My wife and I are at that awkward age. We have one teenager left in the house and no one to watch Christmas cartoons with.
Not that it stopped us. The two of us put on “A Charlie Brown Christmas” the other night and loved it all over again.
The cartoon captures the simplicity and complexity of modern American Christmases.
And by the end, everybody angry at Charlie Brown for not buying a shiny aluminum tree gathers around the tree he picked to sing together.
I would argue that singing with people who spent the past year calling us “blockheads” is the very essence of the Christmas spirit.
I suspect we’re not the only people who enjoy revisiting “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It’s an enduring tradition, but it’s not the only tinsel-coated treat our TVs and devices deliver this time of year.
Years ago, I bought a copy of “Elf” with Will Ferrell from the bargain DVD bin. I thought I had made an investment for many Christmases to come.
But some universal yuletide law requires that every channel broadcast “Elf” at some point in December. It’s impossible not to watch. I challenge you to try.
Of course, the reigning champion of high-profile holiday movies is “A Christmas Story,” which follows young Ralphie’s quest to get a BB gun under the tree.
Those 24-hour Ralphie-thons on TBS have seared “A Christmas Story” into my brain. Not that I mind. It’s a reminder that this time of year can be beautiful and chaotic.
If you’re looking for Christmas chaos, you’ll find it in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” It’s a perfect mix of sweet and sour with peppermint and egg nog flavors added for good measure.
It’s for anybody who’s ever loved a Christmas gathering even though they also felt like screaming at least once.
There’s no stress like Christmas stress, and “Christmas Vacation” serves it up with blinding lights and bone-dry turkey.
The over-the-top antics of Clark, Cousin Eddie and the rest say something fundamental about cramming a bunch of weird but related people together and expecting them to get along this year no matter how last year’s gathering turned out.
But “Christmas Vacation” has its share of sweetness too. I love the scene of Clark nearly freezing to death in the attic while watching black and white movies of old family Christmases.
I reminds me of my bittersweet holiday tradition of thinking about the people who made past Christmases so special. Whenever Elvis Presley sings, “It won’t seem like Christmas without you,” I stare off into space and remember the old days.
Speaking of remembering, last year we caught a stage production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
It was presented as a radio broadcast with microphones and everything. I appreciate the novelty of seeing a familiar story told in an unfamiliar way.
It helped that our son was in the show. We got to see him dressed in a coat and tie as he delivered 13 different voices for 13 different characters.
Don’t make a big deal about the lucky number 13. He only had 12 parts, but one kid forgot to deliver his lines on time, so our boy stepped in and saved the day in true “It’s a Wonderful Life” fashion.
There’s no Christmas play this year, and he didn’t watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with us, but that’s OK.
He has 7 billion more chances to watch “Elf,” “A Christmas Story,” “Christmas Vacation” and more with us.
Thanks for reading.
