NOVEMBER 2022:

IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY…

When most people think of the holiday season, they often think of the round of holiday genre films that replay on the airwaves for two months on a loop to the point that talk of turkey dinners, yuletide greetings, the chaos of Christmas shopping, and the hijinks of families getting together for all of it doesn’t sound half bad. But it has always seemed just a little bit odd that among those holiday classics playing on marathon loops for the season include The Godfather Parts I and II. The 1972 film, The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola quickly became a landmark gangster genre film so it’s probably the last film you would expect to see on that list of holiday films playing throughout the season. But the crime genre film based on the 1969 crime novel of the same title, written by Mario Puzo, is also considered one of the greatest and most influential films of all time.

To some film viewers, The Godfather Part II is arguably better than the first film and believe Vito‘s backstory should have been in the first film, despite The Godfather appearing at the top of most lists for some of the greatest films ever. But all filmgoers will agree that both films complement each other and recommend that anyone and everyone see both films before they die, that’s how good they are. When it comes to The Godfather Part III, most people feel that this film was the worst out of all three films, even with a recut Coppola released in December 2020 to try to redeem the film a bit, since the film remained the same despite minor cuts and additions, even with a name change to the third film, it was not enough so we just don’t acknowledge the 1990 film when talking about the greatness that is The Godfather films. I personally disagree, I didn’t hate the misunderstood The Godfather Part III but can see why up against the other two films, it’s just not as good. But I digress, either way, The Godfather parts I and II have become unlikely holiday classics during the season and this recommendation is going to attempt to explain why, but in short, it’s all in the family, the Corleone family to be exact.

LET ME EXPLAIN…

Yes, the Corleone family was a crime family. Most families probably give thanks every Thanksgiving to not be anything like The Godfather family, but what movies goers do identify with about the Corleone family, especially during the holidays, is the loyalty to family. The infamous brother of Michael Corleone, Fredo Corleone, has become a pop culture reference to the point of his character being the one-word reference a person might use in conversation to say someone is acting disloyal, “Don’t Be A Fredo,” It’s the connection to family that Coppola is telling through this ironically criminally full and morally lacking family, they still believe in the importance of family and that nothing comes before your family. In the worst of times, despite all your differences or separate ambitions, you come together in the name of family. If someone in your family is at risk or in danger, you support and protect that family. But above all, you don’t take sides with anyone against the family. Ever.

The biggest lesson to be learned through all the violence and law-breaking, is you never go against the family. And if that doesn’t say family entertainment during the holiday season, you must really not like you’re family. When you remove the violence of the film, it comes down to the central theme of the film, family, and viewers can all identity with that in some way, and that is why every holiday season your television is playing The Godfather Parts I and II on a marathon loop. But there are also some other possible reasons it is an unlikely holiday favorite, so let’s examine those reasons.

RATE YOU’RE HOLIDAY…

The simplest answer to a question with many possible answers would be network broadcast ratings. Most network weekly programming shows are on hiatus through the holiday season, so they naturally lose viewership to re-runs, holiday specials, football games, and holiday movies. So, marketing The Godfather Parts I and II on your network during the mid-season finale holiday season is a brilliant rating tactic. Name one person you know that doesn’t stop what they’re doing and watch a favorite movie if it is on. You probably can’t, and that’s why it’s brilliant. Any network that runs The Godfather in any of its parts, and that does include The Godfather Part III, is going to see TV ratings hike for that period. The Godfather is just one of those movies that it doesn’t even matter that it should probably have an intermission period, if it comes on at midnight, you’re not going to bed until after three in the morning.

