Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural 149854181X, 9781498541817

Citation preview

Analyzing Christmas in Film

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Analyzing Christmas in Film Santa to the Supernatural Lauren Rosewarne

LEXINGTON BOOKS

Lanham • Boulder • New York • London

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Published by Lexington Books An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.rowman.com Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB Copyright © 2018 by Lexington Books All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available ISBN: 978-1-4985-4181-7 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN: 978-1-4985-4182-4 (electronic) The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America

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To Mum, who taught me everything I know about the Christmas spirit.

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Contents

Acknowledgments ix Introduction: “Hasn’t everything already been written about Christmas? Between Dickens and Dr. Seuss?” 1  “ The moment anyone puts on a Santa Claus costume they become a sort of semi-holy figure”: Faith and Belief in Christmas 2  “I feel, for some reason, that this is a good time of year for looking backwards”: Time, Tradition and Festive Nostalgia

xi 1 93

3  “Can’t we pretend to like one another? It’s Christmas for heaven’s sakes”: Home and Family at the Holidays

175

4  “I hate baubles and I hate tinsel and I hate ticky tacky”: Stress, Sadness and Seasonal Depression

251

5  “Now is the time of year for the impossible to become possible”: The Supernatural in the Christmas Narrative

335

6  “Sell sell celebration”: Christmas, Commerce and Consumption

395

Conclusion: “Snow melts, lights come down. It’s all just an illusion.” 451 Appendix: Media References

455

Bibliography 479 Index 501 About the Author

539 vii

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Acknowledgments

W

ith many thanks to Lindsey Porambo, Nick Johns, Laura Chappell, and the team at Rowman & Littlefield.

ix

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Introduction

“Hasn’t everything already been written about Christmas? Between Dickens and Dr. Seuss?”

I

t was very early November, 2014.1 I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was walking through an outdoor mall. I’d been listening to an audiobook through my earphones and my disposition was pleasantly level. The longer I walked around, however, the growingly glum I felt. It was only after an hour or so, and after taking off my earphones inside a store, did I realize that Christmas carols were playing in the background, somewhere under my murder mystery. Had it been later in the month— had Thanksgiving at least had a chance to run its course—I’d have acclimatized to the saccharine loop of festive tunes playing near every cash register. Alas, it was only mid-November and I wasn’t ready. I have an odd anxiety about time passing. I’m fine with it actually happening; less so with being reminded of it. I find myself particularly conscious, for example, of the changing seasons: increased pollen in the air, longer days or crisper nights. The playing of Christmas carols in November is a sharp reminder of another year rapidly drawing to a close—with a whole sixth of it left!—and for me that comes with vague melancholy. While I do discuss Christmas-inspired sadness in this book, more broadly, my interest lies in the link between popular culture and the holiday celebration. In One Starry Christmas (2014), protagonist Holly (Sarah Carter) asks her unfestive boyfriend, Adam (Paul Popowich), “What day on the calendar has a whole soundtrack and a season?” Christmas not only has a reason and a soundtrack but, as examined in this book, it boasts hundreds of films depicting it, which both mirror our celebrations but also get consumed as part of them. xi

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xii Introduction

In talking to friends as I prepared this book, invariably I’d be asked questions like “Do you mention Lethal Weapon (1987)?” or “What about Die Hard (1988)?” They were, of course, seemingly goading me into the ever-popular debate about what constitutes a Christmas film.2 In my earliest stages of research—largely centered on systematically watching and taking notes on entries in “best of” Christmas films lists3 or those titles boasting holiday-sounding words4—I’d find myself vacillating between believing that a film being merely set in late December, or having even just one scene of Christmas (think Three Days of the Condor [1975]), was enough to constitute a Christmas film, and then scampering to the other end of the spectrum and becoming hard-line and insisting that Christmas needed to be an essential plot element (think Santa Claus: The Movie [1985]).5 In those early days, I envisaged this book’s introduction to be titled something along the lines of “What constitutes a Christmas film?” where I assumed I’d present a case. And yet, the more films I watched the less interested I became in categorizing. I lost the desire to decide on whether there really is a unique genre of Christmas films, or in fact, whether the screen simply offers festive spins on established ones: Christmas horror, for example, or Christmas romance. I was no longer interested in identifying what the “feel” so often used in efforts to define Christmas films actually was.6 Feel is subjective: carols sound festive to me and trigger some very holiday-specific melancholy, but seeing Evelyn (Emma Booth) clean up a crime scene in Hounds of Love (2016)—disposing of bloodied tissues and soiled sex toys—while Libera’s “Carol of the Bells” (2011) plays is both Christmassy and unquestionably jarringly not so. Equally, the task of developing a matrix—whereby only films that met certain conditions could be discussed— felt like an unnecessarily restrictive exercise for the kind of book I wanted to write. Instead, I decided to take my thinking back to the origins of this project. A hotel room in Barcelona in 2011. Scant English-language content except news and a showing of the made-for-television film A Perfect Day (2006). In this twist on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843), the Rob Lowe protagonist gets easy fame and ego after writing a successful novel. A Christmastime “ghost” is then used to steer Rob back to his correct path of family and humility. Having a cry as I did—consistently—while watching so many of the movies discussed here, I was intrigued that A Perfect Day and so many others that I’d seen up until that point in my life were all so similar. Beyond showcasing the season, each used the holiday in very similar ways as a backdrop to, and sometimes a catalyst for, storylines and aesthetics integral to how we think about the holiday away from the screen. Here was my interest. When Christmas is depicted on screen— however briefly—what is revealed? What emotions do we associate? What obstacles need to be overcome? Who should we spend those special days with? What are the costs of opting out?

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Introduction

xiii

Much of my academic work focuses on exploring the link between screen presentations and reality: previously I’ve done this with topics such as menstruation and masturbation, new technology and sexual perversion, and in this volume I tackle Christmas. Broadly I am interested not merely in whether any kind of “accurate” presentation is offered, but more so, in how our experience and understanding of something is aided, hindered, or narrated by the screen. In this book I have no interest in pushing any kind of “definitive” answer about whether Lethal Weapon or Die Hard or Rocky IV (1985) are Christmas films, or in throwing a cat among the pigeons and quietly mentioning that with Christmas not arriving until one hour and sixteen minutes into It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) it seems curious that it has become such a famous “Christmas film.” Equally, I didn’t care to enter into a discussion of films that have become synonymous with the season but which aren’t actually about it,7 or those simply released at Christmastime but which don’t actually present its celebration.8 Instead, my focus is on what Christmas is like when it is portrayed. If all our information about the season is gleaned from the movies, what do we learn? About faith? About the impetus for the season? About our preoccupations? About gender relations? About politics? Film theorist Mark Connelly notes, “Cinema has shown people what the festival of Christmas is like, particularly how it is celebrated in America, more than any other medium.”9 While serving in this role— and arguably even exporting The American Christmas to other parts of the world10—the screen has educated Americans about the holiday. In chapter 2, for example, I discuss issues of time and nostalgia. There, I explore how instrumental popular culture became in the 1800s in teaching Americans—notably through poems like Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (1823)—about how the season is celebrated and the pivotal role of Santa Claus. Coca-Cola advertising would later have a role in illustrating the celebration, as would the Norman Rockwell paintings in issues of the Saturday Evening Post. While each was an example of American popular culture teaching Americans about what constitutes Christmas celebrations, the advent of cinema portrayals would do this in a much more persistent fashion and at a scale incomparable to any other medium before or since. Historian Gerry Bowler notes, “There have been movies made about Christmas ever since the late 19th century.”11 Over a century of such films gives enormous insight into American celebrations, both in reality and also as idealized. With over a century of films available for analysis, however, I was never going to be able to watch all of them. (Even if, at times, it really felt like I had!) In total, I ended up watching and writing about close to 1,000 films. For a period of about 18 months, I tried to watch at least two or three per day. I limited my viewing and subsequent analysis to mostly

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xiv Introduction

English-language Christmas films, although, where relevant, this rule gets broken to illustrate or compound certain points. My analysis centers on full-length features—a great proportion of which were made for television—although again, reference to material outside of these boundaries is made where relevant. While I have a personal aversion to animation, for example—with Christmas cartoons like Little Angels: The Brightest Christmas (2004) constituting an excruciating viewing experience—to rule out the full-length modern day blockbuster The Polar Express (2004) would be misguided. While a small number of television episodes are mentioned, this book restricts its discussion to movies; Christmas-themed television episodes are focused on more comprehensively elsewhere.12 As noted, my focus is on themes—both narrative and visual—repeated widely in Christmas films. In his USA Today article about A Perfect Day, Robert Bianco references some of these: As if convinced the holiday abhors originality, TV builds most of its Christmas movies around two popular themes, told in a thousand variants. Year after year, we either get mean guys who don’t realize how bad it is to be mean (A Christmas Carol), or nice guys who don’t realize how good it is to be nice (It’s a Wonderful Life).13

Bianco makes the interesting point that the fingerprints of Dickens and Frank Capra can be identified in the hundreds—perhaps thousands—of Christmas films that parade before audiences a procession of Scrooges and spiritless George Baileys. While spotlighting the Dickensian or Capra-corn14 influences of many plots is interesting (and indeed done elsewhere)15—the depiction of Christmas on screen is much more than this. It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol are indeed popular inspirations, but many newer tropes like the workaholic single moms or children going missing are also common presentations, and are each explored herewith. After watching, and taking notes, on my first few dozen Christmas films, the structure of this book began to emerge. Resultantly, I ended up dividing my material into six chapters covering six broad themes: religion, time, family, stress, miracles and commerce. While each chapter breaks these themes down substantially further, films are analyzed under these headings. My aim in this volume is to spotlight themes in the way Christmas is portrayed in cinema. With my background in cultural studies, political science and gender studies, these films are examined using these broad disciplines to determine what is revealed about culture, society and topics like sex roles, aesthetics and aspiration. While in many cases films mirror the way we celebrate off screen, oftentimes there is a distinctly idealized, aspirational quality whereby the

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Introduction

xv

depiction centers on a kind of wishful thinking that reveals our wants rather than our reality. Such presentations provide fascinating insight into what we deem The Perfect Christmas. Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural is an extension of my work exploring the fascinating intersection of screen and society, taking the project far beyond Santa Claus to explore topics ranging from the Christmas martyrs and holiday break-ups through to those recurring motifs like snow, self-sacrifice and the supernatural. NOTES 1. The title of this chapter is a quote from The Christmas Shepherd (2014), where Emma’s (Jordyn Ashley Olson) school friend Jacob (Quinn Dubois) asks: “Hasn’t everything already been written about Christmas? Between Dickens and Dr. Seuss?” 2. “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?” News.com.au, December 23, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2016 from www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/flashback/is-die -hard-a-christmas-movie/news-story/b4a213a88c57ecec7792703ccd23fab4. 3. The first films I saw, for example, were those that had been included on lists such as: Matt Patches, “Ranked: The 100 Best Christmas Films of All Times,” Nerve, undated. Accessed October 23, 2016 from www.nerve.com/entertainment/ ranked/ranked-the-100-best-christmas-movies-of-all-time; Anna Smith and Tom Huddleston, “The 50 Best Christmas Movies,” TimeOut London, undated. Accessed October 23, 2016 from www.timeout.com/london/film/the-50-best-christmas -movies; “Every Christmas Movie Ever Made. . . . Well, Almost!” Brisbane Kids, undated. Accessed October 23, 2016 from https://www.brisbanekids.com.au/ almost-every-christmas-related-movie-ever-made/; “Top 20 Christmas Movies,” AMC, undated. Accessed October 23, 2016 from www.amc.com/movie-guide/ christmas-movies; “The 20 Best Christmas Movies of All Time,” IndieWire, November 23, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2016 from www.indiewire.com/2015/11/ the-20-best-christmas-movies-of-all-time-102955/; Gary Susman, “The 25 Best Christmas Movies Ever Made, Ranked,” MovieFone, November 25, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2016 from https://www.moviefone.com/2015/11/27/best-christmasmovies-ever-made-ranked/; Katherine Cusumano, “40 Christmas Movies on Netflix That’ll Take You Beyond the 12 Days of Christmas,” Bustle, December 1, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2016 from https://www.bustle.com/articles/126817 -40-christmas-movies-on-netflix-thatll-take-you-beyond-the-12-days-of-christmas. Additional films got viewed as I came across them; for example, if they were referred to in published works, mentioned by friends, tagged with a Christmas scene on websites such as the Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com) or named in books including: Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998); Mark Connelly, Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000); Terry Rowan, Having a Wonderful Christmas Time Film Guide (Raleigh,

