Table Topic - Christmas Movies

Christmas Time is Here...Happiness and Cheer...Fun for all that children call...Their favorite time of year!

One of my favorite parts of Christmas (aside from the Reason for the Season...Jesus) is all the Christmas movies and specials. You have your Christmas movies...and your Christmas television specials. Although I own all the Rankin Bass Christmas specials that I can watch in the heat of July, there is something about watching Rudolph on CBS in prime time with all the commercials that takes me back to childhood. Picking just one favorite of all the annual replays of Christmas classics is tough. So I'll just summarize a few of my favorites...

A Charlie Brown Christmas - I have my very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree that I put up each year at my house in honor of this great production that debuted the year I was born. Some of the scenes from this special are simply priceless. The children at the end singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing ....Lucy's quizzing Schroeder "Can you play Jingle Bells? You know deck them halls and all that stuff? You know Santa Clause and ho-ho-ho, and mistletoe..and presents to pretty girls?" (A woman after my own heart) And the greatest scene of all as Linus says "Lights please..." and recites the Christmas story from Luke 2 ending with "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." I still get a tear.

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Rankin Bass knows how to produce good Christmas specials and it's hard to pick just one. But Frosty made me cry way too much when he melted and I still get choked up during that scene, so Rudolph wins the prize. I think the main reason this is my favorite is the ultimate story of the misfit and underdog saving the day. When I was a little girl, I had this dream of wanting to go to the Island of Misfit Toys so I could play with them all. They seemed lonely and I figured I was just the gal to make them happy. I still have a much softer place in my heart for the uniques of the world, like myself.

Holiday Inn - I get a lot of grief from friends about my love of this movie. This black and white film released in 1942 was where the song White Christmas made its debut. It stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, and in my opinion ranks way above the movie White Christmas. Between Fred's dancing and Bing's singing...my heart swoons. And, the movie focuses on every holiday during the year (hence, the name Holiday Inn...it wasn't named after that hotel chain). Aside from Christmas, my favorite holiday in the movie is Valentine's Day. Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) writes a song for the woman he is falling in love with (but he hasn't expressed that verbally to her yet) entitled "Be Careful it's My Heart." For the hopeful romantic in me, I melt everytime that song is played. If you haven't seen it, skip the 65th viewing of It's a Wonderful Life and watch this classic.

And now for today's table topic....

What is your favorite Christmas movie and/or special?

Roast those chestnuts and fill you mug with hot chocolate...discuss.