(Some of) My Modern Favorites: Holiday Edition – Part 2

So, I have already written several posts about (Some of) My Classic Favorites: Holiday Edition, Part 1 and Part 2 and (Some of) My Modern Favorites: Holiday Edition, Part 1. This post will cover the next 4 films selected for my Modern Favorites,

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To refresh your memory, reader, as to how I am compiling this list:

1. This post covers part 1 of my modern holiday films list.
2. Some of these, you might not consider a holiday film. Some of these, you might not care for while others you might not have even heard of. I just hope that you might find something new or different in these posts to help you enjoy your holiday season.
3. Although I may have some absolute favorites, there was no possible way that I could arrange them in any particular order. So, I’ve tried to be a bit creative in how I am choosing to unveil these two catalogs.

Here we go….

Now, I’m sure that you have heard of the theory regarding six degrees of separation or even the game based on that theory, The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. I formulated my own version of that game which I like to play but my version is all about movies. I randomly select two actors/actresses from any era and figure out how many movies it takes to connect them.

For example, let’s take Katherine Hepburn and Tom Hanks. This is all solely on my movie knowledge and memory since I often play it at night when I’m having a hard time getting to sleep. It would go something like this:

• Katherine Hepburn was in On Golden Pond with Jane Fonda…
• Jane Fonda was in Nine to Five with Dabney Coleman…
• Dabney Coleman was in You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks

Got the idea?

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So, the next series of modern films I have listed as part of (Some of) My Modern Favorites: Holiday Edition – Part 2, are all connected to each other through the method shown above.

Where we left off…..Fred Claus

CONNECTION: Miranda Richardson has been twice nominated for an Academy Award, although her role as Santa’s wife in Fred Claus wasn’t one of them. Richardson also brought to life a revered literary character, Rita Skeeter, in our next movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which some might not immediately consider a holiday film.

Why this choice? I am immediately going to admit that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was my favorite book in the Harry Potter series so it stands to reason that the movie would be one of my favorites as well. And I know, some of you are like, how do you consider this a Christmas movie?! First of all, the movie was released on November 18, 2005 but that seems like a pretty flimsy reason for it to be on this list.

No, the main reason I put this on the list is because of an even that takes place in the film as part of the Triwizard Tournament, The Yule Ball. We all know that Hogwarts is a magical place but, in this instance, it was also unbelievably gorgeous. Another in a long list of reasons I wish Hogwarts was real and I could get all dolled up in my finery to attend the ball.

I also really enjoy how the Yule Ball causes some significant changes in our intrepid band of heroes and their relationships with each other. Harry is so nervous to ask out his dream girl, Cho Chang (Katie Leung), that he misses his opportunity because, by the time he asks her, she has already agreed to go with someone else. Hermione is stunned when she is asked to escort the ultimate Quidditch superstar, Viktor Krum (Stanislav Yanevski), leaving a jealous Ron to attend with the sister, Padma Patil (Afshan Azad), of Harry’s date, Parvati Patil (Shefali Chowdhury), wearing what can only be described as the most god-awful dress robes probably ever existed.

In addition to the amazingly intricate and detailed stories told in these book and films, the cast has always been top-notch all the way. I mean, seriously, how they managed to get all of these people together for 8 films is a true feat of movie mythology. The cast is a who’s who of British stage & screen including Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Brendan Gleeson as Alastor “MadEye” Moody, Timothy Spall as Wormtail, David Tennant as Barty Crouch Jr., Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick (and many other characters), Sir Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore, and Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter. Sadly, this film was the only in the series not to have any scenes with Dame Julie Walters as Mrs. Weasley.

A few interesting things about this film:

• Although they are mentioned in the book, the dreadful Dursley’s do not appear in the film and there are absolutely no muggle settings.
  

• This film features one of the largest underwater sets ever constructed for the Underwater Maze challenge of the Triwizard Tournament. It has a capacity of 132,000 gallons of water.
• This was the theatrical debut of Robert Pattinson who played the role of the dreamy Cedric Diggory.
• Outside of the Quidditch World Cup, there are no Quidditch matches in this film which was a staple of the 3 previous films in the franchise.
• While filming his scenes as Dumbledore, Sir Michael Gambon wore street clothes under his costume and tucked cigarettes into his socks.

Ron: I think he’s got a bit more than friendship on his mind. He’s using you.

Hermione: How dare you! Besides, I can take care of myself!

Ron: Doubt it. He’s way too old.

Hermione: What? That’s what you think?

Ron: Yeah, that’s what I think.

Hermione: You know the solution, then, don’t you?

Ron: Go on.

Hermione: Next time there’s a ball pluck up the courage to ask me before someone else does! And not as a last resort!

