TMS Discussion: What Makes a Movie or Song a Christmas Classic?
(Liberty Films / RKO Radio Pictures)
What makes a movie a Christmas essential? Well, of course, they usually revolve around the holiday season, like George Seaton’s Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Jeremiah S. Chechik’s Christmas Vacation (1989), Henry Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Richard Curtis’ Love Actually (2003). But then you have Christmas classics that only feature the holiday in a single act of the film, like Mark Sandrich’s Holiday Inn (1942), Vincente Minnelli’s Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Leo McCarey’s The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) and Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). And then there are the traditional popular movies set during December where the plots don’t have anything to do with the holiday, but are still viewed during the month, such as John Landis’ Trading Places (1983), Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon (1987) and John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988). Going even farther, there are the movies that have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas people still enjoy watching during the holiday season a la Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz (1939), Robert Stevenson’s Mary Poppins (1964) and Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music (1965). I think most people like to watch movies that make them feel good during the last couple of months of the year because it reflects the spirit of the season. Which is why Pixar wisely releases their films Thanksgiving weekend, to a mostly fool proof strategy.
It’s always interesting to me when songs become a regular during December that don’t technically have anything to do with Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s or any other event throughout the month either. One of my biggest pet peeves is how renditions [such as the Supremes’ 1965 cover] of ‘My Favorite Things’ from the original Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein 1959 musical ‘The Sound of Music’ is now popular to play on Christmas playlists and music stations. I guess the theme of the lyrics is supposed to be similar with kids writing their Christmas presents lists to Santa Claus, but the context still doesn’t have anything to do with the holiday. But, since The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins and Ken Hughes’ Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) are fantasy, family friendly musicals that have common viewings throughout the holiday season, this might be the case with listening to songs as well. And backtracking momentarily, for all the debates movie fans have over Die Hard and Lethal Weapon being legitimate Christmas movies, it’s funny no one ever argues over the musicals being included. One that’s always amused me is The Bells of St. Mary’s, which appears to regularly air on TCM every December, and yet features only one single Christmas related scene. At least Meet Me in St. Louis has a good 25 minutes set during the holiday.
(Paramount Pictures)
But ‘My Favorite Things’ is in good company as far as non-holiday related Christmas songs go. The title track of Kenny Loggins’ 1977 solo debut ‘Celebrate Me Home’ only has the opening line reference the holidays, yet is now a staple during winter. Even more interestingly enough, Stevie Nicks’ ‘Blue Lamp’ (1981) and the Specials’ ‘Blank Expression’ (1979) both feature direct shout outs to Christmas or winter in their lyrics, but they don’t usually get the same annual treatment. If the most famous Christmas movie of all time—It’s a Wonderful Life—can only take place on the holiday for the last third of its runtime, then I guess the people ultimately choose what gets to be a Christmas tradition through-and-through.