As a little girl I loved watching and reading all of Walt Disney’s adaptions to the Fairy Tale Worlds.  From lady and the Tramp to, Cinderella. However The first story that had filled my heart then and now into adult hood would be, Peter Pan.
I was amazed with the boy who never wanted to grow up.  His wild adventure’s and the hint of something a little more then make-Believe between him and Wendy Darling.
Now Much older as all children except peter pan actually do grow up, I still love to read and watch peter Pan with my own son.
Peter’s concept of never wanting to grow up, may not be as far fetched as one may think. Never land is the land of Make believe, which can be found in the mind of children. Children often visit never land, as they are young.  We adults who have grown up forget Never land, focusing on raising our own children. The story of Peter Pan,  however when read or watched no matter what the story version reminds us adults of that time.
We are reminded of the many adventures we had growing up, in the land of make believe.

Though Peter Pan is a ignorant cocky boy who never wants to grow up, the concept to me is this, Every child has to grow up though why do we have to forget?

As adults we sometimes use our old memories of never land to create something magical for our children, we hep create their never land, so why can we ourselves not feel the magic.

Peter Pan tends to remind me, to think like a child sometimes, that’s why I love to read.
When you read your using Neverland to create what you read inside your head, it can be more entertaining then a movie because you can make it look however you want.

Have you watched a Peter Pan movie lately? Have you read any Peter Pan stories? Have you ever read the original version of Peter Pan?
Say to your self now ” I do, I do, I do believe in fairies.”  The warmth you feel is Never land coming back to you if only for a little while.

Every child has to grow up, but every child does not have to forget, and the story of Peter Pan awakens that in us.

Remember if you believe in sequels even Peter Pan Grew up.

Santa Claus: The Movie, 1985

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(David Huddleston, Dudley Moore, John Lithgow)

I can’t for the life of me understand why this movie gets so much criticism! I love it! I’ve loved it since the first time I saw it in the cinema in 1985. The two most amazing things about this movie are, for me, the soundtrack and the design.

Soundtrack

Not only is the original score for this movie (written by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse) absolutely fabulous (just listen to it during the “Seasons Greetings” scene, and again when they’re feeding the reindeer before their first flight!) but some of the original songs are just stunning. It features tracks by Aled Jones – “Every Christmas Eve” and Sheena Easton – “It’s Christmas All Over the World Tonight” and has a great jingle during Patch the elf’s TV ad. My favourite, though, has to be the arrangement of the carols played during the montage of Christmas through the centuries. Nothing makes me feel more Christmassy than that piece of music. It’s just beautiful.

Design

This movie made me want to become a costume designer! The bright colours and the cool designs, as well as the absolutely perfect Santa Claus outfit, just took my breath away as a child. I still love them even now. Then there’s the image of the village at the North Pole, as well as all the buildings and rooms. The production designer was Anthony Pratt and he and the Art Department, and Set Decorator, Stephanie McMillan, did a fabulous job. The scenes of the sleigh flying and landing are still the best ones I’ve ever scene in a Christmas movie – maybe not technically, as technology has moved on since 1985 – but in terms of reaching inside my head and putting my imagination on screen? Definitely.

Anything Else?

How can I not mention the wonderful late Dudley Moore and the great comedic talents of John Lithgow? These two actors alone make the film worth watching and turn the perhaps slightly plodding script into a magical story. In my opinion, this Hollywood version of the history of Santa and his adventures is definitely one to watch on a cold winter’s evening, in the glow of the fire and the fairy lights.

The Santa Clause, 1994

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 (Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, David Krumholtz)

This movie is fast on its way to becoming a classic. I’ve seen it every year since its release and it still makes me laugh out loud, especially the beard that won’t go away! Again with this movie, as with most Christmas movies, it’s the design and the soundtrack that really appeal to me, although this one has the added appeal of an absolutely hilarious script and an A1 cast.

