Out from the attic came box after box, my siblings laughing and the dog’s tails wagging. Christmas is associated with joy, and my family felt the pure wonder of the holiday as we decorated both our house and our tree, stockings hung with care, and a fire blazing on the TV screen. It felt like Christmas. I also had this feeling enter my brain and body when watching the new holiday movie Spirited, starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. 

Sadly, it may not become a classic every-year watch in the Cousins household as my mom and I were the only big fans, partly due to it being a musical, but I was enthralled throughout the whole film; it truly encompassed the essence of Christmas. 

The movie follows Ferrell, who is dead and spends his afterlife “Scrooging” people. Every year, Ferrell and his friends pick a person who is in need of correction or a lesson in morals, and then, they become the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. This year, Ferell chooses Reynolds an “unredeemable” which means it is “impossible” to get him to change the way he lives. We then meet Reynolds; he runs a company that creates diversions in people and destroys people’s lives to help his clients’ companies or campaigns. He is definitely a Scrooge. 

This movie was hilarious and insanely creative. I mean, the plot was so original; there are plenty of remakes of Ebenezer Scrooge’s story, but this one takes it to a whole new level. I am also a sucker for musicals; the songs were all catchy and moved the movie along instead of holding it back. My favorite song is definitely “Good Afternoon” as it was hilarious and allowed for an insight into the characters that made them truly well-rounded. 

I absolutely adored the characters in this film. Reynolds and Ferrell are fantastic actors—I knew Ferrell had a knack for Christmas movies due to his portrayal of Buddy in Elf, and I am in love with Reynolds. Their characters contrasted one another perfectly with one being sarcastic and charismatic and the other a goofball and caring. There were also side characters I was obsessed with, one being Kimberley played by Octavia Spencer. She was Reynolds’s assistant and had a moral dilemma throughout the movie. She was a truly amazing character, being comical and an astounding singer. I also was caught giggling with each line that spilled out of Sunita Mani’s mouth—she played the Ghost of Christmas past—and she added even more humor to the already comedic tone of the movie. I always appreciate a riotous film. If you don’t believe me about this movie being a comedy—Jimmy Fallon made an appearance. That simply says it all. 

I was thoroughly impressed by this Christmas movie. I appreciate the humorous aspects that still allowed for morals to be discussed all through the plot. This musical can draw Christmas cheer from any Grinch. Ferrell managed to create yet another classic Christmas movie, even if I will have to watch it without my dad and siblings.