She asked me tonight while laying in bed, "What was your favorite scene in White Christmas?" She was stalling but we reviewed all the ones we preferred - mine is Bing and Danny covering the Haynes Sisters act and Amelia's is the final scene when the snow falls. Then we talked about our favorite character; it took us some time to remember the four main characters names, not the actors names. We were surprised at how hard it was for us both to pinpoint their names and I took some solace in the exercise not necessarily being the precursor to Christmas future since a seven-year-old couldn't recall them either.
We've seen the movie together at least five times at this point; I've seen it many more. She said, "You love Christmas movies." I said, "I do. But I love musicals too. So you can imagine how excited I was for a musical Christmas movie."
Then she asked me to tell her about the first time I saw White Christmas. It took me a bit to pinpoint my answer about my first time. I assumed it was as an adult but as I rationalized the history and a somewhat accurate response, I came to land on the fact that the Haynes Sisters song was covered in Chris and Cullen's pre-wedding video, which was 30 years ago this December (certainly a time-warp of it's own). This fact put me at age 14 and meant I saw White Christmas for the first time when I was much younger. I told her, "I don't remember watching it with Nana or Grandpa Cornish," though we always note when we watch it that Vera Bradley was his personal favorite and this means that at some point in my life I watched it with him. I explained that you had to catch movies on tv when they were scheduled and even told her about a magical resource called the weekly television guide that would tell you what shows were scheduled and when. She asked, "but what if there wasn't anything you wanted to watch?" I just said, "well that sucked." Typing this now, I realize that is a first world problem my kids will never experience.
So I imagined being a pre-teen or younger, wanting the same luscious song voice of Betty and the same dazzling outfits, short skirts and dancing stylings of Judy. Daydreaming, as my girls are still doing every year, about long reds dresses trimmed with white and a horse drawn carriage gliding through the snow as the perfect ending to a perfect Christmas.
I don't know when I watched it for the first time. Every year I love to indulge in the euphoria of that story, though I know it's not reality and perhaps a bit archaic at this point. I made sure to point out that there are literally no people of color in the whole movie. Still, watching it has become a tradition in our house and provides a bridge to my childhood home.
Last week, she said to me, "I hope it snows for Christmas." I remember feeling that way as a kid too.
P.S. Vera Bradley is a no brainer choice, right, with the moves and the body; "she's so flexible," she said. But give me the physical humor of Danny Kay any day over those long, bendy legs.
