And the award for the best Christmas movie ever goes to…
Well, that depends on whom you ask. Christmas movies are personal, and usually about families. Each family is a little different. So for example, your favorite Christmas movie about a New York City advertising executive might not play as well in Des Moines.
I love holiday movies though, and I have my short list of favorites.
Near the top of that list is the timeless classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a 1946 Frank Capra film that surprisingly didn’t do well in its initial release.
James Stewart is George Bailey, a man with adventurous plans for his life that get thwarted at every turn. He’s trapped in tiny little Bedford Falls with little hope of escape. He contemplates suicide, only to be rescued by Clarence, an angel trying to earn his wings.
Sappy? You bet. But don’t we all like a little “sappy” during the holidays? I drink it by the cup full.
The ending scene — spoiler alert here — when the townspeople rally around George with bundles of cash gifts to save him from scandal will send you reaching for the tissue box.
The movie still works because there’s a little George Bailey in all of us. We’re convinced life should hold more excitement and adventure, and we fail to realize the blessings we have around us every day. NBC must agree. They still roll it out every year.
For pure fun, I’ve never tired of “A Christmas Story,” the 1983 film based on the book “In God We Trust – All Others Pay Cash.”
The film follows the days leading up to a midwestern small town Christmas in the late forties, and the story is told through the eyes of young Ralphie Parker, who dreams of slaying villains with the brand new Red Ryder air rifle he is sure Santa will place under his Christmas tree.
I saw the movie during its early December release that year, and thought it was terrible. Admittedly, I had just returned home from a long road trip on a cold rainy day before hitting the movie theater that night, so I was in no mood for entertainment of any kind.
But “A Christmas Story” is much like a fine wine, allowed to age properly. The movie plays much better on television, and to this day I can sit through repeated viewings through the holidays. Ralphie’s childhood was much like my own, though I never dreamed of possessing an air rifle.
You can put your eye out with one of those!
Other movies you may want to try: “Elf” is pure Christmas fun. Will Ferrell captures the sheer innocence of a man raised by Santa’s elves (including a hysterically funny Bob Newhart) brilliantly, and now he must journey to New York City to find his real father. It never gets old.
The classic “White Christmas” aged extremely well, and though the talented cast is long gone, you can get lost in its nostalgia.
I also love an old Samuel Goldwyn romantic comedy called “The Bishop’s Wife.”
David Niven is a stuffy minister consumed by church fundraising, while his lovely wife, played by Loretta Young, goes neglected. She is befriended by an angel, Cary Grant, who shows her a good time while teaching Niven a thing or two about true happiness.
It’s interesting to note that Cary Grant was originally cast as the stuffy minister, and Niven as the angel. But Grant suggested they change roles to help the film work better. It did, and it’s a timeless classic.
No matter what Hollywood offering serves up the most Christmas cheer for you, I suggest you lose yourself in a film or two this Christmas. Yes, they’ll raise your blood sugar levels to dangerous heights, but they’re supposed to.
They remind us of the hope the Christmas season brings. And they propel us into the cold winter with a bit of warmth.
That never goes out of style.

Kent Bernhardt lives in Salisbury.