Sick of “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Miracle on 34th Street” or even — gasp — “A Christmas Story”?
Here are a few unconventional holiday-related movies — all available on DVD or perhaps airing on TV before Christmas rolls around.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Seeking a British romantic comedy that’s set during the holidays and stars Hugh Grant? Skip “Love Actually” and report directly to this funnier flick. It’s Christmasy from almost minute-one, with an opening scene that reveals Colin Firth wearing a reindeer sweater whose ridiculousness cannot be conveyed in mere prose.
Better Off Dead (1985)
Loyal admirers of this cult favorite will remember that a portion of the movie unfolds during Christmas. When the jilted John Cusack realizes his ex-girlfriend has received a gift from her new beau that seriously trumps his own purchase, he abruptly ends the phone call with an unusual holiday excuse: “I have to go. The Christmas tree is on fire.”
The Ref (1994)
A thief (Denis Leary) takes an unhappy married couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage on Christmas Eve and gets drawn directly into their family drama. When Spacey takes a fireplace poker and smashes it repeatedly into the Christmas tree, it gives new meaning to the phrase “deck the halls.”
Babe (1995)
This Best Picture nominee boasts a few scenes — including our porcine hero “la-laing” his way through a version of “Jingle Bells” — that unfold on Christmas Day.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
This visually captivating tale’s Christmas scene delivers the movie’s most memorable image: An enchanted Winona Ryder, spinning in the twinkly shavings that fly through the air as Johnny Depp creates another of his signature ice sculptures.
