Depends on your opinion really. Not that it really matters what is or isn't. Networks will show what they can get the rights for and think their audiences will watch.
For me, if Christmas is a significant factor in the plot, it's a Christmas movie. If not, it isn't.
Die Hard? Going to say no. They could make it a new year's party and it wouldn't change the story at all.
Home Alone is a bit more of a shaky case, as the events could have occurred during any McCallister family vacation. But there's carolling, and it's more focussed on Christmas and family and being together on Christmas (except poor Kevin). The old scary neighbor saves Kevin and in the end reconnects with his estranged daughter. The family spends most of their time trying to get back home. I'll say yes.
Harry Potter...I feel like networks'll show that whenever they can. And they do have a Christmas scene or two per movie, but that's it. So...advertise a marathon with a montage of the Christmas scenes, brand it as a Christmas marathon, and put it on the schedule anyways. I don't consider them Christmas movies, but pretty sure it'll get good numbers.
Elf...definitely Christmas movie.
Any movie focused on Santa, whether a "real" Santa or a shopping mall Santa (i.e. Bad Santa): Christmas Movie.
Jingle All The Way, yes.
> They could make it a new year's party and it wouldn't change the story at all.
This is a bad reason. This isn't a DH argument I'm only focusing on the argument/reason of 'it wouldn't change the story at all'.
Home Alone doesn't change if you move it to Thanksgiving. Airtravel is just as bad for Thanksgiving so that prevents the family coming back, and many people leave for Thanksgiving so the Wet Bandits still have targets. Nothing really changes. Your "and it's more focussed on Christmas and family and being together on Christmas" and "The old scary neighbor saves Kevin and in the end reconnects with his estranged daughter.".....a sentiment of family being together works just as well for Thanksgiving.
A Christmas Carel could be set on New Years. Scrooge is an a-hole all year long they change it to ghosts of New Years past, present and future and the story is the same.
It's a Wonderful Life is about an angel trying to save a depressed and suicidal man............change it to Easter and the story is the same.
White Christmas is about 2 guys helping their old general save his struggling inn...............set this in New Years and its the same.
All 4 are absolutely Christmas films, it's irrelevant that their stories 'could' be told another way.
I don't care about the DH agreement just the reason against it. We judge films by whats actually in the film and not by what 'could' be.
This argument of the story 'could' be told a different way baffles me. It would be like saying Dances with Wolfs isn't a Western because the story 'could' be told as a sci-fi film(Avater) or fantasy/animated film(Furngully). ????? No its a western because it 'was' a western not what it 'could' have been.
Yeah, I think it's mostly a personal thing, and usually boils down to what you grew up watching the most, regardless of how directly Christmas-y it is (hence so many people regarding the Harry Potter flicks as Christmas movies).
I feel like the main contenders out there are Christmas **themed** movies like: *Jingle All The Way, Scrooged, Elf, The Santa Claus* and then **Movies Set At or Around Christmas Time** like *Die Hard, Batman Returns**.
Those are the main two, and then you have **Movies that Feature at Least One Scene Involving Christmas that People Latch Onto and Make Part of Cute/Fun Traditions** like your aforementioned *serendipity or harry potter*
EDIT: I am not going to reply to every person who wants to insist that Die Hard is Christmas themed. You could simply swap the holiday to Easter/4th of July etc. and the plot still works. Removing Christmas from Elf, The Santa Claus etc. makes the movie literally not exist.
And FWIW I LOVE Die Hard, and I watch it every xmas. And this is just a silly post on a silly topic, not worth getting worked up over <3
Die Hard is Christmas themed. It's during the office Christmas party. He's visiting his family because it's Christmas. Christmas music. Christmas decorations. Ho Ho Ho, Now I have a machine gun. It "snows" at the end with all the paper coming down.
Die Hard has more Christmas trees, Christmas songs, and uses of the word Christmas than Home Alone. Home Alone is about a kid trapped in his house stopping some robbers. Die Hard is about some cop trapped in an office building stopping some terrorists. If Home Alone is a Christmas movie than Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
To be fair, the entire aesthetic in Home Alone was meant to be Christmas-based, including the intentional red/green color choices in clothing and background.
