House Without A Christmas Tree
1972 PARAMOUNT PRODUCTIONS, DIRECTED BY PAUL BOGART

Starring Jason Robards, Lisa Lucas, Mildred Natwick and Kathryn Walker
At first sight, House Without a Christmas Tree didn’t really appeal to me. The look of it, the dialogue, everything just seemed old and boring. But like so many films before this one, sometimes just giving it a chance could change everything. In my personal experience, it only took one viewing to change my mind. Not only that, but this film brought me to embrace all older holiday flicks like A Christmas Story and it’s a Wonderful Life. Talk about a whole new outlook.

Set in the mid-1940’s, this movie tackles a very sensitive subject: the effect of losing a beloved family member. Most families embrace the holidays as a time of being together with your loved ones, and sharing in laughs and gifts of affection. But what happens when the most important person isn’t there anymore? It could change the holidays forever. In the case of Addie’s father, it changed everything.

Lisa Lucas plays Addie Mills, an opinionated, outspoken youngster in Nebraska. Addie seems to get irritated at the simplest of things. Often, I found myself rolling my eyes at the things she says. I know that I personally wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like Addie. The last Schoolday before Christmas break, Addie is poised to win the class Christmas tree. After winning, she and her best friend Carla Mae drag the tree home to decorate it. But Addie’s father James (Jason Robard) highly disapproves, claiming he doesn’t want charity. As hard as Addie and her Grandmother (Mildred Natwick) try, James is cold to the Christmas spirit. How can Addie have a Merry Christmas?

This isnt the first time Addie had apparently asked for a tree. Yet, she had no idea why her father kept denying her one. Towards the middle of the film, an argument between James and his mother brings out the whole story, a very powerful scene. When Addie learns why her father is so stubborn, she gives the tree away to the classmate whom she beat to win the tree in the first place. The next series of events demonstrates the overall dynamic message of the movie. Youll have to watch it to find out.

I really like how this movie pans out. Its not the cliché story of a man whose own personal greed is separating him from his family (i.e. A Christmas Carol). I think we’ve seen enough of those knockoffs. No, in this picture James’s anger and sadness is just. It takes some time to come out, but will surely have you rethinking your position of his character.

To think I didn’t like this movie at all. Nothing reached out to me, grabbed my interest. But now, its forever a classic to me. Along the likes of the aforementioned classics, I can see this coming out on DVD in the next few years, a smart idea for future generations. I think everyone should see this movie, or read the book by Gail Rock. Its got something to be seen.



MOUNT CRUMPIT RATING: 5 / 5





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