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What is a great holiday movie? A collection of humor and festivities that families can watch together as they cherish their moments of togetherness. These flicks have everything that resonates with the ideal holiday spirit. No wonder they are such resounding successes. The 2018 remake of The Grinch, for instance, has collected more than half a billion dollars to date. The iconic Home Alone franchise is no different, with the two movies sharing $834 million between them and still counting.
With the readily available OTT platforms synced to television sets at home, watching movies on holidays like Christmas has become a norm. That additional flavor of families sharing incredible memories during a holiday is what makes this genre especially appealing. Watching and enjoying these movies year after year without getting tired makes one wonder what writing an incredible holiday movie takes.
Well, in this article, we explore just that, highlighting the elements that come together to define a holiday blockbuster.
- Atmosphere
How would you like to watch a holiday movie without any of the atmosphere that surrounds a typical festive occasion like Christmas? Surely, you would pick the absence of lights, decorations, and snow, although that is not necessary, but still, as a discrepancy that just doesn’t sit right. There are high chances that you lose interest because the movie just doesn’t resonate with its spirit.
Candace Cameron Bure, the American actress who has starred in various holiday movies, also agrees, stating that no matter what time of the year it may be, you can fall into the Christmas trance if the atmosphere is there. You set up the colors, the odor of cinnamon and pine while queuing some holiday music, and that is all it takes to set the tone. The first essential ingredient then is the atmosphere.
- Family
The holidays are mostly about family for many of us. And there’s that desire to be with family for those who are not fortunate enough to be with their loved ones at a time when most are snuggled up in welcoming arms. This is a touching aspect that many holiday films thoroughly explore, making the entire somehow revolve around the importance of family.
When estrangement and physical distance are examined, the audience’s emotions are evoked by the theme of family. In Home Alone, Kevin’s yearning for his family touches all of our emotions. Many people, sadly, may identify with the detachment between the elderly man and his family who live next door to Kevin in that same movie.
It is this subtle yet powerful desire for love, family, and togetherness that makes a holiday movie such an eye-catcher. If you are writing a story, it needs to have some connection to this aspect so that it can invoke deep, underlying emotions in the viewers.
- Holiday clichés and tropes
Not many movie writers and critics acknowledge the importance of tropes and clichés, especially in holiday films. History and long-running, successful flicks with the holiday theme suggest otherwise, though. People love a bit of familiarity in the movie, something they can connect and resonate with, which is eventually almost everything in the film.
Cliches and tropes are a different story. Featuring a disturbing neighbor, a rebellious teenage kid, a lovely grandparent, or that distant uncle who is as weird as he can be are all elements that exist in every household, more or less. Moreover, portraying these clichéd characters in movies is a treat for kids and adults alike. It makes them keep coming back to the movie year after year.
- Hope
The holiday season has always been about happiness, spending time with family, and creating memories, but at the same time, it is also about hope. The hope that tense relations will somehow become better, the hope that people will shun their differences in favor of joy, and the hope that long-standing traditions of spending time together will continue even when the world becomes distant.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the havoc it wrecked, hope has become an even more imperative theme, especially for families during the holiday season. Having spent at least two years where celebrations were limited truly showcased the deeper meaning of the holiday spirit. As movies depict this element with a humorous or even a serious spin to it, audiences are hooked.
It is their emotion that keeps them glued to their television sets. It hits harder for those who are away from their families during this season, but even when everyone is sitting together, it just makes people hug their loved ones all the more tighter.
- Magic
Although it is hard to believe, there was once a period when most of us thought that a fat, cheery, white-bearded man would enter our homes through the fireplace. There is still a lot of optimism and belief associated with the Christmas season, and most parents still let that hint of magic associated with Santa live on. Children realize the truth as they grow older, but that magic still remains.
There is some sense behind the fact that families assemble and rejoice with loved ones on the night that is considered the longest and darkest of the entire year. We grownups inhabit a pessimistic environment. Being practical and reasonable, fighting to adhere to deadlines, keeping up with one appointment after the other, and financial obligations rule our lives.
The world for us can be difficult at times. However, this is where the beauty of magic in holiday movies steps up. Incredible marvels like the Polar Express, the Miracle of 34th Street, and The Santa Clause jolt our spirits and make us travel back in time when we would believe in something. It is that feeling which truly brings out something special for all of us.
- Nostalgia
Leading on from the previous point, we directly connect to that nostalgic feeling. Whether it is reminiscing the first time the adults saw Home Alone, way back when they were kids themselves, sitting with their parents and grandparents, or that time when they believed that Santa Claus was really leaving presents under the tree each year. It is the ability of holiday movies and their respective plots to take people back in time that just elevates the whole experience.
Conclusion
Writing a great holiday movie is all about gathering all the right elements and sewing them intricately into a free-flowing plot that captivates audiences for years. When you are able to nail this in your storyline, your movie is bound to be great.
