Guest Column by Darrell Dunn, Editor, The Weekly Bean
Tis the season for Christmas movies. What constitutes a “good” Christmas movie can generate the same passions and argument as politics or religion. I like Ralph’s in A Christmas Story. It reminds me of when I was a kid and absolutely loved Christmas, going to see the Christmas display at Eaton’s, and especially the year I got my own BB gun …… it was a Daisy.
Throughout the years there have been lots of Christmas movies that I have enjoyed, ranging from early ones with Shirley Temple, Laurel and Hardy and a Christmas Carol to Christmas on 34 Street and It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stuart and one of my favorites A White Christmas. In more recent times, there is Love Actually, The Man Who Invented Christmas and The Santa Clause II.
And then there are all those movies that simply capitalize on the so called, Christmas spirit. These would include any of the Halmark movies which, as a diabetic, have far, far, more sugar content than I possibly can handle. Indeed, I tend to fall into a diabetic comma when I have to watch one of them. And then there are ones like Bad Santa. Now I truly love Billy Bob Thornton, but I also have certain expectations on Santa and Billy Bob aint it, even though I did find it a little funny.
There is however, one movie that is absolutely NOT a “Christmas Movie”. My youngest son who is almost 40, along with another number of people in the same age group seem to be of the opinion that somehow Bruce Willis is some kind of super-elf, and that Alan Rickman as Han Gruber, who ultimately morphs or reincarnates into Harry Potters’ protagonist, evil Professor Snape, was really one of Santa’s little helpers and that somehow the story is an edification of love for one’s fellow man. How could the expenditure of several tons of ordinance and walking over broken glass engender the “Christmas Spirit”?
On the other hand, kicking Gruber off the building and completely destroying the bad guys along with the Nakatomi Plaza did provide a satisfying conclusion to the story even if it was devoid of either Wise Men or Reindeer.
I do love the fact that my son and I can mock each other for our divergent generational appreciation for what constitutes a meaningful Christmas movie, and at the end of the day, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and enjoy whatever you’re watching.
Read more: Opinion: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
