I got ‘Spirited’

One of my holiday traditions, which I annually recommend to others, is a rereading each year of “A Christmas Carol.”

It’s a short story, with a powerful message of holiday redemption, that showcases one of the foremost literary geniuses of all time and seasons at his very best.

The basic storyline has become so entrenched and intertwined with Christmas that it’s as well-known as some of Jesus’ parables or Aesop’s fables. The name “Scrooge” is universally associated (if not outright synonymous) with miserly, misanthropic behaviors, and there’s been no shortage of retellings through the medium of motion picture adaptations. But, as with most movies based on a book, watching it is never as good as reading it.

I will admit, however, that wading through the 1840 English prose of Charles Dickens is not unlike tackling biblical stories in the King James Version. There’s a lot of Victorian context in “A Christmas Carol” that can stymie or mystify a reader, leading some to miss meaningful details.

Another holiday habit is watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Frank Capra’s opus derived from a far lesser-known short story about a man in despair whose guardian angel grants him the gift of seeing what the world would be like without him.

There are a few other old film classics worth squeezing in, if possible, through the extended New Year weekend, which include “The Bishop’s Wife” (Cary Grant beams as an angel), “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Holiday Inn” (Bing Crosby’s singing vies against Fred Astaire’s dancing), “Christmas in Connecticut” and any of the “Christmas Carol” versions (I like the Alastair Sims one best).

Among the more modern movies that have demonstrated lasting power are “Elf,” “Home Alone” and “The Christmas Story,” which are joined by an ungodly multitude of forgettable attempts by Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, et al. Entertainment Weekly counted 173 new holiday movies debuting this season on cable and streaming platforms.

Can you guess which of the following titles wasn’t a 2022 new production?

1. “Six Degrees of Santa”

2. “The First Noelle”

3. “#Xmas”

4. “Your Christmas or Mine?”

5. “Aisle Be Home For Christmas”

6. “It’s a Wonderful Binge”

7. “Halloween at Christmas: Michael’s Final Gift”

Forgive me for making the last one such an easy giveaway (for now). The rest are bona fide movies I missed this year.

With time at such a premium, the riskreward calculation for taking a chance on something new on screen tends to keep me going back to tried-and-true favorites. Familiarity at Christmastime breeds contentment.

But in a surprise as unexpected as the frigid temperatures that kept this Christmas white, when my kids cued up a new Apple TV+ film called “Spirited” I spent the next two hours smiling, laughing, tapping my feet and genuinely relishing what one film critic called “the only keeper” of the many holiday movies.

The opening sequence and number (yes, “Spirited” is a full-fledged musical) hooked me from the start on its innovative and eminently clever concept that cast Dickens’ original idea in a new inverted light: Jacob Marley’s ghost, accompanied by the leadership team of Past, Present and Future, together direct an entire far-flung enterprise of other spirits in common cause: selecting one awful jerk of a person each year for Scrooge-like haunting and redemption at Christmas.

Imagine applying star-quality actors, Broadway musical lyrics and songwriting, old-style Hollywood choreography (including tap-dancing!) plus 21st century cinematic timing and special effects to the notion of a spiritual industry bent on redeeming one troubled soul each December.

Then further envision taking the basic notion to the nth degree in every scene, song and segue. From the truly witty lyrics (hint: watch it with subtitles so you don’t miss a word) to the jokes to the “everything is a production and a performance” atmosphere, “Spirited” lifted mine in a way I hadn’t asked for.

That, perhaps, is what makes many things in life the most enjoyable. When something is better than we expect it to be, and it sneaks inspiration into corners we didn’t realize were empty.

Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer may not be the most polished vocalists, but they’re much better than I would have thought. And while some of the dancing may go over the top at times, it nevertheless succeeds in the same merry way holiday apparel does.

In fact, one review summed it up best in this way: “Spirited” may not be a great movie, but it’s a great time.

Since I’m not a professional movie critic, I prefer the latter most of the time anyway if I’m going to sit and watch something for a couple of hours.

I went into “Spirited” knowing nothing, and that’s how I’d suggest watching it, so I’m sparing all plot particulars.

One sneak peek: In that first behind-the-scenes glimpse of all the spirits at work, singing “We might be dead, but we’re livin’ that Yuletide dream,” the mix of stage-like musical magic and “Christmas Carol” twist is pure, absolute fun.

That’s a good ingredient to starting a Happy New Year.