Ron: Well… that… that’s completely off the point…

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

CONNECTION: Beloved actor Alan Rickman appeared as Severus Snape in all 8 of the films in the Harry Potter franchise but everyone has to start somewhere. In his long and storied career as one of the best actors of his generation, Rickman had his first film role in the next film on the list, Die Hard.

Die Hard (1988)

A few things I thought you’d like to know about this movie:

• When asked how he is doing while tending to his bleeding feet, McClane (Willis) responds, “All things being equal, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” This a quote from W.C. Fields which was mistakenly believed to have been on his headstone.
• The fictional Nakatomi Plaza is actually the 20^th Century Studios headquarters building which allowed them to have free reign to use it as they wished. At the time of the filming, it was unfinished but some of the middle floors were occupied. Due to tourist interest in this building, people are now forbidden from taking photos directly outside of it.
• Alan Rickman hadn’t even been in Hollywood for 1 week before he was cast as Hans Gruber, his first part in a film.

CONNECTION: Once again, Alan Rickman is our connection between this film and the next entry on the list. Although he doesn’t play an outright bad guy here, he does play a flawed but earnest family man in a Christmas movie that makes me cry from the very first moment, Love Actually.

Love Actually (2003)

Why this choice? In my opinion, this is one of those quintessentially perfect Christmas films. Written and directed by Richard Curtis, in his directorial debut, the genius behind such hits as Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), and the Mr. Bean TV series (1990-1995), Curtis sets the perfect tone with his impeccable blend of humor, sentiment, the ache of heartbreak, and the triumph of love set against the background of a highly emotional times of year, Christmas.

Without a doubt, this film is absolutely stacked with talent:

• Hugh Grant as David, the new Prime Minster
• Martine McCutcheon as Natalie, the Prime Minister’s assistant

• Dame Emma Thompson as Karen, David’s sister
• Alan Rickman as Harry, Karen’s husband
• Heike Makatsch as Mia, Harry’s new secretary who proves to be more temptation that he can resist.

• Laura Linney as Sarah, she works for Harry and is obsessed with her co-worker Karl, played by Rodrigo Santoro, but has a secret that keeps her from following her heart.
• Liam Neeson as Daniel, grieving husband, friend of Karen’s and stepfather to Sam, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who is desperately in love with his American classmate Joanna Anderson, played by Olivia Olson.

• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peter, who is newly wed to Juliet, played by Keira Knightley.
• Andrew Lincoln as Mark, Peter’s best friend who is secretly in love with his new wife, Juliet.
• Colin Firth as Jamie, who’s girlfriend, played by Sienna Guillory, recently crushed his heart, causing him to flee London to work on his book in France where he meets the Portuguese housekeeper, Aurelia, played by Lucia Moniz, who will change his life.

• Kris Marshall as Colin Frissell, a lonely but ever optimistic Englishman who is convinced that he just needs to travel to America to find the girl of his dreams against the advice of his friend Tony, played by Abdul Salis, who works on the production side of filmmaking.
• Martin Freeman as John, a sex scene body double who begins to fall for the woman with whom he has a very unique working relationship, Just Judy, played by Joanna Page.
• Bill Nighy as Billy Mack, an aging rock and roll legend (think Mick Jagger, mixed with David Bowie, and add in a little Keith Richards) who, along with his long-suffering manager, Joe, played by Gregor Fisher, is trying to revive his career with a special Christmas anthem.
  

In addition, there are some very special cameos throughout the film as well including Rowan Atkinson as Rufus, Billy Bob Thornton as The President of the United States, Shannon Elizabeth as Harriet, Denise Richards as Carla, and Claudia Schiffer as Carol.

Some fun facts about this film:

• The idea for the surprise performance arranged by Mark (Andrew Lincoln) at Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet’s (Keira Knightley) wedding came from Jim Henson’s funeral, which Richard Curtis attended. At the end of the memorial service, the puppeteers all paid a sweet and loving tribute to someone very dear to them. If you haven’t had a good cry in a while, you can watch it here.
• Originally, Richard Curtis wanted to cast an actual rock star in the role of Billy Mack but producers eventually convinced him that an actual rock star would be too demanding and might insist on script & music changes, so he cast an actor instead. I, for one, am glad Nighy won the role of Billy Mack.

• This film boasts three Oscar winners: Colin Firth (Jamie), Dame Emma Thompson (Karen) and Billy Bob Thornton (US President) and five Oscar nominees: Liam Neeson (Daniel), Bill Nighy (Billy Mack), Laura Linney (Sarah), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Peter), and Kiera Knightly (Juliet).

My favorite scene…Incredibly difficult, once again, for me to pick just one scene because I adore this film in its entirety but I have opted to choose one heartbreaking scene and one more uplifting scene.

