In this episode, Scott and Jennifer introduce their new podcast studio and dive into a lively discussion about debatable holiday movies. From traditional favorites like ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’ and ‘Home Alone’ to more contentious topics such as ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Rocky,’ the hosts explore what qualifies a film as a Thanksgiving or Christmas movie. They share their personal favorites, consider fan-favorite classics, and debate the merits of unconventional holiday films. Listeners are encouraged to share their own thoughts and movie recommendations for the holiday season in the comments.
00:00 Welcome to the New Podcasting Space
00:32 Debating Holiday Movies: Thanksgiving Edition
02:26 Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
02:42 Rocky
05:21 Miracle on 34th Street
06:14 What is a Christmas movie?
06:38 When Harry Met Sally
06:53 Sleepless in Seattle
07:40 Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
08:20 Lethal Weapon
09:18 Batman Returns
09:56 Gremlins
10:24 Trading Places
12:12 The Apartment
12:50 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
14:30 Recommending ‘Just Friends’ with a Caution
15:52 Debating ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ as a Christmas Movie
16:58 Classic Christmas Movies: ‘Home Alone’
17:33 Love Actually
18:08 The Holiday: A Modern Christmas Favorite
19:05 White Christmas: A Timeless Classic
19:47 Debating ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ and Other Unconventional Picks
20:32 Is Edward Scissor Hands a Christmas Movie?
21:00 Rocky IV: A Christmas Movie?
21:47 Ghostbusters and Other Debatable Holiday Movies
23:05 A New Years Eve Movie
23:32 Surprise John Wayne Western Christmas Movie
24:29 Wrapping Up: Favorite Christmas Movies and Final Thoughts
132 Debatable Holiday Movies
[00:00:00] Welcome to the New Podcasting Space
[00:00:00] Jenn: Scott has been working on our new podcasting space.
[00:00:03] Scott: Yeah. This is, this is the, this is the new digs. This is, I’ll call it studio version 1. 0. What you’ve seen the past few years from our living room table has been podcast studio version 0.
[00:00:14] 5, version 0. 6. And we’ve been trying to invest in what we’ve been wanting to do for a little while kind of sort of built and building this up. And so this is what you guys are going to start seeing. We’re going to try to start doing some more video podcasts and we’re just going to jump right into this one because this was an impromptu.
[00:00:30] We weren’t planning on doing this and talking about.
[00:00:32] Debating Holiday Movies: Thanksgiving Edition
[00:00:32] Scott: The most debatable holiday films.
[00:00:35]
[00:00:40]
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[00:01:04] Jenn: So we were downstairs, we had just had Thanksgiving dinner and we’re sitting there and we’re talking about what movies should we watch? And we’re like, what is a Thanksgiving movie? What is a Christmas movie? And we’re throwing movie ideas out there.
[00:01:17] And we’re like, no, yes, maybe. And I was like, did you know this was a holiday movie? And Scott’s no, it’s not. And I said, this would be a great debate to have. I know maybe sometimes people are home now, and they’re also debating what movies to watch.
[00:01:30] Scott: So, so some of the ones that we had started discussing was some of the obvious ones that are on the fence. So, you know, Die Hard is always debatable.
[00:01:42] Jenn: Okay, so we’re going to talk about, first let’s talk about Thanksgiving movies.
[00:01:46] Scott: Okay, let’s start with Thanksgiving. And then we’re going to go
[00:01:48] Jenn: into Christmas
[00:01:49] Scott: movies. So, so I, to frame this, I asked Jen to come up with a list. So I’m not going to be driving here on Talk With History.
[00:01:57] Jenn: He’s more reacting.
[00:01:58] Scott: I’m, I’m reacting. So I asked her to come up with a list.
[00:02:01] I’m going to react to is this a holiday movie? Is this a Thanksgiving or a Christmas movie? And we’ll talk about it that way. And if you join us and you end up in the chat, even though we’re posting this kind of completely impromptu or if you’re watching this after the fact,
[00:02:15] Jenn: we’ll read the comments.
[00:02:16] Scott: Definitely put your stuff, your, your, your thoughts on these movies in the comments, because I would love to see what you guys, our audience think of all these movies.
[00:02:26] Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
[00:02:26] Jenn: So Thanksgiving, we always would watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, that movie with Steve Martin and John Candy, where they’re trying to make it home.
[00:02:36] That’s
[00:02:36] Scott: 1, 000 percent a Thanksgiving movie.
[00:02:38] Jenn: Yeah, and so that was always like, we’ll watch that movie, but it gets, we watch it so much.
[00:02:42] Rocky
[00:02:42] Jenn: Now one movie that people don’t really like, Think about as a Thanksgiving movie, but it’s totally a Thanksgiving movie is Rocky
[00:02:50] Scott: Yeah, so you hadn’t mentioned that before we came up and I’m not I’m not totally sold but I get it
[00:02:58] Jenn: So I mean Polly throws the turkey out the window.
