A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life

[Trekker4747]

Two beautiful, great, Christmas movies. Both of which I've watched over the last day and both of which are traditional movies I *must* watch every year.

A Christmas Story has more nostalga and "fun" to it. It's the perfect Christmas Story that chances are all of us have from our youth -wanting that one perfect present and doing our best to manipulate our parents/"Santa" to get it for us.

Just plain fun.

It's a Wonderful Life is far more magical and great and just a real heart-warming story.

Great yearly traditions.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Just palin fun.

You betcha! *wink* George an' Ralphie...they're justa coupla mav'ricks!

 

[bigdaddy]

I saw A Christmas Story is better, I just had this talk earlier with family.

I had to watch it when I was a child, so I like it more. I remember when no one knew what that movie was, then about 10 years ago it started to get really popular.

 

[DRMidnite]

Just palin fun.

You betcha! *wink* George an' Ralphie...they're justa coupla mav'ricks!

I can see Hulman from my house!

 

[Trippy]

I saw A Christmas Story is better, I just had this talk earlier with family.

I did too. I can (and did!) watch A Christmas Story a few times over the holidays.

I didn't watch It's a Wonderful Life at all this season. It takes too long to get to the resolution, and isn't as fun along the way as A Christmas Story

 

[Kira's Mom]

I prefer A Christmas Story, too. I can watch it over and over again on TBS Christmas Eve, and it never gets old. "Ohhhhh....fuuuudge." What's great about the marathon is you can just jump in any time and know where you are and what's coming. "Oh! The leg lamp is coming up!"

 

[Misfit Toy]

I didn't see Christmas Vacation this year. I wonder if it has fallen out of favor as a Holiday "classic"...

 

[CaptJimboJones]

In Wonderful Life, I always thought that Pottersville was a lot more fun than Bedford Falls.

 

[Trekker4747]

I didn't see Christmas Vacation this year. I wonder if it has fallen out of favor as a Holiday "classic"...

Was it ever?

 

[Caretaker]

In my family, everyone has a different favorite Christmas movie. My father - some 1930's version of A Christmas Carol (although he's also partial to Scrooged). My mom - It's a Wonderful Life. My sister- Elf. My brother - Die Hard. And of course, my parents can't stand A Christmas Story, but my siblings love it.

I've never really chosen a favorite.

 

[Canadave]

I didn't see Christmas Vacation this year. I wonder if it has fallen out of favor as a Holiday "classic"...

Was it ever?

I'd say so.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I saw a lot of Christmas movies this year, some I've seen before and some new ones. I've ever seen A Christmas Story though. In fact, I never even heard of it until just a few weeks ago when it got mentioned a lot in another thread. Everyone seems to know about it, but somehow it slipped completely under my radar.

 

[Spot's Meow]

My parents only ever played A Christmas Story and the claymation specials from the 60s/70s around Christmas, so I had never really seen any other Christmas movies until a couple of years ago. Now I watch It's A Wonderful Life every year. And I still watch the children's specials, I just love them. I haven't seen A Christmas Story in a while, but only because I never seem to catch it when it's on TV. Bad timing I guess.

 

[nx1701g]

I have to add in Miracle on 34th Street to the list.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

My family & I have never been fans of A Christmas Story. Many others seem to find it very typical & relatable. I don't. I find it bratty & obnoxious.

OTOH, we're all huge fans of It's a Wonderful Life. There's something very rich about that movie. There are new layers of it that you discover with every viewing. Subtle yet precise sight gags. Deep, real characterization. Jimmy Stewart is an amazing leading man. He's one of those actors who is always real in a scene but is also always doing something to raise the film into a slightly heightened reality by adding extra quirks & interest.

BTW, every time the news reports some bad stock market numbers, I think they should follow it up with George Bailey's speech. "We can get through this. But we have to stick together."

 

[bigdaddy]

I didn't see Christmas Vacation this year. I wonder if it has fallen out of favor as a Holiday "classic"...

Was it ever?

I'd go with no because I have never heard of it.

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Here's an alternate look at It's A Wonderful Life:

MR. ELLMAN didn’t tell us why he wanted us to stay after school that December afternoon in 1981. When we got to the classroom — cinderblock walls, like all the others, with a dreary view of the parking lot — we smelled popcorn.
He had set up a 16-millimeter projector and a movie screen, and rearranged the chairs. Book bags, jackets and overcoats were tossed on seat backs, teenagers sat, suspicious, slumping, and Mr. Ellman started the projector whirring. “It’s a Wonderful Life” filled the screen. I was not a mushy kid. My ears were fed a steady stream of the Clash and the Jam, and I was doing my best to conjure a dyed-haired, wry, angry-young-man teenage persona. But I was enthralled that afternoon in Brooklyn. In the years that followed, my affection for “It’s a Wonderful Life” has never waned, despite the film’s overexposure and sugar-sweet marketing, and the rolling eyes of friends and family.
Lots of people love this movie of course. But I’m convinced it’s for the wrong reasons. Because to me “It’s a Wonderful Life” is anything but a cheery holiday tale. Sitting in that dark public high school classroom, I shuddered as the projector whirred and George Bailey’s life unspooled. Was this what adulthood promised?

Wonderful? Sorry, George, It’s a Pitiful, Dreadful Life

 

[The Old Mixer]

I try to watch IAWL every year on Christmas Eve, but it is a bit much to sit through sometimes on a night with so much going on. This year I had it on while wrapping presents.

ACS tends to be on at some point during Christmas Day for two or three showings during the TBS marathon, in the background while doing other things.

 

[Gaseous Anomaly]

I usually manage to watch both along with several others.

 

[Trekker4747]

I didn't see Christmas Vacation this year. I wonder if it has fallen out of favor as a Holiday "classic"...

Was it ever?

I'd go with no because I have never heard of it.

I've heard of it and it's... "funny" but I don't really see it as a Christmas classic. Not on the league with "Mircale", "Life" or "Christmas Story", along with "Carol" and numerous others.

But "Live" and "Story" are two I have two watch every year.