New Year’s Noir: 8 Crime Films Bring You Dark Tidings

Allen Baron, “Blast of Silence” (1961). Noir for the year's last day.

Was that a popping cork or the report of a firearm?

By Paul Parcellin

Why is it that a lot of noirs take place around Christmas, but not so many focus on New Year’s Eve? Granted, New Year’s doesn’t carry the same weight as Christmas — it’s just not a family holiday, with all of the sentimental memories (or emotional baggage) that you may find in Yuletide festivities. 

But starting a new year can bring more than a wisp of heartfelt reflection, sometimes quite unexpectedly. Anticipation of a fresh start mixed with pangs of regret about the year gone by often make it a bittersweet occasion. It marks the end of the holiday season and is among the early days of the winter ahead.

Like an abbreviated Mardi Gras, it allows us one night to party before facing the grayness of the coming season. 

In the noir universe a new start can mean different things — unsavory things. In noir, a new start often means the beginning of the end. Noir new starts take time to develop and blossom while endings are often abrupt and unmerciful. 

Here are some noirs (and other kinds of crime stories) with a New Year’s theme. They may not all include party hats and streamers, but in each the new year is more to be feared than welcomed:

Sue Moore, William Powell, Jack Adair, “After the Thin Man.”

“After The Thin Man” (1936)

OK, so it’s not a noir, more like a murder mystery wrapped in a screwball comedy. But it’s got a lot of noir atmosphere, fedoras, double breasted suits and femmes fatale in furs. Plus it’s based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. A goodly chunk of the film does indeed take place on the eve and day of the new year, a fitting holiday for a Thin Man mystery. It’s also a comfortable setting for the story’s hero, Nick Charles, who approaches life as if it’s one long cocktail party. It’s the second boozy installment in a series of six Thin Man movies made between 1934 and 1947. Popular for the fizzy chemistry between Nick and wife Nora, the couple inevitably becomes embroiled in criminal cases despite Nick’s insistence that he’s retired from the private detective biz. 

As bleary eyed as the famous sleuth may be — he seems to be the toast of whichever town he happens to be in, here, it’s San Francisco — he’s the one who figures out the complex ins and outs of a mysterious murder and brings the perp to justice. 

Don’t go looking for any symbolic meanings in this New Year’s romp. Instead, do something more useful, like searching for some gin, a bucket of ice and a cocktail shaker.

Edmond O’Brien, Viveca Lindfors, “Backfire.”

“Backfire” (1950)

When you land in a military hospital with spine injuries, as did World War II vet Bob Corey, you hope that the worst is behind you and normalcy will return. Not so, for Bob. He’s been planning to go into business with a military buddy— they’re going to become ranchers. But things begin to take an odd turn on Christmas Eve, when Bob is awakened by a strange woman with some unsettling news. But was it just a dream? He’s released from the hospital on New Year’s Day, and morning gets off to a horrifyingly bad start. It seems his would-be business partner has gotten himself into trouble and is nowhere to be seen. The police want information, but Bob has none to offer, except for that spooky visit from the lady in the middle of the night — and no one’s buying that.

Allen Baron, "Blast of Silence,"

“Blast of Silence” (1961)

It’s a drag to have to work over the holidays. Still, hitman Frankie Bono is on the job and taking care of business. An overly ambitious Mafioso is getting coal in his stocking, so to speak, and Frankie is playing the role of bad Santa. But things get complicated. Frankie meets a girl and his outlook on life begins to change. He calls his employers to tell them that he wants to quit the job. It does not go over well, and they give him until New Year's Eve to perform the hit. There’s precious little joyful revelry here. The waning days of the year grow bleak for Frankie. He’s desperate and struggling to change his ways and make a fresh start. “Blast of Silence” is less about fresh starts and more a meditation on loneliness, and Frankie is in what must be the loneliest profession known to mankind, save for the Maytag repairman.

Edward G. Robinson, “Little Caesar.”