[00:03:01] Okay,
[00:03:02] Scott: cuz it Is you’re talking Rocky one
[00:03:04] Jenn: Rocky one
[00:03:05] Scott: because it starts right around Thanksgiving or just before and it goes all the way through New Year’s.
[00:03:10] Jenn: Yeah, like that’s the whole premise is he is picked last minute to fight this fight. He gets the chance to fight the champ, right? And I think it’s because of his name Italian stallion.
[00:03:21] And it’s the bison is it the Bicentennial of America 1775. So it’s so he’s getting his chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed.
[00:03:31] And I just think he’s one of the greatest characters all time and So it’s taking place from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.
[00:03:39] Scott: Yeah, so and that’s what’s hilarious You look back at that movie and he they basically gave him like three weeks to get in shape to fight the whole champion We’re gonna
[00:03:47] Jenn: be like he was in pretty decent shape anyway, but you’re right He does yeah, he goes off. He’s all in and the champ doesn’t really You that’s the whole thing. He doesn’t take it seriously at all. Apollo’s not training. So that’s like why he really gets his chance, is because Apollo’s just watching TV and doing business deals and stuff.
[00:04:06] Scott: So, so that, I think, I think you could say that that’s a Thanksgiving movie. I don’t think most people.
[00:04:10] Yeah. With, would, would think of Thanksgiving and watch that, but I think that’s arguable. What’s another movie that’s in that same genre?
[00:04:16] Jenn: So you’re going to die when you hear this. Oh, Rocky 2. He fights Apollo Creed in Rocky 2 on Thanksgiving day.
[00:04:25] Scott: Does he really?
[00:04:26] Jenn: November 25th, 1976. Yes. Yeah. So he’s supposed to basically get his chance again and he trains that whole time and so does Apollo.
[00:04:35] Scott: So, so, so that’s
[00:04:37] Jenn: a real Thanksgiving of Rocky.
[00:04:39] Scott: Again, I think. I, I can see the argument, but for that one again, because a lot of the Thanksgiving movies or a Christmas movie, even the ones that are on the fence, the classic ones that are on the fence, they typically have themes of that holiday through the movie.
[00:04:57] Jenn: Sure.
[00:04:58] Scott: And, and Rocky II, I don’t. Really see that in there?
[00:05:03] Jenn: Well, what other movie takes place on Thanksgiving Day? Besides Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. What takes place on Thanksgiving Day? Isn’t
[00:05:11] Scott: Uncle Buck right around the Thanksgiving season? I don’t know. Another John Candy movie? It is
[00:05:16] Jenn: another John Candy.
[00:05:17] I don’t know if he’s watching the kids on Thanksgiving.
[00:05:19] Scott: It’s definitely in the holiday season.
[00:05:21] Miracle on 34th Street
[00:05:21] Jenn: Definitely in the holiday season. Well, if you want to think like Miracle on 34th Street. Thank you.
[00:05:26] Scott: Yeah. That’s, I mean, what’s the argument there? That’s an obvious Christmas movie.
[00:05:30] Jenn: Well, she’s at the parade. She’s at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
[00:05:34] Yeah.
[00:05:34] Scott: But it’s all about Santa Claus.
[00:05:36] Jenn: Yeah. But that parade takes place on Thanksgiving. So that makes sense. No? No. That’s, that’s, that’s,
[00:05:44] Scott: that’s 2000 percent a Christmas movie. It’s very
[00:05:46] Jenn: hard to find a movie that actually takes place on Thanksgiving. There’s a lot of like, when you think of like Christmas vacation, they’re cutting the turkey.
[00:05:53] But it’s Christmas day. They’re having a turkey for Christmas day, but it’s, it’s, I’m trying to think like what movie takes place on Thanksgiving.
[00:06:01] Scott: There’s not many, right? So there, there’s not many Thanksgiving, there’s, there’s lots of like holiday season esque ones that people probably watch around Thanksgiving.
[00:06:08] What’s that one that you like a family stone.
[00:06:11] Jenn: I like the family stone, but that’s also.
[00:06:14] What is a Christmas movie?
[00:06:14] Scott: Is that Christmas? Christmas. It’s totally Christmas. So Christmas is the typical one. Mm hmm. So, so we’re here to do, you know, to talk about that. So what goes into Christmas? What’s a Christmas movie?
[00:06:22] What’s a, what’s a Christmas movie? Or what’s a debatable Christmas movie?
[00:06:25] Jenn: Cause we, what movie are we going to watch tonight? And we’re still thinking of watching it.
