Trares
On these cold and short December nights, the routine around our house tends to be the same.
After dinner and playtime, once the dishes have been done, homework has been completed, exercise classes are over and showers have been taken, the Trares family takes up our positions
My wife settles into her throne — the reclining easy-chair in the corner, laden with blankets. Anthony and I spread out on the wrap-around couch, slouched over and wrapped up in blankets.
Then, a fraught decision has to be made: which Christmas movie to watch?
We all have our favorites. My wife and I grew up on a steady dose of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Elf” and “Home Alone” — the classics that get re-watched over and over again. As Anthony has gotten older, he’s grown to appreciate the humor in Clark Griswold falling off a roof or Kevin McCallister torturing a burglar with a blow torch.
The visual gags are what get him giggling; we’ve let some of the, ahem, more mature jokes go over his head.
But Anthony has his own favorites, as well. Disney cartoon specials starring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald are his comfort food. He discovered these holiday vignettes on Disney+, and during the pandemic, he’d rewatch them because they were safe and made him happy.
As ridiculous as it seemed to watch Christmas specials in April, I agreed with his sentiment.
The ongoing Great Streaming Wars have only added to our options, as Disney, Netflix, Hulu and Apple+ all have original movies and specials to watch on demand. One new favorite from Netflix is “The Christmas Chronicles,” a fun family fairy tale starring Kurt Russell as Santa Claus — a great reason to watch if there ever was one.
So the options are plentiful, which inevitably leads to debate. One person may be feeling “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for the umpteenth while another wants to try something brand new. Anthony and I are always up for a Christmas-themed episode of “The Simpsons,” which only elicits groans from my wife.
In the end, it doesn’t matter. This time of year, even the most sugary-sweet or overplayed holiday movie is a great way to spend time together after work and school.
And if all else fails, we always know where to find the Christmas-viewing equivalent of junk food: the Hallmark Channel.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
