Christmas Favorites / A Child’s Christmas in Wales

( illustration from Tyger Tale )

I had a great time delivering Christmas gifts to teachers and school staff yesterday and was feeling full of Christmas cheer. But by the end of the day I was also thinking: enough already. Which isn’t good because it’s not even Christmas yet.

And then I realized I hadn’t watched any of my favorite Christmas movies. So after dinner we popped Elf into the DVD player and snuggled in to watch. It was just the boost I needed. In the next day or two I’m hoping to watch Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Story to keep the mood going.

My all-time favorite Christmas movie, though, is A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Do you know it? This short film is based on a piece originally written for radio in 1952 by Dylan Thomas. I was introduced to this wonderful work, which is the most poetic piece of prose I’ve ever met, by Sister Margery Smith at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. Sister Margery and I clicked right off the bat—in part, I think, because she got such a kick out of the fact that a person could be named Shannon Colleen O’Donnell and attend an all-girls’ Catholic college and not actually be a Catholic. (A small pocket of my family are Lutheran, due more to logistics than anything.) Her English literature class was a revelation and probably the biggest influence behind my choice to be an English major. I had always loved books, but Sister Margery’s genius in finding the hidden connections between literature and life triggered a desire in me to do the same.

When Grandma Marilyn, my mom, and I were planning our long-dreamed of trip to England in the late ’90s, I went to visit Sister Margery, who was still holding state at St. Kate’s, to get her advice for what to do and see. She had great sightseeing tips, but what I remember most is her insistence that we try some hard cider in the west country. She also recommended the wonderful book My Love Affair with England by fellow anglophile and local writer Susan Allen Toth. The last I heard, Sister Margery was still going strong as the college’s archivist.

So back to A Child’s Christmas in Wales: you can go here to hear a sample of Dylan Thomas reading the story in his rolling Welsh baritone. Reading the book or listening to the audio alone would do the trick, but if you can get your hands on a copy of this DVD you really should. You know how sometimes the movie version of a book you love can be disappointing? Well, this film gets everything right. From the village set to the music to Denholm Elliot’s warmth, this little gem is Christmas to me. I feel a little unsporting, though, recommending it because new copies are rare and cost an arm and a leg. (Shoot me an e-mail if you can’t find one and we can talk.)

{ Sister Margery also shared A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote with the class. Tim reads this beautifully loving and bittersweet short story to us over the course of a few days each year starting the night after Thankgiving. }