Our Month (August) in Hawaii (Including Lahaina)

For nearly a year, we had been planning to spend the month of August in Maui. Deanne was taking the entire month off; Sean would work part-time. We started by spending the first five days on the island of Kauai, taking advantage of a package deal at the Westin in Princeville that we had acquired almost two years before. We traveled to Kauai on the 3rd of August. On the 7th, the winds began picking up from Hurricane Ida, a few hundred miles south. They blew so hard we weren’t sure we could fly to Maui the next day.

However, our flight wasn’t canceled, and we flew into Maui the day the fires broke out. Even though it was only a 30-minute flight, it was some of the worst turbulence we’ve experienced flying into Maui. We landed safely, and we thought the worst was over. Little did we know.

We met some friends for lunch in Kihei (South Maui) before heading to our place in West Maui (north of Lahaina Town but still part of Lahaina). While there were fires not too far from Kihei in Maui’s upcountry, there was no news of any fire in West Maui at the time. However, we later learned that the power had been out there since 3 am, and there had been a fire earlier that morning.

After lunch, we called an Uber, and at 3:48, we headed toward West Maui. Our Uber driver wasn’t aware of any current fires in the direction we were going and thought we could get through and past Lahaina Town if the wind didn’t give us too much trouble. As we turned the corner and headed north along the coast, almost immediately, we encountered winds at 65-80 miles an hour (with gusts perhaps as high as 110) and trees and power poles/lines toppling over in front of our very eyes. We drove over a downed power line (luckily, the power was out) and wound our way around fallen trees. The winds were so strong we thought they might pick our car up and blow it into the ocean.

As we got closer, we started seeing smoke north of the new highway that “bypasses” downtown Lahaina. But turning around at that point and going back through what we had just experienced seemed more dangerous than forging ahead. So, our Uber driver suggested that we take the lower, old highway to “avoid the smoke.” As we inched closer to Lahaina Town on the old highway, a giant wall of black smoke suddenly appeared in front of us. Ironically, our driver asked if we had masks. We did, but we opted to turn around (luckily, Deanne insisted). Our ride back out of West Maui was relatively uneventful considering the circumstances, and we were so fortunate that traffic continued to move, as we later discovered we had turned into traffic with all the people who had barely escaped for their lives from a town fully enflamed. Several weeks later, when we saw where we’d driven, we were shocked to see that at least the last 1/2 mile of what we had driven had completely burned.

We weren’t sure where to go at that point, especially without a car. We texted our friends we’d had lunch with, and they insisted we stay with them in Kihei. It wasn’t until much later that we learned how destructive the Lahaina fire was; in fact, we were more concerned about the upcountry fires that were much closer to Kihei.

In any event, when we arrived in Kihei, we had about two hours of ignorant bliss. We sat by the pool, sipping drinks, and occasionally glancing over at West Maui (from a distance), not realizing that we were seeing smoke and not the island of Lanai, which lies west of Lahaina.

As we were cooking dinner that night with our friends, we began to smell smoke, so we checked on the upcountry fires, which we could see from the balcony, and we could see that they were getting closer to us. That led us to turn on the news, and we learned how destructive the fires were. The upcountry fires were so close that north Kihei and the area east of the Pi’ilani Highway (where we had lunch earlier that day and less than 1/2 mile from where we were staying) had evacuated. Needless to say, we didn’t sleep much that night; we were sure we’d have to evacuate at any moment. Our bags were packed by the door, and we slept with our clothes on.

Our friends were eager to get to the airport the next morning because they were scheduled to fly out that day. On the other hand, we had no idea what we would do. We thought we might be able to get to our place. It wasn’t until aerial pictures of downtown Lahaina were posted on the internet that we realized the extent of the devastation, and we were in shock. We began texting with one of the full-time residents in the complex where our condo is and learned that our place was okay. There was minor damage from the wind, the power was still out, and cell service was spotty. Still, it became clear that we would not be traveling to West Maui that day.

Just before our friends left for the airport, their condominium owner asked if they needed to extend their stay, given the situation. While they hoped to catch their regularly scheduled flight home, they offered to extend it for us so we’d at least have a place to stay for one more night. We still thought we might be able to get to our place the next day. That didn’t happen.

The next few days were a blur as we tried to get our heads around what had happened and what we would do for the rest of the month. We struggled with how we fit into all this. We are owners but not residents. We’ve been to Hawaii enough that we don’t feel like tourists, but we certainly aren’t locals. The authorities had asked tourists to leave the island to ease recovery efforts. We didn’t know what to do. We came to terms with the fact that our vacation, as we had planned it, was scrapped, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to just walk away either.

We decided to stay in Kihei for a few days while we, and the rest of the world, learned what had happened, although, for us, it was just around the corner between where we were staying and our unreachable condo in West Maui. We kept thinking they’d open the road, and we’d get to our place. But we also counted our blessings that we hadn’t made it over that first day. We would have been there without transportation (which we won’t do again), without food or any way to get it, and without power/internet.

We wanted to help, and while relief efforts were popping up every which way, we found it difficult to plug in. We were able to purchase needed supplies that were being delivered to the west side of the island by boat. And we put our name on every volunteer list we came across.

The following week, we met our daughter and one of her roommates in Kauai. They had planned to vacation with us in West Maui. However, when it became clear that wasn’t a good idea or even possible since the road was still closed, we diverted to Kauai (which the airlines made very easy) to try to get some distance from and clarity about what had happened.

We flew to Kauai on the 14th and stayed until the 20th. While waiting at the Maui airport to catch our flight, we ran into the full-time residents we’d been texting with from our condo complex. They had a previously planned trip to Kauai for their anniversary, and it was just a coincidence that we were on the same plane! While the fire had stopped about 5 miles from our complex, they had been without power for nearly a week and had no internet or outside news service, which also meant no open stores for supplies. They’d been through their own trauma as well as survivor’s guilt; they were eager for the getaway but were clearly traumatized. They had driven around the impacted areas on their way to the airport (roads were only open one way/out at that time), which had undoubtedly contributed to their trauma.

When we returned to Maui on the 20th, the airport was practically deserted, and there was little to no traffic on the roads. Sean can’t remember Maui ever being this quiet (and he’s been going there since 1970). And the road to West Maui and our place was now open! We were hesitant, unsure of how we would react when we saw the devastation. Despite being so eager to get there for the last two weeks, we kept making excuses to delay the drive over that day. We eventually did it, though, and could see some of the devastation while driving in. Still, we couldn’t see the worst of it because fences had already been erected, hiding it from curious onlookers and disaster tourists (yes, disaster tourists are real).

When we arrived, we had power but no internet or cable. We also had cell service, but the authorities asked folks to keep calling to a minimum and text whenever possible. We were so relieved to get to our place, but now what? We wanted to at least check on it and ensure everything was okay. But we couldn’t exactly return to our originally planned vacation, even if we’d wanted to, given the signs of disaster on every corner.

Nothing was open. One grocery store opened the day after we arrived. All the beach-side parks had turned into community-led distribution sites. Some of the restaurants were serving free meals to displaced families, if for no other reason than to use up what they had in stock before it went bad. Parking lots were completely empty. No one was at the beach. Hotel pools were shut down, and hotels were scarcely populated with displaced families. Hotel conference rooms were converted to information hubs for disaster relief.

We decided that if we were going to stay, we had to help. After putting our name in the portal for volunteer opportunities the week of the fire, an opportunity popped up to work at a distribution hub—the next day. So, we decided we’d take it a day or two at a time. We’d volunteer one day, Sean would work the next, and so it continued. Before we knew it, our month was coming to an end.

While our month in Hawaii was nothing like we anticipated, our experiences were life-changing. We’d never really come that close to fearing for our lives—more than once in one day. We were uncertain whether we’d have a bed to sleep in at night. And, of course, the fact that we were very blessed did not escape us compared to the fire survivors who had lost so, so much. We felt pulled to stay when all things logical (and our family on the mainline) were pointing us back home and off the island. The opportunities for helping, the privilege really, gave us something constructive to do and helped US start to heal.

We hadn’t realized how much the experiences had impacted us until we had the opportunity to “talk story” with others in similar situations. So many good and decent people love Maui and her people, and they showed up to help.

