A Holiday Tour de Force: Uncovering Underrated Holiday Films

One thing that annoys me about a lot of modern seasonal movies is their excessive self-awareness – the over-the-top ornaments, the checklist score selections, and the stilted dialogue about the real spirit of the holidays. Perhaps because the category was not hardened into routine, films from the 1940s often approach Christmas from more creative and not as neurotic viewpoints.

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

A delightful discovery from delving into 1940s holiday films is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 semi-romantic comedy with a clever premise: a happy-go-lucky vagrant spends the winter in a vacant luxurious townhouse each year. During one cold spell, he brings in new acquaintances to reside with him, among them a veteran and a young woman who turns out to be the heiress of the property's wealthy landlord. Helmer Roy Del Ruth gives the movie with a makeshift family warmth that most modern seasonal movies strive to achieve. It beautifully walks the line between a thoughtful narrative on affordable living and a whimsical metropolitan fairytale.

The Tokyo Godfathers

Satoshi Kon's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers is a entertaining, heartbreaking, and deeply moving version on the Christmas story. Drawing from a western picture, it tells the story of a triumvirate of down-and-out souls – an drinker, a trans woman, and a teenage throwaway – who come across an left-behind newborn on Christmas Eve. Their quest to find the child's family triggers a chain of misadventures involving gangsters, newcomers, and ostensibly magical coincidences. The film doubles down on the magic of chance often found in holiday flicks, offering it with a cool-toned animation that steers clear of saccharine sentiment.

Introducing John Doe

While Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life rightly earns much praise, his other picture Meet John Doe is a compelling holiday film in its own right. Featuring Gary Cooper as a handsome "forgotten man" and Barbara Stanwyck as a resourceful writer, the film starts with a fabricated note from a man threatening to leap from a building on Christmas Eve in frustration. The nation's reaction leads the reporter to recruit a man to impersonate the mythical "John Doe," who subsequently becomes a popular icon for neighborliness. The movie acts as both an inspiring story and a sharp indictment of wealthy businessmen seeking to use popular goodwill for personal ambitions.

Silent Partner

While Christmas slasher pictures are now a dime a dozen, the holiday crime caper remains a somewhat underpopulated style. This makes the 1978 gem The Silent Partner a novel discovery. Starring a superbly vile Christopher Plummer as a bank-robbing Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a unassuming bank employee, the story sets two kinds of opportunistic characters against each other in a sleek and twisty narrative. Largely ignored upon its initial debut, it deserves new attention for those who enjoy their festive entertainment with a dark edge.

Almost Christmas

For those who prefer their Christmas get-togethers chaotic, Almost Christmas is a riot. Featuring a stellar ensemble that includes Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the movie delves into the tensions of a clan compelled to spend five days under one home during the festive period. Secret problems rise to the forefront, resulting in situations of over-the-top comedy, including a confrontation where a weapon is produced. Naturally, the film arrives at a touching ending, providing all the fun of a holiday mess without any of the real-life cleanup.

Go Movie

Doug Liman's 1999 feature Go is a holiday-set story that functions as a youthful interpretation on woven narratives. Although some of its humor may feel of its time upon a modern viewing, the film nonetheless boasts several things to enjoy. These range from a cool performance from Sarah Polley to a standout performance by Timothy Olyphant as a charming drug dealer who appropriately dons a Santa hat. It represents a specific style of late-90s movie attitude set against a holiday scene.

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

Preston Sturges's wartime comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek rejects traditional holiday warmth in exchange for bawdy fun. The movie follows Betty Hutton's Trudy Kockenlocker, who ends up expecting after a hazy night but cannot remember the soldier involved. The bulk of the fun arises from her situation and the attempts of Eddie Bracken's hapless Norval Jones to help her. Although not obviously a Christmas film at the start, the narrative climaxes on the Christmas, revealing that Sturges has created a playful version of the birth narrative, filled with his characteristic witty style.

The Film Better Off Dead

This 1985 youth film starring John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a prime artifact of its era. Cusack's