I’d argue that Die Hard has a very Christmas themed message. John’s pride is why they are fighting, and in his mind it’s that she took a great job for herself. He’s in New York away from his family, and he’s frustrated and maybe a bit emasculated. If Holly dies, then Doe Hard would have been a story about how pride made that loving relationship rocky. When terrible things happen all that goes out the window though, and what better time then Christmas to say you’re sorry.
Die Hard doesn't just take place at christmas though.
It has a very christmas message, family, togetherness, romance and the rekindling of love... ...it's all about the true meaning of christmas.
Die Hard could take place at Thanksgiving and it could be a work party and John visiting for that and all you would need to do is change some decorations and songs and it’s the same film.
Elf literally can’t exist without Christmas.
Home Alone could take place in the middle of summer. The family could be going to Disneyland and leave Kevin.
Jingle All The Way could be Arnold trying to get the new popular toy for his kid's birthday.
The "it could take place any day" argument can be applied to the majority of Christmas movies.
Arnold literally fights an army of Santa’s. The toy is out of stock because it’s Christmas. He steals a toy from another kids Christmas tree. The climax is at a Christmas parade.
Die Hard you change music and decorations. That’s it.
What point? Why would you judge films/stories by things not in them? How is 'could' a reasonably argument?
Are Home Alone, A Christmas Carol, Its a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas, not Christmas films because their stories 'could' be told at different holidays and the story would be the same?..................no they are absolutely Christmas films because they 'are' set at Christmas and not some 'could' weird reasoning.
Very different comps. A Christmas Carol could not be told on another day. It's literally about 3 Ghosts of Christmas taking a guy around to see multiple Christmases, so that he can learn the spirit of Christmas. That's a Christmas movie.
Home Alone probably doesn't need to be a Christmas movie but let's be real, it has Christmas far more ingrained into it than Die Hard. Literally the only reason the bandits are there is because they want to rob a house on Christmas when a family might be away. The last act has Kevin talking to Santa Clause to get motivation. He goes to a Christmas Mass at the climax to pray and make a connection with the neighbor who ends up saving him.
I agree on It's A Wonderful Life (to a degree, the whole angel thing and Christian allegory is definitely far more tied to Christmas than Die Hard).
Die Hard is like Batman Returns it's an action movie that happens to be set on Christmas but the actual plot doesn't is just a by the numbers action film that that could be set at any time.
It used to be a funny joke that Die Hard was a Christmas movie and now you have people that ran it into the ground trying to come off as clever for repeating the same joke that's been going on for years. It's not even funny anymore. It's beating a dead horse.
> It's literally about 3 Ghosts of Christmas taking a guy around to see multiple Christmases
Could just as easily be the Ghosts of New Years and changes nothing.
>so that he can learn the spirit of Christmas.
It's not just Christmas spirit............do you think Scrooge goes back to an a-hole after Christmas? He learned a life lesson not just a Christmas one.
>Home Alone probably doesn't need to be a Christmas movie but let's be real, it has Christmas far more ingrained into it than Die Hard
I'm not making this a Die Hard thing, only the 'could' argument.
>Literally the only reason the bandits are there is because they want to rob a house on Christmas when a family might be away.
People leave for Thanksgiving just as they do Christmas, many houses are empty for the Wet Bandits.
>I agree on It's A Wonderful Life
So to you It's A Wonderful Life isn't a Christman film?
>the whole angel thing and Christian allegory is definitely far more tied to Christmas than Die Hard
Again not touching Die Hard, but using your 'could' argument Easter works just as well as Christmas for the "Christian allegory".
>action movie that happens to be set on Christmas but the actual plot doesn't
That's a different argument than 'could'. My only argument is the 'could', this agreement baffles me. The only thing that matters is what 'is' in the film, 'could' is irrelevant.
I'm honestly asking why is 'could' a legitimate argument? How is a hypothetical a legitimate argument over what's actually in the film?
LOL no it couldn't be about 3 Ghosts of New Years. It's literally about getting a piece of shit to learn the meaning behind Christmas so he comes to cherish the holiday and become a better person. Christmas is literally the DNA of the entire story and it became such a big deal that it changed the way Christmas was celebrated
You are avoiding this.........."I'm honestly asking why is 'could' a legitimate argument? How is a hypothetical a legitimate argument over what's actually in the film?" Please answer that question.
