from CC! SEASON'S GREETINGS - Home

BYJAMIEROGERSWC DISHAChristmasStoryAfter the Bumpes’ dogs tore the Parker’sChristmas turkey to bits, they packedtheir things and headed to the localChinese restaurant for some Pekingduck.Positive: Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra....the boughs aredecked with “horry.”Negative: Turkey may make mesleepy, but Chinese food makes mebloated.NationalLampoon’sChristmasVacationChristmas Eve dinner with the Griswold’sincludes the Pledge of Allegianceas the blessing, an electrocutedcat, a dried-up turkey and an underwhelmingbonus for Clark, the father.Positive: May be a bad bonus, but whatgirl doesn’t love the Jelly of the Monthclub?Negative: I never liked lime Jello, evenwhen Aunt Bethany wrapped it up as apresent.The RefA burglar, played by Denis Leary, isforced to take a miserable, bickeringcouple hostage on Christmas Eve. Thefilm’s highlight is when the familycomes over for Christmas dinner. Theneurotic wife forces everyone to wearcandle wreaths on their heads in thespirit of St. Lucy’s day.Positive: Denis Leary at your dinnertable. ‘Nuff said.xxxxxxxxxxxxDEC. 23, 2009 /PAGE 27xxxxxxxxxxxxHOLIDAY MOVIESAND FOODMy laundry list of why I love the holidays includes the movies and the fabulous food.Combine the two, and you’ll have yourself a merry little Christmas. That is why I examinedsome of my favorite yuletide-time movies and determined the pros and cons of joining in onthe family fun of their tables.Warning: Spoiler alerts ahead and if you haven’t seen these movies, shame on you!ElfBuddy the Elf travels to New York Cityin hopes of reuniting with his father.Problem for Foodies is that elves havefour main food groups: candy, candycanes, candy corns and syrup. Thismakes for an unwelcome surprisewhen Buddy makes breakfast for hisnew family and tops the spaghetti withloads of the sweet stuff.Positive: I would love someone tomake breakfast for me, even if it is Buddy’sconcoction.Negative: Diabetic comas first thingin the morning make it hard to jumpstart the day.HomeAloneChild neglect? Questionable. Goodfamily fun? Definite. When the youngestchild of a large family is accidentallyleft home alone when his familytravels to France, zanyness ensues. Thekid is pretty self-sufficient when itcomes to his meals and ventures to thegrocery store, calls Little Nero for pizzaand, finally, enjoys a highly nutritiousmicrowavable macaroni and cheesedinner.Positive: A plain cheese pizza all tomyself.Negative: Meals around the holidaysshould be enjoyed with family andfriends, not defending your home fromcriminals.A VeryBradyChristmasThe Brady’s get together for holidayfun with kids and spouses of the six.The holiday dinner comes togetherwith very relatable issues: interruptingkids, proposals, confessions and kids’-table envy. Greg admits to eating all ofAlice’s pies the night before, and thenthey all laugh and laugh.Positive: The family is all back togetheragain, even though it’s not the realCindy.Negative: No pie? No way.xxxxxxxxxxxxThe SantaClauseTim Allen hosts a thrown-togetherChristmas Eve dinner for he and hisson, inevitably burning the turkey.Flash forward to them at Denny’s withother single dads where they can’t get0532930xxxxxxeggnog or the son’s favorite chocolatemilk.Positive: I wouldn’t care about thechocolate milk if my dad was SantaClause.Negative: Denny’s for a cheesy eggs,sure, but not for Christmas Eve dinner.A girl has to uphold certain standards.Negative: The looming threat of yourhead catching on fire is never a funone.0532931