00:00Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're looking at the most beloved, Christmas themed Hollywood
00:11features of the 20th century. That's not counting classic TV specials like Rudolph
00:16the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
00:20Home Improvement star Tim Allen is a less-lovable dad as divorced workaholic Scott Calvin, but
00:32after Santa Claus falls off of his roof, he learns how to embrace cheer and work with
00:37his son while transforming into the new Father Christmas. The awkward gags throughout this
00:48magical process really showcase Allen's snarky comedic chops, and the imaginative
00:53rendition of the North Pole's business model made for a dazzling, heartwarming adventure.
01:11The Santa Claus had everything to be a Disney holiday classic, never mind a box office smash.
01:16There's a lot more division on the worth of its two sequels, and a Disney Plus series.
01:20Still, the success of the franchise, and many other holiday blockbusters, is owed to this
01:2590s family favourite.
01:43The Irving Berlin Music Holiday Inn made Bing Crosby a movie star for all seasons.
01:48The classic anthem introduced in its Christmas climax, in turn, inspired the film White Christmas.
02:10Crosby and Danny Kaye play a Broadway duet who learn that their old commanding officer's
02:14business is in trouble. As they mount a Christmas show to revitalise the inn, they find love
02:19in a pair of sisters and strife in brothers-in-arms. The movie is obviously full of lush production
02:25values, romantic farce, and unforgettable songs from Berlin.
02:29At the same time, it exemplifies holiday humanitarianism by recognising the sacrifices of World War
02:35II. It's a heady sentiment, but with musical spectacle alongside a noble message, White
02:40Christmas is a dream.
02:59If you have a disastrous family vacation story, Clark Griswold likely has you beat. The earnest,
03:04suburbanite may not stand a chance of salvaging Christmas between the insufferable extended
03:09family, decoration mishaps, and suspiciously delayed bonus check. At least the hysterical
03:14Chevy Chase is a more capable host than poor Sparky.
03:26Many rank the third instalment in the National Lampoon's vacation first in terms of riotous
03:31slapstick chaos. The satire of pressure and consumerism during the holidays nonetheless
03:36leaves room for wholesome payoffs. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is itself a tricky
03:42balance between cynical adult humour and festive charm, but pulls it all off as fun for the
03:47whole dysfunctional family.
03:56Film producer Tim Burton and legendary stop-motion director Henry Selleck came the ideal transition
04:02in holiday viewing. The Nightmare Before Christmas follows Jack Skellington's journey from Halloween
04:07Town to give Christmas a morbid makeover. Critics weren't wrong about the surreal macabre
04:25imagery being a little much for a kid's movie, and yet the imaginative design, unexpected
04:30heart, and amazing Danny Elfman soundtrack are as whimsical as any animated classic.
04:45The Nightmare Before Christmas has been a year-round pop culture staple since 1993.
04:50It just particularly resonates with those who want a break from sappier seasonal fare.
04:55But not the sincere message of joy to all. Who says the best family holiday fare has
04:59to be holly and jolly?
05:058-year-old Kevin McAllister is so overlooked by his oversized family that they accidentally
05:18leave him behind during a Christmas trip. He's finally the man of the house, then the
05:22hero of the hour, when a pair of bumbling burglars break in. At least they stole the
05:27audience's heart.
05:31Sure, Home Alone has always been controversial for its unsettling premise and violent slapstick,
05:44but the hilarity and heart made for an instant classic. It also made a superstar of Macaulay
05:48Culkin, who returned to the equally successful Home Alone 2, lost in New York.
05:59The standalone sequels, unfortunately, didn't fare as well with critics and audiences. Granted,
06:04the original Home Alone raised a high bar for a comedy to bring the family together.
06:155. Christmas in Connecticut
06:19A famous food columnist is forced, by her editor, to host an injured war hero for the
06:24holidays. Turns out, though, she's been exaggerating her cooking skills.