[00:06:29] Scott: So we had, there was a couple that we had listed. Mm hmm. There was and now this one I would Lean more in the Thanksgiving you could watch it anywhere between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
[00:06:38] When Harry Met Sally
[00:06:38] Scott: And that was when Harry met Sally Yes So when Harry met Sally that kind of has Thanksgiving vibes But like the big crescendo scene when he confesses his feelings for hers, it’s obviously New Year’s Eve
[00:06:49] Jenn: Yeah, and I think that’s a more of a New Year’s Eve movie And
[00:06:53] Sleepless in Seattle
[00:06:53] Scott: I think so and the toss up for us tonight was either sleepless in Seattle Yes, cuz that is it’s not really a holiday movie, but it’s it’s a movie that you would watch around the holidays
[00:07:03] Jenn: What don’t they?
[00:07:04] They meet on the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day.
[00:07:07] Scott: It is, it is Valentine’s Day, but I don’t see that as a Valentine’s Day movie.
[00:07:10] Jenn: No.
[00:07:11] Scott: I see that as kind of like a fall, winter.
[00:07:14] Jenn: Is it Valentine’s Day or is it New Year’s Day? I don’t know. I can’t forget. I hadn’t seen it in a while.
[00:07:17] Scott: Yeah, we’ll have to look it up.
[00:07:18] . So it was either when Harry met Sally,
[00:07:20] Jenn: Sleepless
[00:07:22] Scott: in Seattle what was the third one?
[00:07:23] Jenn: While you were sleeping.
[00:07:24] Scott: While you were sleeping.
[00:07:25] Jenn: Which is definitely Christmas. Yeah. Yeah. Because he’s going to his family’s house or maybe it’s Thanksgiving, isn’t he?
[00:07:32] He’s going to his family’s house for Thanksgiving and falls on the track.
[00:07:34] Scott: See that one. I don’t know as
[00:07:35] Jenn: well. Or maybe it’s Christmas. I think it’s Christmas because they celebrate Christmas. So what’s a Christmas movie, right?
[00:07:40] Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
[00:07:40] Jenn: So I’ve Scott and I’ve been married 18 years. I lost this debate a long time ago that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
[00:07:47] Scott: And I think nationally, right? Please put in the comments if you think Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not. If you don’t think it’s a Christmas movie, I need your justification why. Because it happens on Christmas Eve. It has Christmas, Christmas themes all throughout. They’re at a Christmas party in the Nakatomi Plaza.
[00:08:06] Jenn: He writes ho ho ho. He writes ho ho ho
[00:08:08] Scott: on the bad guy’s shirt in blood. Right now I have guns. So it is absolutely a Christmas movie. I I feel like that argument has been put to rest. If you disagree, please, please comment.
[00:08:20] Lethal Weapon
[00:08:20] Jenn: But if that’s a Christmas movie, then like Lethal Weapon’s a Christmas movie.
[00:08:23] Scott: So I, so Lethal Weapon, I would put like, as like a Christmas movie because it starts on Christmas, but it doesn’t stay Christmas the entire time.
[00:08:33] Jenn: That’s true.
[00:08:34] Scott: So, so if you remember Lethal Weapon, if it’s been a little while, go back and watch them because
[00:08:39] Jenn: they’re awesome, classic.
[00:08:40] Scott: But I think like the opening scene is, is awesome. Rigs you know, depressed on Christmas.
[00:08:47] Jenn: No, we, and it’s the girl falling from the balcony, from the tower balcony.
[00:08:50] Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it’s a Christmas tree and stuff.
[00:08:52] Scott: Yeah.
[00:08:53] Jenn: And that’s, and I think it opens with jingle Bell Rock.
[00:08:56] Scott: Yeah, it does. So it, so it starts and they, it probably got released right around that time. I think that one is arguable because what we did last year is we had run through all of our Christmas movies and we’re like, you know what?
[00:09:06] We should have watched Lethal Weapon. Then we watched Lethal Weapon 1, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3. We watched them all.
[00:09:13] Jenn: So we, and I, I was thinking about what else takes place during Christmas.
[00:09:18] Batman Returns
[00:09:18] Jenn: You know what a movie takes place during Christmas? I forgot. It was Batman Returns.
[00:09:23] Scott: Like the Christian Bale one?
[00:09:24] Jenn: No, no, the one The second
[00:09:26] Scott: Michael Michael Keaton one? Yeah,
[00:09:27] Jenn: with Catwoman. It does. And Penguin.
[00:09:30] Scott: It does. That’s
[00:09:30] Jenn: Christmas.
[00:09:32] Scott: It is I So Again, again, I don’t, I wouldn’t say just because something happens at movies around Christmas makes it a Christmas movie, but that’s a good, that’s a good argument there.
[00:09:45] You could make that argument, but I wouldn’t say that there’s like the Christmas that they use the Christmas theme throughout.
