My Favorite Christmas Movies: “George And The Christmas Star”

Nov 26, 2016

‘Tis the season – so to speak – when our televisions are bombarded with various Christmas programs and specials. It’s A Wonderful Life, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, It’s Christmas Charlie Brown, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, and a whole slew of cartoons, Hallmark movies, and music concerts fill both network and cable time slots in an effort to display the holiday spirit. Some are very well done, others are simply phoned in; nevertheless, they play virtually endlessly through December 25th.

One in particular that I remember from my own youth seems to be all but forgotten. I never would have seen it myself had it not been for my mother recording it on VHS from cable (WGN if I remember correctly): George and the Christmas Star – a tale of a young man who, while decorating his Christmas tree, decides that a standard paper star on top simply won’t do.

That premise, in and of itself, isn’t all that outlandish in comparison to most other specials. What makes this 24 minute cartoon stand out is the lengths that the titular character goes to find the perfect tree topper….

For starters, the ultimate decoration he desires is an actual star he sees outside his window. But how to get it? Simple! He gathers “a few odds and ends” from his home and builds a fully functioning space ship (at this point, one gathers that “logic” is a moot point in this story) and launches himself into outer space to catch this star.

Ok, a bit unusual, but not ENTIRELY out there, compared to a magic snowman or a deer with a neon schnoz, but we are only 3 minutes in. Throughout George’s journey, he meets an alien robot who owns a planetary motel (but all he ever wanted to be was a piano player), is ordered by space rangers (also robotic) that star hunting requires a permit (of course!), is captured by space pirates, meets a lovely female astronaut, and has to deal with an evil space bike gang.

I couldn’t make that up if I tried!!

Ultimately, George does catch that shiny star and makes his way back home, only for the star to immediately shoot back off into the sky where it belongs. At this point, he realizes that Christmas is not about decorations, but about being with his new found friends.

So how, you may ask, is this show a favorite of mine? How is a plot that seems born from a bad game of Mad Libs even remotely entertaining?

The answer comes from its execution. The story is narrated by the main character in a largely understated, calm, and almost dismissive tone, as if the entire series of events was just another day. For as off-the-wall as each scenario may be, George never once even raises his voice in emphasis. Of course he flew into space and did all these things. Who wouldn’t? The strange and outrageous scenes are not played directly for laughs; they’re simply odd for the sake of being odd, but there is such charm in them that you almost forget that you’re watching one of the few sci-fi Christmas cartoons. And at no point does the story talk down to the audience.

This special was produced in Canada in 1985. I was 4 years old when Mom recorded it, which means that it aired at least once in the US in 1987. Since then, that VHS has been completely worn out. A few years back, I found a VHS copy on Amazon, as well as a DVD that includes other “Christmas Classics” that I’ve never heard of, both for under $10 each, but this past week, I found the entire special on YouTube in one full 24 minute clip. I sat and watched the whole thing on my iPhone and was just as amused now as I was 25 years ago (the video has since been removed from YouTube).

If you are tired of the usual Christmas specials and are looking for something different (and I DO mean different), look up George and the Christmas Star.

My Favorite Christmas Movies: “Ernest Saves Christmas”

Nov 25, 2016

The Ernest movies are among Hollywood’s surprise success stories. The “Ernest P. Worrell” character originated as a redneck pitchman played by Jim Varney for a series of Nashville-produced ad’s. Ernest was so popular that he quickly began making ad’s for products throughout the country, often produced at director John Cherry’s Nashville home with a hand-held camera. The character became so popular that Varney was invited to take part in a holiday parade. When Varney (as Ernest) received a bigger response from the crowd than Mickey Mouse, Disney executives took notice and offered Varney a movie deal.

The first film, Ernest Goes to Camp, has become a cult classic since its release in 1988 (and also was the final film of Italian-turned-Native-American character actor, Bill “Iron Eyes” Cody). The unexpected success of Camp meant Disney wanted another Ernest film. The follow-up was the charming Ernest Saves Christmas.

For those of you unaware, Ernest Saves Christmas stars the titular redneck character who gets inadvertently sucked into a quest by Santa Claus himself to find a suitable replacement. While Ernest may be the star of the film, the story really does revolve around Santa, played beautifully by Douglas Seale (most famous as the voice of the “Sultan” in Aladdin).

According to this film, the role of Santa is one that isn’t held by one individual, but is passed on over generations. This particular Santa admits that he has held onto the position longer than he should have, resorting to hand-written notes to keep track of who is naughty or nice as his magic continues to fade. The magic is only replenished when a suitable replacement takes over the role. This is quite an interesting idea, and one that was revisited somewhat in another Disney film, The Santa Clause. The difference here, however, is that Santa has to convince his chosen successor of his validity.

This proves to be harder than expected, as the one Santa is eyeing for the position is a former children’s television host, Joe Caruthers, who is attempting to break into mainstream films as a legitimate actor. The kind-hearted Joe seems willing to at least hear the jolly one out, but Joe’s agent, Marty, sees Santa as a senile old man who is getting in the way of Joe’s big break. It’s with the help of Ernest’s convoluted schemes that Santa is eventually able to reach Joe and explain the situation to him.

Meanwhile, a teenage runaway is scraping along by conning her way from place to place. When one of her con jobs puts her in trouble, she crosses paths with Ernest and Santa. The two take her in, with Santa being aware of her situation, but allowing her to learn her own lessons in a genuinely touching side story.

Director Cherry admits that this is his favorite among the many Ernest films made over the years, and its’ easy to see why. Rather than being a series of set-pieces strung together by a thin plot, the idea of Santa actually putting Christmas at risk due to his own selfish desires puts the typically-joyous Father Christmas at a more human and vulnerable level. This isn’t a perfect Santa. He gets hurt. He gets frustrated. He makes mistakes. He even gets angry. Seale’s performance only adds to the magic – you completely buy into his Santa Claus, even at his lowest.

Since he doesn’t have to carry the film all on his own, Varney is free to play with the Ernest character (as well as several other characters), creating some truly funny moments. You definitely have to suspend disbelief at times, but such is the case with this type of comedy – embellishment and exaggeration. Noelle Parker’s runaway has enough attitude to cover up her own vulnerability, which she plays very well.

While this isn’t a beloved classic along the lines of It’s A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol, Ernest Saves Christmas nonetheless is a fun, enjoyable 90 minutes of silly humor mixed with a unique and often touching Santa story. If you have Netflix, the film is currently available to streaming. It’s worth a watch if you haven’t seen it. Knowhutimean, Vern?