"Silver Bells"

I'm a huge fan of this movie: I would definitely put it in my Top 5 of all time. That being said, after re-watching yet once again (on the 4th of July, no less) I noticed a slight chronological error.

The only time in the entire movie we're given an actual date letting us know when the events are taking place is when Jules and Izzy open their second store. The advertising flyers they distribute clearly say October 3, 1949. Earlier in the movie, however, before they've opened their first store, Bing Crosby's version of "Silver Bells" is featured prominently when the family brings home their first television set. This song was not written and released until the Christmas season of 1950.

Two explanations are possible: 1) The movie does not follow strict chronological order, plays fast and loose with the passage of time, and is intended to be just a collection of non-sequential memories. 2) The filmmakers used the song just to capture the general, non-specific time period (late 1940s - early 1950s). It should also be stated that the "Silver Bells" scene isn't a flashback (like when Sam tells the story of his nightclub), as the viewers aren't "let in" on a jump back in time.

Please let it be known that Avalon's depiction of the passage of time is one of the best things about it, and the use of "Silver Bells" earlier than they should have doesn't ruin the movie for this viewer.


"Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity, there is no growth." C.S. Lewis, 1942