<p>Every December, the same Christmas classics return on repeat — “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “A Christmas Story,” “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But longtime Charlotte arts critic <strong>Lawrence Toppman</strong> says some of the season’s richest films are the ones most people have <em>never</em> heard of. From forgotten Thanksgiving dramas to animated immigrant tales, from World War I truces to bittersweet family reunions, Toppman opens up a deeper, more surprising cinematic world behind the holidays.</p><p>In this special episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we bring you a live recording of Toppman’s December 1, 2025 talk at <strong>The Sharon at SouthPark Retirement Community</strong>, where he shares his favorite under-the-radar holiday films — and a few spicy opinions about the ones everyone already knows.</p><p>Toppman shares his curated list spanning Día de los Muertos, Armistice Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. Whether you’re looking for something touching, funny, unusual, or decidedly <em>not</em> cheerful, this list has a film to surprise you.</p><p>We hope you enjoy the conversation with Lawrence Toppman.</p><p><em>Today’s episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast is sponsored by Child Care Search, a service of Child Care Resources Inc. Looking for child care? Our team provides guidance every step of the way! Search online at </em><a target="_blank" href="http://www.findchildcarenc.org/"><em>www.FindChildCareNC.org</em></a><em> or call 1-888-600-1685 for live assistance and free, customized referrals.</em></p><p>For more information on The Charlotte Ledger, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://TheCharlotteLedger.com">TheCharlotteLedger.com</a>. This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://charlotteledger.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">charlotteledger.substack.com/subscribe</a>