’TIS THE SEASON: For a Romantic Christmas Movie?

’TIS THE SEASON: For a Romantic Christmas Movie?

Well, now that baseball season is over (I’m a Dodger fan. It’s over), what’s there to do? I am still relatively new in town. I could attend a few Wenatchee Wild games. There’s something poetic about being a newbie, approaching winter time where snow will be falling on a small town, while checking out a game on ice. Sounds like a set up for every other Hallmark Christmas movie, right? Hallmark themselves thinks so. They've even filmed a couple of movies in Leavenworth. I’ve always believed that Christmas is the most romantic time of year. Even more so than Valentine’s Day. And so I look forward to the city decking the halls up and down the Avenue. In fact, I say bring it on now. 

Of course there are the naysayers. “It’s too early!” Perhaps. It’s kinda like the old joke. You can tell Halloween is just around the corner. Target has their Christmas decorations up. But I love it.

Anyone who knows me knows I am sucker for the romantic comedies. I’m the guy who always says that they don’t make movies like Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, or Notting Hill anymore. Heck, they don’t make movies like Casablanca, His Girl Friday, or An Affair to Remember either. I can quote all these movies. Which can be annoying to anyone who happens to be watching these movies with me. I also enjoy those movies based on Nicholas Sparks books. Although, spoiler alert. Not a comedy. A main character always seems to die. 

I have a friend name Lisa, who looks like she could be a lead in those romantic Hallmark Christmas movies. A screen writer could base a film or two on her life as well. But the strange thing is, Lisa despises these flirty flicks. She’s more into the other holiday films. And by holiday, I mean Halloween. We’re talking the violent slasher dramas that have her jumping out of her comfy couch, with a blood curling scream. Even after seeing the horrific actions a hundred times of Freddie Krueger, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees (Jason has a last name?), or Dr. Evil. OK, maybe not Dr. Evil (first name is Edward, by the way). The thought of possible sharks with frickin’ “laser” beams attached to their heads doesn’t seen horrifying enough.

I have a theory. Lisa is someone whose life is full of love and laughter, and doesn’t have a need to live through the funny fantasies of a movie like, 50 First Dates. Whereas I on the other hand….ah….well….let’s just say I wanna find love like in the movies. Minus the mangled misunderstanding middle part. You know. Just get to the end. Get to the part where the guy gets the girl. The endings are the best, leaving the rest to the imagination of, ‘happily ever after’. Well, except for the ending of Roman Holiday, where the guy doesn’t get the girl. Although I will confess. Each time I watch that movie, and I’ve seen it a hundred times, I keep hoping Gregory Peck stops. Turns around. And there’s Audrey Hepburn waiting to run into his arms. You’re rolling your eyes right now, aren’t you. You think it’s silly. I told ya. I’m a sucker for a good ol fashion Hollywood romance.

See, I look at it like this. There’s more than enough anger, violence, and drama in real life. I don’t need a movie like that taking up space in my head. But there will never, ever be enough laugher, love, and romance in this world. Paul McCartney said it best. “Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs. What’s wrong with that?”