And if The Godfather Part II comes on right after, you’ve already accepted you’re not getting any sleep tonight and coffee is the preferred drink of the day tomorrow. Another reason for brilliant marketing. Most network executives know this, and that’s why a marathon during Thanksgiving and Christmas works beautifully. You don’t need sleep to go Black Friday shopping, you need money. And once all the kids have gotten their gifts from Santa and the morning hubbub is settled, who doesn’t want to lay on the couch all day and be still be laying on the couch, right next to the Christmas tree in the dark when the timer kicks the lights on because watching both films is an investment in your couch, and you started while the sun was out. No if, and, or, but about it. So, what daring network chooses to take the risk and run The Godfather Parts I and II and add holiday classics to the many critical accolades and awards the films have stacked up? That would be AMC, mostly known for The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul.

THANKFUL TV BLESSINGS…

In 2010, AMC started its initial Thanksgiving marathon of The Godfather, with the promotional slogan “Thanksgiving With Your Godfather” where The Godfather Parts I and II would air on the channel for 24 hours. The event became a popular ratings booster for AMC over the years and they extended the marathon to the Christmas holiday season with another all-day run of both films, promotionally titled “The Godfather After-Christmas Marathon.” Both marathons during the holiday season have increased in viewership making it a lucrative continued event every year for AMC. AMC wasn’t the first to come up with the idea, however, when the film was released in 1972 and left theatres, cable networks acquired the rights to air the film one night during the Christmas season due to the eminence popularity of the film from the day of its release and the fact that even in 1972, it was regarded as one of the best gangster films ever made.

The New York Times reported on the moral dilemma of airing such a violent film with children possibly viewing it on television, due to the fact that even in 1972, the film was run without very many edits for cable TV and aired in its entirety. In the article, the film is even referred to as a “pornography of violence” and questioned how airing the film during Christmas qualified as family entertainment. There are entire FAMILIES that would sit and watch the marathon together due to the fact that the film is widely considered the best ever and you rarely find people who don’t love it for whatever reason, but nobody asked me in 1972, because I wasn’t born yet. The Godfather Parts I and II draw an audience and have had solid enough airings on AMC since 2010 going up against the Dallas Cowboys and their Thanksgiving traditional game, as well as the many other football games that air all day. And since it runs all day, they know most men will watch their football game and then flip over to AMC and watch The Godfather after. Now to the other possible reasons, the crime genre saga has been deemed a holiday classic.

LET ME COUNT THE WAYS…

• There is actually a Christmas scene in The Godfather.

It begins with Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone and his girlfriend Kay Adams, played by Diane Keaton shopping in Manhattan before Michael takes them home to the Corleone compound for Christmas with his family. Kay is from Maine and a little naive as to the nature of his family’s business, believing their wealth and respect come from the Olive Oil business started by his father, Vito Corleone decades ago. She has her suspicions but doesn’t dare ask and Michael makes it clear he doesn’t like talking about the family business. When they first met, he had no intention of having anything to do with his family after returning from the war, he had other plans that included Kay. But if you also remember from the Christmas scene, an attempt is made on Don Vito’s life as he is gathering some oranges from the fruit stand on the street, he started his business and was caught off guard while daydreaming in a memory. It is at this moment that the trajectory of Michael’s life changes drastically and his own ambitions are put aside in the name of his family which is under attack by the Tattaglia crime family in New York. This makes the Christmas scene in the film one of the most important scenes, without the attempt on Don Vito, Michael would never set out for retaliation and eventually become the new head of the family.

• Both films need an ‘Intermission’ title card.

Both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are really, really long. Part I and Part II have a combined run time of 375 minutes, so about 6 hours of couch surfing to complete the AMC marathon in its entirety, and that doesn’t even include the critically panned The Godfather Part III in the marathon. If AMC aired a trilogy marathon, that would add an additional 162 minutes, or 2 hours and 42 minutes for a combined watch time of 8 hours and 42 minutes. I have done this, it wasn’t that bad, but in my defense, it was the COVID Lockdown, and I was doing anything to fill my time, and it was time well wasted. It would appear from the math that a Thanksgiving and Christmas marathon is the perfect time to watch two Godfather films in a row, otherwise when else, besides during a pandemic lockdown, would anyone has that much time to watch the films in a row?