The day before we returned home, we spent time working at the West Side Distribution site at Lahaina Gateway shopping center. This site was open three days a week (M, W, F) from 10-4, handing out water, perishable foods, fruits/vegetables, milk, eggs, diapers and formula, hygiene supplies — you name it. They would serve 600 cars in that 6-hour window. 100 cars an hour. No questions asked. 90-degree weather, 90+% humidity. That day we worked, we’re not sure we’ve ever worked that hard and been that hot for such an extended time. And we also never felt more satisfied.

A few volunteers had the role of distributing cold drinks or bringing cold, wet towels around for the volunteers to put on their necks to keep cool. A young volunteer came by where Deanne was working and asked her what kind of drink she’d like. She asked him which one he’d recommend. And he said, “Aunty, this one’s my favorite”— as he lifted up the pomegranate-flavored water. Deanne looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Aunty” is a term of respect and belonging in Hawaii. In some ways, that made it all worth it.

Note: Looking for ways to support Maui? Well, if you have plans to visit Maui, don't change your destination to another island. Maui is heavily dependent on the hospitality industry. If you do go, though, be mindful of the impact the fires have had upon the island and its full-time residents: Watch this video before you go: Maui County's Message to Visitors. And you can volunteer while you're there too. If you aren't traveling to the islands, you can still support businesses impacted by the fires by shopping online. Scan the QR code below for a list.

25 (make that 26) Christmas Movies for the Holiday Season

Here's my annual post of Christmas movies worth watching this holiday season. Not all are technically "Christmas" movies, but in some way they're related to the Christmas season. As always, I've updated the list from last year.

1. The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven)

Dejected by his efforts to raise money to build a cathedral, Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) beseeches heaven for guidance, and is visited immediately by an angel Dudley (Cary Grant). Henry, as a good theological liberal, is skeptical and then becomes annoyed when Dudley wins the attentions of Henry's long-suffering wife, Julia (Loretta Young). Dudley falls for Julia, but in the end Julia tells him it's time for him to go. Dudley leaves, all memory of him is erased, and later that night at the Christmas Eve service when Henry delivers his sermon, Dudley watches from the street. If this plot sounds familiar, it was remade as The Preacher's Wife starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in 1996. 

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (Charles Schultz)

It's been over 50 years since "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first appeared on TV. It's probably the best of the Charlie Brown movies (although "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is right up there) and is one of the few Christmas movies that refers to the biblical story. After Charlie Brown asks, "Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?," Linus quotes Luke 2:8-14:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and  the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'"

And then Linus concludes, "... and that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." Amen.

3. A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott, David Warner, Susannah York, Roger Rees)

There are several great versions of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," but this is my favorite. Scott is (was) such a great actor. When he (Ebenezer Scrooge) yells, "Mr. Cratchit!", there's little doubt that he holds poor Bob in contempt. And, the supporting cast is quite good. David Warner (who once upon a time played a reporter in "The Omen") is an excellent Bob Cratchit, as is Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit (Note: two of York's children played two of the Cratchit children). And I really like Roger Rees as Scrooge's nephew, Fred. Finally, Angela Pleasence and Edward Woodward are excellent as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, respectively. There are, of course, several other versions are worth considering, such as the one with Alastair Sim as Scrooge ("A Christmas Carol"). When I was kid, I was especially taken with "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol." Jonathan Winters' reading of Dickens's book is also quite good.

4. A Christmas Story (Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon)

Adapted from a memoir by Jean Shepherd (who narrates the film), the movie is primarily about Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), a young boy living in Indiana in the 1940s who desperately wants a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas and tries to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that it's the perfect gift for him, while they counter that he'll shoot his eye out. In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." I confess that it isn't one of my favorites, but I'm clearly in the minority.

5. Christmas with the Kranks (Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Akroyd)

It's too bad that the movie's producers didn't keep the title of John Grisham's book on which the movie is based: "Skipping Christmas" (see picture at right). The movie's title leads people to expect one kind of movie when in fact it's something quite different. It tells the story of a couple (Luther and Nora Krank) who, because their daughter (Blair) is going to be Peru for Christmas, working for the Peace Corps, decide to skip Christmas (i.e., don't buy a Christmas tree, hold their annual Christmas party, decorate their house, etc.), and use the money they save to go on a cruise. Their decision to skip Christmas sit poorly with their neighbors (especially Dan Akroyd), who pressure them to get into the holiday spirit. A battle, of sorts, plays out between the Kranks and their neighbors. Then Luther and Nora learn that Blair coming home for Christmas (with her fiancé), and they have less than 24 hours to prepare for their annual party. How the neighborhood comes together to pull this off and what Luther does with their cruise tickets speaks to the true meaning of Christmas.

6. Die Hard (Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson)

OK. Not your traditional Christmas movie. In fact, there's a debate as to whether it really is (see "Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas Film?"). I obviously fall on the side of those who think it it. It takes place on Christmas Eve, is a battle between good and evil, and includes some traditional (and not so traditional) Christmas songs. It stars Bruce Willis as NY city police detective John McClane, who flies to LA to reconcile with his wife. He meets her at her company's Christmas party, but while he's changing clothes in the men's room, the party's taken over by a terrorist group (headed by Hans Gruber -- played by Alan Rickman, who a few years later played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies), which holds them hostage, all except for McClane, who sneaks away before they know he's there. The rest of the movie is the battle between McClane (good) and Gruber (evil) and includes a lot of classic lines ("Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."; Yippee ki-yay...").

7. Elf (Will Ferrell, Bob Newhart, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel)

This movie is too fun. Will Ferrell is great as someone (Buddy) who thinks he's one of Santa's elves but is actually a human being who, through a twist of fate, was adopted by an elf (Bob Newhart) when just a baby. Unfortunately, he's not a very good at elf things (e.g., making toys), and once he learns that he's not an elf, he heads to New York where his biological father (James Caan) lives. There he falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), helps NY recapture the Christmas spirit, and has a heck of a lot of fun along the way (well, most of the time). The movie is also educational. We learn, for instance, that the four main elvish food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. There's also allusions to other Christmas classics like "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer" (see #18 and #20 below).

8. The Family Man (Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle)

One of my favorites. It's is a cross between "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol." It tells the story of Jack Campbell (JC = Jesus Christ?; his boss/advisor is named Peter), played by Nicholas Cage, who chooses to spend the year after graduating from college in London as an investment banker rather remaining in New York with his girl friend (Tea Leoni). Unsurprisingly, the relationship doesn't survive, and when the movie begins (13 years later), Cage is a successful investment banker who loves money and fine things, but cares little for women or family. However, when he wakes up one Christmas morning, he's living the life he would've lived if he hadn't moved to London. He's married (to Tea Leoni), has two kids, and works as a car tire salesman (for his wife's father - Big Ed). Although he initially despises this life, he eventually comes to love it more than the one in which he drove fast cars, wore designer suits, and had his pick of women. The movie's climax occurs after he wakes up back in his old life, tracks down his old girlfriend, and convinces her not to leave for Paris to take a new job.

9. The Family Stone (Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson)

This tells the story about a Christmas gathering of the Stone family when the eldest son (Dermot Mulroney) brings his very uptight girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) home with him to introduce her to his family, as well as propose to her with his grandmother's wedding ring. Parker's reception by Mulroney's family -- played by Diane Keaton (mom, who is dying), Craig T. Nelson (dad), Rachel McAdams (younger sister), Elizabeth Reaser (older sister), Luke Wilson (younger brother), and Tyrone Giordano (youngest brother) - is chilly, to say the least. So chilly, in fact, that Parker begs her sister (Claire Danes) to join her. Mulroney ends up falling for Danes (and vice versa), Wilson for Parker (and vice versa), and McAdams for her ex-boyfriend (and vice versa) played by Paul Schneider. Chaos ensues, poignancy follows, and although it was greeted with mixed reviews, it has become a holiday favorite for many.

10. Hallmark Christmas Movies (Various)

There isn't one Hallmark Christmas movie, of course. New ones premier every week beginning in October, and almost without exception, they’re corny and predictable. Ted Lasso may offer the best description of Hallmark Christmas movies:

Hallmark Christmas movies are films that feature women from the big city falling in love with their childhood crushes. It’s usually some fella that owns a Christmas tree farm. Sometimes he’s also Santa Clause or a prince. They suck, but they’re great — but they also mostly suck, but they’re also kinda great… They’re good with the sound off.