06:35Christmas in Connecticut is a rom-com rife with deception and misunderstanding. While
06:40this irked some moralistic critics in 1945, contemporary audiences embraced the hopeful
06:45depiction of World War II veterans. The film would enchant future generations with its
06:50creative farce and debatable gender politics. If nothing else, it's a delightful romance
07:05enriched by Dennis Morgan and Barbara Stanwyck's chemistry.
07:09Never mind the snowy New England backdrop, Christmas in Connecticut may very well have
07:13introduced the recipe for hallmark holiday heart-warmers, but its high-end entertainment
07:18still hits the spot.
07:234. Meet Me in St. Louis
07:26The construction of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition is observed by an affluent family
07:32with impeccable decorative taste. Meet Me in St. Louis is surely a marvellous production,
07:37romanticising a year's worth of holidays at the turn of the 20th century. By the time
07:49Christmas rolls around, the genuine nostalgia fills as full as the character arcs. The film
07:54wound up being the biggest MGM musical of the 40s, notably introducing classic songs
07:59like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Meet Me in St. Louis was a critical hit, scoring
08:18four Oscar nominations and continuing praise for its lush art direction and storytelling.
08:23Though most prefer to revisit Meet Me in St. Louis for year-end festivities, it's always
08:28worth celebrating.
08:333. Miracle on 34th Street
08:38If a movie can revive your faith in yuletide magic, the verdict is in for Miracle on 34th
08:44Street. Edmund Nguyen plays a suspiciously sweet department store Santa who claims to
08:48be the real deal. When this leads to competency hearings, the very nature of Christmas faith
09:09is cross-examined. It's both a delightful fantasy and a disarming critique of cynical
09:14holiday commercialism. No less importantly, it's sincerely driven by its characters and
09:32uplifting message for the child in everyone. It's notably launched a young Natalie Wood,
09:37but the lovable Nguyen claimed one of the film's three Oscars.
09:40The 1994 remake inspired a much bigger rift between critics and audiences. Nonetheless,
09:45the original Miracle on 34th Street is a unanimous crowd-pleaser.
09:492. A Christmas Story
10:00Based on Gene Shepard's satirical Parker family saga, A Christmas Story isn't exactly
10:04naive holiday nostalgia. That's exactly what makes it holiday nostalgia at its finest.
10:22Shepard himself lovingly narrates a quintessential suburban Christmas break
10:26for nine-year-old Ralphie Parker. The slice-of-life period piece hilariously spoofs
10:31the pressures of what was already a commercialised and ritualistic holiday by 1940. At the same time,
10:37the whimsical aesthetic, quirky characters, and prevailing heart remind us why we love
10:42the season anyway. Audiences certainly fell in love with little Peter Billingsley,
10:58who returned as Ralphie nearly 40 years later for A Christmas Story Christmas. This affirmed
11:04the witty and wondrous original as a nostalgic staple, regardless of viewers' own Christmas stories.
11:20Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
11:24Die Hard. The groundbreaking actioner is embraced as a tradition for its yuletide backdrop.
11:40Jingle All The Way. Arnold Schwarzenegger's comedy vehicle
11:43is an underappreciated satire of holiday consumerism.
11:54The Shop Around the Corner. Rival gift shop employees don't realise that they're each
12:04other's beloved penpal. Trading Places. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd take on class
12:23conflict at what should be the season of giving. A Christmas Carol. Reginald Owen
12:36leads a loose but especially uplifting interpretation of Charles Dickens.
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13:11Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life is more than just a holiday heartwarmer.
13:15It's a humanistic study of the life and times of banker George Bailey,
13:19who recognises the lives he's touched when a guardian angel visits one tragic Christmas Eve.
13:25Such depth of character and thematic development represents the seasonal values of charity as
13:42timeless obligations. That kind of philosophical escapism didn't quite suit the social and
13:47critical climate of post-World War II America. From box office disappointment, however,
14:02It's A Wonderful Life was nominated for five Academy Awards and championed as a feel-good
14:07masterpiece. In fact, subsequent generations continue to celebrate it as possibly the
14:12masterpiece of old Hollywood's Christmas classics. What are your favourite movie-viewing
14:24traditions for the holidays? Gather around in the comments. Do you agree with our picks?
14:41Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo.
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