Page 2 - 2015 Holiday TV Guide

HolidayTV | Feature: Holiday Villains
Good to be bad
Even villains contribute to the Christmas spirit
By Shona Dustan
TV Media
Love, generosity, compassion, kindness — warm and fuzzy feelings are a fundamental element of the Christmas season, but there
are a surprising number of baddies associated
with this happiest time of year, especially when it comes to Christmas movies and TV specials. In fact, no Christmas special is complete without a mean spirited, life-ruining bad guy.
The disparity between these characters and the spirit of the season is actually essential to a good Christmas tale, and the classics we look forward to each year wouldn’t be classics without them. While there are exceptions, the majority of these Christ- mas villains fall into one of two general categories: the irredeemably bad that we can’t help but hate and the jaded grown-up who finds redemption.
First up are the baddies we love to hate. These are the characters who never learn, who end up much as they begin: bad eggs. My personal favorite example of this is the devious duo from “Home Alone” (1990), the Wet Bandits.
We first meet criminals Harry (Joe Pesci, “Casi- no,” 1995) and Marv (Daniel Stern, “Manhattan”) in the entryway of the McCallister home as they case the joint. Throughout the film they not only rob multiple houses on Christmas Eve — leaving drains clogged and water running, hence their moniker
— they develop a vendetta against 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin, “My Girl,” 1991) and proceed to stalk him with malicious intent. While their antics provide physical comedy that would make the Three Stooges proud, their depravity knows no bounds.
What their villainy accomplishes for the viewer is invaluable. We know that Kevin is a lippy little
Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are the Wet Bandits in “Home Alone”
guy right off the bat, which is amusing, but not quite enough to endear him permanently to the viewer. It’s not until he’s pitted against these two bumbling brutes that we really find ourselves on his side — their onslaught forces Kevin to reflect upon the family he was so eager to lose, and to real- ize he’s been taking them for granted. A Christmas miracle, courtesy of two despicable guys.
Another example of this kind of Christmas vil- lain (and arguably the most iconic) is Mr. Potter from “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946). Played to nasty perfection by screen legend Lionel Barrymore (“Grand Hotel,” 1932), Potter is a rich and power- ful miser with a heart of coal whose life mission seems to be eliminating the Bailey Bros. Building
and Loan, an establishment George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart, “Rear Window,” 1954) has sacrificed much to keep afloat.
Early in the film we see the extent of his nasti- ness when he keeps money misplaced by George’s uncle. It’s a blatant attempt to bankrupt the Building and Loan, and even when George begs for Potter’s help, the old man does nothing but rub the failure in George’s face. A small loan would keep George’s business afloat, but Potter refuses, say- ing instead, “You’re worth more dead than alive!” It’s this cold-hearted phrase that leads George to the brink of suicide, and only his guardian angel — and a glimpse of what a world without George would look like — can coax him off that ledge.
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