Christmas Movies & Dads

It’s not a tumah!

 This time of year, we tend to watch a lot of Christmas movies at my house. My wife and daughters seem to spend a lot of time on the Hallmark Channel. (That's a post for another day.) 

I lean toward the mainstream offerings like "Christmas with the Kranks", "Daddy's Home 2", the holiday works of Mr. Vince Vaughn, or the modern masterpieces like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". You know, the classics. 

Son of a Nutcracker!

Well, being a dad, I appreciate a good depiction of a father figure in these movies. Sometimes the dad is a real jerk, like Buddy's biological father (James Caan) in "Elf", or they don't have time for their family, like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in "Jingle All the Way".

Maybe they're not such a great dad due to their circumstance like Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) in "The Santa Claus". Usually, these dads are redeemed by the end of the movie and continue as great fathers, happily ever after. (As far as we know.) 

Can we take a direct flight back to reality or do we have to change planes in Denver?

The only one I can think of that doesn't earn redemption of any kind is Peter McCallister (John Heard), Kevin's dad in "Home Alone". Probably a nice guy, but I don't care how many kids you have; you don't go on vacation and leave one behind. Twice!!  That's all on you bro!

Keep the change, ya filthy animal!

But I want to talk about the great Christmas movie dads here. The ones that set the bar high for the rest of us.

Howard Langston (Arnold) in "Jingle All the Way", that I mentioned earlier, was actually a pretty good dad. He fought hard to make Christmas special for his son. And he found his own redemption by defeating the evil Dementor (Sinbad) and getting a Turbo Man doll for little Jamie!

Come with me if you want to live!

George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) in “It’s A Wonderful Life” was a really good dad. He was loved by his family and his community because of his kindness and generosity.  Although stress from work almost put him over the edge, he seemed to have it together by the end.

It's a Wonderful Life, but this kid is choking me!

Ralphie's dad, "The Old Man" (Darren McGavin), in "A Christmas Story" was great dad. Sure, he was a little cranky, but think about how he defended his son's dignity against the "pink-nightmare" bunny pajamas! Think about how he struggled to keep his family warm and fed while battling inefficient heating units and packs of wild dogs.  And I'm pretty sure he personally saw to it that Santa left that Red Rider BB gun for Ralphie! Yep, great dad.

It's a major award!

Then there's Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) from that “Christmas Vacation” movie I mentioned.  Now there’s a dad.  This guy wants nothing more than to spend a “good old-fashioned” Christmas with his family.  His only hope is that he has worked hard enough to earn a big bonus so he can put in a pool. For what? To spend more time with his family! 

Yes, he can be a little goofy, short-tempered, clumsy and sarcastic.  Maybe he can even get a little distracted by a lingerie clerk, now and then. But Clark’s a family man, through and through.  And don’t get me started on that outdoor illumination! What a dad!

We're gonna have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas!

Whatever your thoughts are on this subject, if you want to really appreciate these characters just watch them with your own dad, if you can.  If that's not possible, think about how he would've reacted in these situations. If nothing else it might be good for a laugh.

I’ve been lucky enough to watch many of these with my dad, and I think he’s pretty great. (At least he never left me behind when he went on vacation!)

Pass the popcorn!

-DCB