Moreover, you can pretty much count on couple breaking up with about 15 minutes to go (usually due to a lack of communication) and then getting back together with only a few seconds before the next movie starts. 

11. Happiest Season (Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen)

Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis) are a couple who have been dating almost a year. Abby has disliked Christmas since her parents passed away, so on a whim Harper invites her to celebrate the holidays with Harper and her family in her hometown. Harper, however, hasn't to come out to her parents (or sisters) and thus tells them that Abby is her roommate. In the meantime, Abby plans to ask Harper to marry her and has already bought a ring. Complicating things: Harper's Dad (Victor Garber) is running for mayor, and she doesn't want to mess that up by coming out; one of her sisters (Mary Holland) is a bit wacky and has been writing a book for 10 years; her other sister's (Alison Brie) marriage isn't as happy as it appears; and her high school boy friend and (secret) girl friend tend to be around a lot. Daniel Levy of Schitt's Creek fame is also great as Abby's best friend, John. Of course, it is a Christmas movie, so things, for the most part, work out in the end.

12. The Holiday (Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Eli Wallach)

Definitely one our family's holiday favorites. This movie tells the story of two women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) who, suffering from guy-problems, swap homes with each other (they don't know on another -- they "meet" through an on-line home exchange website) where they each meet someone and fall in love. Diaz's character (Amanda) lives in LA, is a producer of movie trailers, and breaks up with her boy friend after she discovers that he's cheated on her. Winslet (Iris) is a journalist working in London, who's in love with someone who wants to keep her around but doesn't want to commit. When she learns that he's engaged to another journalist, she becomes suicidal, but luckily chooses to spend the holidays in LA instead. A side story concerns elderly gentleman (Eli Wallach--the "Ugly" from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"), who lives near Amanda and whom Iris befriends. It turns out that Wallach is a widowed and retired screen writer whom the screen writer's guild wants to honor. He doesn't want to attend, but Iris talks him into it. I believe Wallach should've at least received a best supporting actor nomination for his role, but this isn't the type of movie that actors and actresses win awards for. One of the biggest surprises is the revelation that Jack Black actually can act. It's too bad he doesn't get more parts like this.

13. Home Alone (Macaulay Culkin, John Heard, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Robert Blossom)

When adjusted for inflation, Home Alone is the highest grossing Christmas movie of all time at the North American box office. It tells the story of Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an 8-year-old boy who is accidentally left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation. Kevin initially relishes being home alone, but soon has to contend with two highly incompetent burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), whom he continues to foil with numerous booby-traps. The rest of his family doesn't realize they left him behind until they are mid-flight to Paris and then struggle to find a flight back (all her booked). Kevin also ends up befriending Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom), who is rumored to have murdered his family. Like many holiday favorites, it received a mixed reception from critics, but many consider it one of the best Christmas films of all time.

14. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff)

One of the best holiday movies ever (the animated version, that is, not the one that Opie Taylor directed several years later). In it the Grinch, a cave-dwelling creature with a heart "two sizes too small," lives on Mount Crumpit, a steep mountain above Whoville, home of the Whos. His only companion is his faithful dog, Max. Every year from his perch atop Mount Crumpit, the Grinch hears the "clangy" noisy Christmas festivities that take place in Whoville. Annoyed and unable to understand why the Whos are so happy, he sneaks into town on Christmas Eve and takes all of their Christmas presents, decorations, and food in order to prevent Christmas from coming. However, when Christmas morning arrives, the Whos still celebrate Christmas even though all their presents and decorations have been stolen. Realizing that Christmas is more than gifts and presents, the Grinch's heart grows three times in size, and he returns all the presents and trimmings and joins the Whos for the Christmas feast. There are now three Grinch movies, one with "real people" directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Cary in 2000, and a 2018 computer-animated version with Benedict Cumberbatch in the leading role.

15. It's a Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Lionel Barrymore)

I'm not sure how much I need to say about this movie since it is so well known. Briefly, it stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has repeatedly given up his dreams in order to help the dreams of others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve (because of a financial disaster not of his own doing) brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), who has yet to earn his  wings (he's an angel second class). However, by showing what the world would have been like if George had never been born, Clarence keeps George from committing suicide (and thereby earning his wings). George sees that his life hasn't been a waste but has in fact touched (and improved) the lives of almost all those around him in Bedford Falls. He is, as his younger brother Harry puts it, "The richest man in town." Although the movie opened to mixed reviews, it has become a perennial Christmas classic that captures the true meaning of Christmas. There is a scene at the railroad station when George Bailey learns that his younger brother is not going to take over the family business so that George can go to college. For about 5 seconds, Stewart says nothing; his (i.e., George's) disappointment and frustration only shows in his facial expressions. It's a wonderful example of why Stewart was one of the greatest actors of all time. For more on the movie, see the following post ("It's a Wonderful Life").

16. Klaus (J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Norm McDonald, Joan Cusack) 

Klaus is alternate origin story of Santa Claus. It revolves around a postman (Jesper) stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle where the feuding locals rarely speak. Jesper comes close to giving up when he makes meets Klaus, a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. They deliver a toy "in the dead of night" in response to a letter written by one of town's children, and soon all the children start writing letters to "Klaus" for a toy. Jesper and Klaus's partnership slowly rekindles good feelings in the village and old feuds begin to fade (except for a few die hards). It isn't all smooth sailing, of course, but along the way, we learn why some children get lumps of coal, why reindeer began pulling Klaus's "sled" (and flying), Santa's naughty list, why Santa comes down chimneys, and so on. Jesper also falls in love with the local teacher, but in the tradition of a good Hallmark movie, they have a brief falling out toward the end of the movie. The movie was released in 2019 and won seven awards at the 47th Annie Awards (including Best Animated Feature) and the Best Animated Film award at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

17. Last Christmas (Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson)

Most critics disliked this 2019 movie, which is very loosely inspired by Wham's song of the same name, but it's light-hearted (so to speak) with a somewhat surprising twist at the end, which makes it a little different from the typical Christmas movie fare. Emilia Clarke plays Kate, who is a singer who supports herself working as an elf at a year-round Christmas shop. We also eventually learn that she recently received a heart transplant from which she hasn't mentally recovered. She, in fact, appears to be careening through life with something of a death wish. One day, while at work she notices Henry Golding (Tom) outside the shop, whom she gets eventually falls for, but it's never entirely clear whether he feels the same. Nevertheless, he has a positive affect on her, and she slowly gets her life back in order. She stops drinking, having one-night stands, and restores her ties with her mom (Emma Thompson), dad, and sister. Like most Christmas movies, it's ultimately a story about redemption, in this case, Kate's, and the effect this has others. Michelle Yeoh plays "Santa," the owner of the Christmas shop where Kate works (she also played Henry Golding's mother in Crazy Rich Asians, was a Bond girl (Tomorrow Never Dies), and starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

18. Love Actually (Too many to list)

A 2003 British Christmas-themed romantic comedy explores several separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, whom we learn as the movie progresses are connected with one another. The movie begins five weeks before Christmas and plays out in a weekly countdown to Christmas, followed by an epilogue that takes place a month later. The movie includes numerous British stars, including Rowan Atkinson, Colin Firth, Martin Freeman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, and Alan Rickman. You may be skeptical, but recently FiveThirtyEight called it the greatest Christmas movie of all time ("The Definitive Analysis Of ‘Love Actually,’ The Greatest Christmas Movie Of Our Time").

19. Miracle on 34th Street (Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood)

Although the 1994 remake of this movie, starring Sir Richard Attenborough (as Santa Claus), Dylan McDermott, and Elizabeth Perkins, is decent, it doesn't come close to the original with Maureen O'Hara and a very young Natalie Wood. The story takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and focuses on the impact of the Santa Claus hired to work at the Macy's on 34th St. in NY City, who claims to be the real Santa and acts accordingly. For example, he some times he ignores instructions to steer parents to goods that Macy's sells like the time he directs one shopper to another store for a toy fire engine that Macy's doesn't have in stock. And he tells another mother that Macy's rival Gimbels has better skates for her daughter. The film won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Edmund Gwenn), Best Writing, Original Story (Valentine Davies) and Best Writing, Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Picture but lost to Gentleman's Agreement with Gregory Peck.

