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ElMaruecan82
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Monday, December 16th, 2019 5:21 PM

Live Poll: Non-Christmas Movies For Christmas

These are not Christmas movies per se, not even in a loose way, but they encapsulate so many positive values usually associated to the spirit of Christmas (family, sharing, goodness, empathy, altruism, selflessness etc.) that one might consider watching them for the Holidays (for a change).

Which of these non-Christmas movies would be the most potentially watchable for Christmas?

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls091962549/

https://www.imdb.com/poll/UkA3uFBBkEM/

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4 years ago

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Breumaster

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4 years ago

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Breumaster

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'Pelé: Birth of a legend':
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995868/

4 years ago

Breumaster

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4 years ago

Breumaster

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4 years ago

Breumaster

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4 years ago

Breumaster

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4 years ago

ElMaruecan82

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Not sure about "Hereafter", I found it a rather slow and depressing movie... but I agree with "Goonies",  "Untouchables" and "Life of Pi" (didn't see the others but they're in the "pending iist")

4 years ago

Breumaster

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What about 'What About Bob?':
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103241 :D

4 years ago

Breumaster

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I think "Hereafter" & "Lo Impossible" are special christmas stories, because they're based on big tsunami that happened on 12/26/2004 - on the second christmas day 2004 - and the many people who helped the suffering people in Thailand. The people around the Indian Ocean had bad hollidays, but to cope with that belonges to humanity, too. It's just fyc. :)

4 years ago

Breumaster

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I think "Hereafter" & "Lo Impossible" are special christmas stories, because they're based on big tsunami that happened on 12/26/2004 - on the second christmas day 2004 - and the many people who helped the suffering people in Thailand. The people around the Indian Ocean had bad hollidays, but to cope with that belonges to humanity, too. It's just fyc. :)

4 years ago

ElMaruecan82

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Tell me more about it :)
How Christmassy is it?

4 years ago

Breumaster

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Not really christmassy. It's more about a movie to think about other christians on earth that may have a bad time on the holidays like people that suffer on the streets in first world. The big tsunami at 12/26/2004 is a similie for other people on earth which suffer on these holy days. But if that issue is too negative, I understand when you skip it. It's just Fyc.

4 years ago

ElMaruecan82

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Mmm, I wouldn't call them "negative" but maybe too much gravitas to be considered in as festive and family-friendly context as Christmas. Thanks for your understanding.

4 years ago

gitte_l_yche

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4 years ago

I'd choose 'Ikiru' - it's a beautiful movie

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MyCatDuffyTookMyLaptop

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4 years ago

Frozen.
Last year ABC aired it as part of a holiday lineup.

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ElMaruecan82

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Good call, thanks!

4 years ago

MyCatDuffyTookMyLaptop

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Also I think The Sound of Music and The Ten Commandments were part of that.

4 years ago

ElMaruecan82

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I thought of Sound of Music but why Commandments?

4 years ago

MyCatDuffyTookMyLaptop

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I don't know, lol!  :D  It was just on there.

4 years ago

dan_dassow

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ElMo,

American television networks frequently show The Ten Commandments during the Christmas / Hanukkah holidays. They also frequency show this film during the Easter / Passover Holidays.

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4 years ago

Peter_pbn

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4 years ago

E.T.?

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dan_dassow

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4 years ago

ElMo,

For your consideration:
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

American television networks first showed this film during the Christmas season in the mid 1960s. They have shown the film over the Christmas holidays many times since.

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ElMaruecan82

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I had it in mind when I made the list, just forgot to add it. Thanks for the reminder:)

4 years ago

dan_dassow

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ElMo,

Thanks.

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4 years ago

albstein

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4 years ago

Groundhog Day is a wintry, cozy family film about a Scroogian character and about redemption, community, love, and finding greatness in little things. It also ends with snowfall.

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ElMaruecan82

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Groundhog Day is a wintry, cozy family film about a Scroogian character and about redemption, community, love, and finding greatness in little things. 
In other words, "Capra-esque".

Great great great suggestion, right in my Top 5.

