The Holly and the Ivy (1952)

(On Cable TV, December 2021) As much as I’m not a big fan of glum, drama-heavy Christmas films, The Holly and the Ivy is hitting me at a time when I’m overdosing on insubstantial Christmas comedies that barely have any connection to the holiday or rely so heavily on platitudes and iconography that nothing of substance remains. Squarely confronting family issues, religion, generational divides and recent trauma, this British film bets on acting subtlety and dramatic intensity for a story that could take place at any other time of the year but gets an added touch of polish for taking a slightly different approach to the “family reunites for Christmas” tropes. (Coming from austere post-WW2 Britain, the film also predates, or, rather, sidesteps the super-commercialization of the holiday.)  Ralph Richardson is clearly the anchor of the film as a pastor who learns to better communicate with the rest of his family and makes them benefit from his advice in doing so. The Holly and the Ivy is not always fun or light or fast-paced — it’s a dramatic work that demands just a bit more from its audience. It will work if you’re in the right mood, but may not be the most casual viewing choice for December.