Soundtrack

Well, let’s start with the most beautiful version of “Carol of the Bells” that I’ve ever heard, performed by the American Boys’ Choir. On top of that, the soundtrack is crammed full of classics such as The Drifters’ “White Christmas” and ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, plus, if that isn’t enough, then the incidental music by Michael Convertino will delight and enchant you. This is one of those soundtracks that you can play all by itself without the movie!

Design

I’m a sucker for a good Santa’s sleigh and the one in this movie is one of the best! As for the reindeer – if you thought the ones in “Santa Claus: The Movie” were adorable, just wait until you meet these. In 1994, animatronics were starting to go places and these critters took full advantage of it. Then there’s Santa’s Workshop, complete with toy train and – my favourite – the doors to Santa’s bedroom with the smaller door built in for the Elves!!!

Anything Else?

Yes! As mentioned earlier, this movie is funny! Laugh out loud funny. Look out for the scenes where Scott has to pop down pipes instead of chimneys and when his heartbeat begins to play a very well-known Christmas song! The fact that this movie stars the adorable Judge Reinhold and the lovely David Krumholtz alongside Tim Allen at his hilarious best, only serves to enhance the fun and frolics served up in this festive treat of a movie. This one usually has to fight with the next one in the list for the privilege of “Saturday Before Christmas” viewing!

The Muppet Christmas Carol, 1992

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(Michael Caine, Kermit the Frog et al)

Any movie with a Muppet in it is a movie worth watching and this one has to be the best!!! A stellar human cast interacts wonderfully with the best puppets ever created, to bring a whole new twist to Dickens’ beloved Christmas tale. Kermit as Bob Cratchitt and Miss Piggy as Mrs Cratchitt has to be a dream come true for all Muppet “shippers, and the rest of the zany creatures also inhabit their Dickensian characters perfectly.

Soundtrack

Oh, yes – there”s oodles of Muppet sing-a-long fun to be had with this! The soundtrack consists of a hamper of original songs, all of which have the ability to root themselves deep into your subconscious on first hearing, meaning you will never need a lyrics sheet because they will always be with you! With the exception of the traditional carols used in the movie, the score and soundtrack were composed by Miles Goodman and Paul Williams. Highlights include “Scrooge” (“There goes Mr. Humbug, there goes Mr. Grim…”), “It Feels Like Christmas” and “A Thankful Heart” – also sung with gusto and enthusiasm by our lovely Muppet friends, and a pretty good effort from Mr. Caine too!

Design

The opening shots, during the overture, of the snow-covered rooftops of Dickensian London, slightly skewed in the usual whimsical Muppet manner, are completely charming. The costumes, by Ann Hollowood and Polly Smith, are brightly coloured and beautifully designed (a bit like the Muppets themselves, really!) and the narrow, snowy streets are a delight. It never ceases to amaze me how well the sets work, interior and exterior, in Muppet movies to allow us to suspend disbelief by hiding the mechanisms of the Muppets from us.

Anything Else?

There are some wonderful set pieces in this movie, such as the one where the Bookkeepers are closing up Scrooge’s shop for Christmas. As usual with the Muppets, there is hilarious slapstick comedy, combined with a sharp and witty script that makes the movie fun for all ages. Finally, there is my favourite scene, where the Bookkeepers (rats) have made Bob Cratchitt (Kermit) ask Scrooge for more coal because they’re cold. After Scrooge yells at them and threatens them with unemployment, the next scene is of the rats dressed in grass skirts and garlands, hula dancing and singing, “This is our island in the sun!” I still find this scene screamingly funny, even after all these years. If your kids have never seen the Muppets before, this is a fantastic way to introduce them to a bunch of characters who have become part of American and British culture. Don’t let them grow up without Kermit!

Call Me Claus, 2001

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(Whoopi Goldberg, Nigel Hawthorne)

You might not think the idea of a black woman as Santa Claus would work, but in this movie it actually does. The way the story unfolds means that, by the end, you believe that Whoopi could be Santa! Whoopi is her usual sharp-witted, hilarious self as grumpy TV executive Lucy Cullins, who is in need of a good dose of Christmas spirit. She fights her ultimate fate as the next Santa every step of the way, but is finally won over by childhood memories, her family, the twinkling existing Santa (Nigel Hawthorne) and, of course, her deep-seated desire to be happy at Christmas.