“Little Caesar” (1931)

New Year’s Eve marks a turning point in the career of Caesar Enrico Bandello, a small time hoodlum with an insatiable thirst for power. He organizes a nightclub holdup as patrons ring in the new year. While he and his gang make their exit, the small, paunchy criminal kills the city’s crime commissioner who happens to be a guest at the club. For Bandello, it’s both the start of his meteoric rise in the mob and the beginning of the end for him. As high as he rises in the organization he’s unable to wash the blood off his hands. From that day forward he’s a marked man and doomed to fail. Some viewers compare him with captains of industry who resort to any means necessary to ensure their advancement. In fact, Bandello’s rise from the gutter to prosperity is the stuff of the American dream — but an extremely skewed version of it.

Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Richard Conte, “Ocean's Eleven.”

“Ocean’s Eleven” (1960)

Because it’s a heist movie set on New Year’s Eve, this one makes the list. The Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, play veterans who served together in World War II and are set to knock off a Las Vegas casino. They mean to handle the heist with the precision of the military operations on which they were once deployed as a team. On the plus side, the movie begins with the always delightful Saul Bass (“Psycho,” “Vertigo,” “The Big Knife”) animated opening titles, which set the film’s bouncy mood. Beyond that, it’s all about Sinatra and company simply playing their affable selves — what else could they do? Richard Conte and Angie Dickinson round out the cast. As you might expect, no one seems to be taking it all so seriously, and neither should we.

Louis Hayward, Joan Leslie, “Repeat Performance.”

“Repeat Performance” (1947)

This is a story about do-overs, and in this case, a really big do-over. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot, Sheila Page kills her husband on New Year’s Eve, then gets her wish to redo the entire year. The seeds for this deadly event were planted in the previous months. So logically, if you can change the events leading up to the unfortunate circumstances things will change and hubby will be saved. Murder averted. No stripes, numbers or noose. But the question is whether or not certain events are in the stars or avoidable. In this case, circumstances leading up to the big event change, but fate has a curious way of grabbing hold of the wheel and taking us all on a wild ride. This may be the ultimate New Year’s Eve noir because we get not one, but two nights of celebration taking place a year apart. That’s nothing for Sheila to get excited about. As celebrations go, both are memorable, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Gloria Swanson, William Holden, “Sunset Boulevard.”

“Sunset Boulevard” (1950)

Who can forget the cringe-worthy New Year’s Eve celebration that Norma Desmond cooks up for Joe Gillis? He’s expecting a gala event, but Norma has planned a champagne toast for him and herself alone, followed by tangoing for two. Her sprawling, decrepit mansion, a monument to decadent Hollywood, is the fortress in which the once-famous silent screen star has hunkered down, refusing to see that the parade passed her by decades ago. It’s all too much for Gillis, a screenwriter whose sputtering career and naive outlook brought him to Norma’s door in the first place. Since then, he’s been a kept man. But as the new year dawns he finally sees Norma’s smothering embrace for what it is, and he bolts. But if he thinks he’ll get away from her that easily, he’s mistaken. Norma is the one who gets to write the third act.

Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, “Walk Softly, Stranger.”

“Walk Softly, Stranger” (1950)

An amorous relationship blooms between a socialite and a crook in a film that’s part romantic drama, part film noir. Joseph Cotten is the gambler and con man who maneuvers his way into a comfortable position in an Ohio town. An unlikely romance between Cotten’s criminally motivated grifter and his boss’s daughter finally takes root on New Year’s Eve. It’s the story’s high point and the con man’s fortunes begin a steady decline from that evening on. This is a story about the redemptive powers of love, a theme atypical of noir. In fact, you might say it’s an anti-noir point of view. But when you’re drawing lines between what’s noir and what isn’t, consider that there are degrees of noir, despite what purists insist. It’s not an all or nothing proposition, and “Walk Softly, Stranger” has the necessary ingredients that allow it to fit snugly within the noir canon. 

Pulp Into Pictures: 21 Cornell Woolrich Stories That Made It To the Big Screen; Plus “Never Open That Door”

Ángel Magana in "Never Open That Door" (1952).

Bedarkened, beshadowed Argentinian film noir

treated to a stunning restoration, disc release  

By Paul Parcellin

“Never Open That Door” (1952) Blu-ray and DVD, Flicker Alley (158 minutes) 

A lot of movies never quite get author Cornell Woolrich’s tone right, especially the films made in Hollywood. Their forced upbeat endings just don’t do justice to the pitch black darkness of his novels and short stories.