[00:09:50] Jenn: No, but I mean, they like the Christmas tree. Remember, like that was a big thing there. Yeah, that’s, that’s
[00:09:54] Scott: what was happening around Gotham city.
[00:09:56] Gremlins
[00:09:56] Jenn: Well, gremlins,
[00:09:59] Scott: gremlins as a Christmas, he
[00:10:00] Jenn: buys the magui as a Christmas present.
[00:10:02] Oh my
[00:10:02] Scott: gosh. There’s so many. Yeah. Not Christmas movies.
[00:10:05] Jenn: So that’s like a, that’s a Christmas movie. Yeah. There’s so many movies, they, they use Christmas as part of the story.
[00:10:12] Scott: Yeah. And. Well, it’s an easy, you know, was it adventures of babysitting? No, that, that’s not Christmas. That’s not Christmas. That’s just an any day type thing.
[00:10:20] But they’re
[00:10:20] Jenn: going to a holiday party, but I think it’s just a work party.
[00:10:22] Scott: Alright, so what’s the next one on your list?
[00:10:24] Trading Places
[00:10:24] Jenn: So I was thinking trading places.
[00:10:26] Scott: Oh, yeah. Was that, was that Christmas or Thanksgiving?
[00:10:30] Jenn: It’s Christmas. Cause remember he’s just a sandwich. He puts all the food in it.
[00:10:34] Scott: That’s right. So if you haven’t seen trading places,
[00:10:38] Jenn: Dan Aykroyd
[00:10:40] Scott: and Eddie Murphy was an amazing comedy.
[00:10:44] That’s probably what mid eighties. Yeah. And it’s great.
[00:10:47] Jenn: It’s, it’s like a reversal of a fortune kind of thing.
[00:10:51] Scott: Yeah. Essentially doesn’t Eddie Murphy plays.
[00:10:54] Jenn: He’s like a bum,
[00:10:55] Scott: Yeah, I like almost homeless, you know, or just down on his luck or something.
[00:10:59] Jenn: Yes. And Dan Aykroyd is like this affluent Wall Street,
[00:11:03] Scott: yeah, brought up in the riches of rich trader.
[00:11:06] And they basically inadvertently kind of trade places with this
[00:11:09] Jenn: two old men. That’s right. They own the stock exchange and for fun, they like to mess with people’s lives.
[00:11:15] Scott: That’s right.
[00:11:15] Jenn: And they bet each other a dollar that they could take the guy off the street because they just see him and put him into the place of the rich stockbroker who works for them and make the stockbroker.
[00:11:26] They’re homeless. That’s right.
[00:11:27] Scott: And that’s the, they essentially, they orchestrate that and then the
[00:11:30] Jenn: guys figure out what’s happening. Hilarity
[00:11:32] Scott: ensues. And it’s, it’s hilarious.
[00:11:36] Jenn: So that’s absolutely. So
[00:11:38] Scott: I would like that movie, even though it happens around Christmas again, because it doesn’t have the Christmas themes in there, but I would absolutely say thanksgiving time is when I would probably watch that movie.
[00:11:49] Jenn: I would watch it. That could be a movie you could watch tonight.
[00:11:51] Scott: Yeah.
[00:11:52] Jenn: Cause I love those two old men.
[00:11:53] Scott: Such a good movie. They remind
[00:11:54] Jenn: me of Marley and Marley with my favorite characters from the Muppets Christmas Carol Marley and Marley. So
[00:12:03] Scott: trading places. That’s that’s a good one. I think that’s leans more Thanksgiving, but I think that’s in the, that’s a holiday season type.
[00:12:10] That’s a good one. Sure. What’s the next one?
[00:12:12] The Apartment
[00:12:12] Jenn: So the, the apartment, I don’t know if you ever saw the apartment. It’s a great movie with Jack lemon. It’s like one of his first movies. And it’s Shirley MacLaine. And it’s basically they’re both down on their luck. They have no one to hang out with no one to talk to.
[00:12:29] And they end up staying in the apartment all weekend and playing cards. And I mean, the performances are just I mean, I mean, they’re too awesome winners. 50
[00:12:38] Scott: 60s.
[00:12:39] Jenn: Yeah, I think it’s in the 50s.
[00:12:41] Scott: It’s called The Apartment. It’s called
[00:12:42] Jenn: The Apartment. And it’s a war. I mean, it won Oscars. Wow. Billy Wilder directed it.
[00:12:46] It’s one of my old movies. I know that you’re like, what?
[00:12:48] Scott: But. Yeah, yeah. I absolutely do not know the movie.
[00:12:50] Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
[00:12:50] Jenn: It’s fantastic. That takes place during Christmas. But we have some go to’s that we always watch at Christmas time. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
[00:12:56] Scott: So, so that one, when I say that to people, a lot of people, You either love it or you don’t really know about it.
