Hamish Downie has a new type of column that started backing December as his Holiday playlist. It was so popular hat he decided to make it a monthly recurring column with a movie playlist for each month. Thanks, Hamish for creating a new concept for TG Geeks.
If you have seen any of these films, let us know your thoughts.
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How are your preparations for the holidays this year? I’ve started decorating my tree, but I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet.
I’ve done a couple of holiday playlists for the Two Gay Geeks, so this year will be a little different. This time, I’m going to recommend seasonal films, ones that have that end of year vibe, without being strictly about the holidays.
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993)
“Sleepless in Seattle” is about a recent widower whose son calls a radio station and announces to all who are listening that his Dad is lonely. The Father gets on the phone and despite his initial misgivings, ends up pouring his heart out. And all the women who listen seem to fall in love with him, including Meg Ryan. This is a film with a pace that suits the end of the year, and has that peak 90s movie magic. Two stars at the height of their careers, falling in love from different parts of the USA. The late Bill Pullman and Rosie O’Donnell also star, and is written and directed by the late Nora Ephron.
ON GOLDEN POND (1981)
An Elderly Couple, played by Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn, await for the arrival of their estranged daughter, played by Jane Fonda, to visit them at their Summer House. She brings along her boyfriend and his son, then dumps the son on her parents, and runs off to Europe for a holiday with the boyfriend. This is a touching film about creating new connections, and reconnecting with someone, and I think it’s a wonderful film for this time of year when we think about family and our connections with people. It is probably the film that made me realise that I didn’t like Jane Fonda very much, though she appears in a lot of films and TV shows that I really love. Oh well.
FLY AWAY HOME (1996)
Amy, played by Anna Paquin, moves to Ontario to live with her father, played by Jeff Daniels, after the death of her mother. Her father, an aviation expert, helps Amy lead a flock of orphaned geese south for the winters. This is a genuinely heartwarming film and is one of the films that made me want to be a filmmaker.
ROMAN HOLIDAY & WHY I LOVE THE GOLDEN AGE OF CINEMA
I thought I might close out this year with the speech I was asked to give on the Golden Age of Cinema. I used “Roman Holiday” as a stepping stone to talk about films and people of the time as it continues to be an incredibly popular film in Japan. The film was helmed by the great William Wyler, who directed many stars to Oscar glory, and had an incredible collaboration with Bette Davis on some of her best films. This was one of the few light comedies that Gregory Peck ever made, and was kind enough to advocate for newcomer Audrey Hepburn to have her name above the credits along with his.
I hope you enjoy this month’s selections. What are some of your favourite non-Christmas Seasonal films?
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