That’s not the case with the Argentinian produced “Never Open That Door,” a two part adaptation of two Woolrich stories. A beautifully restored Blu-ray and DVD edition of the film was released in June 2024.

Part One, "Someone is on the Phone,” is the story of a man trying to help his sister resolve her gambling debts and get rid of a blackmailer. He takes action, and as is often the case in Woolrich’s universe, misreads the signals, resulting in a tragic outcome.

In Part Two, “The Hummingbird Comes Home,” a blind woman living with her niece is visited by her son, who has been serving a prison sentence. The woman holds out hope that he’s still dedicated to her although all signs point in the opposite direction. 

Both stories pull no punches and end in darkness that’s true to Woolrich’s texts. 

A third part, “If I Should Die Before I Wake” is also included in the disc. It was originally intended to round out a trilogy, but was cut from the lineup and fleshed out into a single, stand-alone feature film. In it, a boy knows that a serial killer is preying on his classmates but can’t get anyone to listen to him, even his police inspector father.

Themes that run through all three are loyalty, honor and duty. In each of the trio a deep abiding sense of dedication to ones ideals leads to tragic outcomes. The brother who avenges his sister’s suicide in "Someone is on the Phone” is overbearing and hot tempered. His brand of loyalty masks his need to dominate and control his younger sibling. As the story begins we assume that he’s a jealous husband looking after his straying wife. That they are siblings comes as a revelation and hints at the man’s deeply repressed incestuous impulses. His need to get even with an anonymous third party speaks more of the need to sure up his bruised ego and his family’s honor, and less of finding justice for his sister. 

The blind woman in “The Hummingbird Comes Home” is unprepared for the man her son has become when he returns home, the police on his tail. Despite his insensitive behavior toward her, she clings to the hope that he’s still a good boy, until he proves her wrong.

Loyalty and honor, as interpreted by the young boy in “If I Should Die Before I Wake,” is put to the test. He promises to not breathe a word to anyone about the nice man who gives free candy and colorful sticks of chalk to little girls. Like the protagonists in the other two stories, he is, at first, unable to comprehend the hell that results when blind devotion to ideals, family and friends opens the door to evil.

Directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen, the film was preserved by the Film Noir Foundation in 2013 and stunningly restored through UCLA Film & Television Archive.  

Here are some of the films adapted from Cornell Woolrich’s short stories and novels. A number of them were written under one of his pseudonyms, William Irish:

Kevin McCarthy, Gage Clarke, "Nightmare."

“Nightmare” (1956). Based on a novel of the same title. A musician dreams he killed a man, then awakens to find evidence linking him to his imagined crime. His brother-in-law, a police detective, doesn’t believe the story. With Edward G. Robinson, Kevin McCarthy and Connie Russell. 

“Obsession” (1954). Based on the short story "Silent as the Grave" (as William Irish).  A circus trapeze artist is injured and is replaced by the performer’s former partner. The replacement is murdered and another man is accused of the crime. But some suspect the trapeze artist is to blame. With Michèle Morgan and Raf Vallone. 

“Rear Window” (1954) based on the story “It Had to Be Murder.” A recuperating news photographer watches his neighbors as his leg heals. Odd things occur in one apartment. It looks a lot like murder. With James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Raymond Burr. 




“Never Open That Door” (1952). Based on the stories “Somebody on the Phone” and “Humming Bird Comes Home” (as William Irish). In the first segment a man tries to avenge the death of his sister, who commits suicide over gambling debts. In the second, A former inmate returns home where he is expected by his blind mother, who believes he has reformed. With Ángel Magaña, Renée Dumas, Roberto Escalada and Ilde Pirovano. 

Néstor Zavarce, "If I Should Die Before I Wake."

“If I Should Die Before I Wake” (1952), based on a story with the same title (as William Irish). A young boy’s dad is a policeman investigating serial killings of local children. The boy befriends  a girl who tells him of a man who gives her free lollipops. She makes the boy vow never to tell anyone. With Néstor Zavarce, Blanca del Prado, Floren Delbene. 




“No Man of Her Own” (1950). Based on the novel “I Married a Dead Man” (as William Irish). A pregnant woman takes on the identity of a railroad-crash victim, but her ex-husband traps her in a blackmail scheme. With Barbara Stanwyck, Lyle Bettger and John Lund. 

