A Holiday Celebration: Exploring Underrated Holiday Pictures

Something that annoys me about a lot of present-day holiday films is their insistent self-awareness – the ostentatious decorations, the formulaic soundtrack selections, and the canned dialogue about the true meaning of the season. Maybe because the genre was not yet solidified into formula, films from the 1940s often explore Christmas from more creative and less obsessive angles.

The Fifth Avenue Happening

A favorite find from exploring 1940s holiday comedies is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 semi-romantic tale with a brilliant hook: a cheerful vagrant takes up residence in a unoccupied posh townhouse each year. During one cold spell, he brings in strangers to reside with him, among them a ex-soldier and a young woman who is secretly the offspring of the mansion's affluent proprietor. Helmer Roy Del Ruth infuses the movie with a makeshift family heart that many contemporary holiday stories strive to earn. It expertly occupies the space between a class-conscious narrative on housing and a whimsical metropolitan romance.

Godfathers in Tokyo

Satoshi Kon's 2003 tragicomedy Tokyo Godfathers is a entertaining, heartbreaking, and profound interpretation on the festive narrative. Drawing from a John Wayne movie, it follows a trio of displaced souls – an drinker, a trans character, and a young runaway – who come across an discarded baby on Christmas Eve. Their mission to locate the baby's parents unleashes a sequence of hijinks involving gangsters, newcomers, and seemingly fateful encounters. The animation embraces the wonder of chance often found in Christmas tales, presenting it with a stylish visual style that steers clear of cloying feeling.

The John Doe Story

While Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life deservedly gets much attention, his lesser-known work Meet John Doe is a powerful holiday film in its own right. With Gary Cooper as a charismatic "forgotten man" and Barbara Stanwyck as a clever journalist, the film starts with a fictional missive from a man promising to fall from a ledge on the holiday in protest. The nation's embrace forces the journalist to find a man to portray the mythical "John Doe," who later becomes a country-wide icon for neighborliness. The film functions as both an heartwarming story and a pointed indictment of ultra-rich media magnates seeking to use public goodwill for personal ambitions.

A Silent Partner

While Christmas slasher movies are now commonplace, the festive suspense film remains a strangely niche category. This makes the 1978 feature The Silent Partner a unique delight. Starring a wonderfully sinister Christopher Plummer as a thieving Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a mild-mannered bank teller, the movie sets two kinds of opportunistic oddballs against each other in a sleek and unpredictable tale. Mostly overlooked upon its initial release, it is worthy of a fresh look for those who like their festive entertainment with a cold atmosphere.

The Almost Christmas

For those who like their holiday get-togethers messy, Almost Christmas is a riot. Boasting a star-studded group that has Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the movie delves into the tensions of a household gathered to spend five days under one house during the Christmas season. Hidden dramas rise to the forefront, resulting in moments of extreme humor, including a confrontation where a firearm is pulled out. Naturally, the story finds a touching ending, providing all the entertainment of a family disaster without any of the actual aftermath.

The Film Go

Doug Liman's 1999 feature Go is a holiday-themed caper that is a teen-oriented riff on woven stories. Although some of its comedy may feel dated upon a modern viewing, the film nonetheless offers plenty elements to enjoy. These include a engaging performance from Sarah Polley to a captivating performance by Timothy Olyphant as a dangerous drug dealer who appropriately sports a Santa hat. It represents a specific style of fin-de-siècle cinematic attitude set against a festive scene.

Miracle at Morgan's Creek

Preston Sturges's 1940s film The Miracle of Morgan's Creek skips typical Christmas warmth in exchange for irreverent comedy. The story centers on Betty Hutton's character, who ends up with child after a hazy night but cannot identify the soldier involved. The bulk of the comedy arises from her situation and the attempts of Eddie Bracken's simping Norval Jones to rescue her. Although not obviously a holiday film at the start, the story climaxes on the Christmas, revealing that Sturges has crafted a playful interpretation of the Christmas story, loaded with his signature satirical style.

Better Off Dead

This 1985 youth movie starring John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a textbook specimen of its time. Cusack's