Soundtrack

Garth Brooks and more Garth Brooks on this one, but it’s a soundtrack worth listening to. It includes Garth’s cover of “Zat you, Santa Claus?” as well as new tracks such as the title track, “Call Me Claus” and a gospel hymn, “Ready for Jesus”. Other tracks are also from Garth’s “The Magic of Christmas” album.

Design

The best thing about the design of the whole movie has to be Whoopi’s Santa costume at the end, complete with white dreadlocks. It’s brilliant! This movie also does a good job with the sleigh and reindeer, which has become something I really look out for in a Christmas movie! They do a pretty good job with Santa’s home at the North Pole, too.

Anything Else?

I find this movie a rollicking good laugh all the way through. If you’re a fan of Whoopi’s, you’ll love her wisecracks and her putdowns, and if you like feel-good movies, you’ll enjoy the ending.

Home Alone 2 – Lost In New York, 1992

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(Macauley Culkin, Tim Curry)

This one is a must for my dad and I to watch together at Christmas. It’s guaranteed to have us rolling on the floor in stitches at Kevin McAllister’s maltreatment of the luckless burglars who are still out for revenge after being busted by Kevin years earlier. In this movie, Kevin gets separated from his family at the airport and ends up on the wrong plane. Fortunately for him, he was holding his ticket and some of his dad’s things before they got separated so when he lands in New York, it’s no trouble for Kevin to lie his way into the Plaza Hotel and start living it up at his dad’s expense!

Soundtrack

This movie has a super-cool soundtrack which includes old favourites such as Johnny Mathis’ “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. There are original songs written by Leslie Bricusse and John Williams and instrumental pieces also written by John Williams. Other enjoyable tracks include “Jingle Bell Rock” performed by Bobby Helms, “A Holly Jolly Christmas” performed by Alan Jackson and “All Alone on Christmas” performed by Darlene Love.

Design

One of my favourite parts of the movie is when Kevin visits the toy shop in New York. Although the actual store, “Duncan’s Toy Chest” does not exist, it is based on the FAO Schwartz store in New York and the interior is fabulous. Another part of the movie, which I’m going to list under “Design”, is the planning of all the hilarious booby traps which Kevin sets for the burglars. Although it’s obvious that if these kinds of things really happened to people, they would be killed, some of the traps are ingenious and side-splitting, not to mention eye-watering!

Anything Else?

This movie has the good fortune to star the excellent Tim Curry as the obsequious hotel manager who also fairs badly at Kevin’s hands. The scene where Kevin pretends to be his father with a gun, terrifying the manager so much that he crawls out of the room on his hands and knees is one of the funniest in the movie. In fact, this whole film is a work of genius and to my mind is infinitely better than the first one!

So there they are. The five movies that my family and I watch during the run up to Christmas. Occasionally, others in our list of favourite movies make the final cut including “A Wonderful Life”, several other versions of Scrooge such as the 1970s musical version with Albert Finney and the 1950s version with Alastair Sim and the other two “Santa Clause” movies. Making the watching of a special movie into a tradition at Christmas is something I think everyone should do, so hopefully I’ve given you some ideas of which movies would work for you. Enjoy!

The Truman Show (1998)

Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Natascha McElhone

This is the story of Truman Burbank (Carrey) who lives an idyllic existence, completely unaware that his every move is filmed and beamed across the globe 24/7 in a bizarre “Big Brother” style TV show. The starting point of the story is another normal day for Truman and his friends, colleagues and neighbors who, unbeknown to Truman, are actors. Now, I don’t know about you, but I always thought the actors were a little worse off than Truman because they’d given up their normal lives for this, whereas Truman didn’t know any different.