“The Window” (1949). Based on the story “The Boy Cried Murder” (also known as “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”). A young boy witnesses a murder but struggles to convince anyone of what he’s seen. With Bobby Driscoll, Barbara Hale and Arthur Kennedy. 

“Night Has a Thousand Eyes” (1948). Based on the novel of the same title.

A fake mind reader develops real supernatural powers, but he soon finds that his gift brings more trouble than it’s are worth. With Edward G. Robinson, John Lund and Gail Russell. 

“I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes” (1948). Based on a story of the same title.

A tap dancer throws his shoes out the window to silence howling cats. When a neighbor turns up dead, the hoofer’s footprints are found at the crime scene. With Don Castle, Elyse Knox and Regis Toomey. 




“The Return of the Whistler” (1948). Based on the story “All at Once, No Alice.” A man's fiancée vanishes, and he hires a private detective to find her. But the case proves much more complex than he could have imagined. With Lenore Aubert and Michael Duane. 

“The Guilty” (1947). Based on the story “He Looked Like Murder.” Two roommates meet twin girls and one of the sisters gets murdered. That puts her boyfriend on the spot. With Bonita Granville and Don Castle.

Leo Penn, Teala Loring, "Fall Guy."

“Fall Guy” (1947). Based on the short story “Cocaine.” A man recalls meeting someone in a bar and going to a party. The rest is a blur. But there’s big trouble when a murdered girl’s body is discovered. With Robert Armstrong, Teala Loring and Leo Penn.

“Fear in the Night” (1946), adapted from the short story "Nightmare" (as William Irish). A musician dreams he killed a man, then finds evidence that he did commit the crime. With Kevin McCarthy and Edward G. Robinson.

“The Chase” (1946), based on the novel “The Black Path of Fear.” A down and out veteran is hired as chauffeur to a gangster, but the vet gets too involved with the his boss’s wife. With Michèle Morgan, Steve Cochran and Robert Cummings. 

Peter Lorre, "Black Angel."

"Black Angel" (1946). Based on the novel of the same title. An alcoholic pianist investigates his ex-wife's murder. With Peter Lorre, Dan Duryea, Constance Dowling and June Vincent. 

“Deadline at Dawn” (1946), based on the novel (as William Irish). A sailor and a dance-hall girl try to solve a murder. He’s got the victim’s cash and only has until daybreak to figure it all out. With Bill Williams and Susan Hayward.  

“The Mark of the Whistler” (1944), based on the radio drama “The Whistler,” (as William Irish). A drifter claims the money in a dormant bank account, but others come to claim it. With Paul Guilfoyle, John Calvert, Janis Carter, Richard Dix, and Porter Hall.

Ella Raines, Alan Curtis, "Phantom Lady."

“Phantom Lady” (1944), based on the novel “Phantom Lady” (as William Irish). A woman races against time to clear a friend wrongfully accused of murder. With Franchot Tone, Ella Raines, Aurora Miranda and Alan Curtis. 

“The Leopard Man” (1943). From the novel "Black Alibi.” A seemingly-tame leopard used for a publicity stunt escapes and kills a young girl. With Margo and Dennis O’Keefe.

“Street of Chance” (1942), Based on the novel “The Black Curtain.” A man with amnesia uncovers his involvement in a murder. With Burgess Meredith and Claire Trevor.

Rita Hayworth, Doreen MacGregor, "Convicted."

“Convicted” (1938). Based on the story “Face Work” ( as William Irish). A police detective helps a night-club singer track down a killer. The singer’s brother has been sentenced to die in the electric chair. With Rita Hayworth, Marc Lawrence and Charles Quigley.

Dark Candy in Your Stocking: 25 Christmas Noirs

Robert Montgomery, “Lady in the Lake” (1946), an odd seasonal thriller.

By Paul Parcellin

Sometimes you need relief from the hectic days that close out the year. From Thanksgiving ’til New Year’s Day we live with a sense of renewed optimism and anticipation as the new year approaches — well, some of us do, anyway. Chances are you’ll desire a break from the season of cheer, something to counter-balance the joyful spirit that the holidays demand. For that, you might take in a few films noir. 