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xvi Introduction NC: Lulu, 2014); William D. Crump, How the Movies Saved Christmas: 228 Rescues from Clausnappers, Sleigh Crashes, Lost Presents and Holiday Disasters (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2017). 4.  Such a method of course, is not foolproof. A film like A Christmas Mystery (2014) mentions the sending of Christmas cards but has almost nothing to do with the season. 5.  Film theorist Mark Glancy writes, “They are not merely films with scenes set during the holiday season, but films in which the narrative hinges upon the impact that Christmas has on the characters. Lessons are learned, as the characters embark on journeys of discovery similar to Scrooge’s own dark journey. Their lives are found to be lacking and dominated by selfish ambitions and cold materialism. Christmas then serves as the occasion and the solution for these ills, as humanism overcomes materialism, disunity gives way to unity and nearly miraculous reunions are granted to separated families or lovers” (H. Mark Glancy, “Dreaming of Christmas: Hollywood and the Second World War,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly [London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000]: 59–76, 60). 6.  Film theorist Frank Thompson discusses the recurring presence of “humor, sadness, whimsy, and fantasy” in Christmas films: “The best Christmas movies are filled with emotion, from moments of sadness and tragedy to scenes of pure triumphant joy. Sentiment may not be absolutely essential to the Christmas movie, but its absence often signals the difference between a great Christmas movie and a merely passable one. . . . If a film is touched with that special mixture of humor, sadness, whimsy, and fantasy, chances are it’s one of my favorite Christmas movies” (Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies [Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998], xviii–xvii). The author spotlights Remember the Night (1940) as an archetypal Christmas film, as it “offers just the right balance of laughter and tears to create a delicate mood of whimsy, nostalgia, and optimism—the perfect Christmas movie ingredients” (p. 101). 7.  Folklorist Jack Santino notes, “A broadcast of a movie on television such as The Wizard of Oz [1939] might be seen as appropriate at Christmastime, because it is a children’s fantasy, for instance, but other films such as Gone with the Wind [1939] are also shown. Other specials are created for television exclusively and broadcast as special holiday presentations, but are not actually “about” the particular holiday in its subject matter” (Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture [Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996], 1). 8.  Folklorist Jack Santino observes, “Films are released at Christmas and other special times of the year to maximize their chances of success at the box office and therefore, profits” (Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture [Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996], 4). 9.  Mark Connelly, “Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 1–9, 1. 10.  Communications theorist John Mundy contends, that “Christmas has become increasingly Americanised, not least because of the influence of American popular cultural forms including film, television, advertising and popular music” (John Mundy, “Christmas and the Movies: Frames of Mind,” in Christmas, Ideology

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and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley [Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008]: 164–178, 170). 11.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 149. 12.  Diane Werts, Christmas on Television (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006). 13. Robert Bianco, “Not Exactly a ‘Perfect Day,’” USA Today, December 17, 2006. Accessed August 7, 2015 from usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/ reviews/2006-12-17-perfect-day_x.htm. 14.  A term coined in the 1930s and used to describe Frank Capra’s optimistic, if not exceedingly sentimental, portrayals of Americana. 15.  Fred Guida, A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens’s Story On Screen and Television (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2000).

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1 “The moment anyone puts on a Santa Claus costume they become a sort of semi-holy figure” Faith and Belief in Christmas

I

n The Rooftop Christmas (2016), Judge Conner (Roger Dunn) dubs Christmas as “the season for believing.” The link between Christmas, belief and faith is at the heart of this chapter. The Bible, and, more specifically, the story of the Nativity, is my starting point. While this volume focuses on narratives portraying the celebration of Christmas rather than the actual birth of Christ, in practice, separating the two isn’t easy. Many scholars have identified how reimagined stories from the Bible are identifiable widely in popular culture,1 including, of course, in cinematic depictions of Christmas. Equally, secular presentations like Santa Claus have routinely been framed on screen as semi-religious: marketing scholar Russell Belk, for example, describes Santa as “a secular version of Christ”:2 a portrayal effortlessly identifiable in film. Excluding from my discussion films focused on dramatizations of the Nativity—for example, The Pilgrimage Play (1949), A Star Shall Rise (1952), The Star of Bethlehem (1956), King of Kings (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Jesus of Nazareth (1976), The Nativity (1978), Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith (1979), The Fourth Wise Man (1985), Les rois mages (The Three Kings) (2001) and The Nativity Story (2006)—is relatively easy: these films depict happenings that predate the celebration of Christmas as it is recognized today. That said, ruling out all portrayals of the Nativity isn’t possible. Many seemingly secular narratives mention it, and the biblical origins for the season is referenced in many storylines. While rarely are such inclusions Bible accurate or distinctly well developed as analogies, they nonetheless point to the persistence of religion in our collective imaginings of Christmas, and to the enduring relevance of Christ’s birth to celebrations. 1

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2

Chapter 1

This chapter focuses on ways that the Bible is referenced in screen portrayals of Christmas—from Santa being Christ-like through to the necessity for characters to have their spirits resurrected—and then focuses on the broader themes of faith and belief as key seasonal motifs. THE HOLLYWOOD NATIVITY From references to conception, pregnancy and labor through to the recurring trope of there being “no room at the inn,” nods to the religious rationale for Christmas are widely identifiable in even the most secularseeming narratives. That Jesus ends up being born in a manger is generally attributable to the local inn being full. While the translation of this portion of the Bible has been debated for more than half a century—with some scholars arguing that “inn” should be replaced with “guest house,” through to conjecture that Jesus was actually born in the home of friends or relatives3—culturally, as theologian Stephen Carlson notes, the manger birth has a stranglehold on our collective imaginings and features prominently in pageants and Nativity displays.4 The importance of the manger and, more generally, the Bethlehem birth in films is worth exploring. In Karroll’s Christmas (2004)—one of many screen riffs on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843)5—the title character, Allen Karroll (Tom Everett Scott), is taken back to different points in his past. In one scene his ghost accidentally winds the clock back too far, showing Allen the real Bethlehem Nativity. In most narratives, however, the Nativity is generally presented as a simulacrum: as an image or representation of the birth rather than the birth itself. A common way this is done is through a performance of a Nativity play. Films like The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945; 1959), The Holly and the Ivy (1952), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983), Prancer (1989), It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992), The Preacher’s Wife (1996), Crackers (1998), The Flint Street Nativity (1999), A Carol Christmas (2003), Love Actually (2003), Millions (2004), The Christmas Cottage (2007), Will You Merry Me? (2008), Our First Christmas (2008), Mrs. Miracle (2009), Nativity! (2009), Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), Christmas with a Capital C (2011), The Christmas Pageant (2011), Black Nativity (2013), A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), So This Is Christmas (2013), Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014), Small Town Santa (2014), The Color of Rain (2014), A Baby for Christmas (2015) and A Heavenly Christmas (2016), each present a Nativity play within a Christmas concert.6 Such depictions serve a variety of purposes. Very little of such a play needs to be shown for audiences to recognize that they are seeing the story of the birth of Christ: shepherds and angels are usually instant reveals. Such a presenta-

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“The moment anyone puts on a Santa Claus costume . . .”

3

tion also alerts an audience to the Christmastime setting and also potentially to the role of faith. The inclusion of a Nativity play within a Christmas concert7 references tradition and, notably, also the happenings of real life: even in a time of greater sensitivities toward non-Christian faiths,8 Nativity plays are still common in schools.9 Their ubiquitousness, in fact, was cynically referenced by Hollywood executive Mr. Parker (Clarke Peters) in the British film Nativity! during his explanation for why he wasn’t interested in attending St. Bernadette’s upcoming Nativity performance: “It happens every year, in every school around the world where Christians are.” The Nativity play within a film can be construed as simply mirroring real-life traditions. Because the Nativity play is so well known and the roles so familiar, little effort is needed to explain the coveting of certain roles or the contextualizing of why, for example, young Daisy’s (Lulu Popplewell) excitement in Love Actually about getting the role of the lobster is funny: audiences know that there is no role for a crustacean in the play. The popularity of certain roles also provides an opportunity to insert tension and competition. In The Christmas Cottage and The Christmas Pageant, for example, adults tussle for the key roles; in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Flint Street Nativity,10 Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, Nativity! and A Snow Globe Christmas children compete. This strange, almost antithetical role of competition during a peace-and-love season is worth exploring. In a scene in The Christmas Bunny (2010), Chip (Michael J. Blashill) gives his sister’s foster daughter, Julia (Sophie Bolen), an expensive doll. Julia’s foster father, Scott (Colby French), reprimands his brother-in-law, arguing that he can’t afford to buy Julia such gifts himself. Chip’s response was, “Scott, it’s Christmas. Nobody’s competing with anyone.” While on the surface, competition seems at odds with the spirit of the season, it is nonetheless very common in film,11 functioning as an obstacle for characters and a way to insert tension. Many films offer seasonal stoushes like cookie competitions, as in A Cookie Cutter Christmas (2014) and A Christmas Reunion (2015); a gingerbread decorating competition in Christmas List (2016); house decorating competitions as Will You Merry Me? A Merry Little Christmas (2006), Deck the Halls (2006) and Battle of the Bulbs (2010); competitions for promotion, as in A Heavenly Christmas, Christmas Cupid (2010) and Window Wonderland (2013); and, at the complete other end of the seriousness spectrum, even competitions for custody (chapter 3). Nativity! makes a competition out of the Nativity play itself with a Catholic school competing against a posh private school for the best production. Such competitions, while delivering plot, can also be interpreted as alluding to a common lamentation about the season: that its significance gets lost in efforts to celebrate it the hardest, loudest or the most perfect (a topic

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Chapter 1

4

returned to in chapter 6): this very concern is verbalized by a mother in Nativity!: “I’m worried about the religious aspects of this being lost.” A depiction of a school concert and, specifically, the inclusion of a Nativity play also provides an easy opportunity for humor: the lobster in Love Actually achieves this, as does the doll used as baby Jesus in The Preacher’s Wife that spontaneously wets itself or the three female wise men in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996): “It was the first Nativity where Joseph stares at the wise men’s tits all night,” says protagonist Samantha (Geena Davis). Jo Usmar addressed such comic fodder in a Mirror article about portrayals of Christmas in British film and television: Oh, the angst over who would be Mary, whether the three wise men all had to have beards and whether the sheep could be a speaking role. There were guaranteed tears, toilet accidents and burnt hair. It’s no wonder that savvy TV and film producers have found this tradition ripe to exploit for both laughs and heart-rending pathos.12

Nods to the Nativity also enter films in other ways. Akin to its reenactment, the story is often included simply through its telling. In A Christmas Wish (2011), oldest daughter Mel (Kirstin Dorn) tells the Nativity story to her younger siblings. In Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010),13 young Gabe (Quinn Lord) reveals how his deployed father used to read him the story each Christmas.14 In A Christmas Snow (2010), by the end of the narrative, the protagonist, Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart), commits to reading the Nativity with her family annually. In Snowglobe (2007), the protagonist, Angela (Christina Milian), tells the Nativity story to a table full of people who had never heard it before. In A Madea Christmas (2013), the title character (Tyler Perry) presents a “hip hop” version to a class of school children. Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) tells a bastardized Nativity story in Bad Santa 2 (2016). In The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958), it is the Nativity story that missionary Jeannie (Athene Seyler) first suggests as something appropriate to teach to her Chinese converts. In The Miracle of the Bells (1948), restaurant proprietor Ming Gow (Philip Ahn) references the story in his Christmas Eve toast: “A long time ago, three wise men followed a star, found a child in a cradle.” The telling of the Nativity is a way to acknowledge the religious significance of the season within an otherwise secular narrative. Reference to the Holy family is also made in film through Nativity displays. In Come to the Stable (1949), a family and their animals pose for a Nativity portrait. In the opening of The Bishop’s Wife (1947), a Nativity set is displayed in a department store window, immediately cluing the audience into the Christmastime setting and, notably, spotlighting the central role of faith.15 The drama Diner (1982) centers on a group of friends

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reuniting for a wedding: a shot of a Nativity display outside a church flags that it is Christmastime. Outdoor Nativity scenes are also shown in the opening sequences of The Ref (1994) and Christmas in Paradise (2007). In The Merry Gentleman (2008), seeing that a Wise Man had been knocked over in an outdoor scene, Frank (Michael Keaton) sets it upright. In Christmas Child (2003), a photograph of a life-size Nativity scene leads the protagonist, Jack (William R. Moses), to find his birth family. In other scenes, the use of such outdoor settings is less traditional. In Funny Farm (1988), an outdoor Nativity scene includes local hockey players. In Home Alone (1990), Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) hides from the Wet Bandits in an outdoor Nativity scene. In Bad Santa 2, during a fight with a fellow Santa, Willie uses a figure from the outdoor Nativity scene as a weapon. In The Night Before (2015), Isaac (Seth Rogen)—while in a drug-induced state—has an elaborate hallucination in an outdoor Nativity display. In A Firehouse Christmas (2016), a front yard Nativity scene catches fire. In A Very Mary Christmas (2010),16 the title character (Olesya Rulin) delivers her baby in an outdoor Nativity scene; the same thing happens in Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012). In other narratives, Nativity scenes become battlegrounds. In A Madea Christmas, the sponsor of a Christmas jubilee wants to eliminate anything to do with religion, including songs about Jesus, and the Nativity display. In Christmas with a Capital C Mitch (Daniel Baldwin) has returned to his hometown of Trapper Falls, Alaska, after two years living away and lodges a formal complaint about the town’s outdoor Nativity scene: Mitch: I do have a problem with Christmas. As I do with Jesus and God and all the rest of the garbage that you Christians have been jamming down my throat since I was a kid. You think you have all the answers. . . .

