A Seasonal Showcase: Discovering Underrated Holiday Pictures

A factor that annoys me about many present-day holiday movies is their excessive self-consciousness – the ostentatious decor, the predictable music selections, and the stilted conversations about the essence of the festive period. It could be because the genre was not yet ossified into routine, pictures from the 1940s often approach Christmas from far more creative and far less neurotic angles.

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

One favorite discovery from sifting through 1940s Christmas fare is It Happened on Fifth Avenue, a 1947 lighthearted tale with a clever concept: a cheerful hobo spends the winter in a empty Fifth Avenue mansion each year. During one cold spell, he invites fellow down-on-their-luck individuals to reside with him, among them a veteran and a runaway who is secretly the offspring of the home's affluent landlord. Director Roy Del Ruth gives the movie with a surrogate family heart that many newer seasonal movies have to labor to earn. It beautifully walks the line between a socially aware story on affordable living and a whimsical urban romance.

The Tokyo Godfathers

Satoshi Kon's 2003 tragicomedy Tokyo Godfathers is a fun, heartbreaking, and deeply moving take on the festive story. Inspired by a classic Hollywood film, it tells the story of a trio of down-and-out people – an alcoholic, a trans woman, and a young throwaway – who find an discarded newborn on Christmas Eve. Their journey to locate the baby's family sets off a sequence of misadventures involving crime lords, newcomers, and ostensibly fateful connections. The movie doubles down on the wonder of coincidence often found in holiday tales, offering it with a cool-toned animation that sidesteps overly sweet sentiment.

The John Doe Story

Although Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life justifiably earns a lot of acclaim, his lesser-known work Meet John Doe is a powerful Christmas story in its own right. Featuring Gary Cooper as a charismatic drifter and Barbara Stanwyck as a plucky reporter, the movie begins with a fake letter from a man vowing to fall from a ledge on the holiday in frustration. The public's reaction leads the journalist to find a man to portray the fictional "John Doe," who subsequently becomes a popular figure for neighborliness. The narrative functions as both an uplifting fable and a pointed indictment of ultra-rich businessmen seeking to exploit popular sentiment for personal ends.

A Silent Partner

Whereas Christmas slasher films are now plentiful, the Christmas thriller remains a somewhat niche category. This makes the 1978 feature The Silent Partner a novel surprise. Featuring a delightfully sinister Christopher Plummer as a thieving Santa Claus and Elliott Gould as a clever bank employee, the movie pits two types of opportunistic characters against each other in a well-crafted and surprising yarn. Mostly overlooked upon its first debut, it deserves a fresh look for those who prefer their festive films with a dark tone.

The Almost Christmas

For those who enjoy their Christmas get-togethers dysfunctional, Almost Christmas is a riot. Boasting a impressive cast that includes Danny Glover, Mo'Nique, and JB Smoove, the film delves into the strain of a clan gathered to spend five days under one house during the festive period. Secret dramas rise to the forefront, culminating in situations of over-the-top farce, such as a showdown where a weapon is produced. Naturally, the story arrives at a heartwarming ending, offering all the fun of a family disaster without any of the actual cleanup.

The Film Go

The director's 1999 feature Go is a holiday-set caper that is a youthful riff on interconnected plots. Although some of its humor may feel dated upon a modern viewing, the picture nevertheless contains plenty elements to enjoy. These include a composed role from Sarah Polley to a memorable appearance by Timothy Olyphant as a charming drug dealer who amusingly sports a Santa hat. It represents a very kind of late-90s cinematic attitude set against a holiday scene.

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

Preston Sturges's wartime comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek rejects conventional seasonal warmth in exchange for bawdy humor. The story is about Betty Hutton's Trudy Kockenlocker, who discovers she is pregnant after a wild night but cannot recall the father involved. Much of the humor stems from her predicament and the efforts of Eddie Bracken's lovestruck Norval Jones to marry her. Although not obviously a holiday film at the outset, the story winds up on the holiday, making clear that Sturges has crafted a clever version of the birth narrative, loaded with his characteristic satirical humor.

The Film Better Off Dead

This 1985 teen film featuring John Cusack, Better Off Dead, is a textbook example of its decade. Cusack's