Christmas Films--#5

In the last two weeks, we’ve looked at two classic Christmas musicals, Holiday Inn [1942] and White Christmas [1954], and today we’re going to focus on another, though it’s often billed as less of a “musical” per se—though it does have some lovely songs in it—and more of a family Christmas movie. And that’s a point to remember, as that’s the beginning of a Christmas movie trend we’ll continue to explore in the upcoming weeks.

The film in question is Meet Me in St. Louis [1944] by Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finkeloffe. The story is set in the year before the famous opening of the World’s Fair of 1904 which was actually held in St. Louis. Seems weird, today, because St. Louis hardly seems the center of the world, but around the turn of that century, it was a central point in the U.S. and a large city for its day.

The film focuses on the romantic and family adventures of one family. And that’s the trend. Most Christmas movies that have become classics focus on family. Compare Meet Me in St. Louis with the Home Alone series from this century. It’s fun, it’s adventurous, but - just like Meet Me in St. Louis - it’s all about family and what family means and how—even when you hate them—you love them. This trend of Christmas films focusing on family isn’t going anywhere—so take note!

Here’s the opening scene from Meet Me in St. Louis to give you a feel for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70T47mC-jxY

Right away, we begin with a family scene—the cook in this well-off family making the ketchup and the wife and daughters wandering into the kitchen. As the youngest daughter heads upstairs, she sings the title song and grandpa joins in. Back in the kitchen, when the main character Ester arrives, we see that some intrigue is going on and the cook takes her cue from Ester and asks if she can serve dinner an hour earlier… we don’t know why, but for some reason, she apparently needs dinner served an hour early and the cook is helping her make that happen. And we wonder what’s up.

This film revolves around the family—the ups and downs of their relationships, the good moments and the bad, the romantic intrigue of the two older daughters and the adventurous antics of the youngest daughter.

Set in the year before the fair opens, the film gives us scenes of Halloween as well as Christmas, but at its heart, it’s a family saga.

The antagonist in the film is pretty much that father—who comes home one day with the announcement of his big promotion, to head the New York office. This, of course, means they won’t be living in St. Louis anymore. And no one is happy about that. But can the family overcome this wrench in their perfect St. Louis lives? You’ll have to watch to find out.

But as you look at this film, do focus on how much the plot revolves around the family. Christmas is a family time [for those lucky enough to celebrate with their families] and Christmas films often reflect that—so think about that as you plot your Christmas movie.

Copyright © Diane Lake

29Nov20

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