20. The Nightmare Before Christmas (Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey)

The movie tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of “Halloween Town,” which is populated by various monsters and beings associated with the holiday. Jack organizes the town’s annual Halloween celebrations. However, he has grown bored with the same yearly routine and wants to try something new, and when he stumbles upon “Christmas Town,” with its bright colors and upbeat atmosphere, he schemes to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. Things, however, don’t go as planned. It was released in 1993 and is regarded by many as one of the greatest animated films ever. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects but lost to Jurassic Park. In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

21. November Christmas (Sam Elliot, Karen Allen, John Corbett, Sarah Paulson, and Emily Lynd)

A heartwarming story about a father who fears that his daughter, who has cancer, will not live through the end of the year. Determined to make the rest of her life as happy as possible, he arranges, with the help of his neighbors, to celebrate Halloween and Christmas months ahead of schedule so she can enjoy both holidays. Tracking down pumpkins and Christmas trees becomes something of a challenge. A Christmas movie from Hallmark, long before Hallmark Christmas movies became a phenomenon. In fact, November Christmas shouldn't be grouped with other Hallmark Christmas movies, as this was produced by "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and premiered on CBS. Some readers will remember, used to routinely produce high quality dramas.

22. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Ilse Steppat)

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (OHMSS) is a "Christmas film" of the way that "Die Hard" is (see above): It involves a battle between good and evil, it's set at Christmas (or quite a bit of it is), it includes Christmas songs, and it even throws in a little bit of redemption. It also involves a chase scene through a Swiss village celebrating the holiday and includes some of the skiing scenes ever. Recently, in an article in which The Economist considers whether "Die Hard" is really a Christmas movie, the author makes the case for considering OHMSS as one ("Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas Film?"). OHMSS is, of course, the only movie in which George Lazenby plays James Bond. He was chosen after Sean Connery retired from the role after "You Only Live Twice," although Connery changed his mind and came back to play Bond in "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) and "Never Say Never Again" (1983). Although OHMSS was a commercial success, its reception was mixed. The film's reputation has improved greatly over time, however. The director Christopher Nolan named it as his favorite Bond movie, and it has slowly moved its way up the "all-time Bond film lists" ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "50 Years Later, This Bond Film Should Finally Get Its Due"). It's no wonder. OHMSS contains some of the best action scenes of the series (which are similar to those of the more recent Bourne movies), Lazenby plays a capable Bond, Diana Rigg's excellent as his love interest and future (and only) wife, and Telly Savalas's "Blofeld" is by far the best of all the Bond films (although Christoph Waltz's portrayal in Spectre is a close second). It also follows the original novel much more closely than the other Bond films. It's definitely worth a watch.

23. The Polar Express (Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen)

Set on Christmas Eve, The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy who sees a mysterious train bound for the North Pole stop outside his window. Invited aboard, he joins several other children as they travel to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus as he prepares for Christmas. The train ride is eventful, and their time at the North Pole is quite the experience. When Santa Claus offers the boy any gift he wants, the boy only asks for a bell from the harness of Santa's reindeer. On the way home, he loses the bell, but on Christmas morning, he finds it under the Christmas tree. The bell makes the most beautiful sound he's ever heard when he shakes it. His parents admire the bell but can't hear it because only true believers can hear it ring. The film features human characters animated using live action and motion capture computer animation. It stars Tom Hanks in multiple roles (the boy, the boy's father, the conductor, the hobo, Santa Claus, and the Ebenezer Scrooge puppet).

24. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer (Burl Ives)

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for this to come on TV. I only got to see it once a year, and it was a big deal when it came on. Not just for me, but for most of my friends. Now, of course, you can get it (and virtually any other Christmas movie) on DVD or Blue Ray, or download it from iTunes or Amazon, so it (and other Christmas movies) has lost its "specialness." Nevertheless, I still love watching this retelling of the original Robert L. May story ("Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer"), in which Rudolph's rejection by his peers (for his shiny nose) leads him to run away from home with by a similarly-outcast elf (Hermey) whose dreams of becoming a dentist. These two eventually join up with a prospector named Yukon Cornelius, and after a battle with the Abominable Snowman, they return home to the North Pole just in time for Rudolph to lead Santa's sleigh through a terrible snow storm, thus keeping Christmas from being cancelled.

25. The Santa Clause (Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz)

Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, a cynical, divorced, advertising executive for a toy company, who accidentally causes a guy dressed like Santa Claus to fall to his death from his roof on Christmas Eve. Scott and his son Charlie (who is spending Christmas Eve with Scott) discover a sleigh with eight reindeer on the roof, and they conclude that the man must have been Santa Claus. They also find a card in the Santa's suit, instructing that if something should happen to him, that whoever finds the clothes, should put them on and get in the sleigh. Charlie convinces Scott to follow these instructions, and the reindeer take Scott to children's houses around the world to finish Santa's deliveries. After this, the sleigh takes them to the North Pole where they learn that Scott is the new Santa (because of the clause in the instruction card they found -- that is, the "Santa Clause") and convince his former wife that he's the new Kris Kringle.

26. White Christmas (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen)

What more can you say about this one? It's got Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" (not once, but twice); it has Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen dancing (several times); it has George Clooney's aunt singing and dancing; and it tells a nice, heart-warming story that some may think is  a bit corny. But, to paraphrase Kate Winslet's character in The Holiday (see above), sometimes corny is just what the doctor ordered. The song, "Count Your Blessings" (written by Irving Berlin), was nominated for an Oscar (White Christmas won the Oscar 12 years before for the movie, Holiday Inn), but my favorite (aside from White Christmas) is Snow, sung by Crosby, Kaye, Clooney, and Vera-Ellen on the train from Miami to Vermont (pictured above).

Homelessness is a Housing Supply Problem

Imagine two games of musical chairs. In both, half of the participants are wearing blindfolds. However, in one, only one chair is removed when the music stops, while in the second, five are. In both games, those wearing blindfolds are more likely to be left standing, but in the former game, at least four will locate a chair, while in the latter, it is possible that all five will not.

Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern, authors of Homelessness Is a Housing Problem, use musical chairs to illustrate two aspects of homelessness. One is that those who are suffering from a disability (i.e., blindfolded), such as mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty, are more likely to become homeless (i.e., left standing). The second is that how many individuals become homeless is a function of supply. If there are enough chairs (homes), then even the blindfolded (disabled) will find a seat.

Colburn and Aldern show that cities and counties where the supply of housing keeps up with demand have much lower rates of homelessness than those that do not. Further, a lack of supply drives up the cost of housing, making “affordable” housing unaffordable for most.

Where has the supply of housing kept up with demand? In cities like Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, and San Antonio, where it is relatively easy to construct homes and apartments. Other cities, such as Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis, also enjoy low homelessness rates, not because it is “easy” to build there but because the demand for housing has fallen in recent years. Where hasn't supply kept up with demand? In cities like Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle, where various constraints make the construction of housing slow and difficult. It is not a coincidence that it is this latter category of cities with the highest rates of homelessness.

Numerous factors make the construction of homes and apartments difficult. Four of the more common are (1) geography (water and mountains), (2) long and expensive permitting processes, (3) low and no-growth policies, and (4) parking minimums. The first two are relatively intuitive. The supply of buildable land is greater in areas with few or no mountains, rivers, and oceans, so all else equal, the supply of housing will be greater while the cost will be lower. Similarly, the more difficult it is to acquire building permits, the longer it will take to respond to demand, and the more costly the resulting construction will be.

The impact of low and no-growth policies is also relatively intuitive. Growth limits keep the supply of available land low. What may not be apparent, however, is that these policies often limit how “high” buildings can go, and if builders can't go up, they will go out, eating up the supply of land and increasing the cost of housing. Notably, “building higher” is also good for the environment. People living in high-rises have a smaller carbon footprint than those who don't. This is documented in Edward Glaeser's book, Triumph of the City.

Finally, parking minimums limit how “high” buildings can go (see previous paragraph) and eat up land that could be used for housing. Researchers estimate there are three to eight parking places for every vehicle in the U.S. Henry Graber, author of Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World, notes, “More square footage is dedicated to parking each car than to housing each person.” However, not only does all this excess parking drive up the cost of housing and contribute to the homelessness crisis, but it is also bad for the environment. All that extra asphalt makes cities hotter and contributes to global warming. Also, when parking spots are plentiful, people are more likely to drive from spot-to-spot rather than walk, bike, or use public transportation.

