Movie Monday: The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
Today’s Movie Monday is going to be a review of a film that is regarded as a classic in some circles, and in others it is not even known. The Holly and the Ivy (1952) is a British film that has echos of other classic holiday movies that are still loved today. However, there is a large population of people that have never seen it before and I was one of those people until I stumbled upon it.
There are no household known Old Hollywood actors or actresses starring in The Holly and the Ivy, but maybe that why is it all too often ignored during the holiday movie season. Without the star power of a Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn type, the storyline of The Holly and the Ivy is what would have to carry this movie over the preverbal finish line. I think it does just that. There is not need to have a big name to headline this film. There are a lot of emotions and curving paths that the plot of this film takes, a big name star would have distracted from the story.
In many ways, The Holly and the Ivy reminds me of Love Actually (2003), another holiday classic from the British. These two films share similarities in the respect that they both are centered around a large group of people who either are or act like family. However, Love Actually has some main key factors in its storyline that is not shared with The Holly and the Ivy, but I will save that for a day when I review Love Actually.
Despite this being a film that was made in 1952, there is something about The Holly and the Ivy that feels like a World War II time era movie. In that respect, it is a bit of a throwback for the 1950s. The films made during World War II showed the tradition and the struggle all at the same time. Somehow the films of that time era was able to capture how the meaning of everyday life for an ordinary person was changing. The Holly and the Ivy does the same thing a few years later with a holiday themed background.
Celia Johnson and Margaret Leighton are the unsung leading ladies of The Holly and the Ivy. Although I have never seen either of actresses in any other film, both Johnson and Leighton were able to display a variety of emotions in an instant. We see how their characters have their own very private struggles from the fallout of World War II.
If The Holly and the Ivy is not on your list of holiday films, give this classic some life again and add it to your list. If you have never seen this holiday movie before, definitely go check it out! This is one of the most underrated Christmas films, in my opinion!
Much Love,
Sarah