Mitch’s objection becomes a catalyst for the exploration of lost religious conviction (explored later in this chapter).17 Just as Christmas with a Capital C uses a Nativity scene to explore the supposed war on Christmas and the scourge of lost faith, Saving Christmas (2014) presents similar themes. Christian (Darren Doane) has lost his Christmas spirit and become cynical; he name checks the domestic Nativity display in a lamentation: Christian: [In] the corner will be a little snow globe, a little Nativity scene, a little baby Jesus. We stick it somewhere in the corner, we don’t really see it, and it’s a trinket. . . . This is not what Christmas is all about.

Lost conviction linked to a Nativity set is also a theme in The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007). The title character (Tom Berenger) is a reclusive widowed woodcarver who has lost his faith and spirit. Jonathan

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is approached by a widow, Susan (Joely Richardson), and commissioned to carve a new Nativity set: Susan’s son, Thomas (Luke Ward-Wilkinson), lost his set during their recent move. Reluctantly taking on the job—and then spending time with Susan and Thomas—Jonathan emerges from the funk of his grief: perfecting the family’s Nativity set seemingly restores his faith. Lost conviction is also linked to a Nativity set in Wish for Christmas (2016). The sign that teen Anna’s (Anna Fricks) wish—that her mom and dad stop believing in Christ—has come true is her parents packing away their Nativity set. Conversely, a sign that Anna has committed to bringing faith back to the household herself is her laying the set out again. A different Nativity allusion is made in the holiday biopic The Heart of Christmas (2011). Toddler Dax (Christopher Shone) has leukemia. In one scene, his mom, Julie (Jeanne Neilson), discovers Dax had taken the Jesus from his grandmother’s Nativity display into his cot. It was at that moment, standing over her son’s bed, that Julie realized Dax wasn’t going to live until Christmas.18 Also worth spotlighting are some of the more subversive, if not even blasphemous, Nativity sets on screen. In Small Town Santa, the town’s baby Jesus is stolen and a toy monkey is the replacement. In Office Christmas Party (2016), a sex act is simulated with a Nativity display camel. A Nativity set made of cheese is mentioned in the “Transplant” episode of the sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–1992), a set made from Marvel figures was discussed in the “Stupid Holiday Charity Talent Show” episode of sitcom NewsRadio (1995–1999), and a Nativity set made from candy is referenced in the “Miracle Near 34th Street” episode of sitcom Spin City (1996–2002).19 In the examples discussed thus far, the Nativity is presented (relatively) intact through representations of it in forms such as stage productions and carvings. More commonly, however, the story is referenced and repurposed within narratives largely separate from doctrine. The most logical explanation for this is that it allows a film to remain secular: that a nod to religion is provided for those wanting one, but the film doesn’t actually seem religious. This is a production decision likely driven by economics: secular narratives are simply assumed to have broader appeal. While a small number of faith-based films such as The Passion of the Christ (2004), God’s Not Dead (2014)20 and War Room (2015)21 have performed unexpectedly well at the box office, Christian cinema is rarely viewed as blockbuster media. In fact, the idea of overtly religious films being “box office poison” is well established.22 While Jesus might be poison on screen, secular representations of Christmas are frequently embraced, as evidenced by the hundreds of examples of films discussed in this volume.23 Other explanations for the Nativity simulacrum include that it is not a story with sufficient action to hold audience attention,24 through to the reverse argument presented by film theorist Kim Newman: “The story of ‘the first

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Noel’ is so steeped in violence that no film version of the Nativity has been able to cope with it.”25 In the sections that follow, the loose—if not often very loose—appropriation of the Nativity story is explored. MERRY MARY Pivotal to the Christmas story is the birth of Christ. It is, therefore, no surprise that frequent allusions are made to Mary, Jesus’s mother. In theologian Herbert Lockyer’s work on women in the Bible, he spotlights her influence: No female has been honored as has Mary by millions of peoples in all of the world who have named their daughters Mary. This Hebrew name has ever been popular in all countries of the Western world, and has altogether some twenty variations, the most conspicuous being Maria, Marie, Miriam and Miriamme.26

A very obvious way Mary is thus referenced in film is, simply, with characters—oftentimes maternal figures or other female protagonists— given her name (or its variations). In Christmas Miracle (2012), the struggling couple at the center of the narrative is Mary (Allison Hossack) and her husband, Joseph (Dan Payne). The only family member with any Christmas spirit in Christmas in Wonderland (2007) is daughter Mary (Amy Schlagel / Zoe Schlagel). Other main character Marys appear in A Very Mary Christmas, Battle of the Bulbs, Office Christmas Party, A Firehouse Christmas, Bright Eyes (1934), I’ll Be Seeing You (1944), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), It Happened One Christmas (1977), It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), The Christmas Box (1995), A Christmas Tail (1999),27 Mary Christmas (2002), An American Girl Holiday (2004),28 Santa’s Slay (2005), Santa Baby (2006), Midnight Clear (2006), Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe (2009), Lovely Still (2008), A Dog Named Christmas (2009), The Nutcracker in 3D (2010), Christmas Lodge (2011) and Christmas Ranch (2016). In Santa’s Summer House (2012), Mrs. Claus is also Mary (Cynthia Rothrock).29 In the British film A Christmas Star (2015), Noelle (Erin Galway-Kendrick) was born on Christmas night—in a barn!—to parents Maria (Bronagh Waugh) and Joe (Richard Clements). Other Marias appear in Miracle on Main Street (1944), A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) and Fir Crazy (2013).30 Marie features in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2002), A Grandpa for Christmas (2007), In Bruges (2008) and in the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2012). In The Night They Saved Christmas (1984) and Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, Mrs. Claus is Martha. Martha is also the name of the matriarchs in A Christmas Wish, I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1988)

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and Home for the Holidays (2005). In A Carol Christmas, the favorite aunt of protagonist Carol (Tori Spelling) was Marla (Dinah Manoff). The financially struggling matriarch in The Christmas Cottage is Maryanne (Marcia Gay Harden). Marianne (Celia Reid), is protagonist Darcy’s (Rachel Boston) deceased mother in A Gift of Miracles (2015). In Will You Merry Me? Four Holidays (2008),31 The Christmas Choir (2008) and What She Wants for Christmas (2012) Marilyns feature. In the animated Arthur Christmas (2011), Mrs. Claus is Margaret. Margarets also play key roles in The Holly and the Ivy and A Bill of Divorcement (1932), whereas a Marge (Rosemary Dunsmore) appears in The Santa Suit (2010). Maggies appear in Bless the Child (2000), The Christmas Shoes (2002), The Holiday (2006), Christmas with Holly (2012), A Christmas Tail (2014), Christmas under Wraps (2014), Angel of Christmas (2015) and On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (2015). Margies also appear in It Happened on 5th Avenue, The Apartment (1960), A Christmas Romance (1994), and A Holiday for Love (1996), and in 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), the lonely neighbor is Margine (Jayne Eastwood). As noted by Lockyer, Mary and its derivations are popular female names and thus, their inclusion in Christmas narratives could simply reflect their widespread Western usage: “Mary Smith,” for example, is one of the pseudonyms used by Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) in Remember the Night (1940), exemplifying its generic-name attributes. Nothing in filmmaking is an accident, however, and it is equally likely that these names were chosen within a Christmas film, because of their reference to not only the Bible, but more specifically the Nativity; an interpretation that can be extended to other names like Adam32 or Joseph and its variations too.33 While Mary was focused on in this chapter, there is also widespread usage of other names with spiritual leanings like Grace and Faith,34 as well as those referencing Christ such as Christopher and Christine,35 and even place names like Bethlehem.36 Anthropologist Daniel Miller contends, “The birth of Christmas is itself an attempt to anthropomorphize the divinity in the form of the domestic family unit.”37 Media theorist Sheila Whiteley makes a similar point: Christmas—the feast of the Nativity—provides an interesting ideological model, drawing into association the Holy Family, the nuclear family, the extended family, the family of the state, the family of the church, and the family of the empire.38

As applied to this discussion, it could be argued that another very popular reference to mother Mary—and to the Nativity—is where nods are made to family. While family is treated to its own chapter in this volume, for this chapter, some very specific hints to the Nativity are made through

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December maternity references.39 In the sections that follow, Christmas film staples like conception, pregnancy and labor are examined. A CHRISTMAS CONCEPTION While most Christmas depictions are relatively tame in content40—and thus, the sexual side of pregnancy is generally eschewed—conception is nonetheless something yearned for by characters in several narratives. In O. Henry’s Full House (1952), in the “Gift of the Magi” segment, it’s Christmas Eve and Jim (Farley Granger) briefly comments to his new bride, Della (Jeanne Crain), “don’t stay on your feet too long,” to which she replies, “Mrs. Schultz said a walk every day was good for me. And she’s had seven.” While it’s not elaborated on, one interpretation of this exchange is that the newlyweds are trying to conceive. In most examples this wish is a little more explicit. In Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), with the backdrop of a New York Christmas, the title character (Dudley Moore) and his partner Linda (Liza Minnelli) are trying to conceive; following a successful adoption Linda finally gets pregnant. In Angel in the House (2011),41 married couple Zooey (Toni Collette) and Alex (Ioan Gruffudd) are keen to conceive again in the aftermath of the death of their first child. The duo attempt to foster a child, but by the end of the narrative they successfully conceive. In A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Maria (Paula Garcés) and Harold (John Cho) are trying to get pregnant; Maria finds out about her pregnancy on Christmas Day. In the British film Hope and Glory (1987), it’s Christmas during World War II and teenage Dawn (Sammi Davis) has sex with a Canadian soldier. Come September and Dawn is in labor: her conception obviously happened at Christmas. Akin to the theme of competition, a struggle to conceive provides plot and a challenge for characters to triumph over. It is also a way to validate the normalcy of wanting children: that having them is the next logical step in the life course. The expectation of this “next step” is a central storyline in Nothing Like the Holidays (2008). Sarah (Debra Messing) is criticized throughout the narrative by her husband, Mauricio’s (John Leguizamo) family, for being a career woman: as her mother-inlaw, Anna (Elizabeth Peña), laments, “I’m going to be the only Puerto Rican grandma who’s gonna have to adopt grandchildren.” By the film’s conclusion, however—and after spending the holidays with her in-laws—Sarah appears to recognize the importance of family and commits to declining a work promotion to start a family. A pregnancy discovered at Christmas, or transpiring across the season, is a way to both reference the Holy family and also insert family and the promise of children into a narrative.

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A CHRISTMAS PREGNANCY In the horror film Black Christmas (1974),42 college student Jess (Olivia Hussey) announces to her boyfriend, Peter (Keir Dullea), that she is pregnant but wants an abortion. By the end of the narrative, while nearly everyone else in her sorority has been murdered, Jess survives; the film ends with the future of her pregnancy unknown. In So This Is Christmas, teen Angel (Danielle Vega) is pregnant and her boyfriend, Jason (Titus Makin Jr.), wants her to abort. In Diner, inside a Christmasdecorated church, Barb (Kathryn Dowling) reveals to her friend Billy (Tim Daly) that she is pregnant: “Six years of a platonic relationship and then that night . . .” she bemoans. Mentioned earlier was Mary in A Very Mary Christmas. Her mother had ordered her to have an abortion, but Mary decided to proceed with the pregnancy to spite her.43 In these examples the circumstances of each conception can be interpreted as referencing mother Mary, and the unorthodox nature of Christ’s conception. While neither Jess, Angel, Barb, or Mary had immaculate conceptions, neither were their circumstances typical; certainly not so for a Christmas narrative.44 The immaculate nature of a Christmastime conception is, however, an interpretation for Linda’s pregnancy in Arthur 2: On the Rocks mentioned earlier: after being explicitly told she couldn’t bear children, her pregnancy is indeed framed as miraculous. Set in the late 1800s, The Christmas Candle (2013) opens with a pregnant, unwed woman, Ruth (Victoria Bewick), evicted from her boarding house. In A Dad for Christmas (2006),45 teen Megan (Emma Taylor-Isherwood) is pregnant and wants to put the baby up for adoption. Her boyfriend, Matt (Kristopher Turner), takes the newborn from the hospital and elects to raise him on his own. In Angel in the Family (2004) and A Perfect Christmas (2016), women are unexpectedly pregnant and haven’t told their husbands. In Noel (2004), Nina (Penelope Cruz) discovers that she is pregnant at Christmastime. Nina’s pregnancy is the proverbial Christmas miracle because, like Linda in Arthur 2: On the Rocks, she had been told by doctors that she couldn’t have children.46 Nina, however, has only recently broken up with her partner, Mike (Paul Walker). Tests confirming pregnancies are taken by Connie (Caitlin FitzGerald) in The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012) and Bridget (Rachel Gordon) in the first episode of A Moody Christmas.47 In Three Days (2001), Beth (Kristin Davis) discovers she is pregnant at Christmas. In other narratives, characters are well into their pregnancies when Christmas arrives. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Nora (Courteney Cox) is pregnant and eagerly waiting her husband to return home from war. In Ebbie (1995),48 in a flashback scene Francine (Molly Parker) was pregnant at Christmastime; years later, her daughter, Franny (Molly Parker) is

