The Best Christmas Scenes In Non-Holiday Movies
By Don Shanahan, Resident Movie Critic
A few months ago, I presented you with an eclectic list of nice and memorable Halloween scenes in non-horror films. The goal was to deviate from the usual recommendations that matched the holiday and instead cite some different movie experiences.
Now, with the end of December upon us, it’s a good time to do something similar for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Right off the bat, let me present a clarification of where I stand. There’s been a long-running debate about some popular movies that take place at Christmas and whether they are honest-to-goodness Christmas movies. Well, sorry, Kevin McCallister. Put me in the camp that considers the likes of “Die Hard,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Grumpy Old Men,” and “Batman Returns” to be core Christmas movies—right next to the usual greats, like “Elf” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
With that in mind, I’ll be going to different places with these picks. The goal is to offer some of the best Christmas scenes from non-holiday movies, beyond just simple scene transition moments that show the passage of time in film (Ex. “The Godfather” and “You’ve Got Mail”).
‘Little Women’ (1994 and 2019)
If there’s a story that could nearly claim a spot on that list next to “Die Hard” and “Lethal Weapon” where Christmas overwhelms the setting of the movie, it’s “Little Women” and its two top cinematic incarnations—the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder and Christian Bale and 2017’s updated take with Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet. Both movies have a bevy of Christmas scenes that showcase the homecoming and close camaraderie of family through thick and thin.
1994:
2019 #1:
2019 #2:
‘Rocky’ (1976)
“Little Women” is a beautiful display of consummate family ties, but dysfunction can come out at Christmas, too. Watch Burt Young convey Paulie’s breaking point in the original “Rocky,” with a moment that also raises the volume and courage to get Talia Shire’s mousy Adrian to battle back with her own argumentative words. What can I say? Fights can happen during the holidays. Four movies later in the less-than-great “Rocky V” our buddy Paulie plays an in-the-bag Santa.
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’
After that tough display of drama, let’s go to a pretty one. The Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft made sure to stop its studies and celebrate Christmas. From Hagrid bringing in a freshly cut conifer to the teachers trimming it with decorations, this scene has all the warm feels of Christmas morning with plenty of gifts and wishes of “Happy Christmas.” Composer John Williams even works in a little bit of his “Home Alone” musical cues into the soundtrack.
‘Mean Girls’ (2004)
Speaking of a school setting, parents and kids alike know that December often brings the culminating event of a holiday music program. We’ve all been on those risers, belting out or mumbling through iconic winter melodies. Well, the quartet of “Plastics” in “Mean Girls” put their sass on display for a dancing rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock” that has its own mini-calamity and a rescued finish.
‘La La Land’ (2016)
Not all of those standard Christmas songs are beloved. They can be overplayed and creatively stale. In the same semi-negative light, some people have to work on Christmas to make ends meet. That brings us to Ryan Gosling’s Sebastian in the 2016 film “La La Land,” who begs the manager (played by J.K. Simmons) for piano work. The manager agrees to pay him as long as he stays on the issued playlist. Of course, Sebastian doesn’t, and an off-script new musical theme begins that then powers this stellar movie forward.
‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990)
Sometimes all it takes is the magic of unexpected snow to amplify that holiday magic. Maybe that prospect isn’t a big deal to us seasoned Midwesterners, who shovel it on the regular, but remember or imagine being a first-timer with the delicate touch and fluttering fall of snow. “Edward Scissorhands” captures that beautifully with its “Ice Dance” scene.
‘Goodfellas’ (1990)
The end of the year can become a celebration point for all of the year’s successes and achievements, even the ill-gotten ones. Take the Christmas montage of “Goodfellas,” where our organized crime leaders bask in their financial gain by splurging on lavish purchases and decorations, even though they are supposed to be keeping a low profile. Any nosy neighbor or inquisitive eye of the law is going to notice that new car parked out front and hundred dollar bills being bandied about.
‘Toy Story’ (1995)
Speaking of gifts and new houses, one of the classic parental go-tos for a big Christmas morning moment is the arrival of a family dog. Pixar shows how the addition of a new favorite toy rocks the fantastical boat of existing favorite toys in the original “Toy Story.” It’s cute to see the toys get nervous again during the ending when a dog arrives for their beloved Andy.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ (2012)
A more personal and fun gift-giving tradition that has grown over the years is the “Secret Santa” setup. It can be a place to be a mysterious well-wisher for a friend or an opportunity for someone to pine a little closer to someone they find special. One of the best presentations of “Secret Santa” comes in the bluntly honest teen movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” starring Logan Lermon, Emma Watson, and the electric Ezra Miller.
‘Jerry Maguire’ (1996) & ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ (2012)
Everyone who was there in 1996, and who has seen the movie since then, can almost recite—beat for beat—the “You complete me” monologue that Tom Cruise gives Renee Zellweger at the climax of “Jerry Maguire.” What you might not notice is that the Christmas tree is up. As much as “You had me at ‘hello’” worked, you had me at Christmas too! David O. Russell’s crowd-pleasing 2012 Bradley Cooper vehicle and Jennifer Lawrence launchpad, “Silver Linings Playbook,” also set its big emotional finale during Christmas.
“Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001)
Five years later, future two-time Oscar winner Renee Zellweger owned another Christmas moment by immortalizing the concept of the ugly Christmas sweater—or “jumper,” if you’re speaking the King’s English—on the big screen. While they’ve become a competitive and welcome fashion expectation of the holidays since the turn of the century, this scene nails the original cringe factor of being underdressed and embarrassing compared to the civility of everyone else.
‘Step Brothers’ (2008)
For some folks, this festive time of year can be overwhelming or even a malaise of indifference. If you ever feel like you’re sleepwalking through this jam-packed month of December with your over-scheduled self, remember that it could be worse. You could be actually sleepwalking and destroying God knows what at home. Just watch Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly have a blast at Christmas’s expense in “Step Brothers.” Plus, enjoy the Christmas coda scene with The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” as it puts the exclamation point on Ferrell and Reilly’s troublemaking.
My fellow Elmwood Park-ians, let’s all make a Christmas wish that you don’t sleep through the holidays either.
Be safe, be well, and happy holidays. Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to ring in the new year like Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally…” by professing your love and putting yourself out there. After all, no one wants you to be Lieutenant Dan from “Forrest Gump.”
Don Shanahan is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic and the editor-in-chief of Film Obsessive and Every Movie Has a Lesson. In addition to Chicago Indie Critics, he is part of the internationally recognized Critics Choice Association. He also owns and operates the Free Blockbuster box on the 2600 block of 75th Court, where those passing by may “take a movie/leave a movie” in the spirit of sharing a little art and culture with the community.