What does it take to be considered a Christmas Movie?

Ah, December. The one month a year where there’s nothing better than putting on your fuzziest socks and grabbing a steaming cup of hot chocolate to settle in on the couch for a classic Christmas movie. As you are guzzling down that sweet hot chocolate, the warm fuzzies seep all throughout your body as you sink into the couch, and your friend clicks the remote to start the movie. You think, ‘surely a classic Christmas film will revolve around a child learning “the true meaning of Christmas” or a scrooge meeting ghosts of various eras in time.’ But you’re wrong. This classic Christmas movie suddenly thrusts you into a plot that revolves around Bruce Willis fighting off terrorists who’ve hijacked a Los Angeles skyscraper. What classic Christmas movie is this? Well, it’s Die Hard, of course! Happy Holidays. Oh, you don’t think Die Hard is a Christmas movie? Well, what do you think makes something a Christmas movie?

This has been an ongoing debate for many years, with various films that take place during Christmas or revolve around Christmas but are still often not considered Holiday movies due to their plot. Films such as Die Hard, Gremlins, Edward Scissorhands, Harry Potter, and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and even Iron Man 3 all fall into a section of films that I would title as such: Christmas Movies that only a certain percentage of the population consider Christmas Movies. However, a line obviously has to be drawn somewhere. For instance, if a film simply shows a single shot of a Christmas tree…is it a Christmas movie? I would argue it is not, but allow me to elaborate on some of the criteria that I believe a Christmas movie must have at least one of my listed criteria in order for a film to be considered a Christmas Movie.

1.)    A main character in the film uses the phrase “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Christmas.”

For me, if it was important enough for the writers of the script to include an entire scene of dialogue where characters wish each other “Merry Christmas', then Christmas is an essential part of the plot, and therefore, the movie should be considered a Holiday film. We see this phrase used in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in a scene where Harry wakes up on Christmas morning to presents. Ron and Harry each wish each other a “Happy Christmas,” and the scene is full of warm tones and sweet moments for the two main characters. In the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the audience can not help but feel some warm Christmas cheer.

2.)    Without Christmas, the plot would be different
 
For all the films listed previously, this point in my list is essential. In Die Hard, the main character is visiting his estranged wife and kids on Christmas eve at a holiday party when it is taken over by terrorists. The aspect of it being Christmas Eve is essential to the plot and adds to the struggle of the main characters as their fight is even more desperate as they want to get to their loved ones for the holidays. This point in my list goes for Gremlins as well. In Gremlins, Gizmo (the creature who starts the whole line of Gremlins) is given to the main character as a Christmas present. The entirety of the plot also takes place during Christmas time, with the setting and the yuletide spirit being thrown into almost all scenes of the movie. Who could forget the scene with the main character’s mother fighting gremlins in her house while the Christmas song “Do you hear what I hear?” plays in the background? Not only this, but the one gremlin that actually ends up injuring the mother is able to get her because it was hiding in the Christmas tree!

3.)    The Overall Vibe: The Aesthetics of a Christmas Movie

Aesthetics! Many movies that don’t really center their plot around Christmas still have that Christmas-y feeling communicated to the audience. I would say this is communicated through shots that really give that Holly Jolly feeling. For example, take Edward Scissorhands. The plot does not revolve around Christmas; however, there are multiple shots of neighborhood streets adorned with Christmas lights as well as snow falling and characters hanging up ornaments on their trees. Not only do these multiple shots from the film make audiences get into the Christmas spirit, but the color used within shots adds to the Christmas element as well. Again, using Edward Scissorhands as an example, the outside shots towards the end of the film are all cool blues and whites, which convey the feeling of the cold weather and gloom to the audience. This parallels the warm and bright yellow/orange hues that are seen with shots inside the house, which convey a feeling of warmth and coziness. Oftentimes, in films that convey a sort of Christmassy feel, you will even notice that either candles or lights with a yellow tint are used on inside shots rather than harsh white or fluorescent lights to further create that feeling of warmth, So, the colors used in these films are also huge parts of showcasing that Christmas vibe to the audience as they are able to imagine the physical feelings of warm vs. cold that the characters are experiencing. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Die Hard, Iron Man 3, and Gremlins all use this same technique of color between inside and outside shots as well.

So, later this month, when your family or friends are arguing over which Christmas film to put on in the house to settle down on the couch with, consider maybe something beyond the timeless classics. After all, there are movies that do not involve
 
Santa Clause that can give you that same feeling of seasonal happiness, along with maybe some little green goblins, kid wizards, or a man with scissors for hands. So step it up a notch and expand your horizons for Christmas movies this year. Who knows, maybe in years to come, these movies will be considered classic Christmas films, and you will have been the one to say you thought they always were.

Writer: Daly Mann

Artist: Alyssa Giaccone