[00:13:02] And I grew up loving, loving that movie. Yeah. Partly because my mom used to watch musicals all the time when I was a kid. And the other partly, you know, part because I was a gymnast, right? So I appreciated all the athletic dancing and they actually had gymnasts that were one, you know, a couple of the brothers and stuff like that.
[00:13:18] That’s one of my personal kind of top five. All time favorite movies ever.
[00:13:24] Jenn: Yeah, and I think it’s a great Christmas movie because they’re basically snowed in.
[00:13:28] Scott: Yeah.
[00:13:29] Jenn: And I think they’re snowed in from November to May, right? Cause it’s, it’s spring.
[00:13:35] Scott: Yeah, well I mean they’re what’s your name’s having a, having a baby.
[00:13:37] Yeah.
[00:13:38] Jenn: Yeah Millie. Yeah. So, It’s, it, I think you could probably watch it at Thanksgiving and all through Christmas if you wanted to. I mean, you can watch it anytime. We watch it anytime. We love Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and it’s a great family movie.
[00:13:49] Scott: Yeah.
[00:13:50] Jenn: It’s really fun. It’s, it’s a real it’s not PC.
[00:13:53] Scott: No, you could not make that movie anymore, especially like the opening song, Bless your
[00:13:57] Jenn: bless your beautiful hide,
[00:13:59] Scott: wherever you may be. I love that movie. And whenever I, I watch it again for the, my, my annual kind of watching of it, I ended up like singing that to myself for the next Two weeks. Oh,
[00:14:08] Jenn: he’s like heavenly eyes, but oh, that side
[00:14:11] Scott: is so funny.
[00:14:13] And so like you did, can you just couldn’t have those lyrics in a song nowadays? You know, pretty in, was it pretty in trim, but slim or something like that?
[00:14:21] Jenn: You’re pretty in trim, but slim. Heavenly eyes, but oh, that size.
[00:14:26] Scott: So, yeah, but, but that’s, that’s a phenomenal movie.
[00:14:29] Absolutely. Christmas movie.
[00:14:30] Recommending ‘Just Friends’ with a Caution
[00:14:30] Jenn: So there’s a movie that you and I love. Okay. We’ve gotten ourselves in trouble. Recommending it to people because we forget how crass it is. My gosh, but we love this movie and it’s a Christmas movie
[00:14:42] Scott: So this is just friends
[00:14:44] Jenn: So if you haven’t
[00:14:45] Scott: if you haven’t seen just friends fair warning if you like that kind of dumb Raunchy Ryan Reynolds kind of humor.
[00:14:54] You’ll love this movie. We love this movie. If you don’t Don’t watch it because you you won’t enjoy it and and we we figured that out the hard way one family Christmas When we recommended it to our entire family and we were laughing the entire time and everybody was awkwardly silent And so that was that was an awkward, you know, kind of hour and a half, but we We love that movie.
[00:15:18] Jenn: It’s, it’s crass and it’s it has a lot of innuendos. It has
[00:15:23] Scott: more than innuendos but I, the, the, probably what I love most about that movie is the, the relationship and the acting between Ryan Reynolds and his brother. His brother, yeah. In the movie. They just do a phenomenal job and they’re exactly like brothers would be.
[00:15:37] Yes. Just very fun Christmas movie. It’s absolutely a Christmas movie. It’s not really debatable. Yeah. But if you’ve never seen Just Friends and you like that kind of. I’ll call it lowball humor like we do, then you may, you may enjoy that.
[00:15:50] Jenn: Yeah. That’s a movie you and I always like.
[00:15:52] Debating ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ as a Christmas Movie
[00:15:52] Jenn: So I always watch Meet Me in St.
[00:15:55] Louis. You are not a fan of that.
[00:15:57] Scott: So you’re a big fan of Meet Me in St. Louis. And I think this kind of, this tickles your kind of history funny bone for you because I wouldn’t call this like your classic Christmas movie, but it is set around that time.
[00:16:09] Jenn: Yes. And she sings the song, have yourself a merry little Christmas.
[00:16:13] That’s
[00:16:13] Scott: what’s the actress’s name? It’s
[00:16:14] Jenn: Judy Garland. Yeah.
[00:16:15] Scott: Judy Garland. So it’s a, it’s a classic Judy Garland movie set in like night, like kind of world’s fair era, 19, 1904 ish, right around there. And it’s actually, it’s actually pretty, pretty well done movie and it’s if you like that era.
[00:16:29] Yeah. I would, I would actually recommend it for, for those folks who like this kind of movie. You know,
[00:16:33] Jenn: when I think about it, that movie actually transverses Halloween all the way to Christmas. That’s right. Cause they do the Halloween, they do the Halloween where they go out at night and they’re, they’re really bad.