4 years ago

MykolaYeriomin

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4 years ago

I have a whole and very weird bunch of those thanks to idiosyncratic traditions maintained by Ukrainian television: whole certain franchises are an inevitable association with Christmas and Winter Holidays despite not being remotely close to the holidays thematically. Some examples:
Letuchaya mysh (1979) 
Police Academy (1984) and all of the sequels
Back to the Future (1985) and sequels 
Batman (1989) (was often shown on winter because sequel is strategically Christmas-y)
Darkman (1990) (this one is very subjective, but for some reason I first saw it on a New Year's night and it stuck with me as a winter holiday moie)

I'm pretty sure I forgot some, likely more appropriate even... 

5

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ElMaruecan82

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Back to the Future is in... thanks!
As fr Darkman, not sure a film where a man's head is getting crushed by a speeding car is very Christmas-friendly lol

4 years ago

MykolaYeriomin

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15yearsIMDber aka ElMo, since New Year is dominated by Christmas-like movies in Ukraine on TV, usually, seeing that at 4 AM was an interesting if very weird option. :) 

4 years ago

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ElMaruecan82

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I saw the film decades ago and that's the part I remembered lol

4 years ago

MykolaYeriomin

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15yearsIMDber aka ElMo, this movie definitely benefits from rewatches, by the way: tons of details and cameos and overall match-made-in-Heaven between Universal Monsters and a superhero genre always cheer me up a bit. :) 

4 years ago

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Breumaster

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Nikolay:
Back to the Future is an excellent pick. I voted for. :D

4 years ago

Aris_Athanas

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4 years ago

Groundhog Day and Frozen. I think Life of Pi it's more suitable for summer since the whole movie is in the ocean.

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albstein

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4 years ago

Two further considerations:

Rocky is the romantic underdog  movie, so it fits well with the religious underdog, the savior that was born in a stable. There are also the iconic ice skating scene and the street singers, giving hope in the dark and cold, beside a fire.

The Verdict is probably too serious for your poll, but after a rewatch I found much of the christmas spirit in it. I used to superficially assume that it simply was a story about justice served, but that's only half of the story.  As you correctly point out in your review, the movie is about faith. The 'pharisees' of this movie are the doctors of the Catholic hospital and the bishop, who try to cover up the crimes and pretend to be saintly, but who are only paying lip service. The center of the movie is the sinner who redeems himself through faith (a major Christian theme), and gets rewarded with a miracle (I think the only time we get a shot from above in the movie appears right after the verdict - it is like God's verdict, coming down from heaven).

Coincidentally (or not?), The Verdict visibly takes place in winter.

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albstein

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And just look at the beginning:


4 years ago

ElMaruecan82

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I didn't add Rocky because it features Christmas during a key moment, maybe that's a stretch but I try not to exclude my own personal biases (because in this case, it's a movie I adore)

The Verdict might be too serious but there's a Capra-esque element about it...  damn that zoom on Newman when the verdict is announced and Jack Warden's teary smile when he hears about the indemnity... just wow.

4 years ago

albstein

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I didn't add Rocky because it features Christmas during a key moment
I see! Forgot about that.

4 years ago

MykolaYeriomin

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albstein, I must admit I kinda want to watch this movie from this shot alone, despite I've never heard of it before! 

4 years ago

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albstein

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It's probably Paul Newman's best performance and one of Sidney Lumet's best films. The other day my mother and I had an hour-long discussion/lecture about cinematic techniques and morality, after we'd finished The Verdict. (She now wants to see it again and pay close attention).

4 years ago

Jessica

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4 years ago

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ElMaruecan82

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I added "2002" but I couldn't add "2000", you know I never saw that film because my little brother spoiled it to me when he was a kid, he told me that it didn't make any sense that ......... had to ........ at the end. Do you really think it would be a good idea to watch this film for Christmas?

4 years ago

Jessica

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I don't know, it seemed like it since it's about kindness, empathy, selflessness. But yeah, maybe not.

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4 years ago

rubyfruit76

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I think 'Pay It Forward' fits perfectly. 

4 years ago

MyCatDuffyTookMyLaptop

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 "my little brother spoiled it to me when he was a kid"
After having a friend spoil Endgame for me - at the theater and as I was telling them to please stop - I sympathize.     

4 years ago

Peter_pbn

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4 years ago

Movies *Not* to Watch at Christmas might also make a good poll.

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rubyfruit76

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4 years ago

'Great minds think alike, lol: I also was making a list like this but ended up being too busy to finish it, given that I didn't think to start it until yesterday. I give to you the list in case you want to use any of the movies in your list: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls093013794/.

(The films are in alphabetical order except the first five; you and I had a couple of the same movies but several are different so feel free to use any that you'd like.)

