A Christmas Memory

1966 0h 50m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 2

DramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

As Christmastime approaches in rural, Depression-era Alabama, a young boy and his best friend, an elderly woman distantly related to him, prepare for the impending holiday by gathering ingredients for their annual batch of fruitcakes for "people who've struck our fancy." On Christmas Eve, they talk with great anticipation of the next day, but underneath is the sad, almost unspoken knowledge that the boy is growing up and his cousin is getting older and frailer. Based on Truman Capote's autobiographical short story.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Geraldine Page
Woman
Donnie Melvin
Buddy
Lavinia Cassels
Aunt
Christine Marler
Aunt
Josip Elic
HaHa
Lynn Forman
Woman in Car
Win Forman
Storekeeper
Truman Capote
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frank Perry
Writers: Eleanor Perry, Truman Capote
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 50-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Miss Sook Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Frank Perry, shot by Jordan Cronenweth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Meyer Kupferman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ralph Rosenblum shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Geraldine Page and Donnie Melvin and Lavinia Cassels carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frank Perry directs. Jordan Cronenweth behind the camera. Meyer Kupferman scores. Ralph Rosenblum cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 50-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Miss Sook Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Frank Perry, shot by Jordan Cronenweth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Meyer Kupferman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Ralph Rosenblum shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Geraldine Page and Donnie Melvin and Lavinia Cassels carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0179551 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.