Directed by Vincente Minnelli and set in 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri, Meet Me in St. Louis is – in my humble, correct opinion – one of the best Christmas musicals ever created. It follows a family of five in a charming town called St. Louis. The musical begins in the summer and ends on Christmas with a happily ever after conclusion that leaves the audience smiling and perhaps crying like me. It is a story of being grateful for what one has and being rich – not in a monetary sense but from one’s family. This story involves multiple captivating love stories within this family that keep the audience on their toes, rooting for them even when information from plot twists interferes.

In a relationship with a man who lives far from herself, Rose – the oldest daughter of this family – has to control her desires and expectations in front of her family and the man she loves, Warren Sheffield, who behaves in a far more passive manner than she seems to have wanted. This passivity changes at the very end with a declaration that thrills Rose, her family, and the audience.  

Madly in love with a man she has never met, Esther – the second oldest daughter of this family – gets her chance at a ball. Dawned in a beautiful gown, she pretends not to know of John Truitt and enchants him with her kind deposition and graceful demeanor. However, she herself is unaware of the trouble looming ahead at the hands of fate, an opportunity in New York, and a mischievous little sister. 

Lon, the oldest son and a freshman at Princeton University, has to contend with the woman he loves, Lucille, who is going to a Christmas Eve Ball with another man. He defended her honor at the expense of his own when his family teased him and insulted her. When the family finds out that the man Lucille intends to escort her is none other than Warren Sheffield (Rose’s suitor), a scheme is hatched to thwart the two from spending much time in each other’s company!

The youngest sister, Tootie, is a child with too little adult supervision and too much of a dark streak. From plotting, burying, and planning funerals for her dolls to wreaking havoc on Halloween, this young girl creates trouble for Esther and John Truitt. However, it was she who pulled the final string of her father’s heart that allowed this entire family to come to a happy conclusion.

Meet Me in St. Louis would not be a musical without its marvelous songs, and several incredibly popular songs come from Meet Me in St. Louis, including ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and ‘The Boy Next Door.’

I adore this movie, and it is one of my Christmas staples. I’ve rewatched it every year since the first time I saw it. The music, the clothing, the setting, the plot, the ending, and everything else are magnificent; thus, I highly recommend this movie.