The Holly and the Ivy (1952)

"I find all these Christmas decorations particularly depressing." 

Director
George More O'Ferrall

Cast
Ralph Richardson - Rev. Martin Gregory
Celia Johnson - Jenny Gregory
Margaret Leighton - Margaret Gregory
Denholm Elliott - Gunner Michael Gregory
John Gregson - David Paterson
Hugh Williams - Lt. Col. Richard Wyndham
Margaret Halstan - Aunt Lydia
Maureen Delany - Aunt Bridget

Going along the same train of thought mentioned in my last review, "Christmas in Connecticut," the 1952 British holiday drama "The Holly and the Ivy" is a Christmas movie that doesn't get the same attention as more popular holiday movies that are sentimentally and dutifully watched year after year. 

Unlike "Christmas in Connecticut," I found "The Holly and the Ivy" much more palatable and human, though it has a melancholier tone. 

The movie centers on an English minister, Rev. Martin Gregory (Ralph Richardson), whose family are coming from all around England to his home for Christmas as they do every year. Martin lives in the remote village of Wyndenham in Norfolk where he practices his ministry. He lives with his daughter, Jenny (Celia Johnson), and is up there in his age. He seems to be more concerned over his flock than his family. So much so that he doesn't realize how dysfunctional his family is.

Martin also has a daughter named Margaret (Margaret Leighton) and a son named Michael (Denholm Elliott). Also, their cousin Lt. Col. Richard Wyndham (Hugh Williams) as well as Jenny's boyfriend, David Paterson (John Gregson), and their Aunts Lydia (Margaret Halstan) and Bridget (Maureen Delany) are joining the Gregory family for the holidays. 

When the Gregory family is all together, tensions begin to build. 

To begin with, Michael is developing a disdain for religion. He's also upset with his father's plans to send him off to a university after Michael finished with his national service in the Royal Artillery.

When Margaret shows up, she tells Jenny that she doesn't plan to stay. She also goes on about not wanting to continue as a magazine writer in London. Jenny quickly concludes that Margaret has become an alcoholic. 

Margaret later reveals that she had a son out of wedlock four years ago. Unfortunately, her son died of meningitis and the grief drove her to alcohol. She has also become an atheist. Atheism has a tendency to spawn from painful and traumatic events. 

Underneath all their personal issues, each of these siblings share one common problem. They don't think they can approach their father about their respective problems. They figure he'll just show disapproval for their issues rather than be supportive and helpful. If only they realized that disapproval of stupid decisions can be a compassionate act. What they want is their father to lie and tell them they're all still good little girls and boys. 

Ralph Richardson and Margaret Leighton in 'The Holly and the Ivy.'

As they continue to assume their father's feelings and reactions, Michael and Margaret decide they need to leave the house for a while to get away from their dad and their aunts. So, they go to a movie on Christmas Eve. Afterwards, they go out to a pub and return home drunk. 

When Christmas morning arrives, Margaret announces she's leaving. 

Meanwhile, Michael and his dad have an argument which reaches a point were Michael questions God's existence. 

But their preconceived ideas of their father are wrong. In fact, he's dealt with issues like these among his flock. Plus, he's had his own unconventional obstacles since the time he realized his religious vocation. 

He has deep and open conversations separately with Michael and Margaret where he realizes that he made his own mistakes as a father. That is, he paid more attention helping the members of his flock than paying attention to his own family. Their expectations about how their father would react are wrong. Forgiveness from him, forgiving themselves is a step towards healing, though the feeling of shame isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

At the end, the entire family are joined together at church on Christmas morning where they should be. 

While "The Holly and the Ivy" elevates Christmas to the level of honor that the holiday deserves, it still reminds audiences that even though its generally a holy and jolly time, it can also be a time to settle issues especially among family members, continue loving and forgiving (if necessary) the faults of our loved ones, and work on correcting our faults more vigilantly. It's a wonderful time of the year while also being the time when God and sinners reconcile. It's never too late to do the right thing. 

Not only does this family have problems, but they do understand the importance of Christmas despite their bitterness. They don't gush over the holiday, but they still gather even if with some reluctance. They all share a desire for resolution and reconciliation. 

While the theme is family coming together at Christmas, mending old unhealed wounds is just as important for this sacred holiday. The movie is unique among Christmas stories. 

A portion of the story deals with values and differences between generations. This is depicted between Lydia, Bridget, and everyone else staying for Christmas. There's tension between the generations. 

There's a scene in which Jenny and Aunt Bridget have an exchange about having goose rather than turkey for Christmas day just before Bridget threatens to leave over Margaret and Michael coming home drunk the night before. 

"You'll miss the goose if you go out," Jenny says.

"Goose is it you're having? Not turkey," Bridget replies.

"Oh, dear. Don't you like goose?"

Denholm Elliott, John Gregson, and Celia Johnson.

"I do. I prefer it. Now, I don't know what to do."

"Then stay on, Bridget." 

The story is drier than what American audiences may be accustomed to, especially when it comes to Christmas movies. That is, there's no hugely dramatized sentimental Christmas moment like George Bailey running down Main Street in Bedford Falls wishing everyone one a Merry Christmas, or young Ralphie Parker getting that one gift he so desperately wanted. The movie is heavy with dialogue, which is probably due to it being based on a stage play by Wynyard Browne. He based his play on the dynamics of his own family. The movie certainly feels like a stage play. 

To its credit, "The Holly and the Ivy" was shot in sequence which gives the actors a chance to develop their emotions as the story progresses. It works amazingly well. 

The movie does have some great lines, especially a comment about engineers being inhuman! 

"It isn't petrol or oil that make the world go 'round." 

The carol that the movie is named for is one of my favorite carols. In the song, ivy symbolizes the Virgin Mary and the holly symbolizes Jesus Christ. While ivy is in the title, the song is really about the holly. There's a scene at the dinner table where the family discuss the meaning behind the lyrics to "The Holly and the Ivy."  
Each stanza of the song describes something beautiful alongside something unpleasant about holly. 

"The holly bears the blossom, as white as the lily flower."

"The holly bears a berry, as red as any blood."

"The holly bears a prickle, as sharp as any thorn."

"The holly bears a bark, as bitter as any gall."

I wouldn't have been able to come up with a better title for a story like this one if I worked at it for years. The story utilizes Christmas as the time of year when both pain and forgiveness are most intensely felt.

There's no other Christmas movie I've seen where this is so well depicted. Other movies would generally use this family dysfunction, with the patriarch being a pastor, for laughs. While it's a Christmas movie that might lack the spark that ignites the Christmas feels which audiences, especially American audiences, love about their traditional Christmas movies, "The Holly and the Ivy" is a movie that deserves more attention around the holiday season.