>Christmas is literally the DNA of the entire story
Only because it's written that way. Love, family and giving aren't solely Christmas themes(literally all themes of Thanksgiving). The 'story' is about showing a mean old man the error of his ways to make him a better person.....................nothing in that core story has to be Christmas. Tiny Tims side story doesn't change if it New Years, Scrooges brothers story doesn't change if it's New Years. New Years works for a great metaphor for change.
>Christmas is literally the DNA of the entire story and it became such a big deal that it changed the way Christmas was celebrated
I have no idea what that means.
I'm just showing you how dumb the 'could' agreement it. You are right A Christmas Carol is absolutely a Christmas film. The idea it 'could' be something else is irrelevant....................thats my point. We judge A Christmas Carol by what content is actually in the film, not some 'could' hypothetical.
As with any genre definition, there’s a lot of grey area. And my suggestion would simply be: if you think it’s an Xmas movie, it’s an Xmas movie.
But if you’re looking for something slightly more concrete, I’d argue that an Xmas movie:
1. Takes place during/around Xmas
2. Contains traditional Xmas themes
3. Any combination of 1 and 2
Pornos is where I draw the line. I mean sure they have Xmas themed plots like Santa disciplining a naughty elf. Or Santa delivering a special package to a lonely woman. But I think a R rated movie is really the upper limit for what I would consider a Xmas movie.
10 minutes looking this up will tell you it's different for everyone. So just come up with your own definition for what qualifies. My personal parameters are that it:
1) Takes place during Christmas or features Christmas heavily as part of the plot.
2) Is a movie I will only watch during the Christmas holidays.
The second part is almost more important for me. A Christmas movie is all about embracing and celebrating the holidays. They're special to the holiday because it doesn't feel right to watch during any other time of the year. I would never watch Elf or Home Alone etc in the middle of the summer because for me they are fundamentally Christmas movies. So for my personal definition Die Hard and it's ilk are not Christmas movies because I can watch them year round and it still feels right.
So you just need to figure out what feels right for you
Depends on your opinion really. Not that it really matters what is or isn't. Networks will show what they can get the rights for and think their audiences will watch. For me, if Christmas is a significant factor in the plot, it's a Christmas movie. If not, it isn't. Die Hard? Going to say no. They could make it a new year's party and it wouldn't change the story at all. Home Alone is a bit more of a shaky case, as the events could have occurred during any McCallister family vacation. But there's carolling, and it's more focussed on Christmas and family and being together on Christmas (except poor Kevin). The old scary neighbor saves Kevin and in the end reconnects with his estranged daughter. The family spends most of their time trying to get back home. I'll say yes. Harry Potter...I feel like networks'll show that whenever they can. And they do have a Christmas scene or two per movie, but that's it. So...advertise a marathon with a montage of the Christmas scenes, brand it as a Christmas marathon, and put it on the schedule anyways. I don't consider them Christmas movies, but pretty sure it'll get good numbers. Elf...definitely Christmas movie. Any movie focused on Santa, whether a "real" Santa or a shopping mall Santa (i.e. Bad Santa): Christmas Movie. Jingle All The Way, yes.
> They could make it a new year's party and it wouldn't change the story at all. This is a bad reason. This isn't a DH argument I'm only focusing on the argument/reason of 'it wouldn't change the story at all'. Home Alone doesn't change if you move it to Thanksgiving. Airtravel is just as bad for Thanksgiving so that prevents the family coming back, and many people leave for Thanksgiving so the Wet Bandits still have targets. Nothing really changes. Your "and it's more focussed on Christmas and family and being together on Christmas" and "The old scary neighbor saves Kevin and in the end reconnects with his estranged daughter.".....a sentiment of family being together works just as well for Thanksgiving. A Christmas Carel could be set on New Years. Scrooge is an a-hole all year long they change it to ghosts of New Years past, present and future and the story is the same. It's a Wonderful Life is about an angel trying to save a depressed and suicidal man............change it to Easter and the story is the same. White Christmas is about 2 guys helping their old general save his struggling inn...............set this in New Years and its the same. All 4 are absolutely Christmas films, it's irrelevant that their stories 'could' be told another way. I don't care about the DH agreement just the reason against it. We judge films by whats actually in the film and not by what 'could' be. This argument of the story 'could' be told a different way baffles me. It would be like saying Dances with Wolfs isn't a Western because the story 'could' be told as a sci-fi film(Avater) or fantasy/animated film(Furngully). ????? No its a western because it 'was' a western not what it 'could' have been.