The bottom line is that there are tradeoffs when addressing homelessness. High rises may not be as aesthetically pleasing as the alternatives, but they are better for the environment and can help reduce homelessness. Similarly, it’s nice when parking is convenient and free. But free parking comes with a cost: hotter cities, elevated home prices, and higher rates of homelessness. Take your pick. I vote for lower rates of homelessness.

If I've piqued your interest, watch this short video (17 minutes) by Gregg Colburn: 

Also, consider the following:

• Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern, Homelessness is a Housing Problem (University of California Press)
• Edward Glaeser, Triumph of the City (Penguin Books)
• Henry Graber, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World (Penguin Press)
• Dante Ramos, How Parking Ruined Everything (The Atlantic)
• Donald Shoup, The High Cost of Free Parking (Routledge)

The 100-Win Teams Are Out

Major League Baseball's top teams during the regular season - the Atlanta Braves (104 wins), the Baltimore Orioles (101 wins), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (100 wins) - were all eliminated in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Some will argue that it's because of their long layoff between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the 2nd round (all had 1st-round byes). But, that doesn't account for why the Houston Astros, which also had a 1st-round bye, did move on when they beat the Minnesota Twins or why the 99-win Tampa Bay Rays, which didn't have a 1st-round bye, lost in the 1st round.

A more likely explanation is that when you have short series (3-game, 5-game), there are going to be upsets. Good hitting and pitching teams have slumps. I'm sure if one looked back over the regular season, we'd find stretches where the Braves, Orioles, and Dodgers didn't pitch or hit well (I fondly remember the Giants sweeping the Dodgers back in June, outscoring them 29-8 over 3 games). During the regular season, those slumps tend to even out (Dodgers made the playoffs; the Giants didn't). In the post season, however, they don't.

Notably, even a 7-game series isn't long enough to guarantee that the best team will win. As statistician Leonard Mlodino has noted, if one team is expected beat the other 55 percent of the time, the weaker team will still win a 7-game series about 4 times out of 10. Or, if one team is expected to beat another team, on average, 2/3 of the time, the other team will still win a 7-game series about 20 percent of the time. In fact, in the latter case, teams would have to play a series consisting of at least 23 games to guarantee that the best team will win. And in the case of one team having "only" a 55–45 edge, the shortest series that would guarantee the best team won the series would be 269 games.

That's a lot of games.

BIRGing (Basking in Reflected Glory): How Our Social Identities Affect Our Perceptions

In a study back in the 1970s, researchers found that people are more likely to wear team paraphernalia after “their” team wins than win it loses. Known as BIRGing (Basking in Reflected Glory), it is a benign and somewhat humorous example of how our social identities impact how we think of ourselves. Decades of research (see references below) has found that our sense of who we are and feelings of self-worth are due, in part, to our group and organizational affiliations. It isn’t only our accomplishments that drive our sense of self; it’s also the accomplishments of the groups with which we affiliate. Our membership in these groups impacts our perceived status in this world and our self-esteem.

Notably, researchers have found that we typically evaluate members of our group better than we do out-group members. Early studies focused on how this phenomenon impacted prejudice, but in recent years studies have examined how it drives political polarization (Mason, 2018; Bail, 2021) and lone-wolf terrorism (Sageman, 2017). Nationalism, or at least its more pernicious manifestations, can also reflect this (see the cartoon above).

Which group membership is salient at a particular time depends on the situation. However, researchers have found it’s easy to “trigger” (activate) a social identity. Consider this quote from Lev Golinkin, a Ukrainian writer living in the U.S.:

President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who denies that Ukraine is a sovereign nation, is waging far more than a physical war: He, like his predecessors in the Kremlin, is working to erase the very concept of Ukraine from existence. With each new report of a Russian bombing, I find myself becoming more Ukrainian, seizing the identity that first the Soviet Union—and now Russia—has long fought to suppress.” (“The Ukraine of My Childhood Is Being Erased”)

In my previous post on social media and political polarization, I note that Chris Bail has found that social media offers us platforms that we can use to “enhance” our self-esteem, which we cannot obtain solely on our own. People who troll others on social media don’t do it to change the minds of others but to impress those within their online “communities,” regardless of how small or large they are.

Documenting this phenomenon doesn’t solve problems such as prejudice, terrorism, or political polarization. However, the more we know about it, the less likely we will succumb to it mindlessly.

References

Bail, Christopher A. 2021. Breaking the Social Media Prisim: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Cialdini, Robert B., Richard J. Borden, Avril Thorne, Marcus Randall Walker, Stephen Freeman, and Lloyd Reynolds Sloan. 1976. “Basking in Reflected Glory: Three (Football) Field Studies.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 34:366-75.

Mason, Lilliana. 2018. Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press.

Miller, Kevin P., Marilynn B. Brewer, and Nathan L. Arbuckle. 2009. “Social Identity Complexity: Its Correlates and Antecedents.” Group Processes & Intergroup Relations 12(1):79-94. doi: 10.1177/1368430208098778

Sageman, Marc. 2017. Misunderstanding Terrorism. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Sherif, Muzafer, O. J. Harvey, B. Jack White, William R. Hood, and Carolyn W. Sherif. 1988. The Robbers Cave Experiment: Intergroup Conflict and Cooperation. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.

Tajfel, Henri. 1970. “Experiments in Intergroup Discrimination.” Scientific American 223(5):96-103.

Tajfel, Henri, and John C. Turner. 1982. “The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior.” Pp. 7-24 in Psychology of Intergroup Relations, edited by S. Worchel and W. G. Austin. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.

Social Media and Political Polarization

In a recent paper about the QAnon conversation on Twitter (“A Network Analysis of Twitter’s Crackdown on the QAnon Conversation”), Dan Cunningham and I concluded social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc. could adjust their algorithms to expose users to multiple points of view and potentially form ties with those who don’t share their opinions. As an illustration, we relate the story of Ashley Vanderbilt, who, after the November 2020 election, spent much of her time consuming QAnon-related social media. By “inauguration day, she was convinced that if… Joe Biden took office, the United States would literally turn into a communist country” (O’Sullivan 2021). This occurred because she kept clicking on videos suggested by TikTok:

It’s there, she says, that she was first introduced to QAnon… She mostly followed entertainment accounts on the platform, but as the election neared she began interacting with pro-Trump and anti-Biden TikTok videos. Soon, she says, TikTok’s “For You” page, an algorithmically determined feed in the app that suggests videos a user might like, was showing her video after video of conspiracy theories. (O’Sullivan 2021)

We assumed that many people who are active on social media have become “trapped” in echo chambers that reinforce and radicalize their views. Thus, exposing people to alternative viewpoints helps them step outside their echo chambers, which leads them to moderate their views.

Our argument has an intuitive logic, but research by Chris Bail of Duke University and the head of the “Polarization Lab” challenges this line of thinking. Specifically, he and his collaborators have found that exposing people to alternative viewpoints has the opposite effect. When people step outside their echo chambers, they experience it as an “attack upon their identity” (“Breaking the Social Media Prism,” p. 31). He tells the story of Patty, a moderate-to-progressive Democrat:

Patty did not focus on the moderate messages retweeted by center-right Twitter accounts. Rather, she was captivated by the uncivil or ad hominem attacks on Democrats by several of the more extreme conservatives [that were] retweeted. The worst of these attacks were previously obscured by her echo chamber, but now Patty was experiencing the full scale of partisan warfare for the first time… Patty came to realize that there was a war going on, and she had to choose a side (pp. 31-32).

Bail relates similar stories of political conservatives whose views became more radicalized when exposed to retweets from moderate and liberal Democrats. He notes, “For both types of people, stepping outside the echo chamber was not creating a better competition of ideas, but a vicious competition of identities” (p. 39).

He contends social media platforms offer us an outlet that we can use to “enhance” our sense of who we are. Decades of research has found that membership in social groups (e.g., political parties, faith communities) can enhance our self-esteem, which we cannot obtain solely on our own. This is “often driven by the process of drawing boundaries between ourselves and others we deem to be less capable, honest, or moral. The sense of superiority that we derive from categorizing people into groups of ‘us’ and ‘them’ fulfills our intrinsic need for status” (p. 49).

