Susan's Musings

Every year I look forward to certain holiday movies, and I love playing Christmas CDs, both at home and when I’m driving in the car.

I’m going to list some of my favorite ones, along with a quote or two.

Christmas Movies:

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

• “Schroeder: This is the music I’ve selected for the Christmas play (Schroeder plays Fur Elise).
• Lucy Van Pelt: What kind of Christmas music is that?
• Schroeder: Beethoven Christmas music.
• Lucy Van Pelt: What has Beethoven got to do with Christmas? Everyone talks about how “great” Beethoven was. Beethoven wasn’t so great.
• Schroeder: What do you mean Beethoven wasn’t so great?
• Lucy Van Pelt: He never got his picture on bubble gum cards, did he? Have you ever seen his picture on a bubble gum card? Hmmm? How can
  you say someone is great who’s never had his picture on bubble gum cards?
• Schroeder: Good grief.”

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

A Christmas Carol (1951)

This is my most favorite version of A Christmas Carol, with Ebenezer Scrooge played by Alastair Sim, and I watch it every year.

Ebenezer Scrooge:

• “Humbug!”

• Fifteen shillings a week, a wife and five children… and he still talks of a Merry Christmas!

• Tom: ”Harry, I’ve vistied you every Christmas for the past five years, and to this day I can never understand this extraordinary ritual of toasting the health of your old uncle Ebenezer. I mean, everyone knows he’s the most miserable old skinflint that ever walked God’s earth.”

• Tiny Tim: “God bless us every one!”

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

A Christmas Story (1983)

Starring Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin. This was hilarious and my husband has to watch this every year.

• Ralphie: I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!
• Santa Claus: You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.

• Mrs. Parker: That is… the ugliest lamp I have ever seen in my entire life!

• Adult Ralphie: Only one thing in the world could’ve dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

Dr. Seuss – How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears a Who

Starring Boris Karloff (Animated)
• “And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” ~ Dr. Suess

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Jim Carrey steals the show in Dr. Seuss’ classic directed by Ron Howard, starring Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen and Jeffrey Tambor. This is not animated, like the original animated version with Boris Karloff.

The Grinch:

• Oh, the Who-manity.

• And they’ll feast, feast, feast, feast. They’ll eat their Who-Pudding and rare Who-Roast Beast. But there’s something I just cannot stand in least… Oh no. I’m speaking in rhyme!

• Blast this Christmas music. It’s joyful and triumphant.

• The nerve of those Whos. Inviting me down there – on such short notice! Even if I wanted to go my schedule wouldn’t allow it. 4:00, wallow in self pity; 4:30, stare into the abyss; 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one; 5:30, jazzercize; 6:30, dinner with me – I can’t cancel that again; 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing… I’m booked. Of course, if I bump the loathing to 9, I could still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness. But what would I wear?

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

Elf (2004)

Starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner, Mary Steenburgen and Zooey Deschanel

• Buddy: I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.

• Buddy to Jovie:I think you’re really beautiful and I feel really warm when I’m around you and my tongue swells up.

• Gimbel’s Manager: Why are you smiling like that?
• Buddy: I just like to smile. Smiling is my favorite.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

Home Alone (1990)

Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard and Catherine O’Hara

Kevin McCallister:

• This is my house, I have to defend it.

• I made my family disappear. I made my family disappear!

• When I grow up and get married I’m living alone! Did you hear me! I’m living alone! I’m living alone! I’m living alone!

• Okay, this is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back?”

Kate McCallister
• This is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope. And I don’t care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

This is probably my all-time favorite Christmas movie, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.

• Clarence: Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?

• Zuzu Bailey: Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.
• George Bailey: That’s right, that’s right.
• George Bailey: Attaboy, Clarence.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

One of my favorite Christmas movies, starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara,
John Payne and Natalie Wood.

• Fred Gailey: Your Honor, every one of these letters is addressed to Santa Claus. The Post Office has delivered them. Therefore the Post Office Department, a branch of the Federal Government, recognizes this man Kris Kringle to be the one and only Santa Claus.
• Judge Henry X. Harper: Uh, since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed.

• Susan Walker: I believe… I believe… It’s silly, but I believe.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Special Edition) (2003)

Not on my top ten list of movies I watch every year, but it’s a must see at least once. Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Juliette Lewis

• Clark: [Finally revealing his Christmas Bonus] It’s a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.
• Eddie: [Overwhelmed, almost choking on his eggnog] Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)

This is a wonderful Christmas movie, but I can never find it on TV at
Christmas time. Starring Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman and Henry Travers

• “The Six Senses: To see, to hear, to taste, to smell, to feel … to be.” – Patricia ‘Patsy’ Gallagher (Joan Carroll)

• “Obviously, you’ve never been neck deep in nuns.” – Mrs. Breen (Una O’Connor)

• “If we don’t fail sometimes, our successes don’t mean anything. You must be strong.” – Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman)

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

The Bishop’s Wife (1948)

This is the classic starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Wooley and James Gleason.

• Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven): “Are you expecting a letter?”
• Dudley the Angel (Cary Grant): “Well, you never know. If I did get one, the stamp would certainly be worth saving.”

• Matilda (Elsa Lanchester): “Nobody expects him to be normal; he’s a bishop.”

• Professor Wuthridge (Monty Wooley): “Whenever you want to know about a woman, ask the old men. They know.”

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

The Preacher’s Wife (1996)

Penny Marshall directed this remake of the original Bishop’s Wife. The cast alone, Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and and Courtney B. Vance, make it well worth watching.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

The Holiday (2006)

I loved this holiday romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law.
• Miles: The wind… it’s what makes it so warm this time of year. Legend has it, when the Santa Anas blow, anything can happen.
• Iris: Because you’re hoping you’re wrong. And every time he does something that tells you he’s no good, you ignore it. And every time he comes through and suprises you, he wins you over, and you lose that argument with yourself, that he’s not for you.
• Iris: You’re supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for God’s sake!”
• Graham: I have a cow and I sew. How’s that for “hard to relate to”?

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com

The Santa Clause

Starring Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson and Eric Lloyd.

• Charlie: Whoa, Dad! You’re flying!
  Scott Calvin: It’s okay, I’m used to it. I lived through the ’60s.

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

White Christmas (1954)

This is a holiday classic starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, and Dean Jagger

• Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) to Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby): “When what’s left of you gets around to what’s left to be gotten, what’s left to be gotten won’t be worth getting, whatever it is you’ve got left.”

Judy Haynes

• [to Phil] You are not exactly Superman, but you are awfully available.

• Yesterday, she couldn’t sleep. Today, she won’t eat. She’s in love.

Betty Haynes

• [singing on the train]I want to wash my hands, my face, my hair with snow.

Gen. Thomas F. Waverly:

• “There’s no Christmas in the army!”

• “You’re soft! You’re sloppy! You’re unruly! You’re undisciplined … and I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life.”

• You can find this on DVD at Amazon.com.

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What are some of your favorite holiday movies? Please comment below.