A Festive Showcase: Exploring Hidden Gem Christmas Films

Something that annoys concerning a lot of contemporary holiday features is their excessive self-consciousness – the gaudy ornaments, the predictable score choices, and the clichéd speeches about the true meaning of the holidays. It could be because the category was not hardened into tradition, films from the 1940s often approach the holidays from far more creative and less neurotic angles.

The Fifth Avenue Happening

A delightful gem from sifting through 1940s Christmas fare is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 semi-romantic tale with a brilliant concept: a cheerful hobo winters in a unoccupied posh mansion each year. During one cold spell, he welcomes strangers to live with him, among them a former GI and a runaway who is secretly the heiress of the mansion's rich owner. Director Roy Del Ruth imbues the picture with a makeshift family heart that most contemporary seasonal stories strive to earn. This story beautifully balances a class-conscious narrative on shelter and a charming city romance.

Godfathers in Tokyo

Satoshi Kon's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers is a entertaining, heartbreaking, and profound interpretation on the holiday narrative. Inspired by a John Wayne picture, it centers on a triumvirate of homeless people – an alcoholic, a transgender woman, and a teenage runaway – who come across an discarded baby on a snowy December night. Their journey to locate the baby's parents unleashes a sequence of hijinks involving crime lords, immigrants, and apparently fateful connections. The movie celebrates the wonder of fate often found in holiday stories, presenting it with a cool-toned aesthetic that sidesteps saccharine emotion.

The John Doe Story

Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life justifiably gets plenty of acclaim, his earlier film Meet John Doe is a notable seasonal story in its own right. Starring Gary Cooper as a handsome everyman and Barbara Stanwyck as a plucky writer, the movie starts with a fictional missive from a man vowing to leap from a rooftop on the holiday in protest. The people's reaction forces the reporter to hire a man to portray the mythical "John Doe," who then becomes a popular symbol for neighborliness. The narrative functions as both an heartwarming tale and a pointed skewering of wealthy publishers attempting to use grassroots feeling for political ends.

The Silent Partner

While Christmas horror movies are now a dime a dozen, the Christmas thriller remains a somewhat underpopulated category. This makes the 1978 feature The Silent Partner a unique surprise. Starring a delightfully menacing Christopher Plummer as a criminal Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a mild-mannered bank clerk, the story sets two kinds of opportunistic characters against each other in a stylish and surprising tale. Largely unseen upon its initial debut, it merits new attention for those who like their holiday films with a dark atmosphere.

Almost Christmas

For those who enjoy their family reunions dysfunctional, Almost Christmas is a riot. Boasting a star-studded group that features Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the story delves into the dynamics of a family gathered to spend five days under one house during the festive period. Secret problems bubble to the top, resulting in moments of extreme humor, such as a confrontation where a firearm is brandished. Of course, the narrative reaches a satisfying resolution, providing all the fun of a seasonal catastrophe without any of the real-life consequences.

The Film Go

Doug Liman's 1999 film Go is a holiday-themed tale that serves as a young-adult take on woven plots. While some of its humor may feel dated upon a modern viewing, the film nevertheless offers plenty aspects to appreciate. These include a composed performance from Sarah Polley to a memorable performance by Timothy Olyphant as a laid-back drug dealer who appropriately sports a Santa hat. It represents a particular style of fin-de-siècle movie vibe set against a holiday scene.

Miracle at Morgan's Creek

The satirist's wartime farce The Miracle of Morgan's Creek skips traditional seasonal cheer in exchange for cheeky fun. The film is about Betty Hutton's character, who discovers she is expecting after a drunken night but cannot recall the soldier involved. A lot of the fun stems from her condition and the efforts of Eddie Bracken's hapless Norval Jones to marry her. Although not immediately a holiday movie at the beginning, the story culminates on the holiday, making clear that Sturges has crafted a clever interpretation of the nativity, packed with his trademark sharp style.

The Film Better Off Dead

This 1985 adolescent comedy with John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a textbook example of its time. Cusack's