It isn’t long before things begin to unravel and Truman begins to break out of his shell a little. He begins to want more from life and this causes no end of problems for the actors, crew and producers of the show as Truman begins to deviate from his usual routines and have flashbacks about his father and an old friend. Truman becomes suspicious when he can’t leave the island where his fictional town is built and finally makes a desperate bid for freedom. You will be crying and cheering along with the audience of the “show within a movie”, as you watch him finally turn the tables on those who have manipulated his whole life for their own ends. This is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favourite movies. If you haven’t seen it, rent it, and if you have seen it, maybe it’s time for a re-watch.

Babycakes (1989)

Starring: Ricki Lake, Craig Sheffer

I love this movie because of its central theme – that love is about personality, not looks. It’s about a young woman, Grace, (Ricki Lake) who is, quite simply, fat. The good thing about the character is that she does not see this as a problem, unlike several other characters in the film. She’s a pleasant, outgoing girl who enjoys her life and does not see her weight as a barrier to anything.

One day, whilst traveling home from work on the underground, she sees one of the underground workers, Rob, (Craig Sheffer) and falls in love. She sets in motion a plan to make Rob fall for her, which includes accidentally on purpose taking his skates to wangle an introduction. As the movie goes on, we see Rob beginning to enjoy Grace’s company more and more and they become friends. Everything comes to a head when Rob’s stuffy girlfriend catches them at a New Year’s Eve party and tears into Grace, publicly humiliating her. Of course, there’s a happy ending and Grace finally gets her man, but for me the movie is about not giving up and believing in yourself as a person. There’s a lesson in this movie for everyone!

Curly Sue (1991)

Starring: Jim Belushi, Kelly Lynch, Alisan Porter

Well, this movie has Jim Belushi in it, which is always a good start and it’s set at Christmas-time which is another plus for a feel-good movie. It’s the story of Bill Dancer (Belushi) and the little girl who may or may not be his daughter, Sue (Porter). A couple of drifters, they earn a living pulling harmless scams, until one day one of their scams backfires and they end up staying with rich, corporate lawyer, Grey Ellison (Lynch). This movie is a John Hughes comedy and chronicles the story of how the pair of down-at-heel drifters wins the heart of the lawyer, warming it in the process, with hilarious moments like the cinema scene and the scene where Grey’s boyfriend unwittingly walks into Sue’s bedroom – one of the funniest movie scenes I have ever seen! Heartwarming and touching, without being overly-sentimental, you will still have tears in your eyes towards the end and find yourself hoping for the happy ending that may or may not happen…

Evan Almighty (2007)

Starring: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman

The story of a man who is instructed by God to build another Noah’s Ark. Poor Evan – nobody believes him and everybody thinks he is losing his mind, including Evan himself. Matters aren’t helped when God lets his sense of humour get the better of him and actually begins turning Evan into Noah, complete with long white hair and beard and biblical robes that Evan can’t change out of even when he wants to! The feel-good factor in this movie comes from finding yourself wanting Evan to be proved right and the nasty politicians to be proved wrong. Highlights include the scene with the fish tank and the breathtaking visual effects of the flood itself. Watch this movie and challenge yourself not to want to help Evan build his Ark!

Bicentennial Man (1999)

Starring: Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Oliver Platt

The story of a robot (Williams) who wants to become human. Set in the future and based on a short story by Sci-Fi author, Isaac Asimov, this movie chronicles the 200-year journey of an Android in search of his own humanity. Andrew is an unusual android who has feelings and emotions and he becomes attached to the daughter of the house, Amanda. He leaves a happy family life to find himself and faces a lonely existence until, with the help of a scientist, he finally becomes happy with his lot and returns to his family to seek out the woman he loved.

In a bittersweet twist, Andrew discovers that the years have passed almost unnoticed and that Amanda has grown old and has a daughter, Portia, whom Andrew becomes attached to. Love conquers all is the overriding theme in this movie and if weepy endings are what makes a feel-good movie for you, then this one is a humdinger! In my opinion, this movie is one of Robin Williams’ best!

