A Holiday Showcase: Discovering Underrated Holiday Films

A factor that irks me about numerous contemporary holiday films is their insistent meta-commentary – the over-the-top decorations, the predictable score choices, and the canned dialogue about the real spirit of the festive period. Maybe because the genre was not yet solidified into formula, movies from the 1940s often explore Yuletide from more creative and not as anxious viewpoints.

The Fifth Avenue Happening

A cherished find from sifting through 1940s holiday films is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 lighthearted farce with a clever concept: a cheerful vagrant spends the winter in a unoccupied posh townhouse each year. That season, he brings in strangers to live with him, among them a former GI and a young woman who turns out to be the offspring of the mansion's wealthy proprietor. Filmmaker Roy Del Ruth imbues the picture with a makeshift family heart that many newer holiday films have to labor to achieve. This story expertly occupies the space between a socially aware narrative on housing and a whimsical urban romance.

The Tokyo Godfathers

The late filmmaker's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers is a fun, sad, and profound version on the Christmas narrative. Inspired by a John Wayne film, it tells the story of a triumvirate of homeless individuals – an alcoholic, a trans woman, and a young runaway – who find an discarded baby on Christmas Eve. Their journey to locate the infant's family sets off a sequence of misadventures involving yakuza, foreigners, and seemingly fateful coincidences. The film doubles down on the wonder of chance frequently found in seasonal stories, presenting it with a cool-toned animation that steers clear of overly sweet sentiment.

Introducing John Doe

Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life deservedly gets plenty of acclaim, his lesser-known picture Meet John Doe is a notable holiday tale in its own right. With Gary Cooper as a down-on-his-luck drifter and Barbara Stanwyck as a plucky reporter, the movie starts with a fictional missive from a man promising to leap from a ledge on the holiday in frustration. The nation's embrace forces the reporter to recruit a man to play the invented "John Doe," who later becomes a country-wide icon for neighborliness. The movie acts as both an heartwarming story and a sharp indictment of powerful businessmen seeking to use popular feeling for political ends.

The Silent Partner

Whereas holiday slasher movies are now a dime a dozen, the festive suspense film remains a relatively rare category. This makes the 1978 film The Silent Partner a novel surprise. Starring a superbly vile Christopher Plummer as a criminal Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a unassuming bank teller, the story pits two kinds of morally ambiguous oddballs against each other in a sleek and twisty yarn. Mainly overlooked upon its first release, it is worthy of a fresh look for those who like their festive stories with a dark tone.

Christmas Almost

For those who enjoy their Christmas gatherings dysfunctional, Almost Christmas is a hoot. Featuring a stellar cast that features Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the movie explores the dynamics of a family gathered to endure five days under one home during the holidays. Private problems bubble to the top, resulting in moments of high comedy, such as a confrontation where a shotgun is produced. Of course, the film reaches a satisfying ending, offering all the fun of a family catastrophe without any of the actual consequences.

Go Movie

Doug Liman's 1999 feature Go is a Yuletide-themed story that serves as a young-adult take on woven narratives. While some of its edginess may feel dated upon a modern viewing, the picture nevertheless contains several aspects to enjoy. These range from a engaging turn from Sarah Polley to a captivating scene by Timothy Olyphant as a charming supplier who fittingly wears a Santa hat. It embodies a very kind of 1990s cinematic attitude set against a Christmas backdrop.

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

The satirist's wartime comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek forgoes traditional holiday sentimentality in exchange for irreverent humor. The film follows Betty Hutton's Trudy Kockenlocker, who finds herself expecting after a hazy night but cannot remember the father involved. Much of the fun stems from her predicament and the devotion of Eddie Bracken's simping Norval Jones to marry her. While not explicitly a holiday movie at the beginning, the narrative climaxes on the holiday, showing that Sturges has refashioned a satirical version of the Christmas story, packed with his trademark satirical humor.

Better Off Dead Movie

This 1985 teen film featuring John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a textbook specimen of its decade. Cusack's