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pregnant at the same time of year. In Snowglobe, The Angel of Pennsylvania (1996), The Family Stone (2005),49 Cooper’s Christmas (2008),50 The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) and Paper Angels (2014) main characters are pregnant during the holidays. In In Bruges, Four Holidays, Lucky Christmas (2011), Christmas, Again (2014) and The Night Before supporting characters are pregnant. In Trading Christmas (2011), Faith (Gabrielle Miller) receives a Christmas card with a photograph of her ex-husband and his new—and pregnant—wife on the front. At the end of Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008), Ginny (Barbara Niven) announces that she and Nick (Tom Arnold) are pregnant. Christmastime pregnancy announcements are also made in the Australian film Crackers, Steel Magnolias (1989; 2012), A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008), Anything But Christmas (2012) and Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015). In White Reindeer (2013), the film ends with the possibility that the protagonist Suzanne (Anne Margaret Hollyman) may be pregnant.51 The final scene in Miracle on 34th Street (1994) also hints that young Susan’s (Mara Wilson) wish for a baby brother might just come true. There’s even a pregnant pig in I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997) and a pregnant pony in A Christmas to Remember (2016). In each of these examples, couples become families as part of their seasonal celebrations; children (or the promise thereof) are essential to this. While I have contended thus far that conception plotlines reference the Nativity, this is of course only one interpretation. Given the importance of family to Christmas narratives more broadly (chapter 3)—and notably the necessity for children in the celebration of the season—it’s hardly surprising that conception is one way that a couple creates a family as part of a holiday storyline.52 A Christmas pregnancy, while potentially both referencing the Virgin Mary and underlining the importance of family, also conveys the promise of a fresh start. The Festive Fresh Start Be it because the supposed birth of Christ changed the face of humanity or, less loftily, because Christmas transpires so close to New Year’s (a time inextricably linked to new starts and clean slates),53 a common theme in Christmas narratives is characters having the opportunity to press “reset.” A comic articulation of this transpires in The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), when the protagonist con artist, Sidney (Bob Hope), declares at Christmastime, “I’m turning over a new leaf. I’ll never be caught again.” In most other narratives, this new leaf is presented more seriously. In All I Want for Christmas (2014), Jamie (Mason Douglas) wishes for a new life and gets to sample it, although, as is common in such alternate universe

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narratives, he is unhappy. “Whatever happens to you,” Jamie’s grandma, Gwen (Sally Kirkland), tells him, “you can rewrite it. It’s not too late.” Gwen’s point is echoed in other films too. In the Carol riff Scrooged (1988), when Frank (Bill Murray) visits his ex-girlfriend, Claire (Karen Allen), she tells him, “You know, the one thing about regret is that it’s never too late.” In Ebbie, Fannie similarly tells her Scrooge aunt, Ebbie (Susan Lucci), “There’s no such thing as too late.” These narratives—and many others— each allude to the popular Christmas film theme of the fresh start. The many cinematic Carol presentations—for example, Scrooged, Ebbie, Karroll’s Christmas, A Carol Christmas and A Diva’s Christmas Carol each already mentioned in this chapter—climax with a character being spiritually reborn at Christmastime: Scrooge commits to being a better person and engages in a range of charitable acts: as the title character (Seymour Hicks) in Scrooge (1935) eventually promises, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.” Spirit resurrection is a common narrative arc in such films. The do-over narrative notably provides a popular vehicle for this, whereby, as transpired in Three Days, characters have the opportunity to re-do a day,54 live an alternate reality as in All I Want for Christmas,55 or travel back in time and correct a mistake.56 In narratives more closely aligned with reality, however, fresh starts come in more earthly forms. One such example is via a marriage proposal: such a proposal transpires at the end of Anything But Christmas and Christmas Lodge, both mentioned earlier, and more broadly is a popular inclusion in Christmas films,57 ditto the Christmas wedding.58 Weddings are about fresh starts, new beginnings and a couple committing to an unknown future: a pregnancy functions similarly, giving struggling couples like Beth (Natasha Gregson Wagner) and David (David Chisum) in Angel in the Family, Nina and Mike in Noel, Beth and her husband, Andrew (Reed Diamond), in Three Days, and Grace (Elaine Hendrix) and her partner John (Sergio Di Zio) in Anything But Christmas renewed hope. The possibility of a baby also functions as both an optimistic ending and notably also a conservative ending, with the formation of the all-important family unit. While pregnancies are an obvious fresh start, such an idea also transpires in a range of narratives where characters press reset at Christmastime. At the end of the British film Hector (2015), on the day after Christmas the homeless title character (Peter Mullan) has an exchange with one of the shelter workers, Sara (Sarah Solemani), who says to him, “I think we’re both going to turn corners this year.” A hint is made here to better things to come; something evident in other examples too. In Love Actually, Mark (Andrew Lincoln) had long pined for Juliet (Keira Knightley), the partner of his best friend, Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor). At Christmas, Mark finally reveals his feelings to her and in response, Juliet gives him

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a chaste kiss but returns to be with her husband. Left alone to realize the impossibility of his situation, Mark says to himself “enough. Enough now.” It appears he had made the decision—at Christmas—to move on. A different enough now transpires in Less Than Zero (1987). By the end of the narrative, Christmas is over, their friend Julian (Robert Downey Jr.) is dead, so Blair (Jami Gertz) agrees to travel to the East Coast with her ex-boyfriend Clay (Andrew McCarthy) and leave behind the excess of Los Angeles. Calvin (Donald Sutherland) in Ordinary People (1980) also tries to encourage an enough now fresh start in his son Conrad (Timothy Hutton) who had recently attempted suicide following the death of his brother: “Conrad, let’s have a great Christmas,” says Calvin, as though Christmas could be a turning point. Emilia (Karin Konoval) actually manages to move on from her grief and start afresh in Anything But Christmas. Emilia had been in mourning for her son killed in war, but at Christmas dinner she elects to put on a red dress to signify that her bereavement is over: “a woman can get tired of black,” she declares. Recovery from grief in fact, transpires in many films; other examples specifically connected to the deaths of children include The Holly and the Ivy, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, The Christmas Cottage and Noel each mentioned earlier, as well as Young Pioneers’ Christmas (1976), Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991), Peter’s Friends (1992), A Christmas Visitor (2002), Love’s Christmas Journey (2011), A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013) and Angels in the Snow (2015). While I discuss time in more detail (chapter 2), suffice to say in these narratives Christmas appears key in providing the right timing for a change of mood, of sentiment, of heart. Another interpretation for the Christmas pregnancy is the notion of an extra special Christmas gift. In A Perfect Christmas, for example, when Cynthia (Susie Abromeit) finds out she is pregnant, her doctor (Patrice Goodman) comments, “You want to call your husband with the good news? . . . That’s probably the best Christmas present you could ever give him.” Husband Steve (Dillon Casey) indeed declares the news the “best present I’ve ever gotten.” Even in narratives like Angel in the Family and A Perfect Christmas where women fear their husbands’ reactions to their pregnancy, on screen most men do, of course, consider the news to be a wonderful Christmas surprise. Along with plenty of Christmas pregnancies, there are, of course many Christmas births, providing an even stronger link to the Nativity. A CHRISTMAS LABOR Mentioned earlier was A Christmas Star: Maria goes into labor just as the power goes out at her home, thus necessitating a barn labor. In A Very

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Mary Christmas something similar transpires: Mary’s waters break during a Christmas party and, en route to the hospital, she delivers her baby outside a church within a Nativity display; the same thing happens in Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger. In Christmas on Division Street (1991), a homeless woman, Rosa (Maria Jose Doyle), gives birth on the street at Christmas, aided by her homeless friends. In Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987), Jessie (Kim Delaney) gives birth outdoors with the help of the mysterious Domingo (Paul Beckett), suspected of being a vet. In Mixed Nuts (1994), a vet, Dr. Kinsky (Rob Reiner), helps Gracie (Juliette Lewis) deliver her Christmas baby outdoors, underneath a large Christmas tree. These films each nod to the Nativity via outdoor births, livestock and mangers. Most Christmas births, however, are subtler in their Nativity allusions; on some occasions the reference is merely a birthdate. In The Christmas Kid (1987), Joe (Jeffrey Hunter)—who gets nicknamed “The Christmas Kid”—was born on Christmas Day. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), the baby Grinch arrived on Christmas Eve. In It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (1984), the unseen Mr. Pringle was born on Christmas Day. This was also the case for Brian (Graham Chapman) in the British comedy Life of Brian (1979), as well as Leon (Oliver Reed) in the British horror film The Curse of the Werewolf (1961). In other films, the Christmas labor is more of an event. In The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944), Trudy (Betty Hutton) gives birth to sextuplets. In Tenth Avenue Angel (1949), Helen (Phyllis Thaxter) gives birth prematurely at Christmastime. In Eastern Promises (2007), rape victim Tatiana (Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse) goes into labor in the lead up to Christmas and dies. In Holiday Baggage (2008),59 Holly (Leah Wagner) is pregnant, serving as a surrogate for her sister Lisa (Julia Sobaski); Holly gives birth on Christmas night. In Fir Crazy, All I Want for Christmas (1991), One Special Night (1999), Baby’s First Christmas (2012), The Christmas Heart (2012) and Operation Christmas (2016), women give birth at Christmas. Daisy the cow, incidentally, also gives birth at Christmas in A Christmas Romance, as does a pig in I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997).60 Christmas births can be interpreted as referencing the arrival of Jesus and also serving in ways expected of Christmas narratives: to provide happy and hopeful endings and reminders of the importance of family. Babies also provide the additional function of unity. Much of the rhetoric around Jesus is his role as a peacemaker and unifier. Many of the Christmas babies on screen bring together people and facilitate a change of heart in characters. In Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger, upon the birth of his twin sons, protagonist Donald’s (David Tennant) cantankerous father (Ian McNeice) finally tells him that he’s proud of him. In Holiday Baggage, at the birth of his first grandchild, Holly and Lisa’s estranged father, Pete (Barry Bostwick), is welcomed back into the family. In One Special Night, as Lori goes into labor, she reconciles with her husband and forgives him

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for his affair and alcoholism. Lori’s (Patricia Charbonneau) hospital labor also reunites her father, Robert (James Garner), with the paediatric doctor, Catherine (Julie Andrews), who he had fallen in love with, but with whom he had lost touch. In Baby’s First Christmas, an unborn baby also functions to unite. Casper (Kyle Christopher Davidson) and Jenna (Rachel Wilson) are siblings, respectively, of expectant parents Trisha (Natalie Lisinska) and Jim (Noah Cappe) who were expecting a baby. Casper and Jenna, who had been antagonistic colleagues, get stranded at the airport en route to visit their siblings and, reluctantly, make the trip together by car. The impending arrival of the new baby compels Casper and Jenna to join forces and, as it turns out, also fall in love. In A Perfect Christmas, the frosty relations between Cynthia and her mother-in-law, Patricia (Erin Gray), thaw with Cynthia’s pregnancy annoucement. In The Christmas Hope (2009), something similar transpires whereby the fostering of preteen Emily (Tori Barban) functions to bring grieving spouses Patricia (Madeline Stowe) and Mark (James Remar) back together. In these narratives, children serve, in a Christ-like fashion, as unifiers, a concept underresearched61 but alluded to briefly in a Guardian column by Kwame Kwei-Armah,62 as well as in the Little Treasures parenting magazine where Casey McPike describes babies as “life’s great unifiers. . . . Before you know it, you belong to your own little tribe.”63 Many Christmas narratives have a broad range of family types at their center (a topic explored in greater depth in chapter 3). One very common configuration is the single mom and her children, a presentation that can also be interpreted as referencing mother Mary. A CHRISTMAS SINGLE MOM While Joseph is generally understood as Mary’s husband, many scholars have suggested that perhaps the tale is a little more complicated. Theologian Itumeleng Mosala, for example, proposes that rather than the duo being married, instead suggests that Mary was “a single mother from the ghettos of colonized Galilee.”64 Feminist theologian Jane Schaberg makes this same argument in The Illegitimacy of Jesus.65 Historian Rowena Loverance also advances this single mom theory: Mary is not just a mother, she is a virgin mother. This underlines Jesus’ divinity, but one result is that Mary’s husband Joseph becomes almost irrelevant and Mary to all intents a single mother.66

Even if an unwed Mary is a controversial assertion, many theorists spotlight that for much of Jesus’s upbringing, Joseph was at the very least

