Where have all of the Christmas stories gone?

December 9th, 2012

I never saw It’s a Wonderful Life as a child or adolescent, but in the early years of my marriage, I watched it for the first time. I was immediately charmed by George Bailey and his family.
Who wouldn’t like the passionate, impetuous George, his lifetime partner, Mary, and their devotion to the welfare of Bedford Falls? Their goodwill provided the positive energy to counter the evil landlord Potter and his empire.
Even though the story spans decades, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed carry off the challenge with enough conviction that viewers’ suspension of disbelief isn’t strained beyond limits.
It’s a Wonderful Life could not be remade in a contemporary setting. We’d never tolerate the hokey special effects (e.g., Heaven) portly angels in old-fashioned underwear, and financial institutions that are home to squirrels and ravens. Then, there’s George himself. Could the George Bailey we know and love survive in a modern tale? It appears like he might have intermittent explosive disorder, after all – the way he verbally accosts an elementary school teacher and her husband on Christmas Eve. And then there is Mary’s alternate reality (assuming that George had never been born). She would have been doomed to the life of a librarian (gasp!) Then there’s the fracas that erupts outside the library as a crazed George approaches a frightened Mary, ending with policeman Bert firing shots down the small-town streets of Bedford Falls.
The ending brings more than a few tears to my eyes every time I see it. I’ve always thought of that outpouring of cash on the impromptu table in the Bailey living room as the result of George’s generosity toward his neighbors. My friends and family members have different, but equally plausible, explanations about the ending. Maybe the magic of the story lies in its ability to touch the hearts of many.
Now, here is a mystery – can you think of a Christmas story, written in the last decade, that has had the appeal of It’s a Wonderful Life, The Gift of the Magi, or A Christmas Carol? I can’t think of one. I’m interested in your comments, please share.

One Response to “Where have all of the Christmas stories gone?”

  1. Roberta L. Thompson

    The only Christmas story that has moved me in the last couple of decades is an animated feature. It is “Garfield” the cat and is a touching Christmas story. I cry every time I watch it. Otherwise, I agree that there just aren’t many Christmas stories that can equal the ones that you have mentioned above.

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