Movie Reviews
Film and television reviewed the way I’d want to read them — with a rating that means something, an honest accounting of what works and what doesn’t, and craft notes for writers who want to understand how the machinery operates.
Each review includes a craft notes section for writers — specific observations about structure, character, world-building, and what the film does that you can actually use. Not theory. Technique you can steal.
Family (21)
May 19, 2026A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Charlie Brown directs the Peanuts gang in a Nativity pageant after rejecting the commercialism of the season.
May 19, 2026A Christmas Carol (1984)
George C. Scott plays Scrooge in a faithful television adaptation that became a holiday staple after theatrical release.
May 19, 2026A Christmas Story (1983)
Nine-year-old Ralphie dreams of getting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas in 1940s Indiana, despite warnings he'll shoot his eye out.
May 19, 2026Arthur Christmas (2011)
Santa's bumbling son Arthur must deliver a forgotten present before sunrise, using an antique sleigh and his grandfather's wisdom.
May 18, 2026Cars (2006)
2006 Pixar animated film with Owen Wilson as race car Lightning McQueen stranded in Route 66 town Radiator Springs.
May 18, 2026Cars 2 (2011)
2011 Pixar sequel with Lightning McQueen and Mater drawn into international espionage. Widely considered Pixar's weakest film.
May 19, 2026E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Spielberg's 1982 alien-and-boy fable. Bicycle moon, glowing finger, phone home. Highest-grossing film for over a decade.
May 19, 2026Elf (2003)
A human raised by Santa's elves travels to New York City to find his biological father, an embittered publishing executive.
May 19, 2026How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Chuck Jones directs the animated Dr. Seuss special about a sour creature plotting to steal Christmas from the Whos in Whoville.
May 19, 2026Klaus (2019)
A spoiled postman exiled to a frigid island town befriends a reclusive toymaker, and they invent the Santa tradition together.
May 19, 2026Mary Poppins (1964)
Disney's 1964 Travers adaptation. Julie Andrews flying with umbrella, Dick Van Dyke as cockney chimney sweep. Live action animation hybrid.
May 19, 2026Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
An American family in 1903 St. Louis faces upheaval when the father announces a move to New York, with Christmas as the season of crisis.
May 19, 2026Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
A department store Santa claims to be the real Kris Kringle, and a lawyer must defend him in court.
May 19, 2026My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 Studio Ghibli pastoral. Two girls discover forest spirits in rural Japan. Catbus, soot sprites, kindness throughout.
May 19, 2026National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Clark Griswold's plans for a perfect family Christmas at home unravel through extended-family chaos and a frozen pool.
May 19, 2026Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
A young reindeer with a glowing red nose runs away with an elf who wants to be a dentist, and they find acceptance through the Island of Misfit Toys.
May 19, 2026The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
An Episcopal bishop praying for help with his cathedral project receives an angel who arrives to assist, though not in the way expected.
May 19, 2026The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Michael Caine plays Scrooge opposite Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the Muppet ensemble in a sincere adaptation of Dickens.
May 19, 2026The Polar Express (2004)
Robert Zemeckis directs the motion-capture adaptation of the picture book about a boy boarding a train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
May 19, 2026The Santa Clause (1994)
A divorced father inadvertently kills Santa Claus and discovers a contractual clause requiring him to take over the role permanently.
May 19, 2026WALL-E (2008)
Andrew Stanton's 2008 Pixar masterpiece. Garbage robot finds love on dead Earth. First forty minutes near-silent. Environmental fable.