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absent, thus rendering her a single mom in practice.67 These ideas provide one explanation for the deluge of narratives that not only center on single mothers but also which sometimes even beatify them. Mentioned already was The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey: Susan became a single mom after her husband was killed in war. War-widowed single moms also feature in The Holly and the Ivy, Anything But Christmas, Holiday Affair (1949), Call Me Claus (2001), Silent Night (2002), A Christmas Blessing (2013), A Perfect Christmas List (2014) and The Christmas Shepherd (2014). Outside of war, moms widowed by other means—commonly disease or accident—appear in Bright Eyes, Scrooged, A Christmas Romance, Crackers, Christmas in Paradise, Trading Christmas, The Color of Rain, A Holiday for Love, All Mine to Give (1957), Gremlins (1984), Elves (1989),68 To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992), Jack Frost (1998), Secret of Giving (1999), Holiday Heart (2000), Santa Who? (2000), Stealing Christmas (2003), Meet the Santas (2005), Holiday Affair (1996), Under the Mistletoe (2006), All I Want for Christmas (2007), 3 Holiday Tails (2011), A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011), Hats Off to Christmas! (2013) and Love Always, Santa (2016). Single moms are also made such by other means. Abandoned moms, for example, are central characters in A Grandpa for Christmas, A Christmas Wish, A Christmas Snow, The Christmas Cottage, Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, What She Wants for Christmas, Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, A Hobo’s Christmas (1987), Surviving Christmas (2004), Crazy for Christmas (2005), Frozen River (2008), My Dog’s Christmas Miracle (2011),69 My Santa (2013), Northpole (2014), Every Christmas Has a Story (2016) and The Mistletoe Promise (2016). Similarly, divorced single moms are protagonists in Operation Christmas, A Christmas without Snow (1980), Prancer Returns (2001), The Kudzu Christmas (2002), One Christmas Eve (2014), Looks Like Christmas (2016) and Sleigh Bells Ring (2016). In Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), Jen (Laura Vandervoort) was raised by an alcoholic single mom; so too was Ruby (Amanda Seyfried) in Love the Coopers (2015).70 In My One Christmas Wish (2015), Jackie’s (Amber Riley) single mom had been a drug addict. In Paper Angels, after fleeing her abusive and alcoholic husband, Lynn (Josie Bissett) is a single mom. In The Santa Con (2014), Carol (Melissa Sagemiller) is a single mom to Billy (Tucker Meek); her estranged husband is an alcoholic. In other narratives, moms are left single in practice. In The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), with her husband working interstate, Linda (Brooke Bundy) is ostensibly raising Terry (Andre Gower) on her own. In The Christmas Note (2015), with her husband recovering in a military hospital in Germany, Gretchen (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) is similarly parenting solo. In Little Women (1933; 1949; 1994), with Father away at war, Mom (Spring Byington; Mary Astor; Susan Sarandon) is similarly parenting

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singlehandedly. In Midnight Clear, with her brain-damaged husband in care, Mary (Mary Thornton) is also a single mother. Bachelor Mother (1939)—as well as its remake, Bundle of Joy (1956)— provides a variation on the single mom storyline: after seeing a baby abandoned outside a foundling home, Polly (Ginger Rogers; Debbie Reynolds) takes it home and, ultimately, becomes a single mother. Something similar happens in Miracle on Main Street, when Maria (Margo) finds an abandoned baby in a church on Christmas Eve. In the horror movie Bless the Child, Maggie (Kim Basinger) becomes a single mom when her drug addicted sister, Jenna (Angela Bettis), leaves her newborn with her at Christmastime. In A Nutcracker Christmas (2016), after the death of her sister, Lily (Amy Acker) is raising her niece, Sadie (Sophia Lucia), alone. A deluge of other types of single moms—whose circumstances aren’t explained—take leading roles in films including The Christmas Hope, Lucky Christmas, White Reindeer, Black Nativity, Miracle on 34th Street (1947; 1959; 1973; 1994), J.T. (1969), Six Weeks (1982), A Different Kind of Christmas (1996), Borrowed Hearts (1997), The Christmas Wish (1998), The Greatest Store in the World (1999), About A Boy (2002), Fallen Angel (2003), Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004), Snow (2004), Deck the Halls (2005), The Perfect Holiday (2007), Christmas Town (2008), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), Powder Blue (2009), Cancel Christmas (2010), Truly Everlasting (2011), Christmas Angel (2012), Christmas in Compton (2012), Finding Mrs. Claus (2012), Holiday Spin (2012), Merry In-Laws (2012), The Real St. Nick (2012), A Country Christmas Story (2013), Christmas in the City (2013), Christmas on the Bayou (2013), Finding Christmas (2013), Santa (2014), A Christmas Tail (2014), Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014), Merry Ex-Mas (2014), The Christmas Secret (2014), A Christmas Melody (2015), Charming Christmas (2015), How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015), I’m Not Ready for Christmas (2015), Last Chance for Christmas (2015), Magic Stocking (2015), ’Tis the Season for Love (2015), I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016) and Merry Ex-Mas (2016). Well over fifty examples of single mothers in Christmas films is no coincidence. While nods to Mother Mary are one interpretation, cultural theorist Rowana Agajanian suggests another. In her discussion of Home Alone, Agajanian spotlights: [T]he only family member Kevin truly misses is his mother [Catherine O’Hara], which is fitting since the festival of Christmas celebrates the relationship between mother and son, between Mary and Jesus.71

While in Home Alone, Kevin wasn’t being raised by a single mom, in a range of narratives discussed above, single mothers are indeed often raising sons—often only sons—thus providing another nod to the Holy Family and the relationship between Mary and Jesus.

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Outside of references to Mary as a single mother, there exists a range of other justifications for the single mother depiction. First, single mom characters can simply be construed as reflecting reality: one quarter of American households are headed by single mothers, with single fathers constituting just 6 percent: as social researchers Aparna Mathur, Hao Fu and Peter Hansen spotlight, “Single parents have more than tripled as a share of American households since 1960.”72 Presenting single mothers—and, particularly, black single mothers73—thus simply mirrors society and provides a familiar and relatable display to audiences. While the negative presentation of single mothers in the media has been documented,74 this is generally not a concern in Christmas films, which largely eschew gender politics (although, arguably the fact that most of these single mothers are coupled off at the end highlight in fact that politics aren’t completely absent). Parenting alone raises useful plot challenges, including a paucity of money or companionship. Equally, whereas an intact nuclear family leaves little capacity for holiday film staples like finding love, the single parent is available for romance. The single mother character notably offers a means for escapist romance; something Jane Eastoe discusses in her article about single mothers in mid-1990s cinema: That is why the story of the guy who can have any girl but elects to choose from the reject pile is such a great story. It is a modern-day, cinematic fairytale. It is heart-rending, nail-biting stuff because it is so unlikely.75

Eastoe describes single mothers in films like Jerry Maguire (1996), One Fine Day (1996) and As Good as It Gets (1997) as “the modern day damsel in distress. The perfect Hollywood heroine: brave, strong and noble, struggling and toiling for the well being of their offspring. They offer the acceptable face of vulnerable femininity . . . all she needs is the love of a good man to make her life complete.”76 The mothers in Christmas films certainly fit this bill with the addition of being generally young and attractive. Unlike real single mothers who face a myriad of problems, notably financial,77 very few single mothers in Christmas narratives face hardships beyond manlessness.78 For most movie mothers, their struggles center on seasonal staples like busyness, loneliness or lost faith and spirit. While not as common as single fathers who are such because of the deaths of their wives (explored later in this chapter), as noted, there are many presentations of mothers who are single because of widowhood. Such mothers have gone through tragedy, thus positioning them as sympathetic love interests needing rescue. There are, of course, other interpretations. One possibility is proposed in Metropolitan (1990), during a brief

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conversation between Tom (Edward Clements), Charlie (Taylor Nichols) and Nick (Chris Eigeman) at a Christmastime debutante party: Charlie: I mean, divorce is actually comparatively rare among standard New York social types. Contrary to what people might think. Nick: Well, usually there’s something wrong though. Dead fathers are a common problem though. Jane’s [Allison Parisi] father’s dead. Very suddenly, last year. Tom: Must have been awful for her. Nick: Yes. It was tough on him too. Charlie: That’s different though. That doesn’t mean a broken home.

The simple point made by Charlie—and one relevant to the widowed single mothers discussed already, as well as to the deluge of widowed single fathers examined later—is that their situation is not the result of any moral failing: through no fault of themselves or their partner, death just happened. This paints a single parent as sympathetic, blameless and potentially even additionally desirable. Equally, for those narratives where death came as a result of war, these war widows can also be read as having actually sacrificed their husbands for a cause, again, bolstering her highly gendered, sympathetic forbearing and self-abnegating appeal. Just as being widowed frames a single mother as such without the burden of character failings, this is something also achieved through abandonment whereby the man just walked out, with the why unspoken. While not the same level of tragedy as in the dead dads narratives, nonetheless, such mothers still get framed as sympathetic: their predicament is not of their choosing and, most importantly, she is not presented as so fatally flawed as to be undateable; instead, the father is framed as the villain for leaving. While the single mom may have lost her Christmas spirit79 she is not a bad person; in fact, she is commonly a very likeable protagonist who the audience hopes will find love again. Eastoe spotlights that a single mom with a sick child provides “valueadded heartstring tugging,”80 a portrayal effortlessly detected. In Six Weeks, single mom Charlotte’s (Mary Tyler Moore) daughter, Nicole (Katherine Healy), is dying of leukemia. In Cancel Christmas, Jeannie’s (Natalie Brown) husband was killed in a car crash and their son, Adam (John Fleming), has been left disabled. The same narrative plays out in Hats Off to Christmas!: Mia’s (Haylie Duff) son, Scott (Sean Michael Kyer), was disabled in the car accident that killed his father. In Fallen Angel, single mom Katherine’s (Joely Richardson) adopted daughter Olivia (Jordy Benattar) is blind. In Powder Blue, single mom Rose-Johnny’s (Jessica Biel) son is in a coma.81 Dead husbands and/or sick children

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give these mothers additional hardship, thus making the arrival of a new love interest extra rewarding for the audience: this character deserves something good to happen to her.82 The male love interests in such scenarios are also worth spotlighting. Eastoe notes, “In a nutshell, the lone-parent heroine offers her male lead the chance to be a better man.”83 She references Jerry Maguire and identifies how “the single-mother heroines gives him [the title character (Tom Cruise)] the opportunity to finally emerge as a good guy.”84 This is an interesting feminist reading of such narratives whereby the single mother in fact is only useful to the story by virtue of helping the man become a good guy; that her story is just a vehicle for his heroism. This idea is actually the underpinning of Will’s (Hugh Grant) cynical dating strategy in About a Boy: Will: I came to realize that with single mums, particularly ones who’d been badly treated and eventually abandoned by the father of their children, you became by comparison [a wonderful person].

Such a reading can be extended to films where mothers die, in turn allowing fathers to find love again, as examined in the next section. Sick children,85 of course, reference a story nearly as synonymous with the season as the Nativity: Christmas’s most famous sick child, Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol. In the story, Bob Cratchit’s ailing son, Tim, is inextricably tied to the fate of Scrooge: when Scrooge recognizes the error of his ways and atones, Tim is able to regain his health. Doing right by Tim is essential in Scrooge’s arc, something that plays out on screen in adaptations like Scrooge, Scrooged, Ebbie and A Diva’s Christmas Carol, and is similarly relevant for Nick (Antonio Cupo), Mia’s love interest in Hats Off to Christmas!, with Nick softening and becoming a kinder man through forging a relationship with Mia’s son. That most single women are coupled by the end of their narratives could indeed be construed as a conservative portrayal where, as relevant to this section, a single mother is transitioned into coupledom; that her “deviant” status as a single parent is only ever temporary. That most single mothers are coupled before the credits roll—thus forming nuclear families in time for Christmas/the credits—substantiates this point. In Meet the Santas, after Beth breaks up with her fiancé, Nick, Beth’s son, Jake, laments their situation: “What I’m going to miss most is having a family.” While Beth and Jake had already been a family before meeting Nick, the family that Jake pines for—and the family he ultimately gets—is a nuclear one.86 The sheer number of single dads in Christmas films—who also manage to find love again (and thus form a family again) before the credits—also bolsters this point.

