For singles, Christmas and New Year can be lonely, if one had to stay back in the city for work, while friends and loved ones have travelled home to other states for the holidays.
Have no fear. LEADERSHIP Flavour recommends eight films that will help ease the loneliness and create a fond nostalgia of the season for you.
It’s A Wonderful Life
Starring the beloved American actor, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, tells the story of George whose one dream is to leave his small-town residence to travel and see the world. That never happened. As the years rolled by, and events saw George constantly sacrifice his dream for others, he is determined to end his unaccomplished life, until God sent Clarence, an angel with a broken wing, to give George a wider lens of his life and his impact on the whole town.
Meet Me In St Louis
Children and teenagers will dance and sing along to the memorable tunes of ‘Meet Me In St Louis’. It is about the Smith’s family, whose quaint and communal life in St Louis is disrupted when their father is promoted to head a branch of a law firm in New York, a fortnight to Christmas. Will they leave their friends and acquaintances to spend Christmas in an impersonal apartment in New York or will a Christmas miracle intervene?
Home Alone I & II
Millennials convene. This movie and its sequel need no introduction. However, for the benefit of a handful of Gen Z’s and Gen Alpha who might not know about ‘Home Alone’, this Christmas adventure both in and away from home, centers around Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who post an argument with his family, followed by a banishment to his room, led to his being accidentally left behind by his family during Christmas. Twice.
Mr Bean: Christmas Episode
Aaaahhhhh! To see the antics of Mr Bean extend even to the holiday season is a rib-cracking comedy. A clip of one such episode shows Bean take over a street carol instrumental group as its maestro. This results in one of the most funny and memorable renditions of Silent Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
Die Hard I
In the words of the movies coolest and most chill villain, Hans Gruber, “Yipee Ka Yee, MF”. Don’t repeat the last words in full around an intergenerational audience boosting baby boomers. But yes, enjoy some adrenaline, action packed time with officer John McLaine whose trip to L.A to spend time with his estranged wife and children, ends in a hostage situation, and a cat and mouse game with deadly mastermind, Hans Gruber.
Jesus of Nazareth
One of my favourite Jesus’ films, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ is a six-part television miniseries, that follows the prophecy, birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the man of the hour, the reason for the season. It’s a must watch.
Quo Vadis
So, it is not a Christmas film, but it is a movie that emphasizes hope. ‘Quo Vadis’ focuses on the life and persecution of the early Christians in Rome by the psychotic Emperor Nero. It is a history of the Church, and a reminder of why we celebrate Christmas, and what Jesus demands of us. It is the story of those who died standing up for the Christianity that we celebrate freely today in a greater path of our world. A bonus love story between a centurion and a Christian woman which furthers the plot, adds to the excitement.
A Naija Christmas
This throw-in movie was released post the COVID 19 pandemic, and it is arguably one of the first Nigerian movies with a plot anchored around Christmas. It starred the beautiful but now deceased Rachael Oniga, Mercy Johnson, Kunle Remi among others. It is about a mother who gives her three sons, an ultimatum to bring home a wife at Christmas or risk losing their prized family inheritance.
There it is. Besides calling up your loved ones to extend compliments of the season, you can binge the above films to recall the nostalgic feeling of Christmases past.