First the heartbreak – the moment after Karen (Emma Thompson) opens her Christmas gift from her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), only to discover that the piece of jewelry she thought was meant for her was given to someone else. Her anguish as she is standing in the bedroom trying to pull herself back together is a real, soul crushing moment on film. Thompson has said that, for those scenes, she drew on the immense heartache she experienced as a result of her former husband, Kenneth Branagh’s, affair with Helena Bonham Carter which ultimately led to their divorcing in 1995. Every time I watch that scene, I am a puddle. If you have ever suffered a deeply broken heart or felt as if the life you thought you led was, suddenly, just an illusion, you will understand this scene. It is all the more poignant with the music selection of Joni Mitchell’s River. You can actually feel her grief and despair come through the screen. Pass those tissues!

Next, the more uplifting scene – when David (Hugh Grant), the new Prime Minister, just can’t resist the music and begins singing and dancing his way around 10 Downing Street to The Pointer Sister’s hit song “Jump”. Being the curmudgeon that he is in real life, Grant absolutely hated filming that scene and considered it beneath how a real Prime Minster would behave. I, for one, hope that Prime Minister’s, and other people in high office, have those moments of levity where they can just be real and let go a little bit. Despite Grant’s disdain for the scene, it has become one of the most famous scenes in film history and is often hilariously duplicated by many. Just check out this one (of thousands) of videos on YouTube. It makes it all the funnier, to me, that Hugh Grant hated filming this iconic scene.

CONNECTION: Since the cast of this film has so many extraordinary actors appearing in it, it was hard to choose where to take this particular connection when considering the next film on the list. My choice here is Colin Firth who had a touching and tender role as a man spurned who never gave up on finding love in Love Actually and who now appears as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, in the most iconic, literary story of the holiday season, Disney’s A Christmas Carol.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)

Why this choice? The most classic Christmas story of redemption and the novella, written by Charles Dickens and first published in 1843, sold out of its first edition of 6,000 copies on Christmas Eve of that same year having just been released 5 days prior, on December 19^th. In fact, Dickens so believed in this novella that he paid the publishing costs himself in exchange for a percentage of the profits.

For me, this story is synonymous with Christmas and I marvel that this story helped to revive the Christmas holiday in early Victorian England and directly inspired many of the traditions we associate with the holiday including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games, and the festive generosity of spirit.  There are so many interpretations and adaptations of this beloved tale but, for the purposes of this list, I have selected this digitally animated version from 2009 written & directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Digital animation provides a unique experience for the audience and gives the filmmakers an entirely new toolbox from which to pull from in the production process. Gone are the days of an actor simply providing their voice for a character in an animated film. Now, the actors, themselves, are brought in, forced to wear spandex outfits with markers on them so that they not only provide the voice for the characters but also the physical and idiosyncratic movements which make the characters truly come to life.

This film, of course, was not the first to use this type of motion capture animation. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy used this technology to bring the character of Gollum, played brilliantly by Andy Serkis, to life beginning in 2001 and director Robert Zemeckis had used the same technology to bring another beloved Christmas book, The Polar Express, first released in 1985, to the big screen in 2004 with Tom Hanks leading the cast.

In addition to Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman, an incredible cast was assembled to bring this film to life including:

• Colin Firth as Fred, Scrooge’s nephew
• Cary Elwes as Portly Gentleman #1, Dick Wilkins, Mad Fiddler, Guest #2 and Business Man #1
• Robin Wright as Fan, Scrooge’s sister, and Belle, Scrooge’s love when he was younger
• Bob Hoskins as Fezziwig
• Lesley Manville as Mrs. Cratchit
• Leslie Zemeckis as Fred’s Wife
• Fionnula Flanagan as Mrs. Dilber

A few interesting things about this film version:

• This was the first Disney animated film to be released in IMAX 3D.
• Jim Carrey was director Robert Zemeckis’ first choice for the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge and the 3 spirits; however, he did offer it to Owen Wilson initially who turned it down and the part was then offered to Jim Carrey.
• In the home of the Cratchit’s, there is a portrait of Charles Dickens hanging by the fireplace.

At the end of the film, when Cratchit returns to the office late, the day after Christmas, he is prepared for an utter browbeating at the hands of his vicious and unforgiving boss, Ebenezer Scrooge. Much to his surprise, he finds a man who has been transformed, overnight and, in the moment where Scrooge informs his that he will be raising his salary, Cratchit takes a moment and, you can see, he nearly falls over from the shock.

That is all Oldman. He understands the power of words but, even more importantly, the power of silence which allows the audience to truly experience the same stunning moment that Cratchit is feeling. We have all had a similar occasion like that in our lives where shock and disbelief collide and nearly sweeps us off of our feet.  To share that feeling with an audience, where they can fully identify with the character’s reaction in that split-second, is wholly the skill of a truly great actor.

CONNECTION: For the purposes of this list, I have selected Bob Hoskins as the next link in the modern holiday movie chain. As Fezziwig in Disney’s A Christmas Carol, he was fun, loveable, and reeking with the spirit and fun of Christmas and, in the next film on the list….to be continued.