Samuel Goldwyn’s romantic comedy about a Bishop’s fundraising prayer that nets a lot more than cash. Cary Grant plays the angel with more on his mind than money.
The Bishop’s Wife (1947) Zany ‘Non-Trailer’ – 30 Christmas Movies
Elf (2003) ‘The Snowball Fight’ – 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
Perhaps Will Ferrell’s best movie. The story of Buddy the Elf is an irresistible recasting of the Santa story. Zooey Deschanel‘s sterling role doesn’t hurt one bit.
Whitney Houston sings to Denzel Washington in 1996 Update of Christmas Movie ‘The Preacher’s Wife’
A Bishop’s fundraising prayer is answered by an angel with more than money on his mind. Featuring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in remake of Samuel Goldwyn’s romantic comedy The Bishop’s Wife (1947).
White Christmas (1954) Original Trailer – 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
Not much Jesus (or Santa), but a wonderful tale of friendship and loyalty. We watch it every year and it chokes us up every time.
A Christmas Story (1983) 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
I don’t know why we all get such a kick out of this admittedly B movie, but this coming-of-age story surrounding the hopes and fears of a nine-year-old boy is pitch-perfect. Just don’t shoot your eye out.
Ben Hur (1959) ‘Chariot Race’ Clip – 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
Charlton Heston’s character’s life parallel’s the life of Jesus, (even if he actually misses his birth). As an added plus, the Chariot Scene can really get you in the mood to face the mall. Perhaps one of the best films ever made.
The Santa Clause (1994) 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
Can you be drafted into the ranks of Father Christmas? Apparently, yes. Tim Allen’s best role since Home Improvement.
Family Man (2000) – ‘Are You an Alien?’ Clip – 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
Turns the “what if” premise of It’s a Wonderful Life on its head. With Don Cheadleas an angel on the edge, and some of the best acting of Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni’s careers. We watch it every year and ponder our own what it?
Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Trailer – 30 Favorite Christmas Movies
Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and the gang in an offbeat, but faithful retelling of Dickens’ classic.
The Millennial Hobbit: Pippin Took as an Archetype of Emerging Adulthood, by Corey Magstadt
As we started the first book, one line from the very first page of the print edition struck me:
“At that time, Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three.”
Apparently hobbits have been dealing with this whole emerging adulthood thing a lot longer than we have, so perhaps we ought to look at the life of one such hobbit to see how the characteristics of emerging adulthood play out.
LOS TRAFICANTES: When a Drug Lord Finds Faith, Can His Movie Find an Audience? by Kurt Tuffendsam
Writer/producer Kurt Tuffendsam describes his new film following the most unlikely convert in the most unlikely of places. ‘Los Traficantes’ retells the incredible true story of Esteban Mendoza Cruz, former Mexican drug lord, who in 1999 experienced a major transformation after finding redemption through faith in Christ while serving a 33-year sentence in La Mesa prison in Tijuana.
The Reel Lincoln: The Historical Case for Spielberg’s Masterpiece
As viewers flock to see Lincoln, and reviewers rave about Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance, historians are raising different issues: How accurate is the film’s portrayal of emancipation? What does it leave out? The film’s historical script consultant asked several scholars to weigh in.