Debating the legitimacy of holiday films

During the holiday season, a recurring debate continues about popular Christmas movies, questioning whether they even qualify as Christmas movies. Many people conclude that family friendliness, hopeful elements, and a Christmas-centered plot are necessary to give them the holiday spirit. The Hollywood Reporter explained that “the most important element [of a Christmas movie] is the meaningful use of Christmas in their storytelling.”

One of the most controversial holiday movies is John McTiernan’s “Die Hard.” Starring  Bruce Willis as a New York City policeman, he travels to attend a Christmas Eve holiday party in Los Angeles. He initially goes to reconcile with his wife, whom he had separated from, and to visit his children. It quickly becomes action-packed as the party is interrupted by a group of terrorists who hold the guests hostage. This motivates Willis’s character, policeman John McClane, to figure out a solution to rescue the hostages. 

In a survey conducted by the Pony Express, 46.5% of 45 San Marin High School students agreed that “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie. Many argue that because of the atmosphere of this movie, it does not count as a Christmas movie due to the lack of joy and comfort. However, references to Christmas are continuously made throughout the film, as mentioned by the students who disagreed. The plot does not solely revolve around Christmas, but the Christmas spirit is sufficiently demonstrated by McClane because of his determination throughout the film and his reconciliation with his wife. These factors make it an unconventional but fun movie to watch during the holidays.

One of the most highly regarded classic Christmas movies is Chris Columbus’s “Home Alone,” starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a young boy who gets left behind by his family when they go on a holiday vacation. McCallister ends up having to fend for himself and create elaborate traps to repel robbers from breaking into the house. 

Some San Marin students expressed in the survey that they believe “Home Alone” is no different from “Die Hard,” and that neither of them are true Christmas movies because their only tie to the holiday is that they are both set during Christmas. However, “Home Alone,” apart from being widely recognized as a Christmas movie, truly establishes the holiday spirit. McCallister’s hilarious usage of holiday decorations and household items in order to defend himself, as well as his reunion with his family at the end of the movie, make it a light-hearted and family-friendly Christmas movie.

Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” takes place during both Halloween and Christmas. It depicts Jack Skellington, the “King of Halloween,” in a world dedicated to celebrating Halloween. Skellington goes for a walk one day and stumbles upon an entrance to another world dedicated to Christmas, and is instantly intrigued. Skellington orders the kidnapping of Santa Claus so that he can become the new “Sandy Claws” and spread Christmas cheer. 

While “The Nightmare Before Christmas” does involve a Christmas adventure, the movie is inherently about Skellington’s connection to Halloween. Most of the movie is set in the Halloween world, and the thematic elements in the movie create a story more suitable for Halloween, rather than for Christmas. However, since both holidays are present in the movie, it is great to watch in between holidays rather than on a specific holiday. 

A common theme within many of these debates is the separation of plot and setting. However, a movie can be a Christmas movie even if its plot does not focus on Christmas. Everybody in the world has things going on in their lives throughout the holiday season that do not have anything to do with Christmas, just like the characters in these movies. The complications of life do not diminish the holiday spirit. That is true both in real life and in the media.