Good Morning: What makes a movie a Christmas movie?
Each year, traditions that help them get into the Christmas spirit. From holiday parties to shopping and gift giving, there are a myriad of ways to celebrate the season.
For me, my tradition has always involved my love of movies and cinema. Each year, I try to make a point of watching at least one holiday movie. However, this year, I've been left asking myself what exactly defines a Christmas movie.
I've seen many of the classics, in some cases dozens of times over. While watching Ralphie get his Red Ryder BB gun is always a Christmas treat, part of me wants to try something different this year.
What that may be, I have yet to decide.
Much like my quest to watch the best films that have ever been made, I also want to watch some of the best Christmas movies that have ever been made.
In looking for these movies, I constantly find myself asking what exactly makes a Christmas movie. I've had these debates over the years, particularly over if Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not. The answer is unequivocally yes, in my opinion, but why? Another common debate I hear is if "Home Alone" is a Christmas movie.
Is a holiday move such just because it mentions Christmas? Is it about featuring a story set during Christmas time? Is it something else completely?
In my search for a good Christmas movie I found myself looking up a list of 65 of the best Christmas movies of all time on rating site Rotten Tomatoes. The list included the usual suspect: "It's a Wonderful Life," "A Christmas Story," "Elf" and others, but it also included others that left me scratching my head.
The highest rated of these films is "A nightmare before Christmas," which was placed fifth on the list. While I understand the theme, I still feel like its is more a Halloween flick rather than anything else. The top 30 also includes "Edward Scissorhands" and "Gremlins," which hardly have the same kind of Christmas spirit as some of the others.
I guess ultimately the answer to the question is in the eye of the beholder.
This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Good Morning: What makes a movie a Christmas movie?