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A CHRISTMAS SINGLE FATHER Film theorist Hannah Hamad identifies that the single father character is “ubiquitous”87 and is “popular cinema’s masculine identity paradigm par excellence.”88 While the character is indeed identifiable throughout cinema, he has a particularly strong presence in Christmas films. Akin to all the widowed single mothers, there are many widowed single fathers appearing in films, including A Hobo’s Christmas, A Christmas Wedding Tail, My Dog’s Christmas Miracle, Prancer, Fallen Angel, Stealing Christmas, The Christmas Pageant, An American Girl Holiday, Love Actually, Mrs. Miracle, Looks Like Christmas, A Gift of Miracles, A Christmas Snow, Cancel Christmas, Millions, One Christmas Eve, The Christmas Shepherd, The Color of Rain, Operation Christmas, A Christmas to Remember, The Holiday (2006), The House Without a Christmas Tree (1972), Sunshine Christmas (1977), The Christmas Gift (1986), A Mom For Christmas (1990), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997), The Christmas List (1997), The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997), Tom & Thomas (2002), Silver Bells (2005), The Christmas Blessing (2005), The National Tree (2009), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010), Christmas Magic (2011), Dear Santa (2011), The Case for Christmas (2011), The Mistle-Tones (2012), Elf-Man (2012), Catch a Christmas Star (2013), Christmas for a Dollar (2013), Defending Santa (2013), Let It Snow (2013), A Royal Christmas (2014), A Belle for Christmas (2014), Second Chance Christmas (2014), Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey (2014), A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015), Christmas Trade (2015), Crown for Christmas (2015), Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015), Salvation Street (2015),89 Wish upon a Christmas (2015), A December Bride (2016), Christmas in Homestead (2016), Holiday Joy (2016), Love You Like Christmas (2016) and Sound of Christmas (2016). Outside of widowed fathers, dads who are single for other—often unexplained—reasons are identifiable in A Diva’s Christmas, A Dad for Christmas, Christmas Town, Small Town Santa, Carol, the Santa Clause (1994), A Christmas Tail (2014), Jingle All the Way (1996), Unlikely Angel (1996), Must Be Santa (1999), Finding John Christmas (2003), Little Angels: The Brightest Christmas (2004), The Road to Christmas (2006), Christmas in Canaan (2009), Gift of the Magi (2010), Chilly Christmas (2012), The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), Falling for Christmas (2016)90 and My Christmas Dream (2016). While relatively uncommon, abandoned single fathers also feature in Christmas in Paradise and Chasing Christmas (2005), and non-biological single fathers are apparent in Love Actually, Second Chance Christmas and The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990). In A Song for the Season (1999),91 Cal (Gerald McRaney) is raising niece Fern (Alison Pill) alone following the death of his sister. In Christmas Mail (2010), single mom Matt (A. J. Buckley) is raising his niece, Emily (Piper Mackenzie Harris); in Christmas

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with Holly, Mark (Sean Faris) is raising niece Holly (Josie Gallina), and in A Heavenly Christmas, Max (Eric McCormack) is raising niece Lauren (Jaeda Lily Miller). The sheer number of single fathers on screen is notably fascinating given that, as identified earlier, only a tiny percentage of American households are actually headed by single dads. Given the paucity of real-life single father households, and the even smaller number of those headed by widowed fathers, it seems that the rationale for the inclusion of this character is less about reflecting real-world demographics and more about plot. In most films discussed in this section, fathers are widows. These aren’t men who left their wives, they didn’t abandon their families, they aren’t “bad men,” rather, they got left: their situation was thus not their choosing, in turn likening them to the widowed or abandoned single moms discussed earlier. There are, however, other, gender-specific explanations. Blogger Danae Cassandra offers a demographic explanation for absent mothers in animation centered less on the real-life social rarity of single father households, and more so as a counter to the high number of single mother households: With the decline of two-parent families and the rise of single motherhood, perhaps Disney and other studios are feeding a conservative, patriarchal reaction to the decline of the role of fathers in the lives of their children. . . . [P]erhaps the backlash in popular entertainment is to exalt the status of a single father, eliminating the mother from the picture as someone who would normally have the custodial rights by killing her off. There is no messy divorce, no custodial battles, and the father comes out as the good guy. . . .92

While a conservative backlash seems like an interesting thesis, I’m more inclined to think of cinema—and especially Christmas films—as a distinctly commercial endeavor, and therefore, I suspect the motive is less overtly political and more so a presentation designed to attract audiences. Most films I discuss in this volume were made for television, many produced by networks like the Hallmark Channel. Michelle Vicary, executive vice president of programming for the parent company of Hallmark, discussed demographics in a Fortune interview, and hinted to some of the drivers of content: Fortune: Why is holiday programming so popular, and who is your audience? Vicary: The holidays are a magical time of the year when we think about connecting emotionally with family and friends. We all still want to have hope, faith, and love in our lives. Our movies are about tradition and the excitement of the season. Our target audience is women, and we see growth, year over year, in women ages 25 to 54.93

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Here, Vicary provides a more solid explanation for the many single fathers on screen: Hallmark’s target audience is women and, quite simply, many women want to watch romance. The formula of Hallmark movies after all is commonly “winter romances,” something that Chris Lites spotlighted is his The Week article: In each of these movies, love and Christmas magic go hand in hand. The protagonists are almost always female. A never-ending parade of cute, ambitious, and rich men bump into these women and make their dreams come true. It’s pure, corny wish fulfillment.94

Single parent characters in holiday films are almost exclusively found within romantic narratives: being partnerless is thus only ever a temporary state before characters transition into romance and ultimately a nuclear family. Very few films focus on romance in already established relationships—romantic marriages, for example, almost seem outlandish for the screen: films end with a romantic marriage, but they are almost never at the heart.95 Single characters therefore provide an easy way to insert love, and the presence of existing children speeds up the construction of the nuclear unit. In film theorist Donna Peberdy’s discussion of the single father character in the (non-Christmas) drama Far from Heaven (2002), she spotlights that “it is important that he is single as a result of his wife dying not through choice.”96 While Peberdy doesn’t expand on this point, it is an idea with applicability far beyond Far from Heaven. The status of a single father being widowed doesn’t merely help him avoid moral taint, but also works to endear him to the audience. Such characters are invariably broken, often highly melancholic men who ache for loving. The psychotherapist Michael Miller discusses the unique appeal of such men in real life: Like the Byronic heroes of nineteenth century Romantic poetry, they bear the traces of hidden wounds inflicted long ago. Somewhere beneath the protective coating they wear, the self-containment, there is a softness waiting to be evoked by the right touch, which makes them irresistible to women.97

Eastoe makes a similar point: “Single fathers, as seen in Jack and Sarah [1995] and Sleepless in Seattle, are hugely desirable. As devoted lone parents they are perceived by women as emotionally attractive.”98 Such ideas are particularly applicable to the analysis of Christmas films. For all the grieving fathers like Sam (Tom Hanks) in Sleepless in Seattle or Jack in Cancel Christmas and for all the bitter single dads like Jack in Chasing Christmas or the workaholic single fathers (discussed in chapter 6), ultimately they are each good and devoted parents with hearts of gold under their frequently gruff exteriors: goodness invariably brought

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out by the right touch of a single, often childless woman who brings with her the spirit of Christmas.99 Another interpretation for the deluge of single fathers, and one linked to the paving-the-way-for-the-good-guy narrative discussed earlier—is the killing off of mothers so that fathers can shine. In her discussion of Christmas films—although not specifically discussing single fathers—art historian Karal Marling notes how frequently men star: Popular culture—the movies, TV—is heavily invested in denying that women and Christmas have any special relationship at all. Jimmy Stewart and the Grinch are the Christmas heroes; Mrs. Santa is relegated to the photo booth in the department-store Toyland.100

Marling thus surmises, “Studying Christmas would turn anyone into a card-carrying feminist!”101 Concerns about the rarity of women in leading roles has long plagued feminists who have identified that historically films have been fixated on men’s lives: that men’s stories are somehow construed as universal whereas women’s are niche, small and invariably domestic. Killing off the mother in a Christmas film, therefore, provides a way to present a male-centric narrative that’s also romantic and family friendly. Feminist scholar Berit Åström offers another reading. Discussing the dead/absent mother trope in films, Åström describes it as “symbolic annihilation,”102 a phrase she borrows from sociologist Gaye Tuchman’s analysis of representations of women in the media.103 Åström identifies a range of functions for these dead mothers, including to present an emotional crisis to a child,104 as a way for a father and child to bond and to provide opportunities for comedy as a single father engages with the tribulations of parenting. Christmas narratives—invariably light-hearted—tend not to begin in the wake of a recent tragedy, but generally start after enough time has passed where grief is still felt (discussed further in chapter 4), but it is no longer paralyzing, thus enabling a parent to move on, notably into a new relationship.105 This illustrates a point Åström makes about animated films where dead mothers are frequently “brushed aside” and “easily dismissed” so that a story can progress.106 While dead mothers enter narratives through a father’s grief, the film ultimately is not the dead woman’s story and thus her role is (perhaps understandably) minimal.107 Åström also spotlights—in her discussion of the British series Single Father (2010)—the possibility of a mother’s death as a sacrifice, notably to make the family financially secure. This interpretation also has applicability to Christmas films: the dead mother can be interpreted as sacrificed to grant the man melancholy, attractiveness, and to pave the way for his new love affair. Defending Santa provides a particularly good illustration of this,

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with death-bed flashbacks of dying Ashley (Emily Harrison), begging her husband, Scott (Dean Cain), to find a new wife after her death: “I want you to find Susan [Jamie McRae] a good mommy. I can’t have her grow up without a mother. And she has to be a good wife to you. . . . You’re a good man. Don’t let this make you otherwise. You promise me.” Ashley got sacrificed to facilitate Scott’s new romance. Returning to the Nativity, the story is alluded to in a range of Christmas narratives through metaphor. One popular incarnation is there being no room at the inn. NO ROOM AT THE INN, HOTEL OR MOTEL Noted earlier was the manger-birth which is the centerpiece of Nativity presentations. The inability of Joseph and Mary to find suitable accommodation for the birth of their baby is referenced repeatedly through characters experiencing similar accommodation struggles in late December. In this section I begin my “no room” discussion with an exploration of homelessness before examining the repeated presentation of fully booked accommodation. In films including The Greatest Store in the World, A Christmas Wish, The Christmas Secret, Frozen River and The Christmas Candle, single mothers are concerned about not having a home as the holiday approaches. In a range of other narratives Christmastime homelessness features with varying degrees of prominence. A Homeless Christmas Akin to the struggles of the family in The Christmas Secret, eviction (or the threat of) transpires widely. Whiteley spotlights, “To have a home, to be at home with the family, is central to Christmas ideology.”108 To not have a family is thus considered as a particularly pronounced problem at Christmas (chapter 3), ditto not having a home. In Go (1999), Ronna (Sarah Polley) attributes her bad mood—and then her involvement in drug dealing—to her impending Christmastime eviction: “Pardon me if I’m not in a holly jolly mood right now, alright? I’m getting evicted. Tomorrow.” Her colleague, Simon (Desmond Askew), retorts, “They wouldn’t evict you at Christmas. Then you’d be ho-hohomeless.” Christmas eviction threats transpire in several examples. Nicky (Alicia Witt) in Christmas at Cartwright’s is late on her rent and is desperately dodging her landlady. In It Happened on 5th Avenue, the industrialist Michael O’Connor (Charles Ruggles) has evicted everyone in the existing tenements on a site he has acquired for a skyscraper. In

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Christmas Eve (1986),109 Andrew (Arthur Hill) similarly attempts to evict the “winos and bums” from a property owned by his mother, Amanda (Loretta Young). In Home by Christmas (2006), after a mugging, Julie (Linda Hamilton) is evicted and is forced to live in her car. Two families also live in a car in It Happened on 5th Avenue. In Nothing for Christmas (2011), the Perry family face eviction. In A Puppy for Christmas (2016), after breaking up with her boyfriend, protagonist Noelle (Cindy Busby) has to sleep in her office. In the British film A Wonderful Christmas Time (2014), Noel’s (Dylan Edwards) therapist, Simon (Oliver Maltman), is hiding in Noel’s parents’ home following his recent eviction. In Black Nativity, Naima (Jennifer Hudson) and her son, Langston (Jacob Latimore), have just been evicted.110 In The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014), Marilee (Kimberly Sustad) is evicted because of her cat. In Hercules Saves Christmas (2012),111 Rick (Danny Arroyo) is also threatened with eviction. While these examples center on evictions from homes, as explored in chapter 6, a range of other premises also face Christmastime oustings—such as the dance studio in Come Dance with Me (2012).112 In other narratives, homelessness is more consciously chosen by characters as penance. In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), while the homelessness of the Pigeon Lady (Brenda Fricker) is never explained, she does briefly speak about having given up on life following a break-up. In the British film Mr. Stink (2012), the homeless title character (Hugh Bonneville) walked out of his life after his pregnant wife died in a fire at Christmastime. In Hector, the title character had a breakdown shortly after a drunk driver killed his wife and daughter at Christmastime. Hector walked out on his life to live on the streets. In A Hobo’s Christmas, Charlie’s father, Chance (Barnard Hughes), had elected to live on the street after leaving his family. In A Very Mary Christmas, Mary similarly chose to leave her wealthy parents to live on the road while trying to find her birth father. In the Irish Christmas film Kisses (2008), the two abused preteen protagonists Kylie (Kelly O’Neill) and Dylan (Shane Curry) runaway to live on the streets at Christmas. Akin to any struggle, homelessness gives characters an urgent challenge to overcome. Presentations of homelessness, of course, also serve a range of other symbolic functions. Film theorist Ranjani Mazumdar discusses homelessness in film, observing, “as a powerful metaphor signifying community, loss, solidarity, and conflict, homelessness has been extensively deployed by popular cinema to navigate the urban experience.”113 Themes like solidarity and conflict are certainly detectable in Christmas stories. In It Happened on 5th Avenue, for example, Jim (Don DeFore) had been evicted because of Michael O’Connor’s skyscraper project. Squatting inside one of O’Connor’s boarded-up-for-the-winter homes is Aloysius (Victor Moore), who invites Jim to join him: inside that

