Passions: What makes a good Christmas movie?

Today, the trope of movies is rom-coms; & the goal, to find love By Vivek Ahuja

Tanish makes his own signature gin and tonic

Vivek says, Even though they’re repetitive, The new-age holiday movies have a feel-good vibe and make for a comforting watch.”

Until, say, around the late-2000s, the usual Christmas/holiday movie trope was good triumphing over evil. That was the natural arc whether it was How The Grinch Stole Christmas or Home Alone.

Today, the trope is rom-coms. The plot usually goes like this: Two people meet, don’t like each other, but eventually fall in love. All this around the holiday season. We’re all still watching all these movies. Why? Because even though they’re repetitive, they have a feel-good vibe and make for a comforting watch. You know how the movie will end (a happy ending is guaranteed), so it’s an escape.

There is a huge debate about what makes a film a Christmas movie. I feel that any film with a character arc that evolves on Christmas or which has a moral compass angle around that time of the year should be counted as a Christmas movie. Including Die Hard and Edward Scissorhands. So what if Die Hard is an action movie? It has a closed, satisfactory ending with a Christmas mention. At the same time, I love How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey is amazing in it).

I love the OG Christmas movies: Love Actually, Ghost Of Girlfriends Past, The Holiday, When Harry Met Sally. These are holiday essentials. I also plan to watch the 2022 Lindsay Lohan movie. What’s not to love about cheesy romantic movies!

Vivek Ahuja, 27, is co-founder of audio production house, Aux Media, and likes indulging in mulled wine this time of the year.

“Christmas isn’t about falling in love and finding a prince”

By Kriti Puri

Kriti says, But, more than the nostalgia in classic holiday movies, as you grow up, you understand the morals in these movies

Movies are a big part of the Christmas season in India, in addition to the smell of cinnamon and other festive food. And, Christmas movies are my go-to comfort movies. My mom and I usually sit down around Christmas and watch Home Alone together, along with Baby’s Day Out, coupled with a mug of hot chocolate with roasted marshmallows; and, occasionally, a slice of apple pie.

My mom baked apple pies for Christmas, when I was growing up. Now, I’ve taken over. We also bake cinnamon rolls as gifts for our friends, and end the baking day with hot chocolate. It’s an annual ritual.

The Polar Express is a significant movie for me. I was six years old when I first watched it. And I still remember the song they sing in the end of the movie. I watched Home Alone when I was eight.

So, yes, there is a lot of nostalgia attached to all these classic Christmas movies, but, more than that, as you grow up, you understand the morals in these movies. And that’s what I feel the new generation is losing out on given the new crop of holiday movies releasing today.

Christmas was all about baking cookies for Santa and opening presents. Now, it’s all about falling in love and finding a prince. That’s not the spirit of Christmas.

Kriti Puri, 24, Delhi, is a digital lead whose go-to holiday movie is The Polar Express, though she’s also watched The Christmas Prince and The Princess Switch

From HT Brunch, December 17, 2022

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