❄️ HOLIDAY VIBES, PT. 1
Alt-holiday movies that will ease you into this festive (and stressful) season
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This time of year, my emotions are usually like the snowflakes outside my window — swirling and plenty. The calendar year is closing, my bank account is usually shrinking, and temperatures are dropping. Perhaps you can relate.
That said, I’m no Scrooge, even if I do skew on the depressive side at times. I love the sparkly lights, the gift-giving, spending time with loved ones, and the festive food and drink of the season.
And the movies, of course.
Despite our best efforts, the holidays can often stir up within us a slew of emotions. With this in mind, I thought I’d ease us into our holiday viewing with some alt-holiday selections — films that are not necessarily about the holidays at all, but are either non-traditional holiday stories or happen to be set during this time of year. I’ll save the classic films and uber-cheery Hallmark and Netflix vibes for a couple of posts from now when we’re (hopefully) feeling more equipped to handle them.
THE HOLDOVERS
Writer: David Hemingson
Director: Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election)
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa
Release Date: November 10, 2023
Although its soundtrack and visual aesthetic come from the early 1970s, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers is timeless. This bittersweet, touching, and acerbicly funny film is a poignant portrait of humanity that just happens to be set over the Christmas holidays.
A dramedy, The Holdovers presents themes of loss and grief, but it also brings humour, lightness, warmth, and connection. The tagline describes it perfectly, “discomfort and joy”.
The story is about the unlikely connections made and lessons learned between three characters at an all-boys private school in Massachusetts: a strict, unliked teacher (Paul Giamatti), a grieving mother (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), and a bright but lonely and frustrated student (Dominic Sessa).
The Holdovers is a film that could easily be filed under movies to watch when you need a hug, and its warmth is also felt in its comforting soundtrack that includes classic 70s songs like “The Wind” by Cat Stevens. Payne also used real locations, filmed in a real snowstorm, and cast non-actor students in the film to give it a genuine, authentic feeling. It’s not all comfort and joy, however — like in Payne’s films Election and Sideways, his main characters engage in a healthy amount of snarky, hilarious banter, which adds texture and edge to the film.
This is my type of holiday movie, and I hope you enjoy it too.
Where to Stream: Amazon Prime
Where to Rent: Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play
Fun Facts:
This was Dominic Sessa’s film debut. He was then a senior in high school and was cast while attending one of the schools where they ended up shooting the film.
Paul Giamatti comes from a family of teachers - his father was a professor at Yale and his mother was an English teacher.
David Hemingson wrote this with Paul Giamatti in mind - it’s why he named the character Paul.
MOONSTRUCK
Writer: John Patrick Shanley (Plays: Doubt, Prodigal Son, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. Screenplays: Doubt, Alive, Joe vs. the Volcano)
Director: Norman Jewison (Jesus Christ Superstar, In the Heat of the Night, The Hurricane)
Starring: Cher, Olympia Dukakis, Nicolas Cage, and a phenomenal cast of stellar actors
Release Date: December 18, 1987
“Snap out of it!” Whether you’ve seen Moonstruck or not, you may be familiar with this famous line or have seen a clip of Cher exclaiming it as she slaps Nicolas Cage (twice) in the film. In addition to this one, there are many hilarious and clever lines in the Moonstruck screenplay, which was written by the talented John Patrick Shanley. A moving, funny, New York film directed by Canadian film legend Norman Jewison, Moonstruck is about — above all else — love.
Played perfectly by Cher, the lead character Loretta is a widowed, Italian-American woman living with her family in Brooklyn. After she accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Johnny (Danny Aiello), she meets his estranged, passionate brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage), and the story takes a turn.
Moonstruck isn’t about Christmas, but the story takes place during the holidays, as evidenced by the brightly-coloured Christmas lights and decorations that are seen in the background of many scenes. Between the wool coats, warm scarves, comforting food, and comedic arguments between eccentric family members, you can’t tell me this movie doesn’t feel like the holidays. A romantic comedy that is as funny as it is charming, it will give you the holiday vibes you need.
So, whether you’re feeling low, stressed out about work or exams, or worried about the economy, the postal strike, or vigilante shooters in the news, I can assure you, this movie will comfort you, if only for 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Where to Stream: Crave or Amazon Prime (with the Starz Channel)
Where to Rent: Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play
Fun Facts:
Cher, Olympia Dukakis, and John Patrick Shanley all won Academy Awards for this movie.
Cher refused to do the film unless they cast Nicolas Cage in the role of Ronny. The other actor up for the role was Peter Gallagher.
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
Writers: Tim Burton, Caroline Thompson
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Dianne Wiest, Winona Ryder, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin, Anthony Michael Hall
Canadian Release Date: December 14, 1990
One of my favourite movies to watch as I’m easing into the holiday season is the wickedly creative and surprisingly sentimental Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. This gothic fairy tale about an outsider with scissors for hands who is taken in by a suburban family is a sweet, scary, and colourful feast for the eyes.
Only the third act takes place during the holidays, and the film itself isn’t about Christmas at all, but there’s something magical about this film that is perfect for this time of year. Themes of kindness and compassion are highlighted in response to those of fear and judgement of “the other” (Edward), and Danny Elfman’s hauntingly beautiful score gives the film an innocent, mystical quality that is typically reserved for children’s fairy tales.
The darker elements of Edward’s story are perfectly contrasted by the pastel town, the whimsical topiaries and haircuts, and the retro production design. The spectacular cast tells this lonely, tragic, sweet, and campy tale so expertly. If you’ve been reading my Substack for a while, you’ll know that this is already a Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest appreciation zone, and they are both so good in the film, as are Alan Arkin, Kathy Baker, and Anthony Michael Hall. Most of all though, Depp as Edward is, in a word: iconic.
Where to Stream: Disney+
Where to Rent: Amazon Prime (Starz), Crave (Starz), YouTube, Google Play
Fun Facts:
Edward Scissorhands was the first of many collaborations between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.
The boy on the Slip n’ Slide near the beginning of the movie was played by Nick Carter who later became a member of the pop group, The Backstreet Boys.
The film was inspired by Tim Burton’s childhood growing up in suburban California, and the character of Edward Scissorhands began as a drawing he made as a teen.
What are you watching this time of year? Tell me in the comments:
Streaming and rental sources listed are limited to the services and websites I subscribe to and/or have access to (in Canada) at the time of publishing. Feel free to search your streaming and cable services for these titles.
Enjoy the movies,
~Heather