I have been trying to think of Christmas movies as "movies". I noticed this a while ago, people put them into their own category, but one that is separate from simple genre.
For instance, you could ask somebody, "What's your favourite Christmas movie?" (or comedy or action) and spur a discussion. If you ask them to list a top ten films, or even top 100 (if they have a LOT of time on their hands) how many "Christmas" movies show up on the list? It's a Wonderful Life, I guess?
Some movies seem to be set apart, and Christmas Carol adaptations are in that place. A few Christmas ago, I was firing up the ol' Sim DVD and thought, "You know, Me, this is just a great movie period," and I've been rethinking it ever since.
And that's how we got to a The Mummy message board talking about Alistair Sim and his Christmas Carol.
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PrimeMinisterX (8857)
3 years ago
Well I appreciate that breakdown!
And you're right about Christmas movies being very carefully sectioned off into their own zone. It's A Wonderful Life is probably the Christmas movie that is most likely to be added to an overall "greatest films" list, and ironically, it's arguably not even a Christmas movie!
I have always had great appreciation for Dickens' tale. I've read the novella, seen stage adaptations in three different cities, seen a ballet based on the story, and watched perhaps as many as 10 different film adaptations (with '51, '84 and '99 getting regular replay through the years). It's a great story.
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Ace_Spade (9657)
3 years ago
Good point; I've seen it argued that It's a Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas movie (in one of a million articles championing Die Hard's status in the X-Mas Pantheon). I can't think of many others. People find Love Actually endearing for reasons outside of its holiday setting, but it isn't usually making a "greatest films" list. It's more likely to be a "guilty pleasure".
There might be a few others... A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon's Christmas, and The Nightmare Before Christmas might transcend the "Christmas movie" category, but the latter two are just as likely to be seen as "comedy" and "Tim Burton". And even then, I don't think most of those would break out of the Christmas orbit.
I got to read a side-by-side document comparing the original text of A Christmas Carol with the edit version he would read on tours. I don't know where the person got it from, but she's a friend of mine and very thorough and reliable. It was fun seeing what Dickens thought was superfluous (or superfluous enough to justify leaving out for a stage version).
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