What’s especially fitting at this time of year are dark tales with a seasonal theme, the ones that take special delight in dishing out gritty violence and bad will toward men amid the ribbons,  wreaths and mistletoe. Tinsel and colorful twinkling lights contrast brutally with noir’s undisguised onscreen malevolence, highlighting the grim corruption and heart wrenching tragedy that is modern society.

So pour yourself a slug of rye and get comfortable. Here are 25 noirs that are an antidote for this physically exhausting, stress inducing, hyper-joyous season:

Edmond O’Brien, Viveca Lindfors, “Backfire.”

“Backfire” (1950)

While recuperating from wartime back injuries, veteran Bob Corey (Gordon MacRae) is visited on Christmas Eve by a woman carrying alarming news. He hopes to go into business with a wartime buddy, but a major roadblock stands in the way.

“Beware, My Lovely” (1952)

A mentally disturbed handyman (Robert Ryan) on the run, for reasons even he doesn't understand, takes a job at the house of a lonely war widow (Ida Lupino) in 1918. The story takes place over the holiday season, and the warmth associated with Christmas sharply contrasts with the film’s dark elements. 

“Blast of Silence” (1961)

It’s the holidays, and a hired killer from Cleveland (Allen Baron) is in New York City, his hometown, to rub out a gangster. It should be a piece of cake, but his return to the old neighborhood brings on some unexpected complications.

“Cash on Demand” (1961)

A charming but ruthless criminal (André Morell) holds the family of a bank manager (Peter Cushing) hostage as part of a cold-blooded plan to steal a small fortune. The holiday setting stirs up the emotions we feel for the family being held against their will.

“Christmas Holiday” (1944)

The title suggests a light, whimsical storyline, but it’s nothing of the kind. A young woman (Deanna Durbin) realizes that the man she married (Gene Kelly) is not who she thought he was. In flashback we learn of her troubled past as she spends Christmas in New Orleans. The film explores themes of betrayal, guilt and loss.

“Cover Up” (1949)

There’s nothing like a small Midwestern town bedecked in holiday splendor to put us in the Christmas mood — but not this town. An insurance company investigator (Dennis O’Keefe) tackles a case of supposed suicide. But the locals are unhelpful and even hostile. Could this be a case of foul play?

Lawrence Tierney, Anne Jeffreys, “Dillinger.” 

“Dillinger” (1945)

Legendary bank robber John Dillinger (Lawrence Tierney) begins his life of crime as a petty thief, meets his future gang in prison and eventually masterminds a series of daring robberies. Turns out, Christmas ornaments provide an exciting, colorful backdrop for stickup men.

“Flame of the Islands” (1955)

A café singer (Yvonne De Carlo) buys a gambling casino, and a number of men fall in love with her (Howard Duff, Zachary Scott). Set in the tropics, it’s not an overtly Christmas themed flick, but the holiday provides a seasonal context. 

“I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes” (1948)

A dancer (Don Castle) is the focus of a murder investigation after his shoe prints are found at the scene of the crime. His wife (Elyse Knox) follows the trail of clues to the genuine killer. The film’s holiday setting makes the wrongly accused man’s plight all the more tragic.

Elisha Cook Jr., “I, the Jury.” 

“I, the Jury” (1953)

Detective Mike Hammer (Biff Elliot) is determined to catch and kill the person who shot his close friend dead, so he follows clues that lead to a beautiful, seductive woman (Peggie Castle). Nothing says Christmastime quite like Mickey Spillane’s creation, the violence prone Hammer.

“In Bruges” (2008)

Christmas in Bruges, Belgium, is postcard perfect. Two hitmen (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) are sent there and told to await orders from their cold-blooded boss. When instructions finally arrive the story takes a decidedly surprising and dour turn.

“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” (2005)

A New York burglar (Robert Downey Jr.) does some after-hours Christmas Eve shopping in a closed toy store and nearly gets busted. He stumbles into a film audition, is mistaken for an actor and is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye (Val Kilmer) for a potential movie role. From there, the story only gets weirder. 

“L.A. Confidential” (1997).

