5 Great Christmas Films Not Meant to be Christmas Films

Matt here!

Most know of my essential list of Christmas films I post every year, but, for those looking for Christmas films not often found on essential Christmas film lists, here are five films that can be considered Christmas films even though they were not released as Christmas films. Even It's a Wonderful Life, which has gone on to be the quintessential Christmas movie, was originally released with no intention of being a Christmas movie. So, for those looking for both the cliche and different, here are five great Christmas films not meant to be Christmas films!

Die Hard

Starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason, Alexander Godunov, and William Atherton

I know I listed this film in my "Essential Christmas Films" list but Die Hard also ranks on this list as it was released in July, and doesn't fit conventional Christmas standards. Nevertheless, the soundtrack features Christmas music, showcases good will toward men, and has tons of Christmas references! If you need any more reason why Die Hard is a Christmas film, read Jay's article here!

Gremlins

Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Dick Miller, Polly Holliday, and Corey Feldman

It all seems like innocent fun when an inventor father purchases an extraordinary, cute creature for his teenage son for Christmas -- until said creature multiplies and his eerie clones start becoming reptilian-like creatures that cause havoc, mayhem, and even death in the small town in which they live! Most people would probably show this film to their children, and I say "beware." It may be written by Goonies screenwriter and Home Alone director Chris Columbus, but there is some extremely creepy moments in this one -- the most notable being Phoebe Cates' urban-legendesque tale of her father's death and a couple of characters' deaths (it was this film and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that prompted the creation of the PG-13 rating). But, all in all, it's an enjoyable movie with a wicked streak! Perfect for the horror/suspense fan for the holidays!

Just Friends

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein, Chris Marquette, Julie Hagerty, and Stephen Root

Ryan Reynolds stars as Chris Brander, a successful, womanizing Hollywood record producer who, thanks to pop music star (think of a dense Britney Spears) Samantha James (Anna Faris) finds himself inadvertently returning at Christmas to the one place he promised he’d never return to: his hometown in New Jersey. Upon his return, he must face his former life as an obese dork, with a lisp and braces, that had a huge crush on his high school best friend, Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart). When he thinks a simple revenge scheme will bring him closure, it turns out that his feelings aren’t as gone as he thought, especially when he has to contend with another former dork (Chris Klein). Anyone who’s ever been caught in the exhausting loop of “I think of you as a friend” can definitely empathize with Chris’ plight. The thing I liked most about this film is the physical comedy – particularly from Reynolds, who I’ve always liked better as a comic actor than a dramatic one – as well as the pacing of the story and the chemistry between the cast. It’s a zany comedy with a great message: don’t try to live up to someone’s expectation; you can’t force anyone to love you; and if you’re a good person, you shouldn’t have to change to please anyone. Sounds serious, but it’s definitely anything but! Plus, any movie that has Reynolds lip syncing to All-4-One’s 1990s R&B ballad “I Swear” and quotes Springsteen (“This town is full of losers, and I’m pulling out of here to win!”) is a winner in my book!

Less Than Zero

Starring Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, Robert Downey Jr., and James Spader 

Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, Less Than Zero is certainly one of the heavier, more depressing fare on this list. The story follows Clay (Andrew McCarthy) as he returns home to California from Princeton for winter break. Just a few weeks prior at Thanksgiving, he had caught his girlfriend, Blair (Jami Gertz), in bed with his best friend, Julian (Robert Downey Jr.), so he returns -- all to the glorious, dramatic Bangles cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter" -- feeling completely over the place he once called home and the people he once called friends. However, he is quickly drawn back to his two friends and their world when Blair begs him to check up on Julian, whose drug habit has grown exponentially worse. The entire movie takes place during Christmas, and while themes such as forgiveness, love, and redemption are explored (and the score by Thomas Newman is haunting, melodramatic and great), there is quite a bit of melancholy as well; but it is a good cautionary tale regarding the danger of drugs. 

While You Were Sleeping

Starring Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Glynis Johns, and Jack Warden

For those wanting a more romantic comedy feel to their Christmas films, I give you this 1995 film that was never marketed or made to be a Christmas film, but the holiday figures prominently throughout. Lonely Chicago Transit Authority token collector Lucy (Sandra Bullock) sees every day the man (Peter Gallagher) she has a huge crush on, but he's quickly gone and she's left alone. One day, he falls on the train tracks and she rescues him, soon pretending to his loving family that she and he are engaged. The only problem is that the man's brother, Jack (Bill Pullman), isn't buying it. Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out where this story goes. But seeing how the film centers around Christmas and the importance of family and kindness, it's a welcome addition to the genre!

