- Anna Maria Junus
Advent Blog Day 18: The House Without a Christmas Tree
All right, I'm a day late. So I'm putting up something quick and I will be posting another one later today.
When this movie came on tv back in 1972 I was the same age as the main character, Addie, but she lived in a different time, the time when my mother was young. Unlike me, Addie didn't have television, rock and roll, or a mother. And she didn't have a Christmas tree. Ever. And not because of some religious reasons. It was because Christmas reminded her father of his dead wife and so they didn't celebrate Christmas. Further, he resented his daughter because it was her birth that caused the death of his wife. I loved this movie. It doesn't look like most movies. It was shot for television on a small budget. The whole thing could actually be performed as a play.
it also won critical reviews and awards and led to a short series of movies and books.
And yet, I didn't find it again until a a few years ago. I remembered I liked it as a kid. When I sat down to watch it I was struck by how real Addie is, and how well done the acting was.
The other thing that struck me was the family dynamic. They live with Addie's grandmother, who owned the house, yet it was her father that called all the shots, even deciding not to have Christmas in spite of his mother's protests. I'm sure that would not go over well now, but in 1946, I guess it was that way for a lot of families.
This is an abusive man. Not physically abusive, but he's cold and critical and has a mean streak that is emotionally abusive although it wouldn't have been recognized as that. Probably much like a lot of fathers back then and even now. Fatherhood in the 40's was not known for being nurturing. And yet Addie is this wonderful, confident, imperfect girl, mainly because she has her grandmother, who is loving and nurturing.
Most stories are about the changes that happen to the protagonist. But this story is about the changes that the protagonist makes to cause a change in someone else.
Apparently, although several movies were made about Addie, only the
Christmas Tree is available on DVD.
I did find a copy of the movie on youtube. It has been reversed - apparently this avoids copywrite issues. So I don't know how long it will be available. The reversal isn't noticible except in the opening sequences with the titles. The picture quality isn't the best, however it is viewable. If you can't find it anyplace else here it is for as long as it lasts. This is on my top ten list of Christmas movies. And I wrote a review about it. You can read it here. The House Without A Christmas Tree
And here's the movie, starring Lisa Lucas, Jason Robards, and Mildred Natwick.
