A Seasonal Showcase: Exploring Underrated Christmas Movies

Something that irks concerning a lot of contemporary Christmas features is their excessive self-consciousness – the over-the-top decorations, the formulaic music tunes, and the stilted dialogue about the true meaning of the festive period. Maybe because the category was not solidified into routine, films from the 1940s often tackle Christmas from far more inventive and less obsessive perspectives.

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

One delightful discovery from exploring 1940s holiday comedies is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 lighthearted farce with a clever premise: a happy-go-lucky vagrant spends the winter in a vacant posh mansion each year. That season, he brings in new acquaintances to reside with him, among them a ex-soldier and a young woman who turns out to be the daughter of the property's rich owner. Director Roy Del Ruth imbues the picture with a found-family heart that most newer Christmas stories struggle to attain. This story beautifully walks the line between a thoughtful narrative on housing and a delightful urban fairytale.

The Tokyo Godfathers

Satoshi Kon's 2003 tragicomedy Tokyo Godfathers is a entertaining, poignant, and thoughtful version on the Christmas tale. Drawing from a classic Hollywood picture, it tells the story of a trio of displaced individuals – an alcoholic, a transgender woman, and a young runaway – who find an discarded infant on a snowy December night. Their mission to locate the baby's parents unleashes a series of misadventures involving yakuza, immigrants, and apparently fateful connections. The animation celebrates the wonder of coincidence often found in Christmas stories, presenting it with a stylish visual style that sidesteps saccharine feeling.

Introducing John Doe

Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life deservedly receives plenty of praise, his lesser-known film Meet John Doe is a notable Christmas story in its own right. Featuring Gary Cooper as a charismatic everyman and Barbara Stanwyck as a resourceful journalist, the movie kicks off with a fake note from a man threatening to leap from a ledge on Christmas Eve in protest. The public's response forces the journalist to hire a man to portray the mythical "John Doe," who subsequently becomes a national figure for kindness. The film acts as both an inspiring tale and a pointed indictment of wealthy media magnates attempting to manipulate public feeling for personal ambitions.

The Silent Partner

While holiday slasher pictures are now plentiful, the festive suspense film remains a relatively underpopulated category. This makes the 1978 gem The Silent Partner a novel surprise. With a delightfully menacing Christopher Plummer as a thieving Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a unassuming bank employee, the story sets two varieties of amoral characters against each other in a stylish and surprising yarn. Mainly ignored upon its original debut, it is worthy of new attention for those who enjoy their holiday stories with a chilling atmosphere.

Christmas Almost

For those who prefer their holiday reunions messy, Almost Christmas is a riot. With a impressive group that features Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the story examines the tensions of a clan forced to endure five days under one home during the festive period. Secret problems come to the forefront, culminating in situations of extreme humor, including a confrontation where a weapon is produced. Naturally, the story arrives at a heartwarming resolution, providing all the entertainment of a family catastrophe without any of the real-life consequences.

Go

Doug Liman's 1999 film Go is a holiday-themed story that functions as a youthful interpretation on interconnected stories. While some of its comedy may feel of its time upon rewatch, the picture still contains plenty things to enjoy. These are a composed turn from Sarah Polley to a captivating appearance by Timothy Olyphant as a laid-back drug dealer who appropriately dons a Santa hat. It represents a particular brand of fin-de-siècle film vibe set against a Christmas setting.

Miracle at Morgan's Creek

The famed director's 1940s comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek forgoes conventional Christmas sentimentality in return for bawdy humor. The story centers on Betty Hutton's character, who discovers she is with child after a drunken night but cannot remember the father involved. Much of the comedy comes from her condition and the devotion of Eddie Bracken's simping Norval Jones to help her. While not immediately a Christmas film at the beginning, the story winds up on the holiday, making clear that Sturges has refashioned a playful take of the Christmas story, filled with his characteristic satirical style.

Better Off Dead Movie

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