A Seasonal Tour de Force: Discovering Underrated Yuletide Movies

A factor that annoys me about a lot of contemporary holiday films is their overly self-awareness – the over-the-top ornaments, the checklist soundtrack choices, and the stilted conversations about the true meaning of the season. Perhaps because the category was not yet solidified into routine, pictures from the 1940s often tackle the holidays from far more imaginative and less anxious angles.

The Fifth Avenue Happening

A cherished gem from delving into 1940s holiday fare is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 lighthearted farce with a great concept: a jovial hobo spends the winter in a vacant Fifth Avenue estate each year. That season, he invites strangers to stay with him, including a former GI and a young woman who is secretly the offspring of the home's affluent proprietor. Director Roy Del Ruth infuses the picture with a makeshift family coziness that most contemporary Christmas movies have to labor to attain. This story perfectly balances a socially aware narrative on shelter and a delightful urban romance.

Tokyo Godfathers

The late filmmaker's 2003 animated film Tokyo Godfathers is a entertaining, heartbreaking, and thoughtful interpretation on the festive story. Inspired by a John Wayne movie, it centers on a triumvirate of displaced people – an drinker, a transgender woman, and a young runaway – who come across an left-behind baby on Christmas Eve. Their mission to find the baby's family sets off a series of misadventures involving crime lords, newcomers, and apparently fateful encounters. The film embraces the wonder of fate typically found in holiday tales, delivering it with a cinematic visual style that sidesteps saccharine emotion.

The John Doe Story

While Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life rightly gets much praise, his other film Meet John Doe is a powerful Christmas film in its own right. With Gary Cooper as a handsome everyman and Barbara Stanwyck as a resourceful reporter, the film starts with a fake missive from a man vowing to leap from a rooftop on December 24th in frustration. The public's response forces the journalist to hire a man to play the mythical "John Doe," who subsequently becomes a popular icon for community. The narrative acts as both an uplifting story and a brutal critique of wealthy publishers trying to use grassroots sentiment for personal ends.

Silent Partner

While Christmas slasher films are now commonplace, the holiday crime caper remains a somewhat niche subgenre. This makes the 1978 gem The Silent Partner a fresh discovery. With a superbly vile Christopher Plummer as a bank-robbing Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a unassuming bank employee, the film pits two varieties of morally ambiguous characters against each other in a well-crafted and surprising tale. Largely unseen upon its original release, it merits rediscovery for those who prefer their holiday entertainment with a chilling edge.

Christmas Almost

For those who prefer their Christmas gatherings dysfunctional, Almost Christmas is a hoot. Boasting a impressive group that has Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the movie examines the tensions of a household compelled to spend five days under one roof during the festive period. Private dramas bubble to the forefront, culminating in situations of extreme farce, including a dinner where a shotgun is produced. Naturally, the film finds a touching resolution, giving all the enjoyment of a holiday disaster without any of the personal consequences.

Go

Doug Liman's 1999 movie Go is a Christmas-adjacent tale that serves as a young-adult interpretation on interconnected narratives. While some of its humor may feel product of the 90s upon a modern viewing, the movie nonetheless offers many elements to enjoy. These are a composed performance from Sarah Polley to a captivating performance by Timothy Olyphant as a laid-back supplier who fittingly wears a Santa hat. It captures a very brand of late-90s cinematic attitude set against a holiday scene.

Morgan's Creek Miracle

The satirist's 1940s comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek skips typical seasonal cheer in exchange for irreverent fun. The movie follows Betty Hutton's character, who finds herself pregnant after a drunken night but cannot recall the man responsible. Much of the comedy stems from her predicament and the attempts of Eddie Bracken's simping Norval Jones to help her. While not immediately a Christmas film at the outset, the narrative winds up on the festive day, making clear that Sturges has refashioned a satirical version of the nativity, filled with his trademark witty style.

Better Off Dead

This 1985 teen comedy with John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a quintessential specimen of its era. Cusack's