SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN CHRISTMAS MOVIES

Nothing against Miracle on 34th Street or It’s A Wonderful Life, mind you, but you might want something a little different for your Christmas viewing this year. 

Auntie Mame (1958) features Rosalind Russell as the madcap maiden aunt, and reluctant guardian,  of author Patrick Dennis. When everyone gets depressed, Mame decides it’s time for Christmas, and so they have it. The calendar is irrelevant.  Much better than the so-so musical version with Lucille Ball.

Christmas is the catalyst for a strange voluntary truce between Allied and Axis soldiers in the compelling, and underrated, A Midnight Clear (1992).  Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise head a good ensemble cast. This fine film quietly makes the point that we have more in common than we have to fight about. 

Another highly recommended sleeper is The Railway Children (1952). It begins with the worst Christmas ever when the father of three children is unjustly sent to prison. Their lives were already hard on a marginal small farm near the railroad tracks, and now it seems all will be lost. But they begin a doubtful campaign to free their father and are most grateful for the small pleasures life brings them. This joyous, almost unknown, film teaches that children can accomplish great things.

The wonderful Kramer v. Kramer may seem an unlikely choice unless you happen to remember that Ted Kramer loses his job a few days before Christmas and has to put on a happy face for the young son he is raising alone. We tend to remember the bitter child custody trial that gives the film its title, but most of the movie is about learning to be a real parent and what a joy everything can be. Dustin Hoffman as the father and Meryl Streep as the mother both won Oscars, as did the movie for best film.

When you reach the saturation point from Christmas schmaltz and commercialism, it’s time for Tim Burton’s amazing The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Filmed in an exacting stop-action technique, the look of the film is unique. The story involves Jack Skeffington, the bizarre Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, deciding to confiscate Christmas as the better choice of holidays. The kidnapping of Santa Claus is just one of the outrages committed by Jack and his cronies. Nightmare is not for all tastes. Teenagers generally love it; adult reviews are mixed.

All of the movies in this column are available on DVD. Railway Children and Auntie Mame fine for 8 and up; the rest for 12 and over.

                                                                    CHESS

        Here’s a sport with no cheerleaders, color commentators or roaring crowds. Yes, chess! There are a few good movies about chess and most are included in this article. So, you think they will be boring? Be pleasantly surprised!

The idea for this article came to me while watching the superb Netflix serial The Queen’s Gambit (2020). Previously almost unknown Anya Taylor-Joy stars in this compelling drama that is more about growing up as a tough, smart girl than it is about chess. Orphaned Beth winds up at a down-at-the-heels girls school. At the age of 9 she discovers the custodian playing chess in the basement. She wants to learn the game and he teaches her. She is a natural. Shunned by most of the other girls and all of the male players,, she gets better and better and eventually plays for the world championship. There’s not a boring minute in this miniseries. 

Speaking of tough, smart girls there is another one starring in a good chess movie. Queen Of Katwe (2016) features Madina Nalwanga as 10-year-old Phiona, who with her friends learns the game of chess at the local missionary school in Uganda. She and her friends advance to the world olympiad of chess where she hopes to become proficient enough to earn money for playing. Their first effort falls short. Although Fiona is the best player on her team, the competition is just too tough. But she perseveres and is finally able to earn enough money to buy a home for her family. And yes, this is based on a true story.

Pawn Sacrifice (2014) is the true story of American chess master Bobby Fischer. He makes John Macenroe seem placid. Fischer becomes more and more paranoid as he advances in the chess world. This culminates in a match against Russian champion Boris Spassky in Finland. Tobey Maguire (yes, Spiderman!) is outstanding as the brilliant, troubled Fischer. 

Another film on the same subject is Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011), a documentary about the great player’s life. Fischer was a self-taught chess genius from New York who rose to the top of world class players in the 70's. At the time of his ascendance, the Russians had virtually owned world chess ranking. It was unheard of for an American to even be in their class. Hence the titanic match between Fischer and Russian champion Boris Spassky. The match held the world captive for days. There is rare footage of the match in this documentary. 

The Coldest Game (2019) and Critical Thinking (2020)  use chess as a background to the film’s story.

I have saved the best for last. Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993) is one of my all-time favorite movies. Max Pomeranc (8 years old at the time) is perfect as the super-talented boy, who really just wants to be an ordinary kid. Joe Mantegna and Joan Allen are really good as his bewildered parents, trying to navigate between his talent and his childhood. And Lawrence Fishburne has an excellent turn as a park speed player. If you don’t like this film don’t even tell me!

All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for mature kids and up.