Ahh, those holiday moments ...

By Joan Morris
Knight Ridder News Service

Charlie Brown spent most of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" lamenting the lack of Christmas spirit before decorating a pathetic tree saved the day. Advertiser library photo

These are not the holiday moments the people at that card company always are going on about.

So you shove a slice of fruitcake under the wobbly tree-stand leg, replace the candy with carrot sticks, and decide to ignore the in-laws until the nature of their plotting is more apparent.

You pour yourself a mug of cocoa and settle on the couch. You've got 10 minutes before the next scheduled holiday disaster, and what luck, your favorite Christmas movie is on and that special scene, the one that always makes you forget the stress and embrace the spirit, is coming up any second.

Now that is a holiday moment.

Here are a few of our favorite movies and the moments we cherish, no matter how often we see them.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LINE

The movie: "It's a Wonderful Life."

The setup: George Bailey returns to his real life and gleefully rushes home to find the entire town is turning out to help him replace the $8,000 missing from the Bailey Building and Loan.

The moment: Our hearts melt as friends and neighbors rush in to empty their purses and pockets. We weep openly when Harry Bailey lifts his cup in a salute. "A toast to my big brother George: The richest man in town."

GOOD GRIEF, IT'S SWEET

The movie: "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

The setup: Charlie Brown is having a hard time keeping the Christmas pageant cast in the spirit of the season.

Thinking a tree might help, Charlie picks out the most pathetic, lonely, little one imaginable and is crushed when his friends think he's made yet another mistake.

The moment: When the gang pitches in to decorate the tree, Charlie is surprised to see both the tree and his friends transformed.

TURN ON THE LEG LAMP

The movie: "A Christmas Story."

The setup: All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder Carbine Action, 200 Shot, Range Model Air Rifle, but his hopes of getting one dim every time an adult tells him he'll only shoot his eye out.

The moment: This film is everyone's childhood wrapped into one. Our favorite moment is not sentimental, but hilarious. Ralphie expects Santa to be the one person who will understand and grant his heart's desire, but a tongue-tied Ralphie hesitates and is dispatched down the exit chute before he can tell Santa what he wants.

A resolute Ralphie scrambles back up the slide and shouts out that he wants a Red Ryder Carbine Action, 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle, to which Santa replies: "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."

GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS

The movie: "A Christmas Carol."

The setup: Classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation from, well, a scrooge, into a loving, caring person.

The moment: This film, in all its remakes and versions, is nothing but special moments, but we can't resist the final scenes when old Scrooge awakens and laughs with delight to learn that he has not missed Christmas after all.

And, of course, Tiny Tim's "God bless us, everyone" is the quintessential holiday moment we can never tired of watching.