Top 10 Unscripted Christmas Movie Moments That Were Left In
#10: The Great Muppet Improvisers “The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992)
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Charles Dickens’ Christmas novel has been adapted plenty of times. However, arguably no holiday period is complete without at least one viewing of the Muppets version. According to Steve Whitmire, who voiced Kermit, among others, at the end of a scene, the Muppets would stick around and chat about how they thought the shoot went. Sometimes it was general chitchat about the quality of their work, and other times, well, the movie would’ve needed a whole new rating. Apparently, some of that content inspired moments that ended up making the final cut. Although we can’t be sure, we’d love to believe that this tender moment between Rizzo the Rat and Gonzo was improvised and kept in.
#9: Susan’s Reaction to Santa’s Beard “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947)
In this Christmas classic, Kris Kringle has to prove that he’s not just the man who cried Santa after meeting Susan Walker and her mom. We imagine this seemed like a fairly easy task for young actress Natalie Wood who was convinced that her costar, Edmund Gwenn, was the real deal. In the film, Susan isn’t sure if Santa’s real or not and pulls on his beard to check. Well, while that part was scripted, Gwenn apparently improvised his response to prompt an authentic reaction from the young actress. Anything to keep the magic alive, eh? Unfortunately, when Gwenn turned up to the wrap party beardless, the illusion was shattered.
#8: Uncle Billy, Is That You? “It's A Wonderful Life” (1946)
Thanks to its heartwarming narrative, stellar cast, and humorous moments, is it any wonder this film’s become a timeless classic? In one moment that always gets the loudest laughs, we watch Uncle Billy drunkenly stumble out of shot; there’s a crash, and he yells out that he’s alright. Well, what if we told you that wasn’t Uncle Billy at all? A crew member dropped some equipment, and that’s actually his voice you’re hearing. The timing was so perfect that writer, director, and producer Frank Capra decided to use it in the movie. Also, you know Miss Davis’ shy smile after George kisses her at the bank? Supposedly that’s a genuine reaction to an unscripted smooch.
#7: The Dinner Scene “A Christmas Story” (1983)
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Set in the 1940s and told through a series of vignettes, this dysfunctional family Christmas is one that many can relate to. But in one of its best and wildest scenes, the family head to a Chinese restaurant after losing their turkey to a pack of hungry dogs. At the restaurant, they’re serenaded by the staff and presented with a whole roasted duck. Melinda Dillon, who played Mrs. Parker, lets out a yelp when she sees the bird before dissolving back into fits of giggles. Apparently, this is because she was given a different version of the script to incite genuine surprise and a real reaction. This behind-the-scenes tidbit is the icing on the Christmas cookie.
#6: Sisters “White Christmas” (1954)
While the title song remains unrivaled, “Sisters,” performed by Betty and Judy Haynes, is pretty iconic too. Apparently, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye also thought so when they decided to take a crack at it while killing time between takes. As the story goes, the actors put on bits of costume belonging to their on-screen love interests and started messing about while lip-synching to the track. The director, Michael Curtiz, thought it was hilarious and worked it into the story. Crosby also proved to be quite the proficient ad-libber in other scenes too. For instance, he improvised much of the dialogue during his kitchen Rendez-vous with Betty, leading into the song “Count Your Blessings.”
#5: Emma Thompson’s Tearful Moment “Love Actually” (2003)
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In one of "Love Actually's" most heartbreaking scenes, we see Emma Thompson's Karen crying in her bedroom after uncovering her husband's unfaithfulness. According to the director, Richard Curtis, Thompson was instructed to "let the emotion show," and she took it from there. The scene was shot 12 times, with Thompson's raw emotion pouring out with every take — No doubt, she was drawing on her real-life experiences. Also, did you know that the airport footage was captured by cameras hidden around Heathrow's Terminal 3? When crew members caught a special moment, they approached individuals asking them to sign a waiver so they could potentially include it in the film. We "Love Actually" how authentic those moments are.
#4: Mr. Napkin Head “The Holiday” (2006)
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Is it even Christmas time if you haven’t yet watched this modern classic yet? It gave us countless iconic moments, some of which weren’t in the original script. According to director Nancy Meyers, Jack Black’s movie score breakdown in the video store was ad-libbed. Also, Dustin Hoffman’s cameo was a last-minute addition since he just happened to be nearby that day. Miffy Englefield, who played Graham’s daughter Sophie also shared that the Mr. Napkin Head scene was mostly ad-libbed. Meyers wanted the interaction to be organic and told the girls to behave as they would naturally. It’s so brilliant, we could fall off our chairs, it’s so brilliant.
#3: Kevin’s Iconic Scream “Home Alone” (1990)
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When we say “Home Alone,” what’s the first thing you do? If it’s clasp your face and scream, this one is for you. In this scene, Kevin reacts dramatically to the sting of cologne on his face. According to the director, Chris Columbus, Macaulay Culkin was instructed to move his hands away from his face and scream. However, during their first take, the young actor left his hands on his cheeks, which the crew found absolutely hysterical. They did a couple more takes where Culkin followed the stage directions, but they already knew the first one was the winner. And they weren’t wrong! As far as iconic Christmas film moments go, this one ranks pretty high.
#2: The Grinch’s Magic Trick “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
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The Grinch spends a lot of time either chatting to himself or his dog Max, offering Jim Carrey a plethora of opportunities to riff on the spot. In one such hilarious instance, he examines his busy schedule for reasons to reject an invitation from Whoville, including this ad-libbed appointment. After a change of heart, he ponders what to wear and grabs a tablecloth. Believe it or not, that perfectly executed trick wasn’t what was meant to happen. So, in true Grinch spirit, Carrey returns and knocks everything down himself. Later, while prepping Max for their big heist, he channels director Ron Howard, even wearing one of his signature baseball caps. Howard thought it was hilarious and kept it in.
#1: Much of the Movie “Elf” (2003)
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It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Will Ferrell was behind some of the funniest moments from this must-see Christmas flick. With the comedian extraordinaire under the spotlight, director Jon Favreau encouraged Ferrell to play around with the dialogue while he just let the cameras roll. Some notable examples include the Jack-in-the-Box reaction scene, Buddy’s shenanigans around New York, and his improvised song lyrics. You’ll also be happy to know that Ferrell is responsible for one of the movie’s most quotable lines. Ferrell truly commits with the utmost ecstatic childlike glee. No wonder Favreau cited it as one of his favorite moments. And if you ask us, you’d have to be a cotton-headed ninny muggins to disagree.
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