Movies At Christmas, but Not About Christmas?
November 28, 2006 7:45 PM Subscribe
What movies take place around Christmas time but don't actually have anything to do with Christmas?
This is actually being asked by proxy. A friend of mine can think of Brazil, and would like to come up with other movies that occur around Christmas, but aren't actually about Christmas. Help me help him.
This is actually being asked by proxy. A friend of mine can think of Brazil, and would like to come up with other movies that occur around Christmas, but aren't actually about Christmas. Help me help him.
Die Hard & Die Hard II
(I can't believe I'm posting that w/o also posting something more highbrow, but there it is)
posted by JekPorkins at 7:47 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
(I can't believe I'm posting that w/o also posting something more highbrow, but there it is)
posted by JekPorkins at 7:47 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
Gremlins
posted by cosmicbandito at 7:47 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by cosmicbandito at 7:47 PM on November 28, 2006
Serendipity
posted by youngergirl44 at 7:48 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by youngergirl44 at 7:48 PM on November 28, 2006
All Shane Black's movies, basically. Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and at least one of the Lethal Weapon movies? I don't watch them because of my boycott of Mel...
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:52 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:52 PM on November 28, 2006
Rent
posted by candyland at 7:53 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by candyland at 7:53 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
The Ice Harvest.
posted by Token Meme at 8:05 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by Token Meme at 8:05 PM on November 28, 2006
Reindeer Games
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 8:22 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 8:22 PM on November 28, 2006
movies that occur around Christmas, but aren't actually about Christmas
There's no such thing. All movies that feature Christmas as a thematic device are, on some level, ironically or unironically drawing comparisons and contrasts about Christmas itself. They're all "about" Christmas, just in different ways.
* Die Hard is ultimately about a Christmastime family reunion, of McClane and his wife.
* Gremlins is about a comic perversion of a familiar holiday.
* Home Alone is a comedy about a family forgetting their own child at an unusual time (see, you wouldn't expect it to happen on Christmas).
* Serendipity uses the Central Park ice rink and the Christmas backdrop of New York City as the "magic" of the movie that brings the lovers together.
* Rent is about the "family" created by the artists in the Village that comes together at the end.
* Eyes Wide Shut is the "nightmare" Christmas party, when we really should all just go home to wives and family.
* The Ice Harvest is how perverted Christmas can become when the parents are out playing key party and the kids are left alone to experiment.
posted by frogan at 8:25 PM on November 28, 2006 [3 favorites]
There's no such thing. All movies that feature Christmas as a thematic device are, on some level, ironically or unironically drawing comparisons and contrasts about Christmas itself. They're all "about" Christmas, just in different ways.
* Die Hard is ultimately about a Christmastime family reunion, of McClane and his wife.
* Gremlins is about a comic perversion of a familiar holiday.
* Home Alone is a comedy about a family forgetting their own child at an unusual time (see, you wouldn't expect it to happen on Christmas).
* Serendipity uses the Central Park ice rink and the Christmas backdrop of New York City as the "magic" of the movie that brings the lovers together.
* Rent is about the "family" created by the artists in the Village that comes together at the end.
* Eyes Wide Shut is the "nightmare" Christmas party, when we really should all just go home to wives and family.
* The Ice Harvest is how perverted Christmas can become when the parents are out playing key party and the kids are left alone to experiment.
posted by frogan at 8:25 PM on November 28, 2006 [3 favorites]
Nah, that was the The Ice Storm. Know thy ice. The Ice Harvest was about how depraved people can become with a backdrop of Christmastime...well, come to think of it, it wasn't all that much different from your interpretation for Storm. Even had a couple kids destined for serious dysfunction.
posted by mdevore at 8:46 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by mdevore at 8:46 PM on November 28, 2006
Any of the many terrible movies about Pearl Harbor, if 12/7 counts as around Christmas.