“L.A. Confidential” (1997)

The film opens outside a house bedecked in holiday lights and a decorative Santa and his sleigh on the roof. Inside, a man beats his wife and detective Bud White (Russell Crowe) and his partner arrive on the scene. The violence contrasts with the season of cheer and goodwill and sets the stage for a tale of corruption and routine underworld brutality in 1950s Los Angeles.

“Lady in the Lake” (1946)

Robert Montgomery directs and stars as Phillip Marlowe, who soon finds himself smack in the middle of a murder. It takes place at Christmastime and a chorus of seasonal carols offer a sardonic counterpoint to the grimmest action on the screen. Opening credits are printed on Christmas cards, to boot. It’s oddly appealing that this may be the most unChristmas-like Christmas film ever made.

“Lady on a Train” (1945)

It’s Christmastime in New York, and a woman (Deanna Durbin) who witnesses a killing seeks the aid of a crime novelist (Bruce David) to solve the murder. The film’s lighthearted holiday atmosphere starkly contrasts with the dark crime witnessed from a train window.  

John Payne, “Larceny.”

“Larceny” (1948)

The veneer of holiday cheer lingers in the background as a con man (John Payne) sets out to swindle a widow (Joan Caulfield). He aims to grab money she received to build a memorial to her war hero husband. But the swindler winds up falling in love with her instead.

“Mr. Soft Touch” (1949)

When he learns that a gangster has taken over his nightclub and murdered his partner, returning World War II hero Joe Miracle (Glenn Ford) steals the money from the club's safe and hides in a settlement home, while the mob is on his tail. Themes such as charity, goodwill and second chances are explored amid the yuletide season.

“No Man of Her Own” (1950)

A pregnant woman (Barbara Stanwyck) adopts the identity of a railroad-crash victim and starts a new life with the woman's wealthy in-laws. But her devious ex blackmails her. The Christmastime setting helps underline the woman’s longing for family stability and belonging.

Louis Hayward, Joan Leslie, “Repeat Performance.”

“Repeat Performance” (1947)

On New Year's Eve 1946, Sheila Page (Joan Leslie) kills her husband, Barney (Louis Hayward). She wishes that she could relive 1946 and avoid the mistakes that she made throughout the year. Her wish comes true but cheating fate proves more difficult than she anticipated. It’s primarily a New Year’s Eve story, but Christmas elements, such as reflection and renewal, are folded into the mix.

“The Man I Love” (1946)

A homesick, no-nonsense lounge singer (Ida Lupino) decides to leave New York City and visit her sisters and brother on the West Coast. Eventually she falls in love with a down-and-out ex-jazz pianist (Bruce Bennett). More romantic drama than a pure noir, the film’s scenes with Christmas decorations add just a touch of holiday ambiance to the story.

“The Night of the Hunter.”

“The Night of the Hunter” (1955)

A self-proclaimed preacher (Robert Mitchum) marries a gullible widow (Shelley Winters) whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery. Pastoral winter scenes, exploration of themes such as good and evil and children singing “Silent Night” add to the subtle Christmastime atmosphere.

“The Reckless Moment” (1949)

After discovering the dead body of her teenage daughter's lover, a housewife (Joan Bennett) takes desperate measures to protect her family from scandal. The holiday setting and themes such as family responsibility and criminal intent offer dramatic contrasts that propel the story.

“The Roaring Twenties” (1939)

After returning home from fighting together in World War I, three men (Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Jeffrey Lynn) try to make a killing during Prohibition. A Christmas Eve speech by one of the trio (Cagney) reflects themes of loss, regret and nostalgia. 

“The Silent Partner.” 

“The Silent Partner” (1978)

A timid bank teller (Elliott Gould) anticipates a robbery and steals the money himself before the crook arrives. When the sadistic crook (Christopher Plummer) realizes he's been duped, he tracks down the teller and chases him for the cash. Much of the action takes place in a shopping mall decorated for Christmas.

“The Story of Molly X” (1949)

After gang leader Rick is killed, his wife Molly (June Havoc) takes over his gang, but a robbery goes wrong. Molly finds herself in jail where she undergoes a personal transformation.

Although there are no direct Christmas references here, themes such as hope, forgiveness and second chances reflect the spirit of Christmas — heartwarming stuff for the holidays.