Everything revolves around New Jersey.
Even the holiday season.
The Garden State plays a role in some of the best — and quite frankly, worst — that Christmas cinema has to offer.
Some of these Christmas movies are dripping with Jerseyness. Other classics require more work to find the inevitable Jersey tie.
Here are 25 holiday films with a Jersey connection. And if you want even more Jersey films, read the 51 greatest Jersey movies list.
“Home Alone,” 1990 and “Home Alone 2,″ 1992
The McCallister home is in Illinois, the setting of so many John Hughes movies. And Catherine O’Hara and John Candy are Canadian, of course. But Joe Pesci was born in Newark, and until recently, had a home in Lavallette.
As for the sequel? The hit song from its soundtrack, “All Alone on Christmas” by Darlene Love, was written by Middletown High School grad Steven Van Zandt and featured other members of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” 1946
Did you know Bedford Falls was based on tiny Califon in Hunterdon County?
“It’s a Wonderful Life” was adapted from a Christmas card sent by Rutgers University graduate Philip Van Doren Stern. And its fictional setting was actually inspired by the small New Jersey town with an iron bridge that became a focal point of the movie.
“Die Hard,” 1988
The debate still rages: Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie? But this much is certain: John McClane is a Jersey guy. Bruce Willis was raised in Salem County and attended high school and college here.
Oh, and one of the film’s producers, Joel Silver, grew up in South Orange.
“The Family Stone,” 2005
Downtown Madison served as the backdrop for scenes in the comedy-drama starring Diane Keaton and Sarah Jessica Parker. Claire Danes and Dermot Mulroney even stopped at St. Vincent Martyr School to sign autographs after filming.
“White Christmas,” 1954
Dick Stabile, the musician who portrayed the Carousel…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply