Meet Me in St. Louis

How on earth is it December already? Oh well on with the Christmas films and here’s one I haven’t seen in a very long time.

There’s something really sad about this film. The family trying to fight time, worried about growing up, worried about change, desperate to get married. It’s in stark contrast to its pretty dresses and eye-scorching technicolor set-dressing, but when Judy Garland finally sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas it all comes crashing down.

It’s mostly pretty funny though, the youngest sibling Tootie is annoying but also pleasingly unhinged and surprising.

I also really liked the ‘dates’ Garland goes on, where she has a conversation with a guy around her house, then effectively repeats it in reverse at his. It’s really sweet and there’s a real glimmer of chemistry there.

The only real cop-out was having the father reverse his decision to go to New York just to give us a happy ending. It leaves you feeling a bit hollow as the family were just beginning to reckon with their future.

Still, that’s a nit pick because this really is a thoughtful, beautiful film that works in spite of being almost completely plot-less. You know what guys? I think it’s gonna be a hit!