[00:16:42] Yeah. So this is, this is
[00:16:43] Scott: I guess like what Halloween used to be. Yeah. Like they would actually go find things and burn them and burn them and kids would act really bad. Yeah.
[00:16:49] Jenn: Yeah. That was like. But I do Meet Me in St. Louis. I just love when she sings, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas at the end.
[00:16:55] It’s probably one of my favorite parts of the entire movie.
[00:16:58] Classic Christmas Movies: ‘Home Alone’
[00:16:58] Jenn: Another movie that’s probably not debatable, Home Alone.
[00:17:01] Scott: Yeah. Well, that’s, I mean, I think that is one of the classic Christmas movies. I don’t know what if, I don’t know if like professionals, you know, not us, we’re going to rate the top.
[00:17:14] Christmas movies of all time, but Home Alone would be probably top three.
[00:17:18] Jenn: Yeah. You know, it’s taking place before Christmas because his family ends up back in his house on Christmas.
[00:17:25] Scott: Yeah. But it’s, I mean, it’s a Christmas movie. It’s the whole theme, the whole everything. But
[00:17:28] Jenn: when you think about the time that it takes to get to Christmas and before
[00:17:33] Love Actually
[00:17:33] Jenn: Love Actually actually takes you out like five, five weeks before Christmas.
[00:17:37] Yeah.
[00:17:37] Scott: So Love Actually is, is, is, Again, I don’t think it’s debatable that that’s a Christmas movie. But I think that’s, I think it’s definitely like an anytime in December type, type movie. It’s almost Thanksgiving, but really I think because again, strong themes of Christmas the entire time and at the crescendo of the movie, the peak of the movie, right?
[00:17:58] Is Christmas. Then I think you classify that as a Christmas movie.
[00:18:01] Jenn: Yeah. But it has lead up. So you could watch it anytime really. Another one that we.
[00:18:08] The Holiday: A Modern Christmas Favorite
[00:18:08] Jenn: That I like is the holiday.
[00:18:10] Scott: So I don’t watch that one as much. I know. You always watch that one like after I go to bed or whatever.
[00:18:15] Jenn: And I think that’s,
[00:18:16] Scott: that’s a good one.
[00:18:17] It’s leading up to Christmas as well. Jude Black,
[00:18:19] Jenn: Jude Law. Yeah. It’s Cameron Diaz. Diaz.
[00:18:22] Scott: Yep.
[00:18:23] Jenn: And Kate Winslet. Yeah,
[00:18:24] Scott: yeah. It’s really good. That’s good. It’s good. I mean, I’ve, I’ve watched it, but you, you definitely, that’s a must watch for you every I think
[00:18:29] Jenn: that movie really brought into much more of the house swapping, but Airbnb ing kind of thing.
[00:18:33] Yeah, that’s
[00:18:34] Scott: kind of before that was, that was popular. And
[00:18:36] Jenn: then it became really popular after that. And then people going into two separate worlds, I guess, and then falling in love and it’s really great. And Jude Law looks really good in it. But they talk movies and that at one point he’s in the movie store with her and he’s pulling movies and he’s talking soundtracks.
[00:18:54] Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:18:54] Jenn: And how music can really change. So that,
[00:18:56] Scott: that was called The Holiday? Called The Holiday. The Holiday.
[00:18:59] Jenn: That’s a really good one.
[00:19:00] , oh of course your favorite Christmas movie of all time. I
[00:19:05] White Christmas: A Timeless Classic
[00:19:05] Scott: already said, oh yeah, White Christmas. White Christmas. That’s, that’s, that’s a, there’s no argument there for me. Yeah, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, it was just perfect, perfect movie.
[00:19:16] Jenn: But if you want to talk about history.
[00:19:18] Scott: Yeah, that
[00:19:19] Jenn: movie is based on World War two and then coming back and basically baby boomin Yeah, right so it’s all these couples get together and they they’re able to really have a career because everyone wants to be entertained and Forget about the war and how horrible it was and and then they meet women and
[00:19:39] Scott: yeah So, so, so I have some other debatable Christmas movies.
[00:19:44] Okay. What are you thinking? So, and the, we were talking about these.
[00:19:47] Debating ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ and Other Unconventional Picks
[00:19:47] Scott: So, A Nightmare Before Christmas. Yeah. I, I, I can never decide if that’s a Halloween movie or if that’s a Christmas movie. Now, because it has Christmas in the title and this whole thing is trying to make that land Christmas, but it still feels more like a Halloween movie to me.
[00:20:02] So, I don’t know. I don’t know. And I’d be curious if people who watch this video later, what do you guys think of A Nightmare Before Christmas?
