So, one of our Christmas traditions is that we watch Love Actually together. It’s the film that I love and hate at the same time, but Christmas wouldn’t be the same without watching it. Here are the best bits.
The wedding
Perhaps the best wedding scene ever. Until the creepy stalker undermines the whole thing later on. And also, when you realise that Keira Knightley is just five years older than Sam The Boy…
Could you imagine Boris ever doing this to Trump? No chance. Best press conference ever.
The stalker fastens up his turtle neck in dramatic fashion
Have you ever seen a zip fastened up in sync with the dramatic music so perfectly before? Of course you haven’t. It’s not a self-preservation thing – you’re a big perv.
Dancing Prime Minister
Total cheese. But it’s good cheese – Tesco’s Finest Cheddar.
Mr Bean does his best to stop Snape having an affair
Don’t do it, Bad Harry!
Carol Singing
Please, sir, please
All I Want For Christmas
Wow, this scene is amazing! What a shame she didn’t grow up to do well on Celebrity X Factor
Airport Chase
Is there anything Sam can’t do. He learns to play the drums in a week and becomes so good that he’s better than all the other people who could play drums and he gets picked to play in the band – he’s that good. He also gets the girl!
I’m not planning on letting my children read this – so don’t let yours.
I’m having a lot of doubt this year about the great lie that is Father Christmas. I think it’s because we are maybe at the last year that we will be able to convince our eldest that Father Christmas is real. She’s at the age where she’s becoming a bit savvy and asking a few questions about how the guy in the red suite actually manages to do his job. You know the sort – why does Father Christmas sometimes wear glasses? How does he get in to our house? How does he make it round the world in one night?
It’s got me thinking about the lies we are telling our children and made me wonder whether we should continue with it? Here are my worries:
We aren’t exactly well off and we can’t afford to spend loads of money (and, we don’t want to overindulge the children anyway). But some children get LOADS of money spent on them and get enormous presents. There’s a message to children that Santa brings some children bigger gifts than others and that’s not fair. We tell the children that the main gift is from us and the others are from Santa.
Don’t talk to strangers – but Father Christmas is ok.
Personal space is important – but you can cuddle up to Santa.
Lock the doors so that no one can get in – but Father Christmas can break in if he wants.
Watch what you eat – but everyone can leave out food for Santa.
And then there are the ever evolving and ever more extreme explanations for how St Nick manages to do his job.
It’s all lies – and we want our children to be honest!
This year our youngest told Santa what he wanted for Christmas but wants to keep it a secret from us!
The whole thing makes me uneasy and yet every year we do it all again.
Everyone likes the big ones – you know, the same ones we play every year. But here are the eight most underrated seasonal songs!
Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton – You Make It Feel Like Christmas -An absolute belter – why don’t more people know this?
Bryan Adams – Christmas Time – a big sing along Christmas song that you never get to sing along to because no one ever plays it!
Kelly Clarkson – Underneath The Tree – surely this would get you up and dancing – if it was ever played!
Coldplay – Christmas Lights – Another Coldplay anthem. Well, it would be if it was played more.
Sheena Easton – Christmas All Over The World – A Christmas song from one of the best ever Christmas movies – Santa Clause: The Movie
Leona Lewis – One More Sleep – Ok, so this is finally picking up traction (peaking at Number 8 in 2018). But this deserves to be a classic and one of the most played on your Christmas playlist. Check out the awesome Cahill Remix!
Cliff Richard – Mistletoe And Wine – So it’s perhaps a bit odd that a Christmas Number 1 is on this list. But M&W gets tarred with the same ‘Cliff Richard is not cool’ brush. And it’s not fair as this is a classic.
The Waterbabies – Under The Tree – Originally used in a Vodafone advert, this will make you feel Christmassy – if you ever get to hear it!
The poster for the movie doesn’t include most of the key actors. I wonder why?
Yes, it is January. And I’m reviewing a Christmas movie. I know, it is weird.
It was our little boy’s fourth birthday today. Our children are obsessed with all of the Nativity movies every Christmas. Lisa and I adore the first Nativity and the songs at the end – especially Sparkle and Shine! We went to see the musical in 2017. The children love Nativity 2 and Nativity 3. I thought both were pretty poor, but after watching them about twenty times each this Christmas they have grown on me to the point where I, dare I say it, like them…
We missed Nativity Rocks in the cinema but we decided that going to the Kids Club at the Odeon cinema near us (£2.50 a ticket) would be quite good fun. It wasn’t just us – the screen was pretty busy, to be fair.
The trailer
Starring Simon Lipkin, who played Mr Poppy in the musical in 2017, Nativity Rocks was actually brilliant and we didn’t miss the ‘original’ Mr Poppy at all.
It was a real return to form for the film series. The last couple of movies became really silly and, whilst this is totally crackers, it manages to feel just about believable.
We were close to tears a few times thanks to some touching plots and we laughed lots and lots thanks to laughs that appealed to adults as well as jokes that suited the children too!
We will look forward to watching it probably twenty times next Christmas!
