Writers of Christmas stories and films have been creating bad guys to ruin the holidays for their characters (and us) for a long, long time now. Which “naughty list” character bothers you the most?
In Frank Capra’s 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Mr. Potter is called the “richest and meanest man in town.” He pockets the Bailey’s Building and Loan’s mislaid $8,000, putting the main character George Bailey into legal and financial crisis, and causing him to despair, “wishing he’d never been born.” Bailey then gets to see what the town would look like without him. It’s turned into “Potterville,” a miserable place just like its namesake. The last time Potter is seen in the movie, he’s calling the sheriff on Christmas Eve to send George Bailey to jail. Potter definitely gets coal in his stocking.
The movie “Elf” wasn’t based on a book, but it was inspired by a David Sedaris 1992 essay titled “The Santaland Diaries.” In “Elf” your antagonists include Walter Hobbs, Buddy the elf’s actual father whose grumpy, short-tempered reactions to Buddy eventually cause Buddy to run away. Then there’s Miles Finch, the author, called in to help save Walter’s job, but when Buddy bursts into an important meeting and calls him “an angry elf” it starts a fight. Fulton Greenway, the publisher, causes major conflict with Walter near the end of the film. Lastly, the Central Park Rangers are definitely villainous when they chase down Santa when his sleigh fell into Central Park. Which of these is your top pick for villain?
Based on the Dr. Seuss holiday book How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the animated version of one of the most iconic Christmas villains of all. Mean, nasty, and vile—enjoying disrupting the Who’s holiday just because he could. Theft, home invasion, animal cruelty, vandalism and lying are some of his hallmarks.
Fans of “A Christmas Story,” the 1983 film based on the book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash are familiar with the movie’s villain Scut Farkus. The bully gives black eyes, twists arms, and terrorizes main character Ralphie and the neighborhood.
Of course, no list would be complete without Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. As miserable a villain as they come, Scrooge inflicts his miserly meanness mainly on his clerk Bob Cratchitt, but also on any others with whom he happens to come into contact. From rationing heat and begrudging a Christmas day holiday to poor Bob, to withholding his generosity to the unfortunate, I think readers and viewers are happy to see him visited by the three ghosts. (Especially the last one) Dickens shows us however, that even villains can change.
Which of these villains is your favorite? Which Christmas story/movie villains do you think I left out? Put your choice in the comments below.
*Note: If you were waiting for the villain from the movie “Die Hard,” you’re out of luck: I don’t think it’s a Christmas movie! Feel free to try to change my mind in the comments!
**The post “Which Christmas Villain Do You Love To Hate?” appeared first on sandinourshorts.blogspot.com
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