THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE ELVING PROJECT (2016)

 

The Buckley family, parents, Pam and Ralph (Alison Akin Clark and Brian Neal Clark) and their four sons, Simon, Mathew, Peter and John, (Anson Bagley, Jacob Buster, Josh Reid and Cooper Daniel Johnson), have a family Christmas tradition called “Elving” where they select a family going through hard times and perform some anonymous gift-giving, of food primarily.

As the Buckley’s had a new baby on the way, more of the burden of  “Elvin” fell on the boys shoulders, but Mum selected the family to be “Elved”, and that year it was the Hagbart’s, unfortunately the boys were all too familiar with the Hagbart’s as they were the school bullies.

The story revolves around the second eldest son, Matthew, who has daily struggles with the family and in particular Finn (Gabe White) and doesn’t understand why they should be “Elved”.

That year’s annual “Elving” coincided with the arrival of the Goodman’s into the neighbourhood, Monica (Caitlin E.J. Meyer), Juniper (Grace Hallows) and Allen (Evan Clark) who are very soon roped into the ritual, which is good for Matthew as he quickly develops a crush on Juniper.

So as the arrival of another Buckley draws near and the holidays approach Matthew finds that with charity comes insight, and his feelings about Finn soften.

ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1941

 

Japan announced the surrender of the British-Canadian garrison in Hong Kong to the forces of Japan.

I LOVE THE SMELLS OF CHRISTMAS

 

I love the smells of Christmas

Like Cinnamon and Ginger

Roasted chestnuts piping hot

 

Gluhwein and Pine needles

So I feel sorry for the snowmen

As they can only smell carrot

CHRISTMAS

Christ the lord

Holy birth in Bethlehem 

Regal child in David’s city

Infant of God 

Sent from heaven above

To die for us

Messiah in a manger

Angelic miracle 

Saviour of man

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – LAST CHANCE FOR CHRISTMAS (2005)

 

Tom Lane (David Sutcliffe) is the star columnist for the San Francisco Sun newspaper which is owned by a huge media conglomerate, and the parent company headed by Anthony Shephard (Garry Chalk), is interested in increasing Tom's media exposure by producing a new television show around him. Meanwhile Liz Madison (Dina Meyer) is the advice columnist for the little read community newspaper, the Marin County Voice, which is the epitome of a gentler age.

Apart from both being journalists, and being singletons with their friends and family doing whatever they can to find that special someone to fill a void in their personal lives, they have nothing in common.

At the beginning of November the staff at the Voice learn that the conglomerate that owns the Sun has bought their newspaper, with the likelihood that the Sun would swallow them up, meaning all the staff at the Voice would lose their jobs.

To fight back, Liz decides to abandon her advice column and change it into a forthright editorial espousing the true meaning of Christmas and championing the Voice’s importance to the community, and because of the feisty and entertaining nature of Liz's new column, the circulation of the Voice increases dramatically, so much so that the new owner has second thoughts about closing it.

The knock on effect of that would be to put Tom's new television show in jeopardy, so to protect his career advancement, Tom decides to write a contradictory column to Liz's, advocating the need to instil some practicality into Christmas.

So The competing columns become a personal battle for the two adversarial columnists, but while Tom and Liz are spewing out their mutual loathing for each other and what they stand for, their respective friends try to convince them of the old adage that opposites attract and that there is a fine line between love and hate.

ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1939

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was introduced by Montgomery Ward stores to become the 9th reindeer. 

I ALWAYS COME OUT IN A RASH

 

I always come out in a rash

It happens every Xmas

I’ve been to see a doctor

And he thinks its Eczemas