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Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

I started this blog earlier this afternoon, and my computer kept shutting down on me while I was writing. It was a shame, really, because this is truly a marvelous movie and the thought of not getting to share it with you had me all depressed. But my husband worked his marvelous magic and now we’re up and running again. Heather and Libby watch “Miracle on 34th Street” every year. Let’s take a closer look and discover why it continues to be such a holiday favorite year after year. Natalie Wood stars as Susan Walker, a young girl who has … Continue reading →

Natalie Wood Death Investigation Reopened

Natalie Wood was one of the few child stars who did really well once she grew up. By age nine, she was absolutely adorable as the inquisitive Susan in Miracle on 34th Street. She grew in a beauty and starring in Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, and Splendor in the Grass by the time she was in her early 20’s. She married equally gorgeous actor Robert Wagner in 1957. Their marriage only lasted five years, but their love endured and the two were remarried in 1972. They were a seemingly golden couple of Hollywood, but tragedy struck on … Continue reading →

Do You Believe in Santa?

I grew up in a home where Santa was completely taboo. My mother hated him so much that we didn’t even have a single Santa decoration, we didn’t sing any Santa Christmas songs … I mean, it got a little intense sometimes. Now, as a mother, I can see her point – I don’t teach my children that Santa is real, either, but I ‘m not quite so fanatical about it. I actually have some Santa ornaments on my tree, we sing about “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” and we enjoy doing Secret Santas for people. The “S” word is not … Continue reading →

The Quiet Man (1952)

In my ongoing search to broaden my cinematic education, I called my dad up and asked him what his favorite movies are. A John Wayne fan to the end, one of his recommendations was “The Quiet Man.” I rented it henceforth and forthwith. Now, I believe in honoring one’s father and one’s mother. Listening to one’s parents is good. But I have to say, I really don’t understand why my dad likes this movie so much. Plot: John Wayne is Sean Thornton, a man who is returning to Ireland, the land of his birth, in hopes of purchasing the very … Continue reading →

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

In the classic movie “Christmas in Connecticut,” Barbara Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a famous columnist who writes about food, decorating, and being the perfect hostess. There’s just one problem – she’s none of those things. She gets her recipes from her Uncle Felix, who owns his own restaurant, and she takes her descriptions of her home from a cottage in Connecticut she visits on occasion. She’s also passed herself off as married with a new baby, and none of that is true, either. She’s only told these small white lies to keep food on her own table, never dreaming that … Continue reading →

Prancer (1989)

The 1989 movie “Prancer” has a cute premise. One of Santa’s reindeer is separated from the herd and becomes injured, to wander around in the woods near the home of one little girl who still believes in Santa. She takes him in, nurses him back to health, and saves her family in the process. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Well, it would have been, if it had been done differently. Sam Elliot stars as John Riggs, a widowed apple farmer on the brink of losing his farm. He has two children, Steve and Jessica (Rebecca Harrell) who miss their mother terribly. … Continue reading →

Week in Review: November 26th – December 1st

Looking for some great movies to help spice up your Christmas season? We begin with, what I feel, is one of the best Christmas movies ever made. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” stars Loretta Swit and is the story of some out-of-control children who show a fuddy-duddy town what Christmas is really all about. “Mr. Krueger’s Christmas” stars Jimmy Stewart as a lonely janitor who uses his imagination to visit the Christ child in the stable. “Miracle on 34th Street” is the Natalie Wood classic wherein a young girl, her cynical mother, and an altruistic lawyer learn that there really … Continue reading →

Deck the Halls (2006)

The perfect Christmas movie uplifts and inspires, sometimes makes us laugh, often makes us cry, and always gives us the warm, fuzzy feeling of Christmas. “Deck the Halls” did absolutely none of those things for me. Matthew Broderick plays Steve Finch, the town eye doctor and also the chairman of the Christmas Festival. The town has been getting ready for the holidays and so has Steve, with his obsessive-compulsive need to organize everything down to the last speck. His wife (Kristin Davis) tries to help him see that they don’t need to be so uptight about the schedule, but he’s … Continue reading →

Holiday Date Night – Celebrate with Christmas Movies

Are you looking for a great way to spend a holiday date night? Last year, my mother-in-law invited our daughter over to spend the night at her house and let my husband and I have an evening to ourselves. We spent the evening wrapping up the presents and watching holiday movies together. We talked, we laughed and we even hashed out a couple of misunderstandings. There are a lot of holiday movies out there that are perfect for the holiday date night and they are great for just you and your spouse or for the whole family. Here is a … Continue reading →