A Garfield Christmas

A Garfield Christmas is a 1987 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip, created by Jim Davis. It is directed by Phil Roman and stars Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield the house cat, as well as Thom Huge, Gregg Berger, Julie Payne, Pat Harrington Jr., David L. Lander and Pat Carroll. The special is about Garfield spending Christmas with the Arbuckle family on their Indiana farm outside their hometown of Muncie, and discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

Davis, who wrote the teleplay, cited it as semi-autobiographical. The special was first broadcast on December 21, 1987, on CBS and was often rebroadcast in subsequent years until its final airing on December 14, 2000. It was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program and has been released on DVD.

This was the seventh of twelve Garfield television specials made between 1982 and 1991. It was also the last special to air prior to Garfield and Friends, which premiered nine months later on September 17, 1988.

Jon Arbuckle wakes up Garfield on Christmas Eve morning, telling him that they're going to Muncie, Indiana's countryside to celebrate Christmas with the Arbuckle family on their farm. Garfield is annoyed that they always go to the farm and the family never comes to Jon's house. During his drive to his family's farm, Jon talks about Christmases he had when he was a boy, with his parents, brother Doc Boy, and Grandma, while Garfield listens with great cynicism.

Upon arriving, Grandma and Garfield quickly grow a special bond. While Jon, Garfield, and Odie take a walk, Grandma spikes Mom's sausage gravy with chili powder, bragging that her sausage gravy just won the Greene County Fair. Jon and Garfield return for dinner, while Odie works on something secretive and then sneaks back into the house. After dinner, they decorate the tree. Jon asks Garfield to put the star on, as no one else can reach the top of the tree. As the family sings Christmas songs, Garfield finds Grandma sitting alone; she reminisces about her late husband, recalls how he used to provide for her and the family, and laments that Christmas is when she misses him most.

Dad, with great reluctance, reads Binky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas to an eager Jon and Doc Boy. At night, Garfield notices Odie's suspicious activity and follows him to the barn, seeing Odie making something out of seemingly random implements. While there, Garfield stumbles upon a cache of letters that he concludes must be at least 50 years old.

On Christmas morning, just when it seems like all the presents have been opened, Garfield gives Grandma the letters he found in the barn. These letters were love notes written to Grandma by her husband from when they first met each other and married. Garfield also finds out that Odie has been busy making his ultimate Christmas gift: a homemade back scratcher. Garfield gladly thanks and embraces Odie for the gift he made. This is a rare glimpse at Garfield's softer side, as Garfield learns one of the true meanings of Christmas: "It's not the giving, it's not the getting, it's the loving! There, I said it. Now get outta here."

"Here Comes Garfield" from the special of the same name can be heard instrumentally when Jon wakes up Garfield from his dream.