Christmas Defibrillation

Last week, feeling not unlike Punxsutawney Phil, I poked my head out of the hole of busy-ness that consumes so much of my time and life. I found myself quite startled, not at my shadow, but at the fact that once again the rush of the Christmas season had set upon us like the Arctic gale that blew us all indoors this week. Okay, perhaps there's too much hyperbole in that simile. Moving on.

So last Saturday, knowing that I was to spend a good part of the week in Maryland again, I resolved to get the Christmas tree up for the family to enjoy before I left town. While the effort was largely uneventful, upon reflection I realized that my mindset was far from where it should have been. The boys and I tackled the tree like a chore: once I put it up and strung the lights, they swarmed around that tree so fast that I honestly think they broke the speed limit, not to mention an ornament or two. Still, just one more item off the to-do list.

Furthermore, at my meeting this week, my colleagues talked a great deal about holiday plans, family, and battle stories about stringing outside Christmas lights on their homes. I could sense a warmness from several of them, a genuine excitement about the special time only weeks away. As for me, I just couldn't bridge the gap. I'm still finding it difficult to get my Christmas heart pumping.

So clearly, I need some Christmas defibrillation. My first zap was last night. I left Maryland a day early (by design) so that I could arrive just in time to attend my oldest son's Christmas choir concert, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, I fear that will not be enough to jumpstart my Christmas spirit, so I need to turn to other aids: traditional Christmas music, some enforced quiet time, and of course: movies!

Below, in no particular order, are what I consider my favorite Christmas movies. Have you ever noticed that many of the most cherished Christmas movies are, well, old? I wonder why that is. Over the next couple of weeks, maybe I'll find some time to write about of these.

Christmas in Connecticut. By far my favorite Christmas movie. 1945 flick starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan. But the great S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall as Uncle Felix absolutely steals the show.

Holiday Inn. 1942 classic, with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Launched the timeless Bing classic, "White Christmas."

White Christmas. With the song such a monster hit, in 1954 Paramount put a movie around it. While at times it feels like a re-imagining of Holiday Inn, the plot line stands on its own. To this day, I cannot get through the reunion scene of Major General Waverly and his men near the end of the movie. Bing Crosby, this time with Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen.

It's a Wonderful Life. George Bailey helps a woe-begotten angel get his wings. You know the movie. Jimmy Stewart is always worth watching in this 1946 Frank Capra classic.

A Christmas Carol. Okay, with a story that has been made and remade so many times, it is kind of hard to keep them all straight. As far as the older classic retellings, some absolutely swear by the Alastair Sim version (1951), while others go with the Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart version (1938). Don't get me wrong, we try to watch them both each year. I have a soft spot for the performance of Gene Lockhart as Cratchit, but prefer Sim in the title role of Scrooge.

Miracle on 34th Street. 1947 classic, with Gene Lockhart as the judge. The movie was remade in 1994 with Richard Attenborough, and while some have tried to make the case that it is the better version, all I have to say to that is simply: "O-ver-ruled!"

A Charlie Brown Christmas. Show me another Christmas special or movie that comes on TV every year that deliberately contains dialog straight from the Gospel, like Linus' retelling of the true meaning of Christmas. I never get tired of this one.

There are other popular Christmas-time movies that get a lot of airplay, such as The Santa Clause movies, the Home Alone movies and of course, A Christmas Story. However, these don't do much to put me into the Christmas spirit. I would be remiss however if I failed to give honorable mention to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

As for now, I'm off to the movies for family night, a treat for the boys since I've been gone all week. Something called Tangled. But I'll be making time for a Christmas movie this weekend, to be sure. I only wish James Cagney had made a Christmas classic.