1941.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:51 PM on November 28, 2006
1941.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:51 PM on November 28, 2006
Believe it or not, Psycho ... only because Christmas decorations happened to be clearly visible in some footage of Phoenix. Rather than reshoot, Hitchcock simply added an opening title: "FRIDAY, DECEMBER THE ELEVENTH."
posted by pmurray63 at 9:42 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by pmurray63 at 9:42 PM on November 28, 2006
My favorite movie, The Lion in Winter.
posted by Hildago at 9:55 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by Hildago at 9:55 PM on November 28, 2006 [1 favorite]
Batman Returns.
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:15 PM on November 28, 2006
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:15 PM on November 28, 2006
Just a couple off the top of my head:
The Poseidon Adventure (New Year's Eve)
Lethal Weapon
You can also look at The Movie Timeline, which offers a chronological listing of movie events. This google search should yield a few results.
posted by mach at 11:17 PM on November 28, 2006
The Poseidon Adventure (New Year's Eve)
Lethal Weapon
You can also look at The Movie Timeline, which offers a chronological listing of movie events. This google search should yield a few results.
posted by mach at 11:17 PM on November 28, 2006
I believe Narnia takes place around xmas as Santa makes an appearance.
posted by gfrobe at 12:43 AM on November 29, 2006
posted by gfrobe at 12:43 AM on November 29, 2006
"Falling In Love". It has a plot device centred around the two main characters bumping into one another and accidentally picking up a wrapped gift intended for the other's spouse, but it's not a Christmas story.
posted by essexjan at 1:44 AM on November 29, 2006
posted by essexjan at 1:44 AM on November 29, 2006
Little Women. While it takes place across several different seasons, it always feels like a Christmassy movie to me. It also makes me feel the (physical) distance between me and my siblings more accutely than usual.
posted by shiu mai baby at 4:40 AM on November 29, 2006
posted by shiu mai baby at 4:40 AM on November 29, 2006
From looking at my movies, what comes to mind is Beauty and the Beast, Anastasia, Hook, the beginning of Cast Away, and Batman Returns. (The first three have snow, the last two specifically mention Christmas, but do not have a significance to the plot.)
posted by itchie at 5:55 AM on November 29, 2006
posted by itchie at 5:55 AM on November 29, 2006
I obviously scanned the question too quickly. Sorry.
posted by JigSawMan at 6:19 AM on November 29, 2006
posted by JigSawMan at 6:19 AM on November 29, 2006
I wouldn't say The Shop Around The Corner isn't about Christmas. So much of it is about getting a Christmas gift for the penpal.
And Love Actually has a Christmas song as one of its plots.
I'd say Bridget Jones Diary. Not all of it, though.
posted by pyjammy at 9:14 AM on November 29, 2006
And Love Actually has a Christmas song as one of its plots.
I'd say Bridget Jones Diary. Not all of it, though.
posted by pyjammy at 9:14 AM on November 29, 2006
Enemy of the State.
Plus something recent, can't recall, but it was originally scheduled for a holiday release, but was then delayed (so its Christmas trimmings made no sense at all).
posted by Rash at 9:38 AM on November 29, 2006
Plus something recent, can't recall, but it was originally scheduled for a holiday release, but was then delayed (so its Christmas trimmings made no sense at all).
posted by Rash at 9:38 AM on November 29, 2006
Catch me if you can.
posted by Margalo Epps at 4:22 PM on November 29, 2006
posted by Margalo Epps at 4:22 PM on November 29, 2006
And Love Actually has a Christmas song as one of its plots.
Several characters in the movie make obvious, deliberate remarks on the theme of, "It's Christmas, and at Christmas, you're supposed to be with the ones you love, you're supposed to tell them you love them, etc."
posted by frogan at 9:07 PM on November 29, 2006
Several characters in the movie make obvious, deliberate remarks on the theme of, "It's Christmas, and at Christmas, you're supposed to be with the ones you love, you're supposed to tell them you love them, etc."
posted by frogan at 9:07 PM on November 29, 2006
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posted by anarcation at 7:47 PM on November 28, 2006