Top ten best Christmas-movie portrayals of federalism
10. Polar Express (2004): Like anyplace worth going, Santa’s city-state has a geographic location, with borders and procedures for entry, affirming the necessity for communities to maintain boundaries.
9. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992): We don’t endorse terrorizing merchants into philanthropy, but Scrooge does learn the important lesson that every community member bears obligations to past and future generations. We chose the Muppet version of this film because of the meta-narrative, to wit: members of a community re-enacting a morality play to remind themselves and us of their values. It is to the everlasting shame of the Academy that Kermit the Frog didn’t receive Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Bob Cratchit.
8. The Santa Clause (1994): One can’t condone the involuntary servitude into which Tim Allen’s character is forced after accidentally killing Santa Clause, but we appreciate that there are clear governing documents determining the Santa succession, leading to a peaceful transfer of power.
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966): A close-knit town refuses to let a bitter interloper spoil their traditions, and rather than reacting to his multiple felonies with legally justifiable violence, they welcome him into their fold, thereby strengthening their community.
6. Little Women (1994): Between two Advent seasons during the Civil War, the March sisters take care of their family and neighbors, and risk their lives to care for their community’s newest arrivals. In addition, their mother becomes a resolute supporter of school choice.
5. Home Alone (1990): Had this simply been a movie about a young man bonding with a neighbor, trading with local merchants, and defending his homestead from criminals, it would have been our number one selection. But poor Kevin McCallister is saddled with parents who are not only astoundingly incompetent, but unrooted enough to believe Christmas is when people should go to France. We have no choice but to cut the film’s points in half.
4. Joyeux Noel (2005): Regular Joes and Hanses lay down their arms during Christmas on the WWI western front, choosing their common religious and cultural heritage over violent nationalism.
3. Elf (2003): A 6’3” man embraces the elf culture that embraced him, and risks a perilous journey through the sea of swirly-twirly gumdrops, not to mention the treacherous Lincoln Tunnel, to establish an outpost of Christmas spirit in NYC.
2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): George Bailey could have chosen a different path, but he invested in his community and its people. Frank Capra shows that we live our best lives when bound to communities, and that our deeds—be they for good or ill—ripple ever outwards.
1. Die Hard (1988): Two municipal law enforcement officers join forces to repel a cabal of Eurotrash robbers while a federal agency makes their jobs more difficult. Merry Christmas, John McClane!
Tony Woodlief is State Policy Network’s senior executive vice president and senior fellow for SPN’s Center for Practical Federalism.