Bail and his colleagues found that those who engage in extreme online behavior (i.e., “trolls”) don’t do it to change the minds of others, but to impress people within their online “communities,” regardless of how small or large they are. The people most likely to troll others are those who feel “marginalized, lonely, or disempowered in their off-line lives” (p. 66):

Social media offer such social outcasts another path. Even if the fame extremists generate has little significance beyond small groups of other outcasts, the research my colleagues and I conducted suggests that social media give extremists a sense of purpose, community, and—most importantly—self-worth” (pp. 66-67)

If you’re wondering, they document examples of this for people on both sides of the political spectrum—in other words, this isn’t just a conservative or liberal thing. Bail and his colleagues also found that

• Online extremism tends to drive moderates offline or convinces them the rewards of posting their opinions online are less than the cost. People who post right-of-center or left-of-center opinions are often attacked and/or harassed by extremists. And not all of these attacks come from people on the other side of the political spectrum. Moderates are often attacked by extremists from their own side for not being sufficiently conservative or liberal (p. 79).
• Thus, while social media provides extremists “with a sense of status they lack in their everyday lives,” for moderates, “the opposite is often true.” Discussing politics online simply isn’t worth it (p. 77).
• Most people online don’t discuss politics online. For example, “Across all tweets from U.S. adults, just 13% focused on national politics.” And those who do “are mostly extremists” (p. 82).
• The relative absence of moderate views on online discussions has led to what is knowns as “false polarization,” which is “the tendency for people to overestimate the amount of ideological differences between themselves and people from other political parties” (p. 75).
• The “partisan perception gap—that is, the extent to which people exaggerated the ideological extremism from the other party—was significantly greater among those who used social media to get their news” (p. 76).
• Research has found that issue polarization is not as great as social polarization. That is, people are not as far apart on particular issues as many of us assume we are (e.g., see “Uncivil Agreement” and “The American left and right loathe each other and agree on a lot”).
• Although stepping outside of our echo chambers (for those of us who are in them) can push us toward more extreme positions, how we respond to alternative views is a function of the “distance” between them and our preexisting ideas. If they are within “our latitude of acceptance (a range of attitudes about a given issue that an individual finds acceptable or reasonable even if they don’t agree with them a priori), then people will be more motivated to engage with the viewpoint and perhaps even move closer to it” (p. 108)

Based on their findings, Bail and his colleagues argue that moderate voices are crucial for keeping online discussions more civil (less polarizing). After all, most Americans embrace moderate views, although, as we saw above, false polarization keeps most Americans from seeing this. Thus, they have concluded that we need social media platforms where moderates feel welcome, and extremists are not rewarded for their abusive behavior.

To this end, they conducted an experiment to see if they could create a social media platform that encouraged less polarizing online discussions. They created a mobile app called DiscussIt, where two people could discuss issues anonymously. For the experiment, they recruited 1,200 Republicans and Democrats, who were assigned a particular topic to discuss and then (unbeknownst to them) matched with someone from the opposing party. Bail et al. were encouraged by the results:

The results of the experiment make me cautiously optimistic about the power of anonymity. People who used DiscussIt exhibited significantly lower levels of polarization after using it for just a short time. Many people expressed fewer negative attitudes toward the other party or subscribed less strongly to stereotypes about them. Many others expressed more moderate views about the political issues they discussed or social policies designed to address them… Most surprising to me, however, is that an overwhelming majority of people told us they enjoyed using our social media platform, even though they had no incentive to do so… Several users even asked how much the app would cost when it is released to the public (p. 125).

Presently, social media platforms like DiscussIt are unavailable, but we can still take constructive steps toward making social media less polarizing:

• Don’t attack, harass, or troll people who disagree with your views. We can’t control what others do, but we can control what we do. If you can’t say it civilly, don’t say it. You won’t change anyone’s mind behaving like a jerk.
• Don’t “Like,” retweet, or even comment on extremist online comments. Most are posted by people seeking attention and status. Deny them that satisfaction.
• Patronize social media platforms where polarizing discussions are few and far between. This could encourage other platforms to follow suit (clearly, a long-term strategy).
• If you do engage in a political discussion with someone online, choose someone who appears to be within your “latitude of acceptance” (and vice versa). If you do, you might find yourself in the midst of a constructive (and civil) conversation.

Finally, pay Chris Bail’s “Polarization Lab” a visit. Better yet, read his book. It includes a number of suggestions for making social media more constructive and civil. It isn’t cheap since it is published by an academic press (Princeton). However, used copies can be found, and your local library should be able to track down a copy.

Articles and Books Cited:

Christopher A. Bail. 2021. Breaking the Social Media Prisim: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Daniel Cunningham and Sean F. Everton. 2022. “A Network Analysis of Twitter’s Crackdown on the QAnon Conversation.” Journal of Social Structure 23:4-27.

The Economist. 2023. The Economist. “The American left and right loathe each other and agree on a lot.”

Lilliana Mason. 2018. Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Donie O’Sullivan. 2021. “She Was Stunned by Biden’s Inauguration. How This South Carolina Mom Escaped QAnon.” CNN Business.

25 Christmas Movies for the Holiday Season

Here's my annual post of Christmas movies worth watching this holiday season. Not all are technically "Christmas" movies, but in some way they're related to the Christmas season. As always, I've updated the list a bit from last year.

1. The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven)

Dejected by his efforts to raise money to build a cathedral, Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) beseeches heaven for guidance, and is visited immediately by an angel Dudley (Cary Grant). Henry, as a good theological liberal, is skeptical and then becomes annoyed when Dudley wins the attentions of Henry's long-suffering wife, Julia (Loretta Young). Dudley falls for Julia, but in the end Julia tells him it's time for him to go. Dudley leaves, all memory of him is erased, and later that night at the Christmas Eve service when Henry delivers his sermon, Dudley watches from the street. If this plot sounds familiar, it was remade as The Preacher's Wife starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in 1996. 

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (Charles Schultz)

It's been over 50 years since "A Charlie Brown Christmas" first appeared on TV. It's probably the best of the Charlie Brown movies (although "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is right up there) and is one of the few Christmas movies that refers to the biblical story. After Charlie Brown asks, "Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?," Linus quotes Luke 2:8-14:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and  the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'"

And then Linus concludes, "... and that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." Amen.

3. A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott, David Warner, Susannah York, Roger Rees)

There are several great versions of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," but this is my favorite. Scott is (was) such a great actor. When he (Ebenezer Scrooge) yells, "Mr. Cratchit!", there's little doubt that he holds poor Bob in contempt. And, the supporting cast is quite good. David Warner (who once upon a time played a reporter in "The Omen") is an excellent Bob Cratchit, as is Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit (Note: two of York's children played two of the Cratchit children). And I really like Roger Rees as Scrooge's nephew, Fred. Finally, Angela Pleasence and Edward Woodward are excellent as the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, respectively. There are, of course, several other versions are worth considering, such as the one with Alastair Sim as Scrooge ("A Christmas Carol"). When I was kid, I was especially taken with "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol." Jonathan Winters' reading of Dickens's book is also quite good.

4. Christmas in Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet)

While recovering in a hospital, war hero Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan) grows familiar with the "Diary of a Housewife" column written by Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck). Jeff's nurse arranges with Elizabeth's publisher, Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), for Jeff to spend the holiday at Elizabeth's Connecticut farm with her husband and child. However, the column's a sham. Facing a career-ending scandal, not only for herself but for her editor, Elizabeth is forced to comply. In desperation, she agrees to marry her friend, John, who has a farm in Connecticut. She also enlists the help of her uncle, a chef, who's been giving her the recipes for her column. Elizabeth and John plan to be married immediately by Judge Crowthers, but Jefferson arrives, interrupting the ceremony, and it's love at first sight between Elizabeth and Jefferson. To complicate things, Jefferson has a fiancée, but that isn't as straightforward as it seems either.

5. A Christmas Story (Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon)

Adapted from a memoir by Jean Shepherd (who narrates the film), the movie is primarily about Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), a young boy living in Indiana in the 1940s who desperately wants a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas and tries to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that it's the perfect gift for him, while they counter that he'll shoot his eye out. In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." I confess that it isn't one of my favorites, but I'm clearly in the minority.

