Category: Holiday Themes

WILLOW, SIX

Is it fair to call Willow (1988) a St. Patrick’s Day film? There’s nothing particularly Irish about it at first glance. However . . . The brownies are small and puckish, like leprechauns. Fairies flit about. The baby who plays Elora Danan wears a red wig. (Heh.) Something about the tone of the movie feels appropriate for the holiday. Well, that’s what I proclaim, and let us proceed accordingly.

Who is our eponymous hero, the young and earnest Willow?

He’s a family man, a farmer, with a dream to become a wizard’s apprentice. His children and his wife rescue a mysterious baby from the river. Although he’s worried, he accepts the change in his fate Elora brings. He’ll need to make a trip to protect her, leaving his family behind.

In the village, Willow doesn’t envy his fellows. He wants to be picked to study with the wizard, but he doesn’t begrudge the other contestants. He’s not a Heart Type.

He’s also not a Body Type. He will never be one of his village’s warriors. He goes on the mission to return Elora because of responsibility and compassion, not for any pursuit of adventure or activity.

He’s a Six. That commitment to right and wrong drives him forward. It’s how he can hector Madmartigan, a large foreigner in a cage, without thinking of his own safety. He disrupts the evil plans of Bavmorda, despite his fear, because he loves Elora. He strives to transmorph Fin Raziel not because he will learn magic from her, but because she will help the baby.

Willow is a man who does his duty, quietly tilling the land, while dreaming of a different career (which is likely to never materialize). Sixes hold a longing that breaks my heart. 

Maybe that’s the reason it feels so Irish to me.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

I present to you the perfect Christmas movie. Don’t be discouraged by the black-and-white photography. It brings a pleasant sense of nostalgia, and the story will captivate you so quickly you’ll forget you’re not watching color. Let’s take a quick dive.

ONE

As credits roll the camera follows a man in a fedora who walks the streets of New York City. It’s like a charming time capsule. At a certain point I start to wonder how they managed to shoot this when steadicams didn’t yet exist. If you’ve ever pushed a camera dolly, you’ll be astounded at what they accomplished here.

Reveal that this bearded man is (probably) Santa Claus in modern clothing.

Continue reading “Miracle on 34th Street (1947)”

BEETLEJUICE, NULL

Does Beetlejuice have character traits, or is he only a demon who acts according to his nature?

He has a very clear intention: say my name three times so I can be loosed onto the world. Whatever he does at the beginning of the movie is in service to that want. When he’s free, though, he pursues mayhem and tries to marry an underage Lydia. Sowing chaos and practicing sexual assault are pretty much demon actions. It’s quite possible he’s a Null.

Does he ever exhibit a characteristic that is distinct to him and not a generic trait any demon could hold? Is Keaton only portraying an imp, a poltergeist?

It’s well-acted and perfectly suited to the story. Beetlejuice is not our protagonist, of course. As an antagonist, he is driven strictly by his demonic impulses. Yes, he’s a Null, and it’s a wonderful choice for him.

However, Beetlejuice 2  is currently shooting. I’ll be very curious to see if Beetlejuice remains a Null. I would argue that his lack of an Enneagram is part of what makes the first movie beloved. I hope the showrunners stay true to that instinct.

FRANK CROSS, THREE

Well, this is a portrayal for the ages. Every miserly instinct is here, and yet our Scrooge is sympathetic, too. It’s not easy to write, direct, and act such an update to a beloved story. Scrooged has become a classic in its own right.

Should we look at younger Frank, working diligently during the office Christmas party? What about Frank in the Frisbee costume? His ambition makes him surly to Claire, and he doesn’t even recognize she’s suggesting a separation. In the present day, he sends his only brother a towel rather than the VHS. He has no life, and never had one. Remember when Christmas Past teases him about the TV shows that Frank mistakes for real life moments?

A hard worker. An Envy person, judging by his reaction to Brice Cummings, the LA sleaze trying to replace him.

We’re looking at a dark Three. He’s always known where his interests and talents lie. He’s let his personal life become small and mean, which reflects into his business life, but no one doubts his competency. This is how, at the climax, he can step into a live broadcast without timidity and dominate an improvisational finale. He’s become the light Three, loved and admired by everyone.

CLAIRE PHILLIPS, TWO

This is the Isabelle, the lost fiancee, of Scrooged, played by the blindingly appealing Karen Allen. In this version, though, Scrooge gets the girl after all.

Claire is absolutely a Heart Type. Her work at the outreach shelter is very giving, very charitable. It’s more than a job for her. These are her core beliefs.

A Two, of course.

Her beauty is part of that. Claire is portrayed as the sweetest woman on the planet. This is a role that could’ve become only a stereotype or a Null. Allen, with her trusting expression, makes Claire a Two. In the Christmas Future nightmare, Claire is cold and cruel, the opposite of her character. When Allen closes off her openness and vulnerability, Claire becomes an anti-Two. It’s a consistent performance.