Photo by cafemama

As the world faces unthinkable challenges ahead leaders around the world willingly transfers their elective powers to just one man, President Nicolae Carpathia and makes him and him alone the United Nations’ President. The world’s population is transfixed on this charismatic young leader who moves with haste to prevent the world’s major currencies from completely collapsing and forms a One World Currency in the blink of an eye.

Most of the people of the world are memorized and hanging on to every single word the charmingly handsome leader speaks, but for a rag-tag band of brothers in Jesus Christ are aware of the true man behind the alluring smile and uncanny wisdom President Carpathia appears to process. For this small group of born-again Christians form their own Tribulation Force, so to try to share the truth the man that the world calls Messiah and to introduce anyone who will listen who can rescue their souls from the wrath to come in the afterlife.

Buck Williams, Rayford Steele and his daughter Chloe prepare to face the forces of evil head-on as they try to collect as much information as humanly possible about the new leader’s plans for the future of mankind.

Buck Williams, a shining star of the GNN news network discovers new love and receives an offer that is cannot refuse (I think that you know what I mean) and all before bedtime.

Rayford Steele wrestling with himself to accept a captain’s position piloting an airplane which will be responsible for ferrying potentially the world’s most dangerous man and the new leader of the United Nations, Nicolae Carpathia. Eventually, this job leads him and Buck to Israel, so that Buck can report live the biggest announcement in the world’s history, but Buck and Rayford has made other secretive plans.

Chloe remains back in America to help a church mission and hospital. Praying and pining that man that she loves will return home safely.

Nicolae Carpathia begins seizing the national and world media outlets, so in a vein attempt to stop the spread of Christianity around the world. It is though that it seems that all of the other major world religions are setting the stage for the next evolution in human history, but before anything major can happen – Rabbi Ben Judea is set to announce news that will forever change the world.

If you want to know what happens next, then you will just have to rent or buy the movie.

Onboard an overseas flight to London, journalist Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) and pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) are caught in the middle of the Rapture when dozens of passengers suddenly disappear including all of the children. Panic ensues as distraught parents and passengers desperately search for love ones.

The whole world has changed in the twinkle of an eye as every single government, company, household and person has lost someone that they knew. The world’s economies are tittering on the edge of complete collapse and nervous world leaders are preparing for all out war with the powers that they believe are behind the disappearances.

The disappearances actually marks the beginning “Days of Dire Tribulations” on the Earth as the prophesied Antichrist makes his appearance on the world’s stage promising peace, security and solutions to the serious problems that the world now must face. For those that are left behind this is music to their ears and blindly follow this new leader’s every word.

For Buck Williams this is the news story of a lifetime and as he begins to investigate the disappearances he is confronted with dangers beyond his own understanding and more importantly he discovers the truth, which profoundly changes young Buck’s life.

Pilot Rayford Steele must try to calm his passengers and land the plane without crashing it into the ground in the mist of the chaos both on the ground and in the air. With the assistance of Buck, Rayford returns to the airport and prepares to return to his home to only discover both his wife and young son have both vanished. Fearing that his only daughter has probably vanished too, Rayford sinks into depression as he mourns his loss.

Buck Williams returns back to New York where he works, so to make some sense of the historic events. Ever step of the way danger lurks and his friends begin to be murdered by an unknown shadow government agency. Just when Buck thinks things cannot get any worse, he finds himself being personally invited to the UN by the Antichrist, so to record the closed-door announcement of world leaders as a journalist.

The events that take place after all the world’s most powerful leaders has been seated are terrifying in many ways, but probably the most disturbing thing is how no one except for Buck really sees the truth.

Viewers can expect to hear no cursing or no gory violence and no sexual content in this movie. I personally would not recommend this movie to anyone under the age of 13, because the prophesied set of future events that are taught in the Book of Revelation can be scary to children if they are not put into proper context, which requires studying the Word of God to understand.

Left Behind receives a deserving yes, to rent or to buy.