6. Christmas with the Kranks (Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Akroyd)

It's too bad that the movie's producers didn't keep the title of John Grisham's book on which the movie is based: "Skipping Christmas" (see picture at right). The movie's title leads people to expect one kind of movie when in fact it's something quite different. It tells the story of a couple (Luther and Nora Krank) who, because their daughter (Blair) is going to be Peru for Christmas, working for the Peace Corps, decide to skip Christmas (i.e., don't buy a Christmas tree, hold their annual Christmas party, decorate their house, etc.), and use the money they save to go on a cruise. Their decision to skip Christmas sit poorly with their neighbors (especially Dan Akroyd), who pressure them to get into the holiday spirit. A battle, of sorts, plays out between the Kranks and their neighbors. Then Luther and Nora learn that Blair coming home for Christmas (with her fiancé), and they have less than 24 hours to prepare for their annual party. How the neighborhood comes together to pull this off and what Luther does with their cruise tickets speaks to the true meaning of Christmas.

7. Die Hard (Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson)

OK. Not your traditional Christmas movie. In fact, there's a debate as to whether it really is (see "Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas Film?"). I obviously fall on the side of those who think it it. It takes place on Christmas Eve, is a battle between good and evil, and includes some traditional (and not so traditional) Christmas songs. It stars Bruce Willis as NY city police detective John McClane, who flies to LA to reconcile with his wife. He meets her at her company's Christmas party, but while he's changing clothes in the men's room, the party's taken over by a terrorist group (headed by Hans Gruber -- played by Alan Rickman, who a few years later played Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies), which holds them hostage, all except for McClane, who sneaks away before they know he's there. The rest of the movie is the battle between McClane (good) and Gruber (evil) and includes a lot of classic lines ("Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."; Yippee ki-yay...").

8. Elf (Will Ferrell, Bob Newhart, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel)

This movie is too fun. Will Ferrell is great as someone (Buddy) who thinks he's one of Santa's elves but is actually a human being who, through a twist of fate, was adopted by an elf (Bob Newhart) when just a baby. Unfortunately, he's not a very good at elf things (e.g., making toys), and once he learns that he's not an elf, he heads to New York where his biological father (James Caan) lives. There he falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), helps NY recapture the Christmas spirit, and has a heck of a lot of fun along the way (well, most of the time). The movie is also educational. We learn, for instance, that the four main elvish food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. There's also allusions to other Christmas classics like "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer" (see #18 and #20 below).

9. The Family Man (Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle)

One of my favorites. It's is a cross between "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol." It tells the story of Jack Campbell (JC = Jesus Christ?; his boss/advisor is named Peter), played by Nicholas Cage, who chooses to spend the year after graduating from college in London as an investment banker rather remaining in New York with his girl friend (Tea Leoni). Unsurprisingly, the relationship doesn't survive, and when the movie begins (13 years later), Cage is a successful investment banker who loves money and fine things, but cares little for women or family. However, when he wakes up one Christmas morning, he's living the life he would've lived if he hadn't moved to London. He's married (to Tea Leoni), has two kids, and works as a car tire salesman (for his wife's father - Big Ed). Although he initially despises this life, he eventually comes to love it more than the one in which he drove fast cars, wore designer suits, and had his pick of women. The movie's climax occurs after he wakes up back in his old life, tracks down his old girlfriend, and convinces her not to leave for Paris to take a new job.

10. The Family Stone (Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson)

This tells the story about a Christmas gathering of the Stone family when the eldest son (Dermot Mulroney) brings his very uptight girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) home with him to introduce her to his family, as well as propose to her with his grandmother's wedding ring. Parker's reception by Mulroney's family -- played by Diane Keaton (mom, who is dying), Craig T. Nelson (dad), Rachel McAdams (younger sister), Elizabeth Reaser (older sister), Luke Wilson (younger brother), and Tyrone Giordano (youngest brother) - is chilly, to say the least. So chilly, in fact, that Parker begs her sister (Claire Danes) to join her. Mulroney ends up falling for Danes (and vice versa), Wilson for Parker (and vice versa), and McAdams for her ex-boyfriend (and vice versa) played by Paul Schneider. Chaos ensues, poignancy follows, and although it was greeted with mixed reviews, it has become a holiday favorite for many.

11. Hallmark Christmas Movies (Various)

There isn't one Hallmark Christmas movie, of course. There are hundreds. A new one premiers every weekend beginning in October. And almost without exception, they're corny and predictable. They're almost always a love story, and one or other of the (future) couple has sworn off Christmas because of some bad experience (e.g., divorce, death in the family). Moreover, you can pretty much count on them breaking up with about 15 minutes to go (usually due to some sort of lack of communication) and then getting back together with only a few seconds left on the clock (before the next movie starts). However, in a world that seems hell-bent on becoming more polarized, I (and evidently several others) can do with a corny (cue the next movie on the list...).

12. The Holiday (Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Eli Wallach)

Definitely one our family's holiday favorites. This movie tells the story of two women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) who, suffering from guy-problems, swap homes with each other (they don't know on another -- they "meet" through an on-line home exchange website) where they each meet someone and fall in love. Diaz's character (Amanda) lives in LA, is a producer of movie trailers, and breaks up with her boy friend after she discovers that he's cheated on her. Winslet (Iris) is a journalist working in London, who's in love with someone who wants to keep her around but doesn't want to commit. When she learns that he's engaged to another journalist, she becomes suicidal, but luckily chooses to spend the holidays in LA instead. A side story concerns elderly gentleman (Eli Wallach--the "Ugly" from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"), who lives near Amanda and whom Iris befriends. It turns out that Wallach is a widowed and retired screen writer whom the screen writer's guild wants to honor. He doesn't want to attend, but Iris talks him into it. I believe Wallach should've at least received a best supporting actor nomination for his role, but this isn't the type of movie that actors and actresses win awards for. One of the biggest surprises is the revelation that Jack Black actually can act. It's too bad he doesn't get more parts like this.

13. Home Alone (Macaulay Culkin, John Heard, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Robert Blossom)

When adjusted for inflation, Home Alone is the highest grossing Christmas movie of all time at the North American box office. It tells the story of Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an 8-year-old boy who is accidentally left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation. Kevin initially relishes being home alone, but soon has to contend with two highly incompetent burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), whom he continues to foil with numerous booby-traps. The rest of his family doesn't realize they left him behind until they are mid-flight to Paris and then struggle to find a flight back (all her booked). Kevin also ends up befriending Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom), who is rumored to have murdered his family. Like many holiday favorites, it received a mixed reception from critics, but many consider it one of the best Christmas films of all time.

14. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff)

One of the best holiday movies ever (the animated version, that is, not the one that Opie Taylor directed several years later). In it the Grinch, a cave-dwelling creature with a heart "two sizes too small," lives on Mount Crumpit, a steep mountain above Whoville, home of the Whos. His only companion is his faithful dog, Max. Every year from his perch atop Mount Crumpit, the Grinch hears the "clangy" noisy Christmas festivities that take place in Whoville. Annoyed and unable to understand why the Whos are so happy, he sneaks into town on Christmas Eve and takes all of their Christmas presents, decorations, and food in order to prevent Christmas from coming. However, when Christmas morning arrives, the Whos still celebrate Christmas even though all their presents and decorations have been stolen. Realizing that Christmas is more than gifts and presents, the Grinch's heart grows three times in size, and he returns all the presents and trimmings and joins the Whos for the Christmas feast. There are now three Grinch movies, one with "real people" directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Cary in 2000, and a 2018 computer-animated version with Benedict Cumberbatch in the leading role.

15. It's a Wonderful Life (Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Lionel Barrymore)

I'm not sure how much I need to say about this movie since it is so well known. Briefly, it stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has repeatedly given up his dreams in order to help the dreams of others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve (because of a financial disaster not of his own doing) brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), who has yet to earn his  wings (he's an angel second class). However, by showing what the world would have been like if George had never been born, Clarence keeps George from committing suicide (and thereby earning his wings). George sees that his life hasn't been a waste but has in fact touched (and improved) the lives of almost all those around him in Bedford Falls. He is, as his younger brother Harry puts it, "The richest man in town." Although the movie opened to mixed reviews, it has become a perennial Christmas classic that captures the true meaning of Christmas. There is a scene at the railroad station when George Bailey learns that his younger brother is not going to take over the family business so that George can go to college. For about 5 seconds, Stewart says nothing; his (i.e., George's) disappointment and frustration only shows in his facial expressions. It's a wonderful example of why Stewart was one of the greatest actors of all time. For more on the movie, see the following post ("It's a Wonderful Life").

