Hallmark Christmas movies are fantastic pieces of cinema. Don’t agree? Tell that to my (prospective) B.F.A in Screenwriting, because I’m not playin’ when it comes to this one.
Let’s start with the facts: I am a certified film snob. People hate watching movies with me because I don’t shut up about things like mise-en-scène, and what the different camera angles mean, and how the coloring of a shot can correlate to the character’s personality and intentions. I say pretentious things like, “The writing was terrible!” and, “Look at that dolly zoom!” that make everyone regret bringing me out to the movie theaters. I recommend obscure foreign films and act horrified when you say you’ve never seen them before. I wear a beret.
But nothing — and I mean nothing — gets me feeling the way a Hallmark Christmas movie makes me feel.
I’m not alone in that, either. Thanks to the annual “Countdown to Christmas” movie marathon, Hallmark solidified itself once again as the #1 most watched cable network in the fourth quarter (which runs during the holiday season, from October 1 to December 31) and the #2 most watched of the entire year. And because of the demand for these Christmas movies, The Hallmark Channel released 41 new movies in this year alone. So it’s safe to say they’re popular. But are they good? I’d argue yes.
Before you get all “some film major you are” on me, let me explain. Yes, Hallmark movies — from a film perspective — are ridiculous. The plots are cliche, the writing is redundant, the acting is bad, and the clothes are innately cheugy and out of style. But that’s what makes them charming and, dare I say, amazing pieces of film. They’re not supposed to be good, and they know they’re not supposed to be good.
For instance, as a film student, I can’t sit through a singular movie without analyzing every little bit of it. I find myself noticing the way scenes are cut and edited, critiquing the use of experimental camera angles, and overanalyzing certain choices in dialogue. But Hallmark movies? They’re easy. There’s no flashy camera tricks and special effects. The script is extremely simple and the plot is easy to follow. The titles are all the same, but just a word or two off (A Dream of Christmas, My Christmas Dream), and they don’t require you to pay close attention in order to absorb them. For someone who has had the joy ripped out of the movie-watching experience, Hallmark movies are an escape — a festive, formulated escape.
It’s not just the fact that Hallmark movies are relaxing; they’re also hilarious. The writing is so gosh-darn silly and predictable that you can’t help but to giggle. For example, 2007’s Holiday Switch (my personal favorite) is one of the goofiest movies I’ve ever seen: a woman climbs through a washing machine into an alternate universe where she married the other guy who asked her to prom, while her old, working class family exists on the other side of town. And while her new man is rich and hot and has a big house, she discovers that the big house and big presents isn’t what makes the season so great; it’s her family (say it with me: aww).
Another Hallmark classic, A Wish For Christmas, features a familiar face — Lacey Chabert, otherwise known as Gretchen Wieners from Mean Girls — as she gets a wish granted from Santa Claus so she can discover the magic of the holidays and learn. I don’t know about you, but I could watch Lacey find the true meaning of Christmas for at least five more movies. Unlike those hard-hitting dramas and nail-biting thrillers that are dominating the film market right now, like House of Gucci, Spencer, and King Richard, Hallmark movies don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re meant to make you smile, and once you get over the silliness, they’ll succeed in that.
This leads me to my final point: they’re good for holiday morale.
For a lot of people, myself included, the holidays can be a bittersweet — and often dark — time of year. Between loss, missing your family, a global pandemic, and the cold weather, Christmastime can lose its magic as you get older. However, these silly little Christmas movies are one of the main things that comfort me when I get the holiday blues. I love the over-the-top, Christmassy set design and the festive plotlines because they make Christmas seem so magical, when real life might be a little more dreary. And for that hour and a half, the holidays feel a little more jolly.
I get it. Hallmark Christmas movies aren’t revolutionary, and they may not be for everyone, but don’t dismiss them because of their lack of complexity. When it comes to holiday comfort and the Christmas spirit, these movies do the thing that all great movies are supposed to do: make you feel something.