[00:20:12] Jenn: People really love that movie. People love that
[00:20:14] Scott: movie. And so that was one, I think I just missed the whole wave of A Nightmare Before Christmas. Mm hmm.
[00:20:20] Because if you ever go to Disneyland in Southern California you know, at Halloween time or at, at Christmas time, they’re doing like the haunted house and that whole theme and like people, people love a night before, before Christmas. They love
[00:20:32] Is Edward Scissor Hands a Christmas Movie?
[00:20:32] Jenn: it. And so much so you know, what else I saw that was considered a Christmas movie is Edward Scissorhands.
[00:20:37] Scott: Oh.
[00:20:38] Jenn: In the same kind of genre. I, cause I think that takes place at Christmas time.
[00:20:42] Scott: See, Edward Scissorhands, I could almost, that’s right in the same time. I would almost call Edward Scissorhands more of a Christmas movie than some of the other ones. Than some of what were you talking about before Rocky IV or something like that?
[00:20:57] Jenn: Well, no, Rocky IV. So, I, well, you haven’t even brought that up yet.
[00:21:00] Rocky IV: A Christmas Movie?
[00:21:00] Jenn: Rocky IV is 100 percent a Christmas movie. I know you, you won the diehard debate. Rocky IV, the fight takes place on Christmas Day. It’s that’s the whole, the fight is on Christmas. That’s what he says in the press conference, remember?
[00:21:12] He’s it’s on Christmas. And everyone’s up, and he goes, that’s what I’ve been told. He’s fighting this fight based on what the Russians want, because.
[00:21:20] Scott: Yeah.
[00:21:20] Jenn: And it’s on Christmas Day.
[00:21:21] Scott: Again, I, I, I can accept the argument, but I don’t know if I agree. Because, again, throughout the movie, it’s not like it’s, it’s, The, the theme of Christmas is sprinkled throughout.
[00:21:34] It’s just, it happens on the, the fight happens on December 25th.
[00:21:38] Jenn: Yes.
[00:21:39] Scott: So, but I know you have very strong feelings about Rocky.
[00:21:41] Jenn: I love that movie. And Christmas. That’s the best soundtrack to work out to by far. And he trains in the snow.
[00:21:46] Scott: Yeah.
[00:21:47] Ghostbusters and Other Debatable Holiday Movies
[00:21:47] Scott: Now, another one you brought up that was a debatable holiday ish movie is Most people would call this a Halloween movie, but that’s Ghostbusters.
[00:21:55] Jenn: Ghostbusters. So that was another one that they said could be a Christmas movie.
[00:22:00] Scott: And it was interesting because we were talking about this, because when he has the party for all his like, People that are part of his tax. Yeah, the guy down the hall clients. I forget I forget his name
[00:22:11] Jenn: Rick Moranis his character.
[00:22:13] Yeah, but that’s that’s kind of like that’s like
[00:22:16] Scott: a holiday get together party And so so that you that you know, it could be debatable.
[00:22:23] Jenn: Yeah
[00:22:23] Scott: that that’s a Thanksgiving to To Christmas type type movie. Yeah. Miracle on 34th Street, 1947. 1000 percent Christmas movie.
[00:22:32] Jenn: But it could be, we talked, it could be a little Thanksgiving.
[00:22:34] Yep. Because it takes place on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Yeah. And then goes into Christmas.
[00:22:39] Scott: Yeah. So, and so Brad, Brad put that in the chat. Mm hmm. You know, about Miracle on 34th Street. That one, I think, cause we had talked about just before we started filming. That one’s absolutely Christmas. Yes.
[00:22:50] More Christmas than it is Thanksgiving just because it’s like all about Santa and and it’s all kind of everything’s focused on The kind of the Christmas themes and stuff like that.
[00:22:59] Jenn: Well, then of course this elf then well, of course, that’s a Christmas Yeah, that’s a
[00:23:03] Scott: Christmas. That’s that’s non debatable.
[00:23:05] A New Years Eve Movie
[00:23:05] Scott: I’m still torn on some of the ones we first mentioned Right when Harry met Sally. Mm hmm. I think when when Harry met Sally you could go almost You anywhere from even almost before it’s cause it’s a fall. I think of that, the movie cover, the movie cover, them standing with the orange trees behind them.
[00:23:23] Jenn: Good Thanksgiving,
[00:23:24] Scott: that kind of a Thanksgiving anywhere to New Year’s Eve. If I haven’t watched that by Christmas time, I’ll definitely watch that right around New Year’s Eve.
[00:23:32] Surprise John Wayne Western Christmas Movie
[00:23:32] Jenn: Yeah. And I was thinking like, what Western could be considered a Christmas movie. And if you’ve ever seen the three godfathers with John Wayne,
[00:23:40] Scott: no, I’ve never seen that.