16. Last Christmas (Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson)

Most critics disliked this 2019 movie, which is very loosely inspired by Wham's song of the same name, but it's light-hearted (so to speak) with a somewhat surprising twist at the end, which makes it a little different from the typical Christmas movie fare. Emilia Clarke plays Kate, who is a singer who supports herself working as an elf at a year-round Christmas shop. We also eventually learn that she recently received a heart transplant from which she hasn't mentally recovered. She, in fact, appears to be careening through life with something of a death wish. One day, while at work she notices Henry Golding (Tom) outside the shop, whom she gets eventually falls for, but it's never entirely clear whether he feels the same. Nevertheless, he has a positive affect on her, and she slowly gets her life back in order. She stops drinking, having one-night stands, and restores her ties with her mom (Emma Thompson), dad, and sister. Like most Christmas movies, it's ultimately a story about redemption, in this case, Kate's, and the effect this has others. Michelle Yeoh plays "Santa," the owner of the Christmas shop where Kate works (she also played Henry Golding's mother in Crazy Rich Asians, was a Bond girl (Tomorrow Never Dies), and starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

17. Love Actually (Numerous)

A 2003 British Christmas-themed romantic comedy explores several separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, whom we learn as the movie progresses are connected with one another. The movie begins five weeks before Christmas and plays out in a weekly countdown to Christmas, followed by an epilogue that takes place a month later. The movie includes numerous British stars, including Rowan Atkinson, Colin Firth, Martin Freeman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, and Alan Rickman. You may be skeptical, but recently FiveThirtyEight called it the greatest Christmas movie of all time ("The Definitive Analysis Of ‘Love Actually,’ The Greatest Christmas Movie Of Our Time").

18. Miracle on 34th Street (Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood)

Although the 1994 remake of this movie, starring Sir Richard Attenborough (as Santa Claus), Dylan McDermott, and Elizabeth Perkins, is decent, it doesn't come close to the original with Maureen O'Hara and a very young Natalie Wood. The story takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and focuses on the impact of the Santa Claus hired to work at the Macy's on 34th St. in NY City, who claims to be the real Santa and acts accordingly. For example, he some times he ignores instructions to steer parents to goods that Macy's sells like the time he directs one shopper to another store for a toy fire engine that Macy's doesn't have in stock. And he tells another mother that Macy's rival Gimbels has better skates for her daughter. The film won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Edmund Gwenn), Best Writing, Original Story (Valentine Davies) and Best Writing, Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Picture but lost to Gentleman's Agreement with Gregory Peck.

19. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Ilse Steppat)

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (OHMSS) is a "Christmas film" of the way that "Die Hard" is (see above): It involves a battle between good and evil, it's set at Christmas (or quite a bit of it is), it includes Christmas songs, and it even throws in a little bit of redemption. It also involves a chase scene through a Swiss village celebrating the holiday and includes some of the skiing scenes ever. Recently, in an article in which The Economist considers whether "Die Hard" is really a Christmas movie, the author makes the case for considering OHMSS as one ("Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas Film?"). OHMSS is, of course, the only movie in which George Lazenby plays James Bond. He was chosen after Sean Connery retired from the role after "You Only Live Twice," although Connery changed his mind and came back to play Bond in "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) and "Never Say Never Again" (1983). Although OHMSS was a commercial success, its reception was mixed. The film's reputation has improved greatly over time, however. The director Christopher Nolan named it as his favorite Bond movie, and it has slowly moved its way up the "all-time Bond film lists" ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "50 Years Later, This Bond Film Should Finally Get Its Due"). It's no wonder. OHMSS contains some of the best action scenes of the series (which are similar to those of the more recent Bourne movies), Lazenby plays a capable Bond, Diana Rigg's excellent as his love interest and future (and only) wife, and Telly Savalas's "Blofeld" is by far the best of all the Bond films (although Christoph Waltz's portrayal in Spectre is a close second). It also follows the original novel much more closely than the other Bond films. It's definitely worth a watch.

20. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer (Burl Ives)

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for this to come on TV. I only got to see it once a year, and it was a big deal when it came on. Not just for me, but for most of my friends. Now, of course, you can get it (and virtually any other Christmas movie) on DVD or Blue Ray, or download it from iTunes or Amazon, so it (and other Christmas movies) has lost its "specialness." Nevertheless, I still love watching this retelling of the original Robert L. May story ("Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer"), in which Rudolph's rejection by his peers (for his shiny nose) leads him to run away from home with by a similarly-outcast elf (Hermey) whose dreams of becoming a dentist. These two eventually join up with a prospector named Yukon Cornelius, and after a battle with the Abominable Snowman, they return home to the North Pole just in time for Rudolph to lead Santa's sleigh through a terrible snow storm, thus keeping Christmas from being cancelled.

21. The Santa Clause (Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz)

Tim Allen stars as Scott Calvin, a cynical, divorced, advertising executive for a toy company, who accidentally causes a guy dressed like Santa Claus to fall to his death from his roof on Christmas Eve. Scott and his son Charlie (who is spending Christmas Eve with Scott) discover a sleigh with eight reindeer on the roof, and they conclude that the man must have been Santa Claus. They also find a card in the Santa's suit, instructing that if something should happen to him, that whoever finds the clothes, should put them on and get in the sleigh. Charlie convinces Scott to follow these instructions, and the reindeer take Scott to children's houses around the world to finish Santa's deliveries. After this, the sleigh takes them to the North Pole where they learn that Scott is the new Santa (because of the clause in the instruction card they found -- that is, the "Santa Clause") and convince his former wife that he's the new Kris Kringle.

22. Spirited (Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, Sunita 

Mani, Tracy Morgan, Patrick Page)

A retelling, of sorts, of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, Sunita Mani the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Tracy Morgan the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come. Patrick Page plays Jacob Marley, their leader. Along with a team of afterlife spirits, the foursome seeks to find and redeem one new human soul every Christmas. This year's target is Clint Briggs, an "unredeemable" soul, who is played by Ryan Reynolds; Octavia Spencer is his assistant, who excels at oppo-research. It is a musical (Marley hates it when Ferrell or anyone else breaks into song), and while Ferrell and Reynolds won't win any awards for their singing, there are a few numbers performed by the cast ("Good Afternoon!") that are actually quite fun.

23. White Christmas (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen)

What more can you say about this one? It's got Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" (not once, but twice); it has Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen dancing (several times); it has George Clooney's aunt singing and dancing; and it tells a nice, heart-warming story that some may think is  a bit corny. But, to paraphrase Kate Winslet's character in The Holiday (see above), sometimes corny is just what the doctor ordered. The song, "Count Your Blessings" (written by Irving Berlin), was nominated for an Oscar (White Christmas won the Oscar 12 years before for the movie, Holiday Inn), but my favorite (aside from White Christmas) is Snow, sung by Crosby, Kaye, Clooney, and Vera-Ellen on the train from Miami to Vermont (pictured above).

And here's a couple more that appear on several lists:

24. Holiday (Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant)

Holiday is a 1938 American romantic comedy that is a remake of the 1930 film of the same name. It tells the story of Jonathan "Johnny" Case (Cary Grant), a self-made man who's worked all his life and is about to marry Julia Seton (Doris Nolan), whom he met while on holiday in Lake Placid. He actually knows very little about her and is surprised to learn she's from an extremely wealthy family, the youngest daughter of banker Edward Seton (Henry Kolker). Assured that Johnny is a worthy suitor, Edward approves of the pairing. But, as Johnny's wanderlust surfaces -- he is more interested in traveling than in business -- Edward starts to have doubts. Johnny also begins to wonder if he might not be a better match for Linda (Katharine Hepburn), Julia's outspoken younger sister, with whom he has much more in common.

25. Holiday Affair (Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh)

Seasonal clerk Steve Mason (Robert Mitchum) catches Connie Ennis (Janet Leigh) in a fraudulent shopping scheme during the busy Christmas rush. But when he discovers that Ennis is a war widow and single mother, he decides not to turn her in. His supervisor takes notice and fires him. Mason befriends Connie and her young son, Timmy, and complicates her plans to marry boring nice guy Carl Davis (like Meg Ryan's fiancé in Sleepless in Seattle). The movie is based on the story Christmas Gift by John Weaver, which was also the film's working title. Set during the Christmas season, the film was not well received on its initial release. However, Turner Classic Movies airing the film over Christmas has led to it becoming a minor holiday classic. A made-for-television remake was produced in 1996.