After last year’s Alternative Christmas Film Advent Calendar’s globetrotting venture this year things settle in to spend Christmas at home. There are a good deal of classic British Christmas films, and plenty of festive features which love to pitch a rom-com in London or a castle in the country, but this year the Calendar grabs a mince pie and takes a look at some lesser known or thought of British Christmas films.
With yesterday’s Calendar ‘door’ revealing something more conventional today’s goes further down that root, with a hint of nostalgia from both film and some potential viewers, in the form of wistful Christmas memories. Adapted from Dylan Thomas’ prose of the same name A Child’s Christmas In Wales, in both written and feature form, is met with a slice of warm fondness from those who remember it, although it’s certainly a lesser-thought-of film at this time of year.
Looking out the window on Christmas Eve Thomas (Mathonwy Reeves) is disappointed to see no snow; it’s not Christmas without snow, is it? Before settling in to bed he begins to talk to his granddad (Denholm Elliott) about how much, or little, has changed about Christmas over the years. Spawned by Elliott telling his grandson to wait for the actual day of Christmas to arrive for snow, and Thomas’ claim that socks are a rubbish Christmas Eve present (you can’t play with socks), a series of childhood memories unfurls.
The warmth with which the memories unfold, helped by Elliott’s performance and narration, simply adds to the nostalgia which the film tries to capture. Mix that with the stripped back nature of the way in which things are depicted and the film as a whole comes across and there’s very gentle Christmas viewing to be found within the short run-time (initially run as a TV movie). All as grandparent and grandchild quietly bond over the similarities and differences between Christmases over the years.
Traditions are at the heart of the similarities on display. Familiar themes of togetherness being a key part of celebrations. The quirks and oddities which we may witness, and the more innocent moments such as a simple snowball fight or a group of children carolling, alongside what memories make seem as the misinterpretations and imagination of a child’s mind. Capturing a storybook feeling in the pocket-like stories which crop up over the hour making for a simple, brief, lesser-remembered blanket-film for the festive season. Plus, it captures the simple, calm wonder of a snowglobe.
A Child’s Christmas In Wales can be watched in the following places:
YouTube
To see where else the film is available to buy, rent or stream, particularly if you’re in another country, JustWatch is well worth taking a look at.
Just A Little Bit Random 