Here it is - Christmas Week 2020. Since this year has been defined by so many bizarre factors, we might as well use this week to settle one of the most innocuous debates since the debate over whether Van Halen was better with David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar.
Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie?
For a movie to be a Christmas movie - does it have to center around Christmas to the point where the story could not be told any other time of the year? If a movie is set during Christmas - is it a Christmas movie? In addition to “Die Hard,” is “Gremlins” a Christmas movie? And what about “Edward Scissorhands?”
I will confess to you that, as I write this blog, I am not sure how to define Christmas movies, but I trust that I will come to a definition by the end of this blog.
Honestly, I never considered “Die Hard,” “Gremlins” or “Edward Scissorhands” to be Christmas movies, but I am no longer sure since Christmas is part of the stories of the movies.
In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter published an article titled “What Defines A Christmas Movie” by Jeremy Arnold. Arnold writes, “For some purists, Christmas movies must center predominantly on the joy, love and nostalgia that define the season. But the season is actually ‘defined’ by much more. It also amplifies loneliness, cynicism and family dysfunction, for instance. As a result, there has long been room for all these themes and more to be explored across a wide swath of genres.”
I am not shy about saying that my favorite Christmas movie, and one of my favorite movies of all-time, is “Love Actually,” which consists of vignettes about the many aspects and stages of relationships. Could the stories of relationships be told during another time of year - yes - but Christmas is such an integral part of the movie I have always considered “Love Actually” to be a Christmas movie.
Esquire is out with a list of the top Christmas movies and it is not surprising that “It’s A Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart is #1. The #2 choice is another one of my personal Christmas favorites: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Another installment in National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise.
Is “Home Alone” a Christmas movie? Could the same story have been told if the young son was left home alone when the family when on a summer vacation? Yes, but being left alone on Christmas enhances the story.
Would you consider the slasher film, “Silent Night, Deadly Night” or “Batman Returns “ to be Christmas movies? Those movies ranked #34 and #46 respectively on the Esquire list. What about the Tom Cruise - Nicole Kidman movie about swingers, “Eyes Wide Shut?” As I write this I would be quick to say that none of the aforementioned movies should be considered Christmas movies, even though each movie relates to Christmas.
The release date of a movie does not make it a Christmas movie because in 1947 - “Miracle on 34th Street” and in 1945 - “Christmas in Connecticut” were both released during the summer. “White Christmas” was released during the Halloween season of 1954, and most of those movies would be on any credible list of Christmas movies.
And so, while writing and researching, I have come to this conclusion: a movie set during Christmas does not make it a Christmas movie. “Die Hard,” “Gremlins,” “Edward Scissorhands,” Batman Returns,” “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” and “Eyes Wide Shut” are not Christmas movies simply because the story occurs during Christmas.
Movies like “Love Actually,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Home Alone” and even “Bad Santa,” are Christmas movies because the ambiance of the Christmas season is actually an important part of the story.
But as with everything else in 2020, you can disagree. Ultimately, the definition of a Christmas movie is any movie that fits your personal meaning of the emotion and tradition of Christmas.
How many even remember that the movie “Eyes Wide Shut” was set during Christmas? When an orgy takes place at Christmas - it’s the activity that gets attention - not the time of year!
