W hy A ren ’ t T here A ny N ew C hristmas C lassics ? A Few Theories and Exceptions
What are your favorite Christmas movies? Many people swear by “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Christmas Story.” Maybe you really like the old Rankin- Bass stop motion movies. Whatever the case, the Christmas movies in the pantheon of classic holiday film fare all have one thing in common: None of them were made recently. The most recent Christmas movie that could be called a classic is “Elf,” and that came out in 2003 — 16 years ago. So, what gives? Why haven’t studios been able to recapture the magic of Christmas as well as they could before the turn of the century? There’s no concrete answer, but there are a few convincing theories. The first is that the hopeful themes of holiday movies don’t mix with the realism of so many of Hollywood’s critical darlings — try as some studios might to mix them. Many more recent Christmas Happy Holidays from Hamilton Insurance Group
movies, such as “Office Christmas Party,” “Christmas with the Kranks,” or “Deck the Halls” try to bring the lofty morals of Christmas down to earth, but almost none have succeeded with critics or audiences. “Bad Santa” is a notable exception, scoring well with critics and audiences, but it’s hardly a rule. Another possible reason is that filmmakers just haven’t found a way to make a fresh, exciting Christmas story. The visual spectacle of Tom Hanks’ “The Polar Express” in 2004 or Jim Carrey’s “A Christmas Carol” brought in crowds at the box office, but both were retellings of well-known Christmas stories rather than something new. Neither movie scored well with critics, and neither have stood the test of time. Once again, however, there is one notable exception to this theory from the post-“Elf” era. “Arthur Christmas,” an
animated Christmas adventure story about Santa’s son delivering a forgotten toy to a little girl, was an original holiday tale that scored well with critics and audiences. But for some reason, this movie seems to have been lost to time in just eight short years. The group of movies that make up the genre of “Christmas classics,” or “holiday favorites,” is an exclusive club that spans decades. Just because a “good one” hasn’t come out in a while doesn’t mean there aren’t more to come. But for now, I guess it’s time to kick back with “Christmas Vacation” or “The Santa Clause,” just like every year.
C lassic R oast C hicken
Inspired by Ina Garten
INGREDIENTS
• 1 chicken, approx. 5–6 lbs • Kosher salt • Freshly ground pepper • 1 large bunch fresh thyme, 20 sprigs removed • 1 lemon, halved • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • Olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse chicken inside and out, removing giblets if included. Move to a work surface, pat dry, and liberally season with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with thyme bunch, lemon halves, and garlic head. Brush outside with butter, and then season again. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen string. 3. Meanwhile, in a roasting pan, toss onions and carrots in olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and 20 sprigs of thyme. 4. Place the chicken on the vegetables and roast for 1 1/2 hours. 5. Remove from oven, and let stand for 20 minutes covered with foil. 6. Slice and serve with the vegetables. 3 770-744-1855
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