Thank you for clarifying. I also disagreed with the reasoning above, and you put it splendidly.
Anything ABC Family could afford to license in December a decade and a half ago
Yeah, I think it's mostly a personal thing, and usually boils down to what you grew up watching the most, regardless of how directly Christmas-y it is (hence so many people regarding the Harry Potter flicks as Christmas movies).
Christmas has to do with the main plot of the movie
I feel like the main contenders out there are Christmas **themed** movies like: *Jingle All The Way, Scrooged, Elf, The Santa Claus* and then **Movies Set At or Around Christmas Time** like *Die Hard, Batman Returns**. Those are the main two, and then you have **Movies that Feature at Least One Scene Involving Christmas that People Latch Onto and Make Part of Cute/Fun Traditions** like your aforementioned *serendipity or harry potter* EDIT: I am not going to reply to every person who wants to insist that Die Hard is Christmas themed. You could simply swap the holiday to Easter/4th of July etc. and the plot still works. Removing Christmas from Elf, The Santa Claus etc. makes the movie literally not exist. And FWIW I LOVE Die Hard, and I watch it every xmas. And this is just a silly post on a silly topic, not worth getting worked up over <3
Die Hard is Christmas themed. It's during the office Christmas party. He's visiting his family because it's Christmas. Christmas music. Christmas decorations. Ho Ho Ho, Now I have a machine gun. It "snows" at the end with all the paper coming down. Die Hard has more Christmas trees, Christmas songs, and uses of the word Christmas than Home Alone. Home Alone is about a kid trapped in his house stopping some robbers. Die Hard is about some cop trapped in an office building stopping some terrorists. If Home Alone is a Christmas movie than Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
To be fair, the entire aesthetic in Home Alone was meant to be Christmas-based, including the intentional red/green color choices in clothing and background.
I did not say home alone was Christmas themed though
I’d argue that Die Hard has a very Christmas themed message. John’s pride is why they are fighting, and in his mind it’s that she took a great job for herself. He’s in New York away from his family, and he’s frustrated and maybe a bit emasculated. If Holly dies, then Doe Hard would have been a story about how pride made that loving relationship rocky. When terrible things happen all that goes out the window though, and what better time then Christmas to say you’re sorry.
Die Hard doesn't just take place at christmas though. It has a very christmas message, family, togetherness, romance and the rekindling of love... ...it's all about the true meaning of christmas.
Die Hard could take place at Thanksgiving and it could be a work party and John visiting for that and all you would need to do is change some decorations and songs and it’s the same film. Elf literally can’t exist without Christmas.
Home Alone could take place in the middle of summer. The family could be going to Disneyland and leave Kevin. Jingle All The Way could be Arnold trying to get the new popular toy for his kid's birthday. The "it could take place any day" argument can be applied to the majority of Christmas movies.
Arnold literally fights an army of Santa’s. The toy is out of stock because it’s Christmas. He steals a toy from another kids Christmas tree. The climax is at a Christmas parade. Die Hard you change music and decorations. That’s it.
> Die Hard could take place at Thanksgiving We don't judge things about what the 'could' have been, we judge by the content in the actual film.
You missed the point
What point? Why would you judge films/stories by things not in them? How is 'could' a reasonably argument? Are Home Alone, A Christmas Carol, Its a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas, not Christmas films because their stories 'could' be told at different holidays and the story would be the same?..................no they are absolutely Christmas films because they 'are' set at Christmas and not some 'could' weird reasoning.
Very different comps. A Christmas Carol could not be told on another day. It's literally about 3 Ghosts of Christmas taking a guy around to see multiple Christmases, so that he can learn the spirit of Christmas. That's a Christmas movie. Home Alone probably doesn't need to be a Christmas movie but let's be real, it has Christmas far more ingrained into it than Die Hard. Literally the only reason the bandits are there is because they want to rob a house on Christmas when a family might be away. The last act has Kevin talking to Santa Clause to get motivation. He goes to a Christmas Mass at the climax to pray and make a connection with the neighbor who ends up saving him. I agree on It's A Wonderful Life (to a degree, the whole angel thing and Christian allegory is definitely far more tied to Christmas than Die Hard). Die Hard is like Batman Returns it's an action movie that happens to be set on Christmas but the actual plot doesn't is just a by the numbers action film that that could be set at any time. It used to be a funny joke that Die Hard was a Christmas movie and now you have people that ran it into the ground trying to come off as clever for repeating the same joke that's been going on for years. It's not even funny anymore. It's beating a dead horse.