[00:23:41] Jenn: It’s a John Ford movie. It’s a play on the three wise men. Oh, okay. Because they get a baby and they have to bring it to New Bethlehem. Oh, yeah. And before she dies, she makes the three men there, the godfathers of her baby. And they really, and one of the things she leaves is a Bible for the baby. And so that was
[00:23:58] Scott: a, what year did that come out?
[00:23:59] You said John Wayne?
[00:24:00] Jenn: It’s John Wayne. I don’t, I think it was in the sixties.
[00:24:02] Scott: You said the three horsemen? The three godfathers. The three godfathers. How interesting.
[00:24:06] Jenn: It’s a Western. It’s a very much a Western. I, if you know any other Christmas Westerns, I couldn’t think of any other Christmas Westerns.
[00:24:14] Scott: Yeah, that’s, I think that’s, that’s, that’d be a tricky one.
[00:24:17] I’d be curious to know what your guys thoughts are on debatable holiday movies, whether they’re Thanksgiving or Christmas or your thoughts on any of the movies that we’ve mentioned this evening.
[00:24:29] Wrapping Up: Favorite Christmas Movies and Final Thoughts
[00:24:29] Jenn: So my favorite movie of all time, a lot of people consider it a Christmas movie. It’s a Wonderful Life. Yeah. It’s my favorite movie Yeah.
[00:24:37] Scott: I mean, that’s, that’s, I don’t think there’s any argument that there, that’s a Christmas movie. Yeah. Yeah. There’s, there’s no argument there. There’s no. No. That’s a Christmas movie.
[00:24:44] Yeah. It’s any time movie.
[00:24:45] Jenn: It’s any time movie. Yeah. So. What are we gonna watch tonight?
[00:24:50] Scott: Oh gosh, only because you brought it up now. I want to watch trading places Movies so funny. It’s
[00:24:58] Jenn: so
[00:24:58] Scott: funny, but it’s so I’d say it’s either that or Or just, and like we had said before we started filming Sleepless in Seattle.
[00:25:06] Because we just haven’t watched it in a while. And there’s, and that’s surprisingly funny too, right? There’s the scene with Tom Hanks talking with, it’s like him and like the other couple. Yeah. And they start talking about some, some war scene. No, she’s
[00:25:19] Jenn: talking about an affair to remember. Yeah. She’s
[00:25:22] Scott: talking
[00:25:22] Jenn: about the Cary Gray, Debra Carr movie where Debra Carr gets they look at the, The top of the Empire State Building and she gets hit in the car accident and then she doesn’t tell.
[00:25:31] Yeah, but then she’s crying. Yeah. And so the men are like, they don’t feel that way about a movie. They’re like, we’ve never felt except for the Dirty Dozen. Remember the Dirty Dozen? And he throws the bomb down there and he’s stop, stop. And he’s So they’re trying to put like what women do when we remember a movie that really emotionally touches us.
[00:25:51] Scott: Tom Hanks is, is incredible in that because he strikes that kind of rom com, you know, balance that I think even guys enjoy, so.
[00:25:59] Jenn: I think it’s like the first one of his rom coms, because Sleepless in the Atom will open the door for You’ve Got Mail, and. Yeah. All these other movies
[00:26:07] Scott: you’ve got mail could be a Thanksgiving movie.
[00:26:09] Jenn: We have a whole month,
[00:26:10] Scott: we do have a whole month
[00:26:11] Jenn: to watch all these movies, which we usually do. We’re very busy.
[00:26:14] Good about it. But yeah, I would like to hear what you guys watch for Thanksgiving. I want to hear what people’s Thanksgiving Yeah,
[00:26:21] Scott: even if you guys watch this after the fact or if you’re listening to this please leave a comment. I want to know what you guys are watching for Thanksgiving, what you guys, your favorite movies are for that for Christmas, because maybe there’s some that we missed that we just haven’t seen and we didn’t talk about every single one, you know, Christmas movie out there.
[00:26:36] These are some of the more debatable ones and then obviously some of the very obvious uber classics.
[00:26:40] Jenn: Well, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving. Yep. Happy Thanksgiving.
[00:26:43] Scott: Happy holidays. And we’ll talk to you guys soon.
[00:26:46] Jenn: Yeah. Thank you. This has been a Walk With History production. Talk With History is created and hosted by me, Scott Bennie. Episode researched by Jennifer Bennie. Check out the show notes for links and references mentioned in this episode. Talk With History is supported by our fans at thehistoryroadtrip. com. Our eternal thanks to those providing funding to help keep us going.
[00:27:07] Scott: to Doug McLiverty, Larry Myers, and Patrick Bennie. Make sure you hit that follow button in your podcast player, and we’ll talk to you next time.