Are there any movies you can think of that you consider Christmas movies? Or films you enjoy watching at Christmas time? Sound off in the comments!

Jay Makes the Case for Christmas and Die Hard

Jay here.

I am here to make the case for Die Hard as a Christmas movie.

At the dinner table tonight as one of the fam declared Elf as his favorite holiday film, I brought up Die Hard as a personal fav of mine. Everyone stopped eating and looked at me. 

“I don't think that's a serious Christmas movie.”

‘What the hell?’, I thought. How could anyone not see that Die Hard is a perfect movie for the holidays? In fact, I submit to you, the jury, that John McTiernan’s 1988 action masterpiece about a group of terrorists who take over a Los Angeles skyscraper and hold 30-40 hostages at gunpoint on Christmas Eve, has all of the essential qualities that make it America’s and Santa Claus’s himself, first choice to watch on December 24th with a glass of eggnog and a fully loaded Beretta 92F by your side.

To prove it I will now list the ways that Die Hard meets all the necessary criteria for holiday categorization:

1. It takes place on Christmas Eve (duh!). Yes, it's California, but we still do celebrate it out here in our beautiful 60 degree weather.

2. It has a kick-ass Xmas soundtrack with such breakaway hits like Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis”, “Let it Snow” and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”.

3. At its heart, Die Hard is really a movie about family and how the McLane’s are brought back together by John’s undying commitment to save his estranged wife by ensuring she gets home to their kids. Even if it means he has to kill every single terrorist on every single floor of Nakatomi Plaza.

4. “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-Ho-Ho.”

5. Every character has been living with a moral crisis of some kind (Al killed a kid and can't bring himself to shoot someone again, John is a misogynist who can't come to grips with the fact his wife is more successful than him, the Deputy Chief, Dwayne T. Robinson is just a douchebag) but they all are changed irrevocably by this most important of holidays. Al blasts Karl away, John saves everyone and his wife learns her place, and Deputy Chief, Dwayne T. Robinson? Well, he's still a douchebag, but he met some FBI guys who were bigger a-holes then him.

6. Hans Gruber (played by the late, great Alan Rickman) is possibly the greatest Christmas villain of all time. F the Grinch and his plans for Whoville. You think Mr. Potter was evil? Hans is out to destroy everyone’s holiday (and make a few hundred mil in the process) by blowing up a building with dozens of innocent people inside. And, by the way, death by Rolex is the most 80’s way to bite it on any day of the year.

7. “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-Ho-Ho.”

8. So, Matt has picked It's A Wonderful Life as his favorite Christmas film of all time. A solid choice, I must say. But let me ask you this, Matt, do you think George Bailey could take John McClane in straight up fight? Because that's what's really important here. Bruce Willis would backhand Jimmy Stewart off of that bridge and tell him to stop f’n whining damnit! Do you think McClane would have given up when things got tough? No way! Old Johnny Boy doesn't need any Clarence the Angel to tell him how bitchin’ he is. He would have lifted Mr. Potter out of that wheelchair and pistol whipped him through the streets of Bedford Falls.

9. So, I said this is America’s Christmas movie and that's true. Think about it. An off-duty New York cop, takes on a group of foreigners who dare to come into OUR country and ruin the Christmas Party of corporate America. All he has is a pistol, a wife beater, no shoes and the grit and determination to outsmart all of them. Thank goodness, that in the future, thanks to “extreme vetting” no groups like Hans Gruber’s killers will get through our borders and allow another Nakatomi to happen. 

10. “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-Ho-Ho.”

So, that's my case for Die Hard as the best Xmas movie to watch with the family this year and every year. Force them if you have to. And if you still think it doesn't qualify, then ……

Yippie-Kay-Yay, motherfucker! 

Matt's Favorite Christmas Films

MATT: Christmas movies are formulaic, saccharine, and predictable (just like romantic comedies). And both Christmas movies and rom-coms provide a happy, warm feeling. But, to me, unlike rom-coms, Christmas movies are rewatchable and tolerable. They make me all happy and warm because of the feeling and memories they evoke of family and gratitude for the blessings in my life. Every year, there are go-to films that I simply have to watch around Christmas time. Some are unconventional and some are very traditional. Either way, though, they are my essential Christmas films (in no particular order).

