The Christmas Miracle that Started it All

I started this blog because I won a free pass to the Bloor for a year, but how did I win such an amazing gift?

It all started with It’s a Wonderful Life.

Now, first of all, I love the Bloor. I have always loved the Bloor. When I walk into the lobby, endorphins are released and everything is all right … seriously. Indeed, when I lived in Vancouver (shudder) for two years, the Bloor was one of the dearest things I missed about good ol’ T.O. So, when my girlfriend and I moved back from soggy city to Toronto this December, I made sure we went to the annual Christmas party at the Bloor. Only the Bloor has a party for its members with carollers and delicious snacks and a screening of the greatest Christmas movie of all time, and all for free. Now, It’s a Wonderful Life is one of my favourite movies, not just my favourite Christmas movie. And like most people, I had only ever seen it on the small screen. So, when the Bloor started playing it a few years ago, it became an annual tradition to go see this classic on the big screen.

Cindy and I got there early enough to get good seats and enjoy the snacks … well, I enjoyed the snacks; Cindy ate only the healthy stuff while I completely gorged on the sweets. I have a sweet tooth. You know that “Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs” bird? He’s a calm, sophisticated animated spokesperson compared to me when I’m in the vicinity of anything sweet—except for hard candy, seriously, who likes hard candy?

Anyway, after 14 small brownies and three egg-nogs, we took our seats and they started giving away some prizes for trivia questions. The questions were so easy (who plays George Bailey?) that people were yelling out the answers before the questions were finished; but then came the good part. It was announced that the grand prize would go out to the first ten people who came on to the stage and quoted their favourite line from any Christmas movie--the audience would decide the winner. I actually didn’t go up right away, sometimes actors can be surprisingly shy, and I just didn’t feel like going up, even though I immediately had my favourite quote in mind. Cindy, however, was nudging me with her elbow telling me to get the hell up there, so I went up to the stage just on time to be the tenth person. A couple of other people came up later and the M.C. was kind enough to let them compete, so we had an even dozen quoting their favourite lines.

Now, people had their standard quotes ready and delivered them in the normal “human being” way, not aware that at the end of the line there was an actor who has been making funny voices and impersonations for most of his life. Normally, this makes me a weirdo, but the “funny voices” were about to finally pay off. My favourite quote before it got to me was a woman who did a nice job with Annie’s quote from It’s a Wonderful Life: “Boys and girls and music, why do they need gin?” There was also a young girl, around 12, who quoted Scrooge with, “Bah-humbug.” She didn’t really sell it or anything, but the contrast of a young girl doing Scrooge was enough to grab the audience.

Then it was my turn. Now, this quote was always my favourite because it completely jolted me the first time I saw It’s a Wonderful Life. I had never seen Jimmy Stewart that angry before, and he nails this scene so succinctly that it firmly stood out in my mind. It’s after his Uncle Billy has lost the $8,000 and they’re searching for it in his house. Desperate and afraid, George Bailey says, “Do you know what this means? It means bankruptcy, scandal, prison, that’s what it means! Well, one of us is going to jail, and it’s not going to be me!” That was my quote, and fortunately for me, Jimmy Stewart is one of the voices I can do, so it went pretty well.

We had an “applaud-off” and it came down to me and the little Scrooge girl. I crushed her like a bug … ok, I didn’t, it was actually very close, but I was lucky enough to win; and a year’s pass to the Bloor (the greatest of all rep cinemas) was mine, and the pass was for two! How lucky is that? Also, how fortunately appropriate? I’m usually at the Bloor a couple of times a week anyway, and when I moved back to Toronto from Vancouver (shudder) we moved to the Annex. For 17 years I lived at Jarvis and Gerrard (where a man never gets lonely) but now we’re in my favourite neighbourhood, the Annex, and only about an 18 minute walk away from the Bloor. So, needless to say, this is the best prize I’ve ever won … until this weekend when I win Lotto Max, I’m totally due.

This little contest was the Christmas Miracle that gave me the pass. My friend Stephen Bogaert (is it all right if I mention your name, Stephen? oh well) suggested I start a blog reviewing the movies I see at the Bloor. So here it is, A Year in the Bloor, with movie reviews, opinions, and other thoughts that may come to me--like what a ninny Stephen Harper is.

I hope you enjoy.