Memoirs of a Movie Maven: Black Friday Prep: Christmas & Other Movies About Shopping

In light of stores now forcing their employees to work on Thanksgiving just so they can get a head start on the other guys with Black Friday sales, I decided on my Thanksgiving & Xmas Movie list: Shopping Movies. Send a message to retailers that Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family. They will continue this madness unless they don't make a a profit. Stop helping them. Instead, watch some of these movies with family instead. Now I'm not trying to be a snob here. I like stuff too. However, I think there's been way too much emphasis on gifts during the holidays. How much your spend on your family does not indicate how much you love them. So here are some movies, some are Xmas themed and some not, These are about Stuff. About shopping, about keeping up with the Joneses. Some of these films have materialism as a lesson learned, and others are just movies with lots of pretty things. My point: Don't go Black Friday shopping until Black Friday. Have fun, be save, have a budget & a plan. And watch these movies for the strategies, pratfalls, and funny shopping scenes and tips I've gathered from those films.

Pretty Woman 1990

This film goes down in history as the worst example of prostitution depicted on screen. The idea that you can meet a nice john & fall in love is absurd. That aside, this film has some great fashion for the release date and some great shopping scenes. Shopping Tips: 1. Utilize your concierge at the hotel you're staying at for tips on where to shop, or if you're like me, the desk clerk, especially if you're out of town. 2. Watch the clip below to see how to handle snobby, rude sales people.

Marie Antoinette (2006)

This visually striking, not terribly accurate historical biopic has plenty of ear & eye-candy. By eye-candy I'm referring to fashion, of course. Ear candy comes with the modern soundtrack that sets itself apart from stodgier period films. Shopping tips: Shop from home, preferably with catering & a dressing staff. LOL. JK. Can you say Cyber Monday? Have some friends over, eat some treats, and order from the comfort of home.

Last Holiday (2006)

When Queen Latifah finds out she has a short time to live, she decides to go on a last trip and go out in style. Shopping Tips: 1. If any of you are in the situation of being terminally ill, please make sure you leave your family taken care of. This film is a proponent of YOLO, but if you suddenly pull through you're left SOL. 2. However, there's nothing wrong with a treating yourself a little. 3. There's nothing wrong with vacationing alone.

Blank Check (1994)

A kid's film about a child who gets blank check from a criminal and decides to write in a million dollars. Let the frivolous shopping begin in this 90's answer to Big. Who am I kidding? I totally want that float. Shopping tips: 1. Pay in cash. 2. Don't accept money from criminals. 3. I've seen adults who can't afford to spend the way this kid does.That's sad. 4. If you do legally come into $1million, take the whole lump some, give to charity, pay off all debt, save a nest egg, & put the rest away in a Mutual Fund to live off the interest.

Legally Blonde (2001)

If you like pink you'll like all the stuff in this movie. This film contains some funny shopping sequences and outfit montages including this intro below. Shopping tips: 1. Dress the part 2. Know your stuff. Check out sales ads, and know what quality clothing should look and feel like 3. Read your labels so salespeople working on commission can't take advantage of you. There's a great scene where Elle goes to buy an engagement dress and gives the saleswoman a lesson in fashion retail.

Enchanted (2007)

Part animated, part live-action story of a Disney-like princess stumbling into NYC wearing puffy-sleeved 80s Disney gowns. So at some point she must go shopping. Shopping tips: 1. Don't wear a costume in public. 2. If you must take a child with you, take cute and clever ones 3. Shopping can be a bonding experience.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

This entire movie is about shopping and over-spending. This person is extreme, but this movie is clever in it's story telling that Isla comes off as charming, and the lesson is told in a fun, light-hearted way. Shopping tips: 1. Shop for sample sales online to avoid the chaos of the scene below 2. Go with your gut. Convincig yourself to buy something only results in buyer's remorse 3. Don't use a credit card. In fact, go cut it up right now & close your account. 4. Store credit cards are scams. Your 15% off when-you-use-a-store-credit-card coupon means nothing when most APRs for those are in the 20% range. That means you don't save anything. You actually pay more. 5. Read your labels. It may only be 5% cashmere. 6. Debt collectors are the scum of the earth. Know your rights. There are legal protections you have against some of their tactics as well as limitations on their contact with you. They're not legally allowed to threaten or use abusive language with you. They're not allowed to call you at work. A simple Google search of "debt collectors legal rights" will yield you with a wealth of knowledge to protect you.

