I hope that the holiday (and if the holiday isn't your particular cup of tea, then at least the time off) finds everyone well, in good spirits and good company.
The holidays bring a hiatus in new TV programming and the round of usual holiday movies. My mom always clamors to see "It's a Wonderful Life," but with her memory and tendencies, I think she just likes the idea of seeing it as to actually remembering what the heck the movie is actually about.
But thinking about movies, I got to thinking about new holiday classics for our generation or specific to you.
Here are the three that immediately came to mind:
1. Elf - An absolute given. This is a movie that when I'm my mom's age, I'll want to see "Elf" the same way she wants to see "It's a Wonderful Life."
2. Love Actually - Because Christmas is the time of the year when you tell everyone what you think. Or something like that. I never understand that driving force of the movie, but maybe it's a reflection of the Brits.
3. Lavish Chinese martial arts films (read interruption below for explanation)
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My sister came in from the city and to spend Christmas as usual. Christmas at the Lee household is rather low-key, our other relatives are always off with the other sides of their family, so year to year it's just the four of us.
We've picked up a few Christmas traditions. Favoring rib roast for the dinner. The traditional fruitcake as the sole present for my Dad (a few years back, he pronounced that from henceforth, the only thing he wanted for Christmas is a fruitcake [the man's an odd ball, he likes fruitcake AND brussels sprouts]). And going to see a movie. Now this is quite the treat for us, since my Dad cannot fathom paying ticket prices for first run movies and we also don't tend to do things like this as a whole family.
Well, this year we saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (basically Forrest Gump but more stylized and less heart). But in year's past, we've seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and last year's, The Curse of the Golden Flower. Now both are the "lavish Chinese martial arts films" I mentioned above and for me, movies of this genre just resonate with the season.
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What are your new holiday classics?
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Fun relevant aside: This year, for my Dad's fruitcake, I opted to attempt to bake him one. After raiding the dried fruit section of Trader Joe's, it's currently in the oven with about 30 minutes left. I have very low expectation for it, since the "batter" looked as if you could imagine sawdust mixed with minimal liquids and lots of dried fruits and nuts. As long as it doesn't have the consistency of a brick I'll consider it a success.
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3 comments:
1. so impressed youre baking a fruitcake, Craig. those things are not baking 101. report back on the level of success.
2. either your dad is normal or we're both wierd. i love fruitcake. and brussel sprouts are my favorite vegetable.
3. i saw the curious case of benjamin button last night with my mom too! and it was the strangest thing, we both walked out and agreed we would never recommend it to someone but couldnt figure out what the hell we didnt like about the experience.
4. my christmas tradition is being down in south florida (not christmasy) and making shrimp and asparagus risotto for my mother and her four single over sixty friends who all basically hate and resent eachothers companys and all get hammer-towned and advise me that men are dogs and the worlds going to hell in a handbasket and the nights usually over when hilda starts dancing and/or my mother and judy get into a fight.
those are some good christmas traditions in my book and no matter on how the fruitcake turned out (im sure it was lovely) kudos on taking that one on!
wow craig, impressive on the fruitcake, as all i've seen you make is tuna pasta and low-altitude brownies (as impressive and tasty as both those things are) i for one, LOVE it's a wonderful life, and definitely definitely watch it every year. along with love actually (so so wonderful) and mr. bean's christmas (a classic in my family)
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