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I believe Christmas movies can divide us, but not in a way the term “divide us” has been used in recent years. I have a list of them I find uplifting (“Home Alone,” “Meet Me in St. Louis”), others that are a little “sappy” but watchable (“The Holiday,” “Love Actually”), and then there’s the category of amazing comedies (“Christmas Vacation,” “Four Christmases”). I also have movies that are fan favorites but I don’t care for (“It’s a Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Story”), which is challenging in my marriage for the latter.
I would attest that you can’t love them all—or, if you do, please identify yourself, for obvious reasons. That’s the interesting part: Holiday movies, like the holidays themselves, are rarely neutral.
If you are still reading this and have not yet disagreed with something I’ve said, I will be shocked. See, divisive. For me, the month of December is defined by light and sound. Movies play a part of that, depending on the situation. Even the TV fireplace channel can fit. I’m not ruling out bonus holiday-scented candles, either. I think we should measure the holidays as a sort of rubric. It’s like a significant other: They don’t have to be perfect in every category, but the math must add up.
I love appropriately placed Christmas lights. You will not find me inviting my wife to drive through elaborate displays of them, but you will find me smiling when our house is lit up (not obnoxiously, although that is the dream). I like their glow. I’m not a dimly lit room person, so the soft brightness of holiday lights feels like a gift. They create an atmosphere moving beyond denomination or tradition. It’s simply holiday ambience, and for 30-ish days I appreciate it.
Ironically, two of my favorite Christmas movies don’t involve traditional lights at all. “Holiday Inn,” with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, was produced in black and white, with no pronounced lights by today’s standards. And “White Christmas” was Technicolor announcing Technicolor (if you know, you know). Both featured musical numbers that were about as bright as you could get. Before you judge (you already started), my mom and sister made me watch these many times, then they became lifelong favorites. Thanks, Bing Crosby.
I’m not trying to “play Emperor” on holiday movies, i.e. deciding which should live and which should be discontinued (not canceled). At minimum, my friend Betsy, who celebrates the Hallmark Channel, should be shown respect. Just because she entertains an endless parade of love-struck Christmas tree farmers and burnt-out New York City businesswomen who meet, fight and fall in love doesn’t mean they should be tossed aside. After all, there are now at least three Hallmark Channels, so a CFO somewhere knows how to read a ratings book.
Why do we keep coming back to these movies, whether we love them or hate them? Is it because they amplify our ups, hold serve on our downs and sometimes accelerate our desire to exit the season altogether? Perhaps. Or is it because they remind us of what the holidays mean to us—family traditions, religious observance, overdone parties, time off, bosses being … bosses, “great” sweaters. Could it be that they seem to give us permission to laugh, cry or simply sit still for a couple of hours?
Whatever your opinion is of this column, I hope we can all agree on one important point: “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie and deserves your respect. Yippee-Ki-Yay! Merry Christmas!•
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Rateike is founder of BAR Communications and served as director of cabinet communications for President Donald Trump. This is his new headshot. Send comments to [email protected].
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