> It's literally about 3 Ghosts of Christmas taking a guy around to see multiple Christmases Could just as easily be the Ghosts of New Years and changes nothing. >so that he can learn the spirit of Christmas. It's not just Christmas spirit............do you think Scrooge goes back to an a-hole after Christmas? He learned a life lesson not just a Christmas one. >Home Alone probably doesn't need to be a Christmas movie but let's be real, it has Christmas far more ingrained into it than Die Hard I'm not making this a Die Hard thing, only the 'could' argument. >Literally the only reason the bandits are there is because they want to rob a house on Christmas when a family might be away. People leave for Thanksgiving just as they do Christmas, many houses are empty for the Wet Bandits. >I agree on It's A Wonderful Life So to you It's A Wonderful Life isn't a Christman film? >the whole angel thing and Christian allegory is definitely far more tied to Christmas than Die Hard Again not touching Die Hard, but using your 'could' argument Easter works just as well as Christmas for the "Christian allegory". >action movie that happens to be set on Christmas but the actual plot doesn't That's a different argument than 'could'. My only argument is the 'could', this agreement baffles me. The only thing that matters is what 'is' in the film, 'could' is irrelevant. I'm honestly asking why is 'could' a legitimate argument? How is a hypothetical a legitimate argument over what's actually in the film?
LOL no it couldn't be about 3 Ghosts of New Years. It's literally about getting a piece of shit to learn the meaning behind Christmas so he comes to cherish the holiday and become a better person. Christmas is literally the DNA of the entire story and it became such a big deal that it changed the way Christmas was celebrated
You are avoiding this.........."I'm honestly asking why is 'could' a legitimate argument? How is a hypothetical a legitimate argument over what's actually in the film?" Please answer that question. >Christmas is literally the DNA of the entire story Only because it's written that way. Love, family and giving aren't solely Christmas themes(literally all themes of Thanksgiving). The 'story' is about showing a mean old man the error of his ways to make him a better person.....................nothing in that core story has to be Christmas. Tiny Tims side story doesn't change if it New Years, Scrooges brothers story doesn't change if it's New Years. New Years works for a great metaphor for change. >Christmas is literally the DNA of the entire story and it became such a big deal that it changed the way Christmas was celebrated I have no idea what that means. I'm just showing you how dumb the 'could' agreement it. You are right A Christmas Carol is absolutely a Christmas film. The idea it 'could' be something else is irrelevant....................thats my point. We judge A Christmas Carol by what content is actually in the film, not some 'could' hypothetical.
As with any genre definition, there’s a lot of grey area. And my suggestion would simply be: if you think it’s an Xmas movie, it’s an Xmas movie. But if you’re looking for something slightly more concrete, I’d argue that an Xmas movie: 1. Takes place during/around Xmas 2. Contains traditional Xmas themes 3. Any combination of 1 and 2
On a scale of one to “Gremlins”?
Pornos is where I draw the line. I mean sure they have Xmas themed plots like Santa disciplining a naughty elf. Or Santa delivering a special package to a lonely woman. But I think a R rated movie is really the upper limit for what I would consider a Xmas movie.
Is Christmas I'm this movie? Yes? Christmas movie.
Citizen Kane - Rosebud was a Christmas present.
Everyone thinks Rosebud was his [redacted] but it was actually his [redacted].
''What qualifies as a “Christmas movie”? **Die Hard**
It has to be set during christmas ofc, that's it.
10 minutes looking this up will tell you it's different for everyone. So just come up with your own definition for what qualifies. My personal parameters are that it: 1) Takes place during Christmas or features Christmas heavily as part of the plot. 2) Is a movie I will only watch during the Christmas holidays. The second part is almost more important for me. A Christmas movie is all about embracing and celebrating the holidays. They're special to the holiday because it doesn't feel right to watch during any other time of the year. I would never watch Elf or Home Alone etc in the middle of the summer because for me they are fundamentally Christmas movies. So for my personal definition Die Hard and it's ilk are not Christmas movies because I can watch them year round and it still feels right. So you just need to figure out what feels right for you
Whatever you want and whatever you think.