Mean Girls (2004)

This movie has a lot of shiny things, and I'm not even referring to The Plastics. This mall scene below is a very funny reminder of how people act on Black Friday, etc. Shopping tips: 1. Don't follow other peoples' fashion rules. If you don't wanna wear pink on Fridays, don't wear pink. 2. Don't wear over-sized shirts. That is ill-fitting Miss Lohan. 3. Shopping is bonding 4. Do not wear sweat pants unless you're at or on your way from or to the gym. 5. NO mini-skirts for Black Friday shopping. The goods (and not the stuff in your cart) will get seen.

The Ugly Truth (2009)

This fairly sexist film provides for 1 very funny, albeit humiliating shopping sequence (below) where Butler tries to get Heigl to dress sexier. This is a good date movie. Both parties will get something from it. Shopping tips: 1. If you wanna dress like a slut, let a straight guy pick out your wardrobe. 2. Do not trust battery operated lingerie. 3. Keep the girls up. Get a bra fitting once every 5 years or 5lbs lost or gained & during and after a pregnancy. 4. Skirt length: I'll have to agree. A little thigh can be good, but vag is trying too hard. 5. Fashion can be comfortable, efficient, & a little sexy.

Elf (2003)

Buddy goes into his first department store and does everything wrong in this father son Xmas tale of hilarity. The department store provides a backdrop for much of this film. Shopping tips: 1. Take the escalator. Don't be scared. But do tie your shoes first. 2. Don't eat perfume 3. Don't buy a parent lingerie 4. Don't freak out over Santa or a sale. You'll make security worried, unless you're using it as a decoy so your shopping buddy can get dibs while the other shoppers stare at you in dismay.

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

This beautiful but plot-thin sequel has plenty of pretty things to look at, a bit of social commentary on the way women are viewed and treated in other countries, and a few great shopping scenes. Shopping tips: 1. Beware of buying designer in other countries or back alleys or car trunks. Lots of knocks off & stolen merch. 2. It helps to speak the same language 3. Dubai is actually the most affluent city in the world so you probably won't get very many good deals. 4. The movie is actually filmed in Morocco. 5. Be wary of countries as well as store dress codes (yes they have them in the U.S..) They'll post them at the entrances of buildings.

Sex and the City (2008)

The brilliant first film adaptation of the series has plenty of shopping scenes and dressing montages. The one below is an extended closet scene. Shopping tips: 1. Closet shop. Go through your closet every 6 months. Get rid of what you don't like or can't fit in anymore. 2. Have a swap party with friends around the same size as you or use a site like Tradesy. 3. Having designers as friends helps. 4. Use friends/fam discounts if any work at a store you like. 5. Bag Borrow or Steal has become Rent The Runway, and they rent out more than purses now. :)

Love Actually (2003)

One of my favorite Xmas movies ever, this romcom ensemble piece has a few shopping scenes. This one below is my favorite. Shopping Tips: 1. Beautiful gift wrapping can make a small gift look so much better. A ghetto mess can do the opposite. Use YouTube tutorials or utilize gift wrapping services if you lack in the gift wrap department 2. Don't buy your mistress a gift when you're shopping with your wife. Dumb. You deserve to sit there and sweat you little cheating bastard. 3. Don't let Bean wrap anything. 4. If a salesperson is taking too long or trying to sell you something you don't want, speak up.

Jingle All The Way (1996)

This movie is the way I picture parents every Black Friday. NO toy is worth this nightmare Arnold goes through. Shopping tips: 1. If your kid is really that spoiled that they'd get mad for not getting them the latest greatest toy, then they don't deserve it. 2. Plan ahead 3. Don't shop on Xmas Eve. 4. Order online.

A Christmas Story (1983)

This classic, albeit irreverent Xmas tale told from a child's POV has plenty of shopping and plenty of terrible gift ideas. Shopping tips: 1. Fragile is not Italian. It means breakable. 2. Leg lamps aren't kitchy just fugly. 3. Get age appropriate gifts. BB Guns for unaccompanied minors are not a good idea. 4. No holiday inappropriate costumes. Bunny suits are for Easter.

The Joneses (2009)

The ultimate marking film. This film is about a fake family of marketing specialists called The Jones who move into neighborhoods and convince people to buy all their corporate sponsored stuff so they can "keep up with the Joneses''. This film addresses buying rather than really living. This whole film is a sales ad. Funny too. Shopping tips: 1. Don't worry about what your neighbors have. Most likely your neighbors can't really afford it. Statistically they're putting in a credit cards or getting car loans etc. They don't own anything. They're a slave to the lender. They're being owned.