6. While You Were Sleeping – dreams dreaming
Well done to John Turteltaub’s While You Were Sleeping, which has made it into my “comfort film” roster after only one watch. Warm and deeply sweet, it hits all the right notes to be swoon-worthy without any gooeyness (though how realistic it is still remains up for debate). Sandra Bullock plays lonely fare token collector Lucy, who spends her time daydreaming about a frequent commuter (Peter Gallagher) from the comfort of her booth. When he is pushed into the tracks by muggers, Lucy saves his life and ends up at the hospital at his comatose side, where his large, enthusiastic family believe her to be his fiancée. Too embarrassed to tell them the truth, Lucy begins to spend more time with them, especially Peter’s brother, Jack (Bill Pullman). Bullock is on top form here, both in comedic timing and vulnerability, and Pullman offers just the right amount of Prince Charming without it being overwhelming. In the cozy streets of Chicago, misunderstandings and ill-timed declarations gleefully build up while Peter sleeps, farcically digging Lucy deeper into her own hole even when she tries to tell the truth. More than that though, it’s a wonderful story about the power of connection in an age of loneliness – and what better time to connect than at Christmastime?
Nanny McPhee – five core lessons
I had not watched this childhood classic in a hot minute, and found myself one evening having a lightbulb moment and immediately putting it on. Not only did it bring back many a wonderful memory, but it’s also an excellently crafted children’s film, expertly written by Emma Thompson, whose raw intellect emanates in the simplest of ways among this ragtag tale of family, education and grief. Originally based on the Nurse Matilda books, it took Thompson eight years to put this script together, but all I can say is that I’m happy she held on – the world is a better place with Nanny McPhee, who shows up one day at Cedric’s (Colin Firth) home to care for his seven naughty children who have up until now driven seventeen nannies away. Many will recognise Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Simon, head child who leads the various traps and tricks (pretending to eat baby Agatha, for instance) before Nanny McPhee turns their world upside down with the odd bit of magic. It’s delightful fun, with fantastic supporting performances from Kelly McDonald, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie and Angela Lansbury (or, British/Scottish royalty in other words). But watching this in my mid-20s, I now notice the hidden layer behind the simple story of children learning to behave, as well concealed as the innuendos in Shrek – it is in the quiet grief of Firth’s father and the children acting up for the attention they have lost since their mother’s death, that Nanny McPhee is truly a force of nature.
Home Alone – four major traps
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal. What’s not to like about Home Alone, a 90s Christmas film about a vengeful child who tortures two dim-witted robbers? A slightly unfitting description, perhaps, but I can’t get enough of the theories around Kevin purposefully hunting Harry and Marv, when he could have in fact just called the police. Regardless, Home Alone is a timeless classic and for those who don’t know the story, it’s a simple one: young Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) is left behind at Christmas by his whopping family of twelve, a miracle in his eyes, since they are all awful and don’t understand him (to be honest, studies should be conducted on the McAllister family – they are, indeed, the epitome of evil). That is, until a pair of bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) figure out he is alone and plan to rob his rather large house in the affluent suburbs of Chicago. Determined to protect and serve while his mother (Catherine O’Hara) makes her way back to him, Kevin sets up an intricate plan to drive away the thieves once and for all. The vibes are up, the performances are faultless (funnily enough, Pesci and Stern thought the film would be a flop, so deliberately over-acted, unintentionally upping the film’s humour and quality), and Culkin cemented himself as one of the best child actors of all time in one swift movement. There isn’t a single dull moment in Home Alone: from the running-through-the-airport scene through to Kevin’s master plan of traps, a rewatch is a Christmas tradition that isn’t to be missed.
