Christmas movies are a staple of the holiday season. From animated classics to formulaic Hallmarks to goofy comedies to the occasional Christmas-themed horror movie, there is no shortage of Christmas-related movie genres to choose from. Writers of the Life section have gathered together to share their thoughts on the best and worst Christmas movies on the market.
Dan Stark, Life Editor, he/him/his, daniel.stark@uconn.edu
My favorite Christmas movie has always been 1983’s “A Christmas Story.” Set in December 1940, it tells the story of young Ralphie wanting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, despite every adult in his life constantly telling him “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” It’s jam-packed with hilarious and memorable moments, including when Flick sticks his tongue to a frozen flag pole and The Old Man’s never-ending battle with the Bumpus hounds from next door. It’s been a long-standing tradition in my family to tune into TBS’ annual “24 hours of A Christmas Story” marathon that runs from 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day, usually keeping it on as background throughout the day.
If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, another underrated favorite of mine is “How Murray Saved Christmas.” This 2014 animated special follows Murray Weiner, a grumpy diner owner who hates Christmas, having to fill in as Santa Claus. It’s loaded with puns and jokes throughout, though the constant rhyme scheme may be annoying to some. The voice cast is also surprisingly stacked, with “Seinfeld” legends Jerry Stiller and Jason Alexander lending their voices to key characters.
Samantha Brody, Associate Life Editor, she/her/hers, sab23059@uconn.edu
I have fairly mixed feelings on Christmas movies. While there are some great ones throughout the years, most of the new ones have always struck me as just plain awful. I think I’ve seen one Hallmark movie in my entire life and I remember being incredibly bored the entire time.
I know Hallmark movies have a reputation for being repetitive and cookie-cutter, but even then, I still find them to be highly overrated. They’ve always struck me as very conservative looks at Christmas and the traditions surrounding it. The formulaic character types come across as a “perfect American” view of how people should celebrate Christmas, and what kinds of people should be. It rubs me the wrong way. I think if I met someone from Hallmark in real life, some alarm bells would go off.
That being said, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has to be perhaps, the best Christmas movie of all time, hands down, forget anything else. The image of Charlie Brown and his little Christmas tree is practically an essential part of the holiday at this point. He’s everywhere!
I also think most people can relate to Chuck’s down-in-the-dumps approach to Christmas. Sometimes, the holiday season just doesn’t sit right, and that’s okay. There are a million different ways to celebrate the holidays, and personally, I enjoy the message that even a sad little tree can be good enough.
Maleena Muzio, Staff Writer, she/her/hers, maleena.muzio@uconn.edu
Aside from cheesy Hallmark films and Netflix originals, I haven’t seen many Christmas movies that I do not like. Romance holiday films are probably my favorite, with the best being “Love, Actually,” which successfully intertwines nine narratives into one. Specifically, Jamie and Aurelia’s simple but endearing relationship, as well as Natalie and the Prime Minister’s relationship have always been the most enjoyable to witness for me.
“Love, Actually” is much more than a simple Christmas movie, but rather explores themes of loss, growing up, starting over and of course, falling in love. After watching this movie, I always feel renewed with a sense of unity regarding others, realizing that people may be less different from each other than previously thought. You may just come away from this film thinking that “love, actually, is all around.”
credit: Creative Commons https://www.deviantart.com/thedisney1901atda/art/AlterVie-Tim-Burton-s-Nightmare-1994-VHS-Cover-628942167
“The Family Stone” is another wonderful Christmas movie that portrays romance, while also exploring wider themes, such as family dynamics, friendship and loss over the course of its runtime. Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Merideth Morton and Claire Danes plays her sister Julie. The sisters become romantically involved with the brothers of the Stone Family, as they celebrate their mother’s last Christmas. The talented late actress Diane Keaton plays Sybil Stone, and her confession of her terminal illness is sure to bring tears to your eyes. “The Family Stone” may not be the most cheerful Christmas movie, but it is a story that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Alex Klancko, Campus Correspondent, he/him/his, ivb24001@uconn.edu
“The Nightmare Before Christmas,” although not considered to be one by many, is in fact a Christmas movie. This is because it has Santa in it and takes place during the holiday season. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has so many amazing characters like Jack Skellington or the little henchmen Lock, Shock and Barrel. But the best character from “The Nightmare Before Christmas is Oogie Boogie, a burlap sack-person filled with bugs. Oogie Boogie makes the movie super fun and entertaining and is the main reason the plot fits together so well. I mean, he tried to get rid of Santa.
The worst Christmas movie is “Elf.” Although it is a great movie to watch every now and then, the plot is really basic and has some disturbing moments, like when Buddy the Elf made his signature breakfast of spaghetti, syrup, chocolate sauce, M&M’s and mini marshmallows. The movie can also be very cringy acting wise, like when Buddy originally found his dad at his job. Also, compared to Will Ferrell’s filmography, “Elf” is lackluster and very plain, leaving much to be desired. The movie also gets overplayed a ton in church groups because of its PG rating.