I have come across some good entertainment this year that I want to remember and share, and since I am here on the couch with a head cold, I will tell you about some of them.
Are you a fan of A Christmas Carol? I am! I watch the Alastair Sim version of the movie (1951) each year. This year, I tried for the first time the George C. Scott version (1984), which was also good. I didn’t like the ghosts as well, but I really liked Roger Rees’s performance of his nephew Fred. Scott’s performance of Scrooge is understated and believable.
Other films I have enjoyed this year:
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. I liked that the film showed the backstory of the characters and neighborhood better than the original film version. I loved the dancing and the colors. Maria was perfect. Riff was tragic and raw.
Amazon’s Rings of Power series. Richard and I loved it. I had to close my eyes to the violence of episode 6, but other than that, this is our favorite series of the year. The writing is excellent, and we liked so many of the characters. I am a Tolkien fan, and I think this series is a worthy tribute to his work. I won’t give spoilers, but as part of a mythology full of Christian themes, this is good at showing how the Deceiver operates.
PBS Masterpiece’s All Creatures Great and Small, Series 2. I have read the books and enjoyed them. I am a fan of the original 1978 PBS series with Robert Hardy and Peter Davidson, so it took some time to get to know and love the new cast. Mrs. Hall is my favorite. I remember now that I have mentioned this before on the blog, that the sets are magnificent. Skeldale house is a jewel box in this new version, and I could spend a lot of time studying all the objects in the rooms. The wall colors, the little details, such as Tricky Woo’s chaise, the art, and the kitchen are beautiful. The actor who plays James Herriot is young, believable, and likeable.
The Chosen, Series 2. I like how it shows that Jesus had mortal struggles, including his labor to bring His doctrine into words that people could understand. I don’t love his disciples sometimes. But that is a lesson, too. He uses imperfect people to help spread His word. A favorite episode is the one where Jesus heals the man who sits at the pool of Bethesda. The conversation they have is profound. I also like watching how each disciple decides to follow Him. I don’t love everything, but I like the series enough to recommend it.
Top Gun Maverick. We loved it. All of us. Tom Cruise is able to parody his character, which helped me like him. The movie has all the elements that people like.
We have a strict canon of Christmas films, but we have introduced a few new films to that canon in recent years:
Disney’s Snowball Express. This is not really Christmasy, but my friend Charlene K gave this to our family a few years ago and told us this was a beloved family tradition, and now it is one of ours. Harry Morgan delivers some of the best comedy. We just laugh and laugh. I am giving it to each of my siblings over the next few years of gift exchanges, it is that fun. I think it can be viewed on Disney Plus.
The Man Who Invented Christmas. This is the story of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. The characters of the book assemble in his study and interact with him as he creates their stories. Scrooge is played by Christopher Plummer, so this is excellent.
The Christmas Card (Hallmark 2006). This is a warm hug, and I have been known to watch it midyear, as needed.
This is probably getting old, so here are just a few more (non-Christmas) movies we liked.
The Woman in Gold (Netflix) for art lovers
The Boy who Harnessed the Wind (Netflix) for the acting
Fisherman’s Friends (Amazon Prime) if you want to see the underdogs of music win.