Mark makes a case for including some yippee ki yay alongside the ho ho hos in your list of festive films to watch at Christmas
Whether tonight finds you concluding a marathon of festive films, or putting your foot down and turning off the 37th replay of Elf to tuck your kids into bed before Santa shows up, most film buffs are going to be thinking about which Christmas film will best get them in the mood for the season, if they haven't decided already.
For a sub-genre that is so light and frothy, in essence, there's some contention over what “counts” as a Christmas film. For instance, I still know people who swear blind that Die Hard isn't a Christmas film, which is largely what spurred me to write about the vagaries of festive fare, and the subjective arguments about what makes the cut.
Often, when I've come up against the argument that John McClane's misadventures at Nakatomi Plaza aren't Christmassy, it's someone who just hasn't seen Die Hard in a while, and can be persuaded when reminded. For others, the definition of a Christmas film is more strict.
Many people’s definition of a Christmas film would be a U or PG certificate film that is entirely set at Christmas, and has some sort of festive iconography and a Christmassy message to impart. Most commonly, it would feature Santa Claus, or adapt perennial Christmas tales like A Christmas Carol or It's A Wonderful Life in some way or another.
It seems like quite a narrow view, which would exclude films like Gremlins or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which are both set at Christmas, along with more overtly festive movies like Bad Santa or Rare Exports. It seems to subscribe to the view that Christmas is for kids, and that Christmas movies, when viewed by adults, should be nostalgic and child-friendly pursuits.
Ironically, by these qualitative judgements, It's A Wonderful Life is less Christmassy than Die Hard. Yes, it's Christmas Eve when he reaches his lowest ebb, and attempts suicide, only for guardian angel Clarence to show him what a wonderful life he really has. But aside from the bookends, the film takes place across the whole of George's life, and seldom around Christmas itself.
The time of year when George learns the value of his life, even with all of the dreams he failed to achieve, is completely incidental- he could have been driven to jump off a bridge on Pancake Tuesday, for all of its actual impact on the story.
I'm not saying that It's A Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas film, because DVD sales alone will demonstrate that the film is a proven fixture of December viewing for audiences all over. I'm merely pointing out what most of us should know- that it's not worth dismissing Die Hard, which also ends with a husband and father coming through for his family, but with a lot more profanity and machine gun fire than its fellows in the Christmas genre.
This also opens up the question of what else we may count as a Christmas film. As I've said, it's subjective, so we may each have a different idea of our favourite Christmas films. But what “counts”, in a broad sense? There are several unconventional choices for which you could make a case- perhaps most unusual would be Terry Gilliam's Brazil.
When Archibald Buttle is snatched by the totalitarian bureaucracy, instead of his almost-namesake Tuttle, the Buttles are enjoying Christmas morning together. The enchantment of the scene is understandably traumatised by the sudden intrusion of a bunch of government blokes cutting a hole in the ceiling, when they were expecting Santa instead. It does serve to demonstrate that Brazil is set at Christmas.
Also, Batman Returns takes place at that time of year. Less of a crowd-pleaser than the hugely successful first film, this sequel seems much more like a Tim Burton film, and it includes numerous assaults on Gotham City's Christmas celebrations by The Penguin and Catwoman, plus some of the same indictment of consumer culture as is seen in Brazil.
Perhaps that's not what you want from your Christmas films, as you sit about wrapping gifts for loved ones and enjoying the season's indulgences, but taking a more inclusive approach has its benefits. Aside from more obviously grown-up fare like Die Hard or Gremlins, which are overtly about Christmas, my qualification for a Christmas film is that I wouldn't be in the mood to watch it at any time of year other than December.
Personally, this rules out things like LA Confidential, In Bruges or Crash, all of which are set at Christmas, but aren't essentially based in that time of year. But at the same time, it allows for more than the deadening succession of Vince Vaughn Christmas movies, or the cloying and saccharine tack of certain children's films.
By the more narrow definition of family-oriented Christmas-ness, the hideously commercial Jingle All The Way would be considered more festive than Christmas Vacation. Sometimes, a film needs to say something about the season, in the way of say, Gremlins, in order to bypass our gag reflexes and properly plug into our sense of Christmas spirit.
But whichever films get you and yours in the festive mood, we can all agree that The Muppet Christmas Carol is unquestionably the best Christmas movie ever made, right? Right? Hmm, well, maybe that's an article for next Christmas. Until then, whatever you're celebrating, have a happy one.
For a sub-genre that is so light and frothy, in essence, there's some contention over what “counts” as a Christmas film. For instance, I still know people who swear blind that Die Hard isn't a Christmas film, which is largely what spurred me to write about the vagaries of festive fare, and the subjective arguments about what makes the cut.
Often, when I've come up against the argument that John McClane's misadventures at Nakatomi Plaza aren't Christmassy, it's someone who just hasn't seen Die Hard in a while, and can be persuaded when reminded. For others, the definition of a Christmas film is more strict.
It seems like quite a narrow view, which would exclude films like Gremlins or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which are both set at Christmas, along with more overtly festive movies like Bad Santa or Rare Exports. It seems to subscribe to the view that Christmas is for kids, and that Christmas movies, when viewed by adults, should be nostalgic and child-friendly pursuits.
Ironically, by these qualitative judgements, It's A Wonderful Life is less Christmassy than Die Hard. Yes, it's Christmas Eve when he reaches his lowest ebb, and attempts suicide, only for guardian angel Clarence to show him what a wonderful life he really has. But aside from the bookends, the film takes place across the whole of George's life, and seldom around Christmas itself.
I'm not saying that It's A Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas film, because DVD sales alone will demonstrate that the film is a proven fixture of December viewing for audiences all over. I'm merely pointing out what most of us should know- that it's not worth dismissing Die Hard, which also ends with a husband and father coming through for his family, but with a lot more profanity and machine gun fire than its fellows in the Christmas genre.
This also opens up the question of what else we may count as a Christmas film. As I've said, it's subjective, so we may each have a different idea of our favourite Christmas films. But what “counts”, in a broad sense? There are several unconventional choices for which you could make a case- perhaps most unusual would be Terry Gilliam's Brazil.
Also, Batman Returns takes place at that time of year. Less of a crowd-pleaser than the hugely successful first film, this sequel seems much more like a Tim Burton film, and it includes numerous assaults on Gotham City's Christmas celebrations by The Penguin and Catwoman, plus some of the same indictment of consumer culture as is seen in Brazil.
Personally, this rules out things like LA Confidential, In Bruges or Crash, all of which are set at Christmas, but aren't essentially based in that time of year. But at the same time, it allows for more than the deadening succession of Vince Vaughn Christmas movies, or the cloying and saccharine tack of certain children's films.
By the more narrow definition of family-oriented Christmas-ness, the hideously commercial Jingle All The Way would be considered more festive than Christmas Vacation. Sometimes, a film needs to say something about the season, in the way of say, Gremlins, in order to bypass our gag reflexes and properly plug into our sense of Christmas spirit.
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