Tag Archives: Christmas Eve

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You’re supposed to be the star of your own life…

Eli Wallach steals every scene when he is on the screen in The Holiday (les Vacances) one of my two favourite contemporary Christmas films. Not just mine, I stress, because when the subject comes up The Holiday and Love Actually – my other favourite – have been cited more than once by my pals.

Watching them again has been my plan for Christmas Eve for more than a month. They did not disappoint. The bonus this year was that I bought the DVDs, so I was able to watch the bonus features. Not all of them…I saved some for Boxing Day.

The films have two things in common – multiple performers and an English setting. Love Actually is a love poem to London. The Holiday reminded me of Hugo with that Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light quality when we see the English cottage for the first time.

Unlike Love Actually, I am not a fan of the individual actors who play the protagonists – Jack Black, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law. Yet they managed to charm me time and again in The Holiday. The cast of Love Actually is huge. No matter how many names I list, I’ll miss someone – Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and the absolutely irresistible Bill Nighy to name just a few.

Bill Nighy is the Eli Wallach of Love Actually, pulling focus every time he appears. You could argue that his Billy Mack was just a riff on his character in Still Crazy. You could but you shouldn’t. Billy Mack starts the film self-aware, and stays there throughout, unlike his Still Crazy character.

I admit that neither It’s A Wonderful Life nor A Christmas Carol, two classic Christmas films, were must-sees for me. White Christmas and Holiday Inn, on the other hand, define Christmas films of my childhood.

Love Actually and The Holiday are Christmas films of my maturity, with adult themes and an undercurrent of sadness that reflects reality – and awkwardness. Just like real life.

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Wrapped the last present this morning!

The turkey is ordered. I collect it from Longo’s on Friday. If you haven’t tried one of Longo’s “special” fresh turkeys, you haven’t lived! Wonderfully packaged including instructions for roasting and stuffing. And delicious, absolutely out of this world. I tried my first one at Thanksgiving. Couldn’t resist for this year’s holiday meal.

The only jobs left to do before the holiday begins – polishing the silver and cleaning – well – everything. I don’t mind the silver polishing. Cleaning, however, is the bane of my existence. Yes Santa, I really would like a maid for Christmas.

The “what-is-it” stocking stuffers have arrived. My sister’s contribution came with an envelope – sealed and labeled – do not open until you’ve really tried hard to identify the “what-is-it” stocking stuffer. Competitive? My sister? Duh, yes. Admittedly I sent 2 this year…

I’m trying to remember how many years ago I landed in Shanghai on Christmas Eve? I had fled Canada to escape the holidays. China seemed as good a place as any. Surprise, Surprise! The arrival hall of Shanghai airport was decked with Santas and Tinsel.

I spent New Year‘s Eve as a guest of the state – no not in jail – but a huge dinner put on by a tourism department. Our arrival we were greeted by young girls waving flags and a band! A much better band than the cover band I saw in Atlantic City, that New Year’s Eve I flew to the gambling capital just for the evening. Wouldn’t do it again.

I’m repeating last New Year’s Eve. And I’m looking forward to it, ’cause Jackie Richardson will be singing her heart and the old year out.