• It’s an American classic and AFI’s number two best film ever.

Aside from being a gangster film glorifying violence and romancing the Mafia, Vito Corleone represents the fundamental elements of what it means to be an American and what it means to be an immigrant coming to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream. And what it was like to be an Italian immigrant in particular, and what one would do in pursuit of that American Dream. And when the time came and you have a family while dreaming, what would you do for your family to be able to pursue those same American ideologies? The Godfather opens with Connie’s wedding of opulence to show right away that have enough wealth by the means of the family’s success in the crime world. I could go on with the many elements of what makes the film a classic, and why the American Film Institute has it at number 2, behind Citizen Kane, for the greatest movies of all time. It can be the landmark gangster film and also be the most influential film and change Hollywood forever because, through all the violence and Santino Corleone getting shot 56 times, the film has an identifiable theme to almost everyone who watches it, family. And the film is studied in film schools right down to the lighting and look of the film. The Godfather just made other movies want to be better. It’s just a great cinematic experience and a true study of the art of making films. It will remain an American classic for its story of achieving in the land of opportunity and succeeding at it, but revealing the double-edged sword of, at what cost? And if you ask me, The Godfather is number one, and Citizen Kane is number two, but again, nobody asked me.

• It’s a great Thanksgiving day film. Period.

When you have no control over the food coma that is about to win after all that turkey you just ate, don’t worry about what part of the movie you were at when you passed out for a turkey nap. You can just wake up and watch it all over again from the beginning, middle, or end. It’s on literally all day. So, it’s the perfect movie when the family leaves to go home and you have your couch back. You can just regret all the sweet potatoes you just ate, or you can watch The Godfather and say to yourself, “Oh my god, look at Pacino, he was so young” at least five times. And every time you think for a millisecond Santino will make a different choice. But you know it’s coming. But if you fell asleep and woke up to The Godfather Part II, even better, watch that and just watch The Godfather again after. It’s a vicious cycle when you’re an American classic that draws an audience.

• It’s not in the crimes, it’s all in the family…like an American Thanksgiving.

When you ignore the history of America and the first Thanksgiving and the story behind the ugly facts, you won’t end up in a political fight at the Thanksgiving dinner table with that one family member who is always acting like a Fredo. If you avoid that argument, the whole family ends up on the couch watching The Godfather and happy. It’s all in the family celebrating the gratitude for being in each other’s lives. As stated before, when you take away the criminal, violent nature of the film and just pay attention to the principle ideas and theme of the film, loyalty and love of family. The film helps keep your mind on family during the holiday season and lets you remember that good or bad, you love them all and would do anything for them. And that while Michael became the more ruthless and ambitious Don of the family, he never had to love to tie it all together and truly make him successful in life. You can see from the marathon of The Godfather Parts I and II, that Don Vito succeeded in both his business and personal life because he had the love of his family and love for his family and connected to the people in his life, whereas Michael always keeps himself at a distance from people emotionally and socially and lost everyone he loved in his life to the death and destruction of his marriage that came with his position in the family. You see two completely opposite personalities from the same family in different generations that profited, good or bad, from Capitalism in America and the fundamental idea of pursuing the American Dream. It’s all in the family.

MY HOLIDAY RECOMMENDATION…

I wouldn’t recommend not watching The Godfather ever, watching the film on Thanksgiving is one of the fondest memories I have with my dad who passed away in 2014. No matter what was going on in our lives when I came home for Thanksgiving, My dad and I ended up on the couch at some point watching The Godfather Parts I and II, and while I enjoyed that time with him regardless, I now cherish and have gratitude for that time I was given with him. When Thanksgiving comes around every year, I think of my dad and naturally miss him a bit, but then I remember us watching it after dinner and I am happy, and then I end my Thanksgiving passed out on the couch watching The Godfather and being thankful for my family and the time I had with them here or gone.

The Godfather is available to stream in 4K now on all platforms and can be purchased at you’re preferred retail store.