Mr. Krueger's Christmas (1980)
Willy Krueger, a lonely and aging widower, lives in a basement apartment with only his cat George for company. Finishing his work for the day as the custodian for the building, he ventures out on Christmas Eve to buy a tree and on the way, he imagines he is a well-dressed gentleman while peering at some fine tailoring in a shop window along the snowy street. Returning home, he falls asleep listening to an LP by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, dreaming that he is conducting them in carols of the season. Awakening to find some carollers outside his window, he beckons them to visit him offering hot chocolate, but they leave after only one song. In trimming the tree, he places upon it the mittens left behind by Clarissa, the youngest of the carolling group. Handling figures of the small nativity beneath his tree, Willy finds himself in the manger for the very first Christmas.
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Thanks for the memories!
Absolutely Fantastic
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
My Christmas Eve viewing for this year consisted of Frank Capra's holiday favourite 'It's A Wonderful Life (1946),' preceded by 'Mr. Krueger's Christmas (1980).' The latter was clearly a very personal project for James Stewart, who had pretty much retired from acting by the close of the 1970s. In the film, which runs for 25 minutes, a lonely widower (Stewart) tries to share his Christmas spirit, but finds this difficult in a dingy underground apartment with no company. After imagining several dreamy sequences of holiday-themed harmony – including an affecting visit to baby Jesus in his barnyard manger – Mr. Krueger befriends a group of Christmas carolers, in particular a bright-eyed young girl (Kamee Aliessa) who represents everything that is pure and joyful about Christmas.'Mr. Krueger's Christmas' was produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and unfortunately the film does end with the sour note of religious propaganda. Interrupting what might have been a touching moment of Christmas goodwill, a random voice-over interjects with "I love you. That's what Christmas is all about... Clarissa said it to Mr. Krueger; Mr. Krueger said it to Jesus; and Jesus in so many ways said it to all of us." Leave it to a religious institution to state the obvious. Luckily, James Stewart's incredibly-heartfelt performance manages to elevate the film above these syrupy foundations. Had the role of Mr. Krueger been in any other actor's hands, there'd be very little to recommend. However, behind Stewart's eyes, there lies the subtle mingling of love, sadness and joy, and an astonishing conviction in his film's message.
I watch this every year after I decorate my tree. It is a little tradition. It is one of the warmest moments of the Holidays for me. Jimmy Stewart was never more "real". The video is available from the "Mormons". I had recorded it off the TV and one of my former students who was a Mormon gave me a fresh copy one Christmas. Get it. It is touching and will help you to remember what Christmas is all about.
I must have watched way too much TV growing up, because today I associate nearly every special event of my childhood with one program or another. On Christmas Eves when I was a wee lad, my family would return home from the seven o'clock service, my mother would begin cooking desserts for the next day's festivities, and we would turn on WPIX New York to watch the "Yule Log," a two-hour loop of a burning log accompanied by yuletide music. (Sounds kind of strange, I know, but it was a holiday tradition for many New Yorkers.)After the yearly Yule Log broadcast ceased at 11:30 or so, WPIX would air this gem of a Christmas special. By this time of the evening, I would be drowsy, but filled with anticipation for the morning. Watching "Mr. Krueger's Christmas" meant that the holiday, around which the entire kid year revolved (to quote Jean Shepard), had finally arrived.Jimmy Stewart is wonderful in this understated and poignant show. It's impossible to describe without using the word "heartwarming." It has been years since WPIX broadcast the Yule Log or this special (though the Yule Log is now available for downloading on their website [!]), so when I watch my old videotaped copy it really takes me back. Folks who are looking for a copy of this show should know that even though it has not been widely released on video, it is available for purchase through the Jimmy Stewart museum (www.jimmy.org).
"Mr. Krueger's Christmas" is a movie that I see every Christmas. Ironically enough, I have yet to see "It's a Wonderful Life", but give me time. James Stewart's acting is wonderful, as you feel for him throughout the entire show. The musical accompaniment by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is amazing. Although it is not readily available in most video stores, ask any Mormon friend, and they will probably be able to provide a copy. It will add smiles and happy times to that most wonderful time of the year. See this movie!