Holiday films are supposed to make us feel better. They usually end with the main characters eventually basking in the warmth of friends and family and reminding us that this is what it is all about. But what kind of Christmas would the solitary souls of cinema enjoy?
Ethan Edwards ("The Searchers")
What kind of holiday would Ethan enjoy? I seriously doubt he'd really enjoy an old fashioned rum punch with his family, even after Debbie returned home. After a morning of scorching a Comanche village or two, he might top the day off with a few swigs of Chain Lighting (a furniture varnish flavored whiskey favored in western saloons) and a meditative stare into Monument Valley.
Jay Gatsby ("The Great Gatsby")
Since Gatsby is destined not to spend his holidays with Daisy, he might throw a raucous party at his elegant/vulgar estate. All of his "friends" would be there, but in his soul he alone because she - Daisy - his true love - is not there. His loneliness is a prison among a crowd. He stares at the green light atop his tree.
Catherine Sloper ("The Heiress")
Oh, pity the poor lonely spinster! But don't pity Catherine. She found out that Morris was a gold digger before it was too late, her hateful father is dead as a door nail and she has Daddy's fortune. No, once she finishes her tapestry she is off to Paris to kick up her heels. But Catherine will always keep her own council and walk her own solitary path, even if she takes a mate. I predict she will invent the pre-nup.
The Tramp ("The Circus")
The Tramp has always been a solitary soul. Yes, he ended "The Kid" with a warm welcome from mother and son, and he did whoop it up (in his imagination) on New Year's Eve with those dance hall girls from "The Gold Rush," but "The Circus" finds him alone again. Christmas is a melancholy time for the little fellow, a time of sentimentality. But, the Tramp is an observer, never really a participant. His heart is great, but he is, in the end, meant to be alone, free to move on, free to find more beauty in this mixed up world.
Whether you are alone or in a crowd, make sure you taste the eggnog and look for the beauty in life. And for goodness sake, put some rum in it!
11 comments:
It would be nice to think that Catherine Sloper is off to Paris to have some fun.
What a unique and fun take on Christmas movies! But I would expect nothing less from the Chick ... Merry Christmas, my dear friend!
Patricia - I sure hope Catherine learned how to have fun. I think she had it in her. And god hope those who cross her!
Hey Becky - Merry Christmas to you, too. I had to restrain myself from writing about my encounter with my private secret Santa - Cary Grant!
My first thought went to the the Tramp in "The Circus". Sigh. Sad to think it is so, but there it is.
I'll raise a toast to those lonely souls.
A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.
This well-reasoned and entertaining consideration of how cinema's solitary souls might make merry, or not-so-merry, gives me just the pick-me-up I need this time of year (by the time Christmas arrives I usually feel like guzzling eggnog a la Chevy Chase).
Happy holidays to you, my friend!
CW - you are a sensitive soul! Thank you for the well wishes and the very same to you and yours.
Patty - oh, so glad you stopped by! Hit the eggnog without guilt and have a wonderful holiday!
Insightful, sensitive and smart post. Happy Holidays, to the Chick of the Flicks extraordinaire!
Best wishes, hugs and kisses to you, dear Inge!
I LOVE the thought of Catherine (from The Heiress) going to Paris to live it up. She deserves it.
Happy Holiday to you and yours! :)
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