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mansion a community is created over the festive season. In A Christmas Tail (1999) similar ideas are at play: Thadeus (Gordon Jump) is homeless and finds community with a group of other rough-sleepers. In Christmas on Division Street and Christmas Eve (1986), the homeless are similarly depicted as part of communities. A more fleshed-out illustration of this transpires in A Moody Christmas, when homeless Linda (Mandy McElhinney) steals the Moody family’s food and gifts and takes them to the park to have a Christmas celebration with her homeless friends. Similarly, in Hector, after the homeless title character cashes his pension, he buys his homeless friends Christmas presents. In Kisses, Kylie and Dylan’s time on the street bonds them. In A Hobo’s Christmas, Chance travels with a group of other men in the same predicament, forming a close makeshift street family (discussed further in chapter 3). Chance’s circumstances in fact illustrate another use for the homelessness storyline: reconciliation. While family reconciliation is discussed further in chapter 3, it’s also a key component of depictions of homelessness. In A Hobo’s Christmas, reconnecting with his son and his grandchildren grants Chance the opportunity to repair soured relations and to eventually change his living situation. In A Very Mary Christmas, Mary ultimately reconciles with her mother and returned home to New York. For Hector in Hector, after years on the street, he reconnects with his brother and sister after nearly two decades. For homeless Cleveland (Hume Cronyn) in Christmas on Division Street, not only did he find a community among other homeless people, but he also establishes a friendship with schoolboy Trevor (Fred Savage) who, in turn, develops a heightened social conscience. Something similar transpires in Wish for Christmas: through her friendship with the homeless Santa (Bill Engvall), Anna is taught “perspective.”114 The lessons Trevor and Anna heed are also ones learned by the audience: homeless characters serve to remind us of our comparative fortunes and press upon us the necessity to be charitable, particularly at Christmas. Attitudes toward the homeless—and to the less fortunate more broadly—serve as a framing device, providing audiences insight into characters. In Four Holidays, for example, the two vacuous leads, Kate and Brad (Vince Vaughn), lie to their families claiming that they can’t visit at Christmas because they are away doing charity work; in reality, their plan was to vacation in Fiji. As Brad says—without compunction—“You can’t spell ‘families’ without ‘lies.’” That the duo not only weren’t doing charity work but used charity work to lie frames them as distinctly awful, especially so in the context of a Christmas film whereby “charity” is so important. Such cynical attitudes are widely identifiable. In The Cheaters (1945),115 because her future mother-in-law takes in a needy person each Christmas, Therese (Ruth Terry) insists her family do the same, much to the consternation of her younger sister, Angela (Ann Gillis): “Of all the

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foul ideas. You promised me a party with . . . all my friends. How can I have them with some smelly charity case in the house?” Angela’s attitude in fact is relatively common on screen as a way to present that clash with the meaning of the season and to frame a soul in desperate need of resurrection. In Christmas on Division Street, when protagonist Trevor first encounters the homeless Cleveland in the library, another patron (Forbes Angus) jeers, “damn bum.” In Christmas Eve (1986), Amanda is the widow of a tycoon who, along with her butler, Maitland (Trevor Howard), distribute food, money and kind words each evening to the homeless. Amanda’s acts of charity are contrasted with her son, Andrew, who views her spending as reckless; in one scene Andrew blasts, “Don’t you realize the streets are dangerous? You could get mugged!” In A Christmas Tree Miracle, selfish mom Julia (Claudia Esposito) tells a fundraising committee, “I know I said I’d help you guys out but it’s been so busy with the holidays,” hinting to the fact that she never really had any intention of volunteering. In Home by Christmas, in an early scene, Julie’s friend Linda (Jacqueline Ann Steuart) makes an excuse as to why she can’t drop donations off to the homeless shelter. When Julie volunteers to do it herself, Linda warns her to lock her car. In Chasing Christmas, Jack (Tom Arnold) is a Scrooge who operates a clothing factory. This year he decides not to donate the company’s irregular coats to the homeless shelter and instead sells them to the Guatemalan army. This gesture, transpiring early into the film, instantly showcases Jack’s absent Christmas spirit. In Sons of Mistletoe (2001), the same thing transpires: the owner of Radke’s department store was also a boy’s home benefactor. After Radke’s death his Scrooge-like daughter, Helen (Roma Downey), takes over. Helen is uninterested in continuing the donations. In Hercules Saves Christmas, the Scrooge character is Rick, and his encounter with a homeless man (Leonard Pirkle) presents his own lack of generosity of spirit: Homeless man: Might you have a few dollars for a nutritious meal? I’m homeless. Rick: Wow, I never would have guessed. Homeless man: Buddy? Hey, where’s your Christmas spirit, Buddy? Rick: Where’s my spirit? Is that what you asked me? Let’s see. Maybe my Christmas spirit is with my former boss who fired me because I kept forgetting to kiss his big fat butt. Or maybe my Christmas spirit is with my fiancé who left me the moment I told her I lost my job. . . . Maybe my Christmas spirit is with my landlord who threatened to evict me.

This attitude is also identifiable in many of the Carol riffs. In Ebbie, the title character is asked to donate to a charitable fund in the name of

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her deceased business partner. Ebbie refuses: “I grew up poor, I picked myself up by the bootstraps. So can others.” In A Diva’s Christmas Carol, Ebony (Vanessa Williams) similarly curtly responds to the bell-ringing Santa: “Save it for the suckers.” In Scrooged, prior to his transformation the protagonist, Frank, is critical of Claire’s work with the homeless: “Here’s some advice, Claire—scrape ‘em off. If you want to save somebody, save yourself.” In All I Want for Christmas (2013), Elizabeth (Melissa Sagemiller) even tries to pay a charity Santa to stop ringing his bell. About a Boy uses attitudes toward the homeless to provide a different character insight. In one scene, Will reflects on a time when he decided to volunteer at a church soup kitchen. He arrived, saw the line of hungry men and just walked away. Will isn’t Scrooge-ish, but nonetheless he is certainly framed as shallow and vacuous. In A Carol Christmas, Carol is the Scrooge character. Prior to her going through her necessary seasonal transformation, she mocks her ex-boyfriend, John (Jason Brooks), who is awarded the “Good Guy of the Year” award: “Why he’d rather spend time with smelly old homeless people than me I’ll never know. . . . Can you imagine me ladling soup to some guy who lives out of a shopping cart?” While this scene frames Carol as uncharitable, conversely, John’s attitude toward the homeless frame him as generous, kind, as potentially even Christian (although this theme isn’t played up)116 and, notably, as having the Christmas spirit. While, as noted, films often use attitudes toward the homeless to malign a character, conversely positive attitudes can also frame characters as admirable. In Christmas Eve (1947), elderly Aunt Matilda (Ann Harding) is an eccentric, marked by her extensive charitable donations, something viewed by others—notably her greedy nephew Philip Hasting (Reginald Denny)— as wasteful. In the 1986 remake, Christmas Eve, as mentioned earlier, Amanda’s generosity, according to her son, Andrew, has apparently “gone beyond the point of eccentricity.” In both narratives, the women’s generosity is contrasted with the unscrupulous men around them. In Anything But Christmas, Grace’s sister Faith (Jessica Harmon) comments about Grace’s Christmas generosity: “We always have the perfect family Christmas. It’s a mad house. She invites anyone. Waifs, strays, the broke, the homeless.” Faith’s commentary provides insight into Grace’s generosity. “Strays” are similarly invited to dinner in The Cheaters as mentioned earlier, as well as in Angel in the House and Santa Buddies (2009). The Spanish film Plácido (1961), in fact, centers on wealthy families in town inviting homeless people to dinner for Christmas. In Scrooged, Frank describes Claire as “simple and good, and sweet, and kind, and decent, yet caring, wonderful.” It is no surprise that Claire works for Operation Reachout, helping the homeless and serves as a sharp contrast to the Scrooge, Frank. Just as Claire sharply contrasts

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Frank, her charity work also frames her as his true match; something presented repeatedly whereby good works make a person a good partner. In Fir Crazy, Darren (Eric Johnson) works at a homeless shelter. By the end of the narrative, his kind-heartedness positions him as protagonist Elise’s (Sarah Lancaster) perfect man. In Dear Santa, Derek (David HaydnJones) runs a homeless shelter; by the end of the film he is Crystal’s (Amy Acker) good guy love match. In A Heavenly Christmas, Max helps out at church soup kitchen and thus is positioned as the perfect man for protagonist Eve. In Ice Sculpture Christmas, Frank (Paul McGillion) is committed to fulfilling his deceased wife’s dream of helping low income people cook for themselves; this goal endears him to Chef Gloria (Brenda Strong). In A Perfect Christmas List, Evie’s (Marion Ross) doctor, Brandon (Aaron Hill), volunteers at a children’s shelter, in turn framing him as the perfect man for Evie’s granddaughter, Sara (Ellen Hollman). In Christmas List, Jamie’s (Gabriel Hogan) work as a volunteer fire fighter helps endear him to Isobel (Alicia Witt).117 In Mr. Stink, young Chloe (Nell Tiger Free) is contrasted with those around her through her attitude toward the title character. Whereas one of her school friends throws a banana peel at Mr. Stink, and Chloe’s conservative politician mother (Sheridan Smith) refers to the homeless as “soap dodgers,” Chloe offers him her Christmas money. Children’s generosity, in fact, transpires widely. In Mr. Krueger’s Christmas (1980), young Clarissa (Kamee Aliessa) is part of the group of carollers who visits the lonely title character (James Stewart). Clarissa “accidentally” leaves her mittens at Mr. Krueger’s house so that the group is compelled to return and, ultimately, to invite him to carol with them. In The Night They Saved Christmas, Santa (Art Carney) proves his existence to adult Claudia (Jaclyn Smith) by recounting a story about her, as a child, asking Santa to exchange her gift for a fishing rod for her beloved father. In The Greatest Store in the World, young Livvy uses her Christmas money to buy a copy of the Big Issue. In Defending Santa, a child gives a much yearned for bomber jacket to his neighbor who had no coat. In A Cookie Cutter Christmas, young Lily (Genea Charpentier) is doing her math schoolwork and shows in her calculation that she wants to give some of her funds to charity. In Jingle All The Way, at the very end of the film, young Jamie (Jake Lloyd) gives his Turbo Man doll—the one that his father, Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) had spent the whole film trying to buy—to the other father, Myron (Sinbad), so that his son could have one. In Christmas Angel, Olivia (Izabela Vidovic) uses her one “impossible Christmas wish” to wish for a classmate, Ricky (William D. Wells), to get a bike. In A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014),118 young Douglas (Pierce Gagnon) gives money to a vagrant (Oliver Platt) who he thought was Santa. In Angels in the Snow, with the arrival of the stranded Tucker family, youngest daughter Emily (Jaeda Lily Miller) suggests her

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family retag their presents so they can share them with the new arrivals. Such examples frame children as not only nice but potentially naturally— instinctively—so. Just as children are often portrayed as natural believers in Christ and Santa (explored later in the chapter), they are presented in these films as instinctively understanding the values of the season. Small gestures of kindness are also used to frame adults as kind too. In an early scene in A Christmas Melody, single mom Kristin (Lacey Chabert) gives money to a homeless man. Jackie does the same thing in My One Christmas Wish. In A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Gwen (Meredith Hagner) leaves a cookie on the bench for a homeless man. In each of these examples—much like all of these good-hearted folks who deposit money into Santa’s kettle119— generosity serves as a character testimonial: these characters are good, kind and potentially even Christian who each possess the spirit of Christmas. Christmas, of course, is often presented as a season that necessitates generosity. In The Three Gifts (2009),120 Jack (Dean Cain) pronounces, “Christmas is all about giving, sharing.” This point is echoed elsewhere. In Christmas Angel (2009), Nick (Bruce Davison) states that Christmas “is the perfect season to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking abut others.” In Elf-Man, Amy (Mirelly Taylor) comments, “Christmas is about giving. About bringing joy into other people’s lives.” In Christmas for a Dollar, Miss Mayfield (Heather Beers) tells her class that “Christmas is all about giving.” Lindsay (Eloise Mumford) makes a similar pronouncement in Just in Time for Christmas (2015): “This is the time of year when we’re all asked to consider the importance of good will.” One manifestation of this attitude transpires in Christmas Truce (2015).121 Set during World War II, on Christmas Eve soldiers arrive at Alina’s (Ali Liebert) home and ask her to take in a wounded soldier. Alina states, “I will not turn away a wounded man. Not tonight.” While framing characters positively is one interpretation for the acts discussed in this section, other readings are also possible. In cultural theorist John Storey’s work on Christmas, he draws on the character of Scrooge and the anxieties in England during the Victorian era: Charity is central to the Christmas invented by the new middle class. If what was invented was commercial out of instinct, it was charitable out of a sense of fear and guilt.122

