So, I watched this much nominated, critically lauded, friend favoured, top listed Christmas movie today, for the first time. Like CASABLANCA, if you've never seen these movie intentionally, you will be able to reconstruct them from the many clips that have been featured over the years. I was surprised to know so much of it and the music associated with it. Judy Garland gives a wonderful performance with the mature vocal talent belying her age and Margaret O'Brien is a cherubic, little scene stealer. The story has an odd counterpoint of youthful obsessions with frivolous romance and fearful unease, (the Halloween antics, the brutishness of some of the encounters and Tooti's obsession with death were a little sobering but the hopefulness of being in love are the enduring memories). Even this early version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is more hope in the midst of sorrow than merriment. (Two, later, popular, renditions of the song each changed the lyrics slightly, which eventually eradicating it's sorrowful under-themes, turning it into the version we most commonly sing today). Even though, during the movie, they had an uneasy working relationship, a year after the movie's release Judy Garland (who's birth name was Francis Ethel Gumm - who knew?) married Vincente Minnelli. Though short lived, that marriage gave us Lisa Minnelli, for whom we are grateful. I've procrastinated giving my rating of this film, because I have friends who cite this as their favourite Christmas movie - so a 10. I hope they will forgive me if I give it a 7.9 (good with highlights) out of 10 (I just wasn't seeing/feeling a 10 (I apologize). [Classic Romantic Musical]