Three Movies to Watch This Holiday Season

Every year the number of Christmas movies increases. One-hundred and nine new movies were produced for the 2024 season, with three theatrically released films including Red One starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans,  and J.K. Simmons. 

Although Red One, with a global box office revenue of $167 million, has yet to break even against its production budget of $250 million, it is the 25th highest-grossing film of 2024 and is still resonating with audiences on Amazon Prime. That Hollywood even thought there was a market for three theatrically released Christmas films despite the plethora of new and old holiday movies streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hallmark, Hulu, and Great American Family is indicative of the ongoing public interest in yuletide entertainment.

The Western world loves Christmas movies of all genres from drama to romance to comedy to action. We acknowledge that many of them are predictable and overly sentimental, but that is why we watch them. Christmas movies provide comfort in an uncertain world.

Every time we watch a classic film like  It’s A Wonderful Life  (1946)  or Miracle on 34th Street  (1947) or even a modern one like  The Family Man   (2000), we walk away with the reassurance that we are not just occupying space. Our individual lives matter.  We are all blessed with the gift of not only creating a meaningful life for ourselves but also for positively influencing the lives of others. And if we are fortunate enough to live a long life, we will cross paths with many people. Christmas movies remind us to always be kind to our fellow travelers as we know not the burden they carry.  

I have selected three Christmas movies that intrigued and inspired me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Recommendation 1: Merry Good Enough  (2023)

Merry Good Enough is a quirky film which explores the mixed emotions which families experience when they gather together for the holidays. The plot centers around thirty-something Lucy Raulie (Raye Levine) who returns home to small town Massachusetts to spend Christmas with her siblings, Tim (Daniel Desmarais), who currently resides in Singapore, and Cynthia (Comfort Clinton), a rising Chicago attorney. Also present are Lucy’s divorced parents Carol (Susan Gallagher) and George (Joel Murray).

Lucy, who is also divorced, was dreading the visit and as the story evolves we learn that Cynthia and Tim were experiencing similar feelings of emotional discomfort. When Carol goes missing following a brief argument with Lucy, the Raulies jump into action to find her. 

As the last person in the family to have a conversation with Carol,  Lucy wonders if her mother’s disappearance is her fault. Lucy additionally engages the assistance of Sam (Sawyer Spielberg), the proverbial boy next door. Due to his physical proximity to Carol, Sam seems to know more about her life than her children and her ex-husband do. And, not surprisingly, the search for Carol sparks romantic feelings between Sam and Lucy. Spielberg and Levine, who are married in real life, also demonstrate palpable onscreen chemistry.

Merry Good Enough is an interesting film in that it does not align with the traditional thematic Christmas movie. Lucy does not experience a transformative epiphany which dramatically alters her worldview. The search for Carol is also somewhat measured. While the family is actively looking for her, one gets the sense that they are not hysterical over her disappearance.

It is almost as if Carol has exhibited similar behavior in the past. While some might view Merry Good Enough as offering more questions than answers, I found its depiction of family dynamics to be very believable. The performances of the cast, especially Levine, Spielberg,  Murray, and Gallagher were also first rate. 

Recommendation 2: This is Christmas  (2022)

This is Christmas is about a group of train passengers who ride the same commuter train from Langton to London Monday through Friday. The film opens with one of the passengers, twenty-something  Dean ( Jack Donaghue), telling the conductor that he accidentally left his season pass in his other jacket and asking him to not charge him for the ride. When the conductor (Steve Oram) refuses, several passengers speak up in Dean’s defense, asserting that they see him every day on this train paying with his seasonal pass.

After the conductor reluctantly agrees, one of Dean’s advocates Adam (Alfred Enoch) has a light-bulb moment. Impressed by the way his fellow passengers stood up for Dean, Adam suggests that the commuters get together to plan a Christmas party. His suggestion is initially met with utter derision. Why would anyone socialize with the people they see on the train? Yet, Adam slowly begins winning them over.

Dean is in, as is Emma (Kaya Scodelario), and the others start slowly following suit. We gradually start learning more about the individual passengers and their backstories. We discover that both Adam and Emma are experiencing some problems in their respective romantic relationships. We are also introduced to Ray (Timothy Spall),  a former professional soccer player whose life has fallen apart. He is now a broken down alcoholic who is estranged from his son and grandson. His involvement with planning the Christmas party becomes the catalyst for changing his life. 

As someone who has spent most of her professional career on public transportation, I found this movie to be incredibly moving. We spend so much of our time traveling next to people without even knowing their names.  Furthermore, we also complain about feeling alone and disconnected from others. Yet, when we are offered the opportunity to make a human connection, we often avert our eyes. This is Christmas boldly suggests that we go out of our comfort zone and befriend a fellow traveler. The acting is excellent, especially that of Enoch, Donaghue, Scodelario and Spall.

Recommendation 3: A Perfect Day  (2006)

A Perfect Day stars Rob Lowe as Rob Harlan, a radio advertising sales representative, who while waiting for a promised promotion to sales manager  is informed by his boss that he is being fired. The coveted position is given to Stacey (Candi Brooks) , a young woman with little experience but loads of fresh new ideas.  Rob is shocked and embarrassed. However, his wife Allyson (Paget Brewster) sees this situation as a blessing in disguise.

Now that their daughter Carson (Meggie Geisland) is in school, Allyson offers to go back to work and encourages Rob to finish writing the book he started writing years ago. Inspired by Allyson’s support, Rob finishes the book while also continuing to look for employment in radio ad sales. Once again discouragement sets in when he can neither get a job nor find a publisher for his book.

Rob’s luck changes when he receives a call from Camille (Frances Conroy) , an agent who has secured a publisher interested in publishing the book. Rob’s book, titled A Perfect Day, is actually Allyson’s story of the day she spent with her father when she first learned that he was dying. 

At first Rob is grateful for all the attention that his book is generating. However, when A Perfect Day becomes the number one book in America, Rob starts to change. He gets caught up with all the praise he receives from the publicity people. He also goes on an extensive book tour which while necessary to promote the book, takes him away from Allyson and Carson. 

Allyson is devastated when Rob appears on Larry King Live (the late talk-show host plays himself in the film) and does not  give her credit for inspiring the book. Instead, he says he was influenced by great writers like Camus. As Rob’s personal fame increases, he finds himself constantly followed by a strange man (Christopher Lloyd) who shows up at all of his book signings and warns him not to take his present celebrity status too seriously. A Perfect Day is a Christmas movie in which Rob experiences an emotional crisis a few days before the holiday. 

A Perfect Day is an engaging, emotionally charged film where nothing is as it seems. Rob Lowe is no stranger to playing the cynical middle aged man at a crossroads at Christmas. In fact I have written previously for these pages about his role in The Christmas Shoes  (2002) and  Holiday in the Wild  (2019). Once again, he delivers a nuanced portrayal of a man in spiritual purgatory. The other principals, including Brewster, Lloyd, and Conroy, also turn in strong performances. And the always wonderful Kevin Dunn is terrific as an aggressive high-powered book agent.

Christmas is a time when we reflect about our lives. While we may be surrounded by people, we sometimes still feel alone. We may also be anxious about our professional status and accomplishments, our finances, or the well-being of our loved ones. Christmas movies remind us that we are not alone and that our problems are often shared by others or temporary in nature. 

Or as Esther (Judy Garland) sings to her little sister Tootie (Margaret O’Brien) in the holiday classic  Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light.  Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.” Simple but powerful advice.

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