Falls come out en masse to show George how much his friendship has meant to them. If you remain stone-faced during this final scene, I think you might be dead inside…and we probably can’t be friends anymore.
Even during the dark times, it is indeed a wonderful life, and this is a wonderful movie.
Tomorrow, be sure to join us again for Day 2 of our 12 Days of Christmas series! Charles will be reviewing another beloved family classic: Miracle on 34th Street (1947). You won’t want to miss it!
The post Day 1: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) first appeared on It's Just Awesome DOT com.]]>