1. It's a Wonderful Life

When I was a kid, this was the film that played on every network constantly. However, after NBC finally acquired the rights, the film is now only shown once or twice. When the film was released, it wasn't meant to be a "Christmas movie." Frank Capra's masterpiece was made in 1946 and premiered in New York in December of that year, but it was released nationwide on January 7, 1947, after Christmas. In a 1984 Wall Street Journal interview, Capra admitted that he "didn't even think of it as a Christmas story when [he] first ran across it. [He] just liked the idea." It was based on a short story called "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern, and has moved on to be the top Christmas classic movie. I love the epicness of it and the overall message, plus that scene where a broken, emotional, teary-eyed Stewart -- whom is facing bankruptcy and jail time -- grabs his youngest son and smothers him with a hug and kiss might be just one of the best scenes ever (then again, there's a lot of them in this one). Although married to childhood sweetheart Mary (the beautiful Donna Reed) with a loving family, George Bailey (James Stewart, one of my favorite actors of all time) is a man that feels trapped -- trapped in a small town and particular life while everyone around him moves up and on in life. However, it's his guardian angel, Clarence, that shows him that every man's life touches many more lives than he will ever know, and that George's life means so much more to so many. GREAT film!

 2. Scrooged

 Not as contemporary (1988) of a version (but it's the best), Charles Dickens' classic tale A Christmas Carol is retold with Bill Murray taking on the Scrooge persona as media mogul Frank Cross, who is visited by the three spirits: the Ghosts of Christmas Past (David Johansen), Christmas Present (Carol Kane), and Christmas Future (Robert Hammond). Nothing beats Murray's comic timing, sarcasm, and improv. This is a retelling of a classic that I never get tired of.

3. White Christmas

Another essential Christmas film that revolves around the holiday but has nothing to do with Santa, presents or religion. This 1954 classic -- a partial remake of the 1942 film Holiday Inn (which also starred Bing Crosby) -- tells the tale of two World War II Army buddies (Crosby, Danny Kaye) who, after the war, go into business as music/theater producers. They meet struggling singers, the Haynes sisters (Vera-Ellen and the beautiful, there's-just-something-about-her Rosemary Clooney), and you can imagine the romance that ensues while they detour to Vermont to reunite with their old Major General Tom Waverly (the splendid, underrated Dean Jagger) and attempt to save his rundown bed-and-breakfast. I still get choked up at Jagger's reaction (in the first clip) when his Army division surprises him and sings "We'll Follow the Old Man." The look on his face is just plain touching. And the second clip still resonates strongly today what with so many men and women in the armed forces who are stationed away from loved ones during the holidays. Look at the expressions on the mens' faces as Bing sings "White Christmas." This is still one of my faves.

4. A Christmas Story

Believe it or not, I almost didn't put this one on the list simply because it plays ridiculously too much (24 hours on TBS is overkill). I'm as big a fan of this one as the next critic (especially when it first came out and I first discovered it), but TBS needs to curb their laziness and at least get another film to add to their playlist. The best thing about this film is the way the kids are portrayed; they're the closest to actual little adults that I've ever seen in a Christmas film. Plus, the mix of Jean Shepherd's voice narration, Peter Billingsley's facial expressions and Darren McGavin's "Old Man" are gold! Many things to learn from this film: 1) your tongue can stick to a flagpole in ridiculously cold temperatures, 2) Life Buoy soap = YUUCCKK!!!, and 3) RE: an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle will result in shooting your eye out.

 5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Along with Bill Murray, Chevy Chase is tops with the comedy. So it's no surprise that his return as Clark Griswold, along with his hysterical family, make for one of the quintessential Christmas films. There is no other movie that best fits in all of the traditions (picking out a Christmas tree, going sledding, reminiscing of Christmas during our youth, putting up the lights, Christmas shopping, letting the in-laws visit, etc.) of Christmas vacation as this National Lampoon classic written by the late, great John Hughes.

6. Love Actually

Yes, I do enjoy this rom-com for the holidays. Screenwriter Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones' Diary) knocks one out of the park by penning -- and directing -- the ultimate romantic comedy Christmas film. There are several vignettes focusing on different types of love, with an all-star (mostly British) cast. I've always said that Liam Neeson kicks butt in pretty much everything he does ... and rom-coms are no different. If you haven't seen this film 'cause you think it's some mushy, nonsense film, well, it is mushy, but it's a good kind for the holidays; plus, the acting is great and the stories are nicely developed. Definitely check it out.

