Tales from the Mommy Trenches

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You know what drives me crazy? Well, a lot of things, but during the Holiday Season, about 99% of the Christmas movies bother the heck out of me. All of the plots seem to involve an obstacle impeding Santa Claus from delivering presents, and if Santa doesn’t give all of the greedy children the goods, then Christmas will be ruined!!! Always with the “there will be no Christmas” without kids getting toys. This plot is as ludicrous as it is ubiquitous. I know I shouldn’t need to point this out, but Christmas is not about children getting stuff. It is about humankind receiving the best gift of all: our salvation. We are celebrating the Nativity of our Lord. But Christmas has turned into some sort of orgy of materialism, especially with respect to children. It is a travesty of Christmas. We lavish our children with numerous and expensive gifts, stress out about buying something for everyone on our list, obsess over hosting and attending holiday parties, and let it distract from the true reason for the season. I am guilty of this too.

So, all of my favorite Christmas movies do not involve the loathsome Santa can’t bring presents so Christmas is canceled plot. Not even the adult version: family that hates each other feels obligated to get together for the holidays and hijinks ensue plot. These movies don’t have to involve something explicitly religious for me to love them as long as they exemplify the true spirit of Christmas: peace on Earth, good will toward men. See, I can be reasonable! In no particular order of favoritism, my list is as follows:

1. Miracle on 34th Street

I realize that my opening to this post makes it sound like I am anti-Santa Claus, but I am most certainly not. He is based on the Catholic Saint Nicholas, after all. And this movie does an excellent job of portraying the good of Santa Claus without spoiling it with excessive consumerism. Also, Natalie Wood was an extremely talented child actress who is a joy to watch. (I have found that when child actors are good, they are very very good, and when they are bad they are horrid). This is the tale of a single mother who is a high powered executive at Macy’s and a jaded person due to her past difficulties, and has unknowingly transferred her burdens to her daughter by stressing real life lessons to her without allowing her child to experience the wonder of childhood. She hires a new Santa Claus for Macy’s who proceeds to turn their lives upside down. The court scene at the end is priceless, but I am a former attorney and delight in such things.

2. It’s a Wonderful Life

Before I got married and had children, I was pretty ambivalent about this movie. But now I can’t seem to get through it without weeping tears of raw emotion because all of the commentary on family life is so true! It tells the story of George Bailey, a man who has always done the right thing, and seemingly his only reward for it is trouble and misery. He loses his faith in himself (and God!) and considers ending his life. But a theologically questionable angel Clarence appears to show George what the world would have been like without him. It is a touching story of how God puts each of us on Earth for an important reason, even if we fail to see it ourselves. Also, a great lesson on appreciating your blessings. I make sure to watch it every year.

3. The Bishop’s Wife

Now I know you’re probably saying to yourself at this juncture that this movie is better, and you’re not wrong. But I am a hopeless Cary Grant devotee, even if he was totally miscast in this role. He probably should have been the bishop. But anyway, it is a heartwarming story regardless. A bishop desperately needs money for his struggling parish, and finds himself in the uncomfortable position of being tempted to give in to the selfish wishes of a wealthy widow to get it. A (theologically correct!) angel shows up to help him, but not in the way he expects.
Come to the Stable

I watched this movie for the first time last night, and I loved it.  It is not exactly a Christmas movie per se, but it is Christmas-time at the beginning of the movie and it has Christian themes in it? Just humor me. It is about two nuns just returned from tending to a children’s hospital in World War II ravaged France, who made a solemn vow to God that if the Allied forces spared their children’s hospital (as the Nazis were intentionally using it as a military base), they would build a new children’s hospital in any place God designated. Their desperate plea reached the Allied forces in time, their hospital was spared, and these two nuns felt that God was consequently drawing them to Bethlehem, Philadelphia to build a new children’s hospital. The entire movie takes place Stateside and chronicles the nuns’ humorous and inspiring journey to acquire the land and funds required to build their hospital. Personally, I found their unflappable persistence in spite of adversity and their blind trust in God’s providence despite numerous failures inspiring. It is a wonderful reminder that God always hears your prayers, even if He doesn’t answer them in the manner you expect.

The Bells of St. Mary’s

I haven’t watched this one yet, (it’s next on my list!) but it comes highly recommended by my parents, and I trust their judgment unreservedly.

Honorable Mention: I will admit that I love watching Elf. It is a humorous romp, and is refreshingly free of potty humor and vulgarity, which is a rarity in comedies these days. I also like the message in  How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original cartoon, not the more recent odious live action version) about how Christmas doesn’t come from a store, Christmas, perhaps, means much more. (What could it be?!) The Grinch seems to be the exception to the Christmas is all about toys rule in the children’s Christmas movie genre. Another exception is:

The Muppet Christmas Carol

I guess this one is cheating as it based on a 19th century book. Specifically, the gold standard in Christmas stories by the irreplaceable Charles Dickens. And in this movie, they even allude to gasp Jesus! Yes, we have reached that low point where it is a novelty for a Christmas movie to actually refer to Christ, but there you have it. Blame Dickens. And it is one of the most powerful quotes of the movie. Kermit the Frog (Bob Cratchit) describes his trip to church with his crippled son Tim,

“And how did little Tim behave?” asked Mrs Cratchit, when she had rallied Bob on his credulity and Bob had hugged his daughter to his heart’s content.

“As good as gold,” said Bob, “and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (Emphasis mine).

Oof. That gives me all the feels, man.

I just love how well these old movies (and book) capture the spirit and childlike wonder of Christmas. I think I’ll end on “A Christmas Carol” quote for that very reason.

“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol