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EVERY DECEMBER, I watch two Christmas movies—movies I’ve been watching for as long as I can remember.
My favorite is A Christmas Carol, based on the novel by Charles Dickens. It’s about the mean and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge, a money lender who constantly bullies his poor clerk, Bob Cratchit, and rejects his nephew Fred’s wishes for a merry Christmas.
Scrooge lives only for money. He has no real friends or family, and cares only about his own well-being. As the story goes, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts. They teach him about the Christmas spirit through visions of Christmases past, present and future. In each visit, he sees either the negative consequences wrought by his miserly nature or the good tidings that others bring about through their love and kindness.
Scrooge sees his future—dying alone with no one to mourn him. He has his money and his possessions, yes, but nothing else. He finally understands why qualities like generosity and love are some of the most important things in life.
He’s grateful when he realizes he has a chance to redeem himself and change his future. This is the important message conveyed by Dickens. If Scrooge can change and improve his future, then anyone can.
Dickens reminds us that we still have a last chance to be remembered as we would wish. But we need to start living that way today, while we still have the opportunity to change the direction of our lives.
Seven years ago, after being packaged off by my employer at age 59, I once again watched the movie while suffering from a bad case of retirement shock. I started to think deeply about what I wanted my life to look like, and what I needed to do to get there. Similar to Scrooge, I went through a journey of self-discovery. I, too, wanted my life to have a happy ending.
I began to think about what changes I needed to make to be happy. What kind of person did I need to become? What did I want to do and accomplish in the years ahead? How could I make a difference in the lives of others?
Reinventing yourself is hard work. It takes time and a fair amount of persistence, yet the payoff can be enormous. In my case, it was life-changing. Today, I feel a little like Scrooge on Christmas morning.
My second-favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life from director Frank Capra. One thing I learned from becoming a writer is that it’s hard to gauge the impact my work has on others. Sometimes, during a bad patch, I start doubting myself and wonder if all the hard work is worth it.
That’s why I enjoy this movie so much. It’s about a man who gets to see what his town would have been like if he’d never been born. It’s much worse off without him.
The movie is a reminder of how important our efforts are and how we can positively affect someone without knowing it. After watching it, my faith in what I’m doing is restored. I get back to work with both determination and a smile on my face.
Watching these movies has turned into an annual form of self-assessment for me. They make me think deeply about what’s important in my life and what’s not. They hold key life lessons that I value, and they remind me why I do the things that I do.
Enjoyed your take on the films. I recently watched three versions of “A Christmas Carol,” including two I don’t remember seeing before. You can’t go too wrong with such a great story, but here are my thoughts on my favorite Scrooge. https://ronwayne.medium.com/who-is-your-favorite-scrooge-49a92c75364?sk=018e1bc17297ff4773d69c3650213d3a
My wife and I like the Patrick Stewart version. Check it out. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0216621/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_87_act
I’ve watched that version more than a few times in fact I can safely say I’ve seen them all!
Mike, I really enjoyed your article.
I would encourage you to write a follow-up article explaining how you reinvented yourself & what changes you made. It appears your retirement shock prompted some deep, self reflection. Merry Christmas!
Jim I wrote a whole book on my experience in “Retirement Heaven or Hell.”
Maybe one day someone will make it into a movie!
Thanks Mike for sharing this with us. I too am a big fan of both these movies and look forward to watching them every December, and usually more than once.
Your last paragraph hit the nail on the head as to how they affect many of us, including myself. Watching them is an annual reminder to be a better person and to give more of oneself.
I do remember the first time I saw It’s a
Wonderful Life. It was 1983 and my wife and I were dating. We were sitting on the couch and the movie was on PBS. I believe it had just been re-released. Once VCRs became available, my wife bought me the tape and I’ve watched it every year since. Now of course it’s usually aired on NBC on Christmas night but I watch it earlier in the season on Amazon Prime, red eyes and all.
There are several versions of A Christmas Carol and I usually watch as many as I can each season. My favorite is the George C Scott version which came out in the mid-80s and was solely sponsored by my employer, IBM. As a new employee, watching it then made me proud to be an ‘IBMer’. Today, I watch it for the message it sends. I’ve also come to enjoy the musical version which was entitled, Scrooge. One of the songs in the movie, Thank Ya very Much, comes to mind often and I sing it out loud. And lastly, for comedic relief, I will watch the Muppets version usually with my daughters who are now grown women.
Of course there are other annual Christmas favorites which date back to our childhood, such as Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. These shows have similar messages of redemption and ‘finding the true meaning of Christmas’, and I watch them annually usually with red eyes at the end.
Isn’t it funny that no matter how many times we watch it – it still has the same impact. They just don’t make movies like that anymore which is sad. I’m a fan of the George C Scott version as well.
“Remember, no man is a failure who has friends”
Your article is well paired with today’s article by Ron Wayne recommending joining a credit union, a financial institution who knows and cares about you and the community that it serves.
Merry Christmas, Bill
Merry Christmas to you as well Bill!
My wife and children have always looked forward to watching Meet Me in St. Louis together together every Christmas Eve. The movie’s father character (Alonzo, portrayed by the great Leon Ames) reminded me all-too-much of my own type-A father growing up, and I steadfastly avoided having to sit through this movie with my family every year.
My own father passed away on Christmas Eve about decade ago. When I returned home later in day after making his funeral arrangements, I found my wife and kids again watching the movie. I sat down for a just a moment, witnessing Judy Garland sing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. Filled with melancholy, I can recall just falling apart. Likewise, seeing Alonzo reverse courses (after realizing the negative impact the pursuit of career advancement was wreaking on his family), well – that part really “cut to the bone” with me in an instant. I had been working diligently to ascend the corporate ladder back then…and suddenly realized that my ladder was leaning on the wrong wall the entire time!
Dad had moved our family 5 times in 11 years during my formative years. Each move certainly provided financial rewards to the family, but not without with some collateral damage impacting a few of his twelve children. I resolved that Christmas not to let pursuing advancement at work become a higher priority than the continued happiness and harmony of the family that I was striving to provide for. A career change followed thereafter, where I joined the ranks of the self-employed. It was indeed the “road less traveled”, if you will…and that has made all the difference.
Movies can mean different things at different times in our lives. I’ve not missed watching Meet Me in St. Louis on Christmas Eve since my father’s passing. In my heart, I believe it was a subtle but timely message, delivered with haste from the hereafter – one that I needed to hear at just that moment.
Interesting to see how some movies cut to the bone. Like you I was consumed by my work and it was impacting my family and not in a good way. Luckily Robin Williams in the movie “Hook” woke me up before it was too late. I always watch that movie whenever it is on and even better I have learned to fly again!
I have watched It’s a Wonderful Life dozens of times and each time I promise myself that I won’t cry during the final scene.
FAILURE every single time to date.
I get emotional as well watching the endings. Not sure if it’s joy or sadness or a bit of both. Shame they don’t make movies like that anymore.
I would like to see a sequel to see how George’s life changes or stays the same the next few decades. But they’d probably ruin it!
Mike, thanks for a very enjoyable article. I share your affection for A Christmas Carol (especially the 1951 version with Alastair Sim!) and It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ve long had a simplistic theory that all great art is about redemption and transformation. Some of my favorite HD stories are about how the author has faced life’s challenges and taken charge of their story. Merry Christmas
Rick my vote is for the 1951 version as well. I’m going through a transformation during my retirement and giving back is playing a big role. It’s nice to feel like Scrooge on Christmas morning and I love turkey!
Oh my! A Christmas Story is not on your list, Mike? You must not be old enough to appreciate the genius of Gene Shepard as he recounts middle class and middle America.
There are no deep life lessons, but it’s like looking through a time warp for many of us and really zeros in on family roles and society views in the 1940s-50s at least as we like to remember it.
Until recently (actually I think it was after reading your recent article mentioning the movie) I hadn’t realized that A Christmas Story was part of a larger arc of movies called the Parker Family Saga based on the 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.
I am not sure how familiar you are with the other movies or the book, but for you (and others) who like the movie, they might be something to investigate.
I’m a little too young to remember the 40s and 50s, but in the 60s we were all told to avoid risky behavior or “we were going to put somebody’s eye out”.
“Christmas in Connecticut” for me. I swoon over Barbara Stanwyck.
George Bailey was a great guy! Potter, not so much! Thanks for sharing, good stuff.
Thanks for a very thoughtful and seasonally appropriate article. It was a pleasant read with a good message.
Thank you. We need to focus on what’s really important rather than what’s not.