White Christmas & more holiday favorites
My favorite movie is White Christmas, so every year I patiently wait until it's time for me to watch this beloved classic again. As a child, I would watch the journey to Vermont over and over again. One year when I was particularly obsessed, I begged my parents to let me watch it in June (they had a strict no-holiday-movies-outside-of-the-holiday-season policy) when I was home sick. Fortunately, they obliged. But I try and save it for November and December viewing so that it remains a magical movie that I only get to see for a small window every year. This year, I went to the movie theater to watch it on the big screen, and I'm pleased to report the magic remains. In case you're not familiar, White Christmas is a showbiz movie about two famous producers, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye), who meet two sisters Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), and end up heading up to Vermont with them for the holiday season. They discover that the Pine Tree Inn where they are staying is owned by General Waverly, who fought in the army with Bob and Phil. The Inn is struggling to stay open after unseasonably warm weather hits the New England area, so Bob, Phil, Betty and Judy put their heads together to come up with a way to bring people to the Inn and show General Waverly how much he's appreciated. It's filled with fun musical numbers, including the delightful Sisters tune (which my mom and her sisters would sometimes sing in the kitchen while making Christmas Eve dinner) and the a song about Snow sung while on a train ride. It never fails to make me smile, laugh and cry at some point throughout the two hour span of the film. In Sunday's movie theater showing, a little girl was sitting in the front row enjoying her first-ever viewing of the movie. As the (spoiler alert!!) snow begins to fall, finally, in one of the ending scenes, she excitedly exclaimed, "It's a White Christmas!" It's nice to know that 64 years after the movie premiered, it's still bringing magic to people of all ages during the holiday season.
As Seen on Screen
If you're looking for a lesser-known romantic comedy with holiday elements that feels very '90s, you're in luck. I typically forget to include While You Were Sleeping in my holiday movie rotation, but this year I remembered and am so happy that I re-watched the 1995 classic this weekend. Starring Sandra Bullock, the film tells the story of Lucy, who (through a comedy of errors) ends up pretending to be engaged to a man in a coma. After she meets and begins to bond with his very loving family, she finds it harder to admit the truth and things get even more complicated when she ends up falling for the coma patient's brother, Jack (Bill Pullman). It was filmed in Chicago, not in a "pretend" version of the city, the writing is smart and funny and there are small choices made throughout that make me notice new things every time I re-watch it. Bill Pullman finally gets his moment as a leading man, after being the secondary love interest in 1993's Sleepless in Seattle, and he knocks it out of the park as the charming and rugged Jack. A scene between Lucy and Jack outside her apartment, where they have a talk about the implications of "leaning" into someone, is downright steamy. It's festive without being a strictly holiday movie, meaning you can watch it all year round and not feel guilty. I think it's best enjoyed with a cup of hot chocolate during the month of December!
Haven't You Heard?
Have you ever discovered something so late in the game that it's almost embarrassing to admit? Well the other week, I finally started listening to the Blank Check podcast and was instantly addicted. The premise? Griffin and David talk about movies made by people who did well early in their careers and received "blank checks" to make whatever they wanted. One of the recent series they've covered is Nancy Meyers filmography, so you know that's what hooked me! Since it's December, I've already done one re-watch of the Meyers classic, The Holiday. Starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black, the film tells the story of two women who decide to switch houses right before Christmas. Iris (Winslet) leaves her cozy English cottage to move into Amanda's (Diaz) luxurious L.A. pad. Along the way, Amanda runs into Iris' brother, Graham (Law), and works through her fear of commitment. Iris befriends an elderly neighbor (and famous former filmmaker) and also meets Miles (Black), who has dealt with the same relationship problems as Iris. It's a sweet story that switches back and forth from country to country to show how each woman is progressing. They find themselves! They find love! They find friends! The music sets the perfect tone, Cameron Diaz rocks some excellent cream-colored fashion and Jude Law is at his most charming (hello Mr. Napkinhead). Pair a rematch of the movie with the Blank Check podcast episode and you've got yourself some festive plans.
Required Reading
As the weather gets colder, it's important to bundle up to stay warm. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style! As Nancy Pelosi showed us all this week, not only is she a boss negotiator (which we already knew), but she's making power moves with her fabulous taste in coats. The image of her exiting the Oval Office with her red jacket and sunglasses instantly took over the internet, sparking its own Twitter account and articles about Big Coat Energy, a handy guide to help you find your own powerhouse jacket, think pieces detailing why Nancy is the heroine we need and theories about the statement behind this statement piece.