: )

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ElMaruecan82

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Thanks Ruby,
In fact our two polls are quite different, all your films are inspirational and many of them involve heroes of conviction who sacrificed themselves and faced adversity, the problem is that the "adversity" in question should be at least watchable for Christmas, not too dark.
"Schindler's List" is a masterpiece but I'm not sure I'd want to watch it for a day like Christmas, or "Hotel Rwanda" or any films where children would die... 
I added the 'Neighborhood' film.

4 years ago

rubyfruit76

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Indeed. 'Definitely some differences, especially in the choice of the films, but I thought from your intro that there's some overlap, especially the general idea of non-Christmas movies that reflect the spirit of Christmas. I guess the difference is the intended audience (yours are more family films), as well as mood, although 'The Verdict' is pretty dark. There's no violence in 'The Verdict,' though. There's definitely nothing violent or dark about 'The Way Way Back,' and 'The Two Popes,' though, so feel free to add them if you'd like (and 'The Bread Winner' and 'Forrest Gump' are PG-13 but the first has its dark elements and there's a bit of violence in the second).

4 years ago

rubyfruit76

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ElMaruecan82

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4 years ago

And HOMEPAGE POLL!!!!!!!!! Before the end of the year...
Thank you, thank you, thank you dear IMDb polls editor....
I couldn't dream of a better Christmas poll gift!!!!
Attaboy Clarence!

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Peter_pbn

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Wow! Merry Christmas indeed.

4 years ago

dan_dassow

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ElMo,

Congratulations and Merry Christmas!

I am delighted your poll is featured on the IMDb Home Page for Christmas Eve.

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

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4 years ago

ElMaruecan82

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4 years ago

ACT_1

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Die Hard Christmas Tribute - Let it Snow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9hEzcpYOQc


4 years ago

ACT_1

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4 years ago

  
Dec 25 2019
  
Poll: Non-Christmas Movies For Christmas
A poll by ElMaruecan82.
https://www.imdb.com/user/ur4234119/
  
https://www.imdb.com/poll/UkA3uFBBkEM/results
Results of 1,125 votes:
  1. Groundhog Day (1993) - 259
  2. Frozen (2013) - 143
  3. Ikiru (1952) - 92
  4. Amélie (2001) - 77
  5. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) - 70
  6. Toy Story (1995) - 69
  7. Back to the Future (1985) - 67
  8. The Wizard of Oz (1939) - 57
  9. The Goonies (1985) - 40
10. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 39
11. The Sound of Music (1965) - 33
10. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 39
11. The Sound of Music (1965) - 33
12. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - 33
13. Mary Poppins (1964) - 30
14. The Intouchables (2011) - 26
15. City Lights (1931) - 15
16. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - 13
17. The Verdict (1982) - 13
18. A Walk to Remember (2002) - 10
19. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - 10
20. You Can't Take It with You (1938) - 6
21. Life of Pi (2012) - 6
22. Billy Elliot (2000) - 5
23. Boys Town (1938) - 4
24. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) - 4
25. Lassie Come Home (1943) - 3
26. Pollyanna (1960) - 1
- - -
  
You need to look again later ... (͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

.

1

ACT_1

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 1 day later ...
 
Poll: Non-Christmas Movies For Christmas
A poll by ElMaruecan82.
 
https://www.imdb.com/poll/UkA3uFBBkEM/results
Results of 2,495 votes:
  1. Groundhog Day (1993) - 605
  2. Frozen (2013) - 322
  3. Ikiru (1952) - 239
  4. Amélie (2001) - 218
  5. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) - 143
  6. Back to the Future (1985) - 135
  7. Toy Story (1995) - 124
  8. The Wizard of Oz (1939) - 107
  9. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 86
10. The Sound of Music (1965) - 75
11. The Goonies (1985) - 73
12. The Intouchables (2011) - 62
13. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - 62
14. Mary Poppins (1964) - 60
15. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - 33
16. City Lights (1931) - 30
17. Life of Pi (2012) - 23
18. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - 20
19. The Verdict (1982) - 16
20. A Walk to Remember (2002) - 15
21. Billy Elliot (2000) - 14
22. You Can't Take It with You (1938) - 11
23. Boys Town (1938) - 7
24. Lassie Come Home (1943) - 6
25. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) - 6
26. Pollyanna (1960) - 3
.


4 years ago

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