7. Die Hard

This is it. One of my favorite Christmas movies! For those who scoff my choice. This is a Christmas movie in the same sense that any movie that happens around the Christmas holiday is a Christmas movie. Plus, this is the beginning of all the non-stop action films. Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, McG, Joe Carnahan and every other modern-day action film director owe their careers to Die Hard director John McTiernan and screenwriters Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza; this movie truly was the beginning of the action-style production that is seen in most action films and TV shows today. The quintessential Christmas film for those action buffs out there. But, hey, it's got kids, plenty of the color red and lots of explosions ... er, I mean, lights!

8. The Family Man

Taking the idea from It's a Wonderful Life and turning it on its head is this 2000 sleeper starring Nicholas Cage who is a bit of a Scrooge. Then, on Christmas Eve, he's given a glimpse of what his life would like if he had stayed with his college sweetheart (Tea Leoni) rather than left her for an internship in London 13 years prior. The culture shock to his new -- in his eyes -- "subpar" life is a bit frightening and intense. However, he warms up to his endearing, loveable family and he realizes what the more important things in life are. My favorite part is at the end when he's describing their children to an oblivious Leoni. The way he describes them is just plain touching.

9. Fred Claus

Ever wonder if Santa Claus had/has any siblings? It is on this premise that this 2007 film focuses. Vince Vaughn stars as Santa's (Paul Giamatti) troublesome big brother, Fred. But he's not as saintly as his little brother; in fact, he's downright naughty. Fred is somewhat caught in a perpetual stage of rebellion. But when Santa comes under attack by an efficiency expert (this was the only lame plot point as the audience is never told from where he comes from), it's up to Fred to save his little brother's -- Santa's -- job and save Christmas. Co-written by Dan Fogelman (Tangled, Crazy Stupid Love), and featuring a great cast (Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Miranda Richardson, Kevin Spacey, John Michael Higgins), this film has a good heart and has plenty of laughs. It's not just about Christmas, but also about familial love and supporting them.

10. Four Christmases

Yes, it's a romantic comedy. But, for a Christmas movie, it's pretty damn funny. This film centers around an unmarried, childless couple (Vince Vaughn & Reese Witherspoon) who cherish that each Christmas, rather than be subjected to their crazy families, they fly off to exotic warm locales. But this Christmas, their plans are publicly foiled, forcing them to visit their four sets of parents (Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight), their step-spouses (Dwight Yoakam, Patrick Van Horn), and siblings (Tim McGraw, Jon Favreau, Kristin Chenoweth). As they meet each other's families, the couple find out things about each other and their supposedly perfect life is thrown for a loop. Let the hilarity ensue! "Mistletoe."

 

11. Elf

When I first saw this film, I wasn't terribly impressed by it. However, with every viewing, I find myself liking this film more and more. When baby orphan Buddy crawls into Santa Claus' (Ed Asner) sack one Christmas, it is decided that he be raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) as an elf. At first, all is well but when he grows bigger and bigger than the other elves and feels out of place, even amid claymation forest creatures and Snowman (in an homage to all of us who grew up watching Christmas TV specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Jack Frost) -- via Burl Ives (only this time it's singer Leon Redbone), Buddy (Will Ferrell) decides to search for his birth parents Walter Hobbs (James Caan) and Susan Wells by traveling to Manhattan. While there he meets his new family (Mary Steenburgen and Daniel Tay), and a love interest (Zooey Deschanel), while also trying to win the affection of his father. It's a story with not just humor but also heart as Buddy struggles to find his place in two worlds in which he seems to fit neither. Only Ferrell could pull off the devoted childlike wide-eyed innocence that makes up Buddy. Plus, with cameos from actors such as Peter Dinklage, Amy Sedaris, Michael Lerner, Andy Richter, Kyle Gass, and Jon Favreau, this film has plenty of good Christmas laughs!

And even though it's not a Christmas movie, I still would be remiss if I didn't post this classic clip from a TV classic that almost wasn't: A Charlie Brown Christmas. Back when it premiered in 1965 network execs were afraid to air this last clip because of its religious reference. However, because Peanuts creator Charles Schulz was so adamant about keeping this scene in, he won over the execs and it has gone on to become a classic for millions, if not billions of people. It has gone on to make the network billions of dollars. And it has inspired billions of young children every year when they first lay eyes on Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang. What was Schulz's remark to execs to help him keep in the ending he wanted? Answer: "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?"

Happy Holidays!!!