Phoenix Rising's Christmas Favorites Quiz

Answer: A small struggling Christmas tree

Charlie Brown is down in the dumps fearing that the true meaning of Christmas has eluded everyone. He sees his dog, Snoopy, ardently decorating his doghouse trying to win a neighborhood contest, his sister Sally anxious about the gifts she is to receive and his friend Lucy is suggesting that she'll only be happy with gifts of property this season. Charlie takes over the direction of a school play as a way to get him out of his blues but he feels that the play is missing something to "set the mood". To this end Lucy sends him to the market to buy a "big shiny aluminum tree" that would really brighten up the place. The only "real" tree at the market is a rather miserable looking sapling that brings laughter and ridicule on Charlie when he returns with it. It's at this point that he breaks down and wails "does anyone know what Christmas is really about?" The last straw is when he places a bauble on the tree and causes it to droop and he runs away in disgust. Linus arrives, sees the poor state of the tree and props it up with his security blanket. The rest of the gang start to pretty it up by using the decorations on Snoopy's kennel and, at the same time, begin humming "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". This draws Charlie back where he's welcomed with a rousing "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown".

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Clark Griswold

Chevy Chase starred as Clark Griswold in four movies from 1983 to 1997. In "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" Clark attempts to make the Christmas holiday "the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever." Drama is caused throughout the film from both Clark's and his wife's parents as well as from their eccentric cousin Eddie who unexpectedly brings his whole family.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member Triviaballer.

Answer: Tim Allen

Tim Allen stars in the trilogy as Scott Calvin, a toy company executive who becomes Santa Claus by accident. In "The Santa Clause" (1994) Scott is a divorced father who accidentally kills Santa one Christmas Eve. He inadvertently becomes the new Santa as a result. In "The Santa Clause 2" (2002) Scott must find a woman to become Mrs. Claus. In "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause" (2006) Scott battles Jack Frost (Martin Short) to see who will be Santa Claus.

Allen became famous playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the TV series "Home Improvement" (1991-1999).

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: A group of children

The movie was based on a song by the same title. In the movie, a group of schoolchildren built a snowman that came to life after they put a magician's hat on it. Upon finding out that the snowman, named Frosty, will melt unless he gets to the North Pole, the children sneak him on a north-bound train. The magician pursues them to recover his magic hat and causes Frosty to melt. Santa explains to a distraught child that Frosty can never truly melt as he was made from Christmas snow and will return each year during Christmas. As for the magician, he sees the error of his ways and turns over a new leaf. In the lyrics of the song recorded by Gene Autry, Frosty was brought to life by a magic silk hat. He capered around the village and had a run-in with a traffic policeman, but only stopped long enough to promise to be back some day. Although it is considered a Christmas song, there is no mention of Christmas in the lyrics.

This question was contributed by Phoenix Rising member purelyqing.

Answer: Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant played the UK Prime Minister David who was attracted to one of the staff, Natalie at 10 Downing St. Jamie (Colin Firth) the writer's heart was broken by his wife but mended when he met his Portuguese housekeeper Aurelia. Liam Neeson plays Daniel, mourning the recent loss of his wife. Bill Nighy, is an aging rock star who is the only main character not connected to the others, but his Christmas hit song, is played at key times when other relationships are on screen. The film was written and directed by Richard Curtis. Most of the starring cast had appeared in other Curtis movies such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994), "Notting Hill" (1999) and "Bridget Jones' Diary" (2001).

This question was contributed by Phoenix Rising member 1nn1.

Answer: Paris and Miami

"Home Alone" was released in 1990 and in the film Kevin McCallister is mistakenly left at his home in Chicago while his family travels to Paris. While they are away burglars attempt to rob the McCallister house but Kevin is comically able to foil their plans. In "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" Kevin gets separated from his family at the airport and accidentally gets on a flight to New York City while his family travels to Miami. Similar events take place in this film where Kevin uses his ingenuity to outsmart the "Wet Bandits" named Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).

This question was contributed by Phoenix Rising member Triviaballer.

Answer: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a New York City detective who goes to Los Angeles to visit his wife and children for the holiday season... "Come to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." reminisces Bruce as he crawls through an air conditioning duct. He meets his wife at Nakatomi Plaza (her workplace) where the firm's Christmas party is just starting to warm up. Enter a group of thieves led by Hans Gruber (a delightful performance from Alan Rickman) who take control of the building and everyone in it, except for McClane, while they endeavor to engineer a heist of epic proportions. Of the other songs listed above only "Jingle Bells" appears in the movie, however, it is not credited on the soundtrack and is only heard briefly as it's whistled by Bruce Willis. "Let It Snow!" was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. It was first recorded by Vaughan Monroe and it is his version that opens the closing credits.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Gremlins

When Rand (Hoyt Axton) buys the mogwai for his son Billy (Zach Galligan) he is warned not to do three things: do not expose it to bright lights or sun light, do not get it wet, and do not feed it after midnight. Billy names the mogwai Gizmo and of course all three of those things are done throughout the movie with predictable chaos ensuing. That's what you get for buying mysterious things as Christmas gifts in Chinatown.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: While she is at work at the subway

Jack, and all his family (who are as enamored of Lucy as she is of them) crowd around the ticket booth at the station where Lucy works. Jack slides an engagement ring through the slot by way of proposal. The original intention for the script of "While Your Were Sleeping" was that a woman would be in a coma with an infatuated man claiming he was engaged to her. It was suggested that having the roles reversed would be slightly less creepy! Peter Callaghan, played by Peter Gallagher, falls off the train platform and is rescued by Lucy (Sandra Bullock). While attending his bedside during the night, she is soliloquising about how she was going to marry Peter (having seen him come through her booth many times and woven stories in her head about him). She is overheard by a nurse, who informs the family that Lucy is Peter's fiancée. They take Lucy to their hearts and invite her to their Christmas festivities. During these events, she and Jack fall in love and she is forced to explain that she isn't, in fact, engaged to Peter.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Four Christmases (Holidays - in some countries)

"Four Christmases" is a 2008 romantic comedy that stars Vince Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon and it centers on this pair's characters seeking to avoid their dysfunctional families during the Christmas period. They do this by holidaying abroad and spreading the belief that they are doing charity work in these places. "The Stingiest Man in Town" is a 1978 animated remake of a musical with the same name. It is the Dickens story told through the eyes of B.A.H. Humbug, an insect voiced by Tom Bosley. "Scrooged" is a 1988 comedy starring Bill Murray and Karen Allen that rode on the coattails of Murray's success in "Ghostbusters" (1984) by using the slogan "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one". "Bah, Humbug! A Looney Tunes Christmas" is a 2006 animation that features Daffy Duck as the miserly Ebenezer. Dickens' novella was first published in 1843 and is one of his most recognizable and loved works. It has been dramatized and adapted countless times through various sources of media.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.