Dear Jewish girls, the following article is made for you!
I absolutely adore the holiday time. You’ll always catch me bulking up on seasonal Starbucks drinks and burying myself in layers to enjoy Florida’s winter heat. What I don’t adore, oddly enough, are the holiday movies. No offense to die-hard Christmas movie-watchers, but I can’t relate to classics like It’s a Wonderful Life. I should note that my Jewish heritage is probably to blame for this. Growing up, I never woke up to presents under the tree nor have I ever had a tree to begin with. Though I remain proud of my background, it often had me feeling left out; the last thing I wanted was to watch that all play out on screen, too. Still, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the art of a good, seasonal film. Until Hollywood decides to release any Hanukkah classics, what better a way to capture the seasonal spirit than just that: a winter movie. Here are my top picks this December.
Cloud 9
This first one goes out to all the Disney girls at heart. Disney Channel original movies are arguably the best film genre, and Cloud 9 does not tarnish that reputation. This film, released in 2014, stars Dove Cameron and Luke Benward as love interests (What more could you want?). Kalya Morgan (Cameron) is a snobby, star snowboarder who discovers that all her championed accomplishments have been rigged. To make up for breaking one of Summit Valley’s billboards, she’s forced to volunteer at a dog shelter with Will Cloud (Benward). Will is a former snowboarder himself who got injured while attempting to pull off a move he called “The Cloud 9.” Will help Kayla become a better athlete, for real this time. In the process, they fall for one another, creating the perfect winter romance story. It’s like a Hallmark original minus the Christmas. If that’s not enough, Cameron and Benward teamed up for an absolute banger of a song, “Cloud 9” that will surely not disappoint.
The Last Holiday
I know how it sounds, but trust me, this is not your typical holiday movie. For starters, this film, starring Queen Latifah and LL Cool J, fails to mention Christmas at all. In fact, the only holiday that’s featured is New Year’s Eve, and even then, it’s barely part of the plot. In the film, Latifah’s character Georgia Byrd, is told that she has a rare, terminal brain condition. With the news that she has only a few, short weeks to live, she spends every cent of her money on a lavish vacation to the Czech Republic. Georgia is normally an introvert at heart, but the ticking clock of life forces her to break from her shell, and ultimately, embrace love. The 2006 film is criminally underrated and a must-watch this holiday season.
Misery
Yes, winter is a time for swoony romances. But it’s also the perfect time for cold-hearted horror, figuratively speaking. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Misery follows a popular author, Paul Sheldon, as he’s rescued by fan Annie Wilkes during a monster blizzard. As it turns out, Annie is an OG fangirl who holds Paul captive because of his choice to kill off a main character, Misery, from his book series. With a star cast of James Caan, as Paul, and Kathy Bates, as Annie, this is a prime choice for thriller audiences. It’s different, to say the least, from the other picks on this list, but it’s a pleasantly gory change of pace.
Edward Scissorhands
Johnny Depp’s performance in this Tim Burton classic is so chilling, it puts me in the perfect winter mood. Edward, played by Depp, is a lab-produced human with scissors for hands. Left abandoned in a mansion on a snowy hilltop, he remains a hermit until suburban mom Peg brings him home. The entire town is intrigued by his existence, but he soon fits in after using his scissor hands to craft and cut bushes in the neighbor’s gardens. All the while, Edward finds himself intrigued by Peg’s daughter Kim, played by Winona Ryder. The score is quaint and could easily be found in your Christmas movie favorites. This 1990 budding romance story gets you ready for the season, and you can revel in the beauty of young Johnny Depp while you’re at it.
I, Tonya
Margot Robbie as Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding is icy and unforgiving. We all know the scandal between her and Nancy Kerrigan, but this 2018 drama tells a different side of the story: Tonya’s side. It could be the plentiful scenes of the skaters on the ice, or the raw, cold emotion from Robbie during this viral clip, but the movie just feels like winter. It’s realistic and honest, just like this season. Tonya has her wins, but she also has harrowing defeats. I, Tonya isn’t the cheeriest of ways to kick off the season, but it is certainly a go-to pick for when things don’t go your way this winter.
Mirror, Mirror
Too many people let this Lily Collins and Julia Roberts mashup pass them by. Though the plot is almost entirely the same as the 1937 animated original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this more modern film is action-packed and full of crystal, snowy scenes. Plus, composer Alan Menken (known for his work on “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”) produced much of the score for Mirror, Mirror. It’s not a musical, but there is one song at the end, “I Believe in Love” where Collin’s vocals really shine.
Honorable mention: All Too Well: The Short Film
Seasonal depression, anyone? Taylor Swift’s debut short film for her song “All Too Well” is pure genius. Sadie Sink portrays a young Swift and Dylan O’Brien plays the internet’s most hated man alive, Jake Gyllenhaal. To be fair, that part is rumored, but still, Sink and O’Brien’s acting is all too real. Set in late autumn, the short tells the story of Swift’s relationship with Gyllenhaal. As the film progresses, and the two separate, things get much colder. I don’t care what anyone says, an alleged Gyllenhaal in the infamous red scarf out in the snow is so numbing, it hurts.
Soul
As we wrap up the year, it is crucial that you do some soul-searching with this movie. In this 2020 Pixar hit, Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner, a middle-school band substitute who finally gets his big break as a musician: to play with one of his jazz heroes. So excited from the news, Joe rushes through the streets of New York when, suddenly, his break is cut short. He dies. Desperate to skip the afterlife and get back to Earth, he learns what his true purpose is. Admittingly, this movie has nothing to do with the cold at all. But despite “Soul” being an animation, this movie cuts deep. It’s prosaic and aspirational and lonely all at once. It’s a must-see before 2022. What’s winter without a mini-identity crisis, anyway?