Literature scholar Eileen Gillooly makes the same point in her work on Dickens: The power of Christmas has become so formidable in our own time that it is nearly impossible to imagine it without “all the trimmings” of its Victorian heritage and the unique, sometimes grandiose, articulations of liberal guilt that surround our observance of the holiday.123

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The philosopher Stephen Law also addresses these issues, contending, “Our Christmas-inspired good deeds are often far from worthy . . . no one ever does anything other than out of self-interest, not even giving to the poor.”124 While most films discussed in this section aren’t Victorian-era narratives, nonetheless a duty to be charitable is repeatedly articulated. In Christmas Eve (1986), during the court hearing to get Amanda rendered incapable of managing her finances, her butler, Maitland, provides a religious justification for their good works: Maitland: If you are suggesting that Mrs. Kingsley’s acts of charity are irrational, let me suggest that you find Corinthians 1 equally so. To quote, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

Duty—whether to assuage middle-class guilt or as dictated by religious conviction—provides an interpretation for charity beyond just goodness. An obligation to be charitable is often presented as a seasonal necessity. This was alluded to by John (Cameron Mathison) in A Christmas to Remember, who remarks: “It’s important to help those in need. Including people we don’t know. Especially at Christmas.” Such a sentiment posits that there is something special about Christmas in promoting goodwill. Christmas Angel (2012) adds the theme of mortality to this story (discussed further in chapter 2) when Elsie (Della Resse) identifies the limited time she has available to do good deeds: “When you get older you realize your chances are passing you by.” One motivator for festive generosity is the counting of one’s blessings and honoring fortune through charity. A security guard in P2 (2007) makes this point, “It’s the holidays. Time to be thankful.” In His & Her Christmas (2005), columnist Liz (Dina Meyer) similarly contends: “Christmas is more than gingerbread men and fat guys in red suits. It’s a time of togetherness and appreciation.” Protagonist Christie (Erin Krakow) comes to the same realization at the conclusion of A Cookie Cutter Christmas: “Christmas is a time when we’re reminded to give thanks for all that we have and to give back to those in need.” In Christmas Town, Kevin (Patrick Muldoon) also makes this claim: “The real magic is being thankful for what you have and hoping that something even better is coming.” This idea was elaborated on in A Carol Christmas when, after her spiritual transformation, the title character realizes what Christmas is really about: Carol: It’s a time to help people who might be less fortunate than you. It’s a time to celebrate all the good things you have. It’s a time to be thankful for your blessings. This feeling shouldn’t just be this time of year, it should be all year long.

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A cruder version occurs in Bad Santa 2, when, dressed as Santa, Willie yells at passers-by, “Think about someone but your fucking self!” In a scene from Mr. Stink, Chloe asks the shopkeeper, Raj (Harish Patel), whether she should help Mr. Stink, to which Raj responds, “Of course you should! A tramp is just someone without a home. Any of us could be homeless one day.” This reality—along the “there but for the grace of God go I” line—sees charity motivated by a blessings counting. An extension of this—and an extension of the “self-interest” alluded to by law—is that characters benefit from knowing that they have done good; something spoken in a range of narratives. In A Carol Christmas, Carol interviews a charity worker on her talk show, who says: “It’s one of the things that’s truly brought me happiness.” In Secret Santa (2003), the title character, Russell (Charles Robinson), hints to similar pleasures when he explains his motivations for anonymous charitable works to journalist Rebecca (Jennie Garth): Rebecca: What’s in it for you? Russell: For me? Oh, just about everything. You see, the way I look at it, giving is it’s own reward. And I have never found anything that makes me feel this good inside. I mean, there’s nothing else like it.

Gavin (Clifton Powell) in A Baby for Christmas—who gave up his corporate job to work in a children’s home—realized something similar: “The more you give the more you have to give.” In Christmas Angel (2009), Nick similarly says: “It’s been said that if you help someone, you’re the one who benefits the most.” Worth noting, there is often also a cyclical underpinning to this ethos whereby blessings are acknowledged through good works and, in turn, further blessings are bestowed. This is certainly a theme in the British film Lost Christmas (2011). It’s Christmas Eve, and young Richard (Larry Mills) doesn’t want his fireman father, Paul (Brett Fancy), to go into work, so he hides his car keys. Dad then asks mom, Linda (Connie Hyde), to drive him. Both get killed in a car crash. Apparently Richard steals himself a chance to turn back the clock and save them with “an act of human kindness.” The undercurrent in the film—something explored further in chapter 5—is that sometimes good works are about accumulating karma points. In his work on A Christmas Carol, James Chapman presents a pop culture explanation for acts of charity. He quotes the lawyer and critic Lord Francis Jeffrey, who wrote to Dickens after the publication of Carol: You should be happy with yourself, for you may be sure you have done more good by this little publication, fostered more kindly feelings, and

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prompted more positive acts of beneficence, than can be traced to all the pulpits and confessionals in Christendom since Christmas 1842.125

Here, the undercurrent is that charity is motivated not by religion or devotion but rather, by Dickens: a sentiment one could extend to the influence of Christmas popular culture more broadly. Mentioned earlier was the necessity for characters in the Carol narratives to reform, notably in relation to their attitudes toward the needy. In a range of films, altered attitudes are actually key in a character’s transformation whereby a greater respect for the less fortunate is learned. In Ms. Scrooge (1997), the reformed Scrooge character, Ebenita (Cicely Tyson), buys food for the less fortunate and gives struggling employees pay increases; she also returns a lamp to a woman who pawned it to help her son make bail. In An American Christmas Carol (1979), such transformation ends with the Scrooge, Benedict (Henry Winkler), taking in an orphan. These sentiments are also identifiable elsewhere. In The Bishop’s Wife, initially Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper) planned to donate money to the church on the proviso that it be used to elaborately memoralize her dead husband. By the end of the narrative, however, she has a change of heart, something she articulates to the titular bishop (David Niven): Mrs. Hamilton: Henry, I’ve changed my mind about the cathedral. I’m going to give my money to those who need it. To the poor and the homeless and the unappreciated people in the city and all over the world. And I want you to direct the spending of the money.

Mrs. Hamilton realizes that her husband can also be honored through helping others. In A Christmas Snow, in an early scene Kathleen declines donating to a charity tin while shopping in a store. Later, after her spiritual transformation, she returns to put money in that same tin. In Fir Crazy, in an early scene Elise declines donating to a bell-ringing Santa claiming to only have plastic; after meeting a new man and experiencing a surge of romance-fueled joy, she becomes happier, more positive and is suddenly eager to contribute. Each woman becomes more generous once her Christmas spirit is restored. In A Perfect Day (2006), across the course of the narrative Rob (Rob Lowe) goes through a transformation from a family man to an egotistical writer and then back again. A key sign of his redemption is him giving his money and possessions away to the homeless: he has now realized that meaning doesn’t come from objects or status. In Comfort and Joy (2003), Jane (Nancy McKeon)—who had been magically transported from her single, workaholic life to an alternate reality as a put-upon stay-at-home suburban mom—softens when she sees her son cut up food for a homeless man: her son—in line with children in other narratives—

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seemingly has the spirit of Christmas within him; Jane, conversely, had to be retaught it. In Beverly Hills Christmas (2015), one of Angelina’s (Donna Spangler) good deeds done after death was saving the life of the homeless teen, Jerry (Brandon Tyler Russell): once Angelina does this act of kindness, she is given her wings and allowed into heaven. In each example, benevolence is a critical step in a character’s rebirth. Homeless people also serve functions beyond simply helping other characters to look bad or good, notably acting as spirit guides and helping others fulfill their destiny (chapter 5). Homelessness, or hints to it, feature in Christmas narratives for a range of reasons. First, as noted, it is most obviously a nod to the Nativity where Mary and Joseph were facing the possibility of being homeless for the birth of their first child, a point made in a real-life context in an American magazine editorial: “Those living on the street and in shelters share in the Holy Family’s experience of transience and insecurity.”126 Of course, even outside of the circumstances of his birth, there is a more lifelong link to homelessness throughout Jesus’s life. Not only do scholars spotlight that he helped the poor and the homeless through his own acts of charity,127 but that he was in fact homeless himself.128 Characters therefore, who are kind and considerate to the less fortunate, can be construed as being Christ-like. Homelessness is also used to insert a social issue into a narrative. Film theorists Charles Affron and Mirella Affron identify It Happened on 5th Avenue as an example of Hollywood “[taking] on the hot-button housing issue.”129 While I’ve discussed elsewhere the fictionalization of social concerns for purposes of entertainment and moralization,130 within a Christmas narrative the social point is invariably a critique of capitalism and the fact that, amid all the festivities, a thought should be spared for those who haven’t similarly benefitted from the market. Outside of homelessness, the Nativity is also referenced through the trope of restricted accommodation options. Limited Lodgings at Christmas In Christmas Miracle, due to a weather-related road closure, eight people are stranded on Christmas Eve and seek refuge in a church. In this film, people without accommodation—on Christmas Eve—find shelter within a building devoted to worship. In most examples, however, the presentation is substantially more secular. In Secret Santa, Rebecca is in Hamden, Indiana, to report on a mysterious Secret Santa. Arriving at the local inn, Rebecca is informed that it is fully booked, so she is directed to a retirement home that takes overflow patrons. When later explaining her circumstances, Rebecca actually states that there

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was “no room at the inn.” In Matchmaker Santa (2012), Dean (Adam Mayfield) has picked up his boss’s girlfriend, Melanie (Lacey Chabert), from the airport to transport her back to her boyfriend’s holiday home. En route, they give a ride to Chris (Donovan Scott), a man who had been on Melanie’s flight. Because Chris is seemingly Santa Claus (as implied by the film’s title), he is able to “help” the car break down so that the three need to make an overnight stop in a small town while waiting for a repair; this creates an opportunity for Dean and Melanie to fall in love. While Chris already had a room booked, Melanie and Chris had to find somewhere to stay. Peggy (Florence Henderson), the local innkeeper, jokes to the duo: “It wouldn’t be the first December night an innkeeper took in a stranded couple,” before advising them that the only room available is the Honeymoon Suite. The same storyline is used in The Flight before Christmas (2015): Stephanie (Mayim Bialik) and Michael (Ryan McPartlin) were strangers on the same plane, along with a man named Noel (Brian Doyle-Murray) who, seemingly, is Santa. Weather reroutes their plane and they need to seek accommodation in Charles Peak, a town obsessed with Christmas.131 There is only one room at the inn. In A Christmas Detour (2015), after inclement weather grounds their plane, Paige (Candace Cameron Bure), her seatmate Dylan (Paul Greene)—along with the married couple Maxine (Sarah Strange) and Frank (David Lewis)—carpool together. En route they end up at the Tannenbaum Inn, in a small town celebrating Christmas with great gusto. There are only two rooms available: Maxine and Frank take one, leaving Paige and Dylan with the other. In Dashing through the Snow (2015), Ashley (Meghan Ory) misses her flight and has to carpool from the airport with a stranger, Dash (Andrew W. Walker). The two stop at a hotel to rest overnight, and there is only one room available. In A Christmas Wish discussed earlier, Martha (Kristy Swanson) and her children move into a motel. While they had planned to stay through Christmas—daughter Mel even decorates a wall with a makeshift Christmas tree—the family is ordered to relocate before Christmas: suddenly there is no room at the inn due to the arrival of some road workers. In The Christmas Parade (2014), after crashing her car in Carver Bent, Connecticut, television reporter Hailee (AnnaLynne McCord) is ordered to stay in town to do community service. With the only hotel fully booked, she is directed to the local B&B. In Holiday Road Trip (2013), antagonistic colleagues Maya (Ashley Scott) and Patrick (Patrick Muldoon) are on a Christmas road trip to boost the profile of a pet food company. Their van breaks down and the only hotel has just one room available. A deviation from the romantic undercurrents of such presentations transpires in the crime drama In Bruges. Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are hitmen on the run in Belgium. The men want two rooms but, being Christmas, of course only one is available. A Perfect Christmas offers another variation: no room at

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the inn means that the extended family has to stay in the already crowded home of newlyweds Cynthia and Steve. In-laws are similarly forced to cohabitate for no-room reasons in Will You Merry Me? These films each provide a visual presentation of no room at the inn: that these interactions transpire at rental accommodations—at Christmastime—render the biblical reference hard to ignore. Worth acknowledging however, films like Matchmaker Santa, Holiday Road Trip, A Christmas Detour, Dashing Through the Snow and The Flight before Christmas notably also deploy a plot device common in romantic comedies with nothing to do with Christmas: putting characters in seemingly unpleasant situations only to have them fall in love. While the Nativity is obviously the Christmas story, the journey to love is also one with a notable presence, something explored throughout this book. Two ideas discussed in the following section are characters framed as Christ-like as well as the importance of love. These get fused in a quirky Bible reference common in Christmas films: Jesus as a carpenter. JESUS, THE CARPENTER In “Jesus Was a Carpenter” (1970), Johnny Cash sang about Jesus working with a saw and a hammer before finally putting his tools down and going on the road. Jesus’s work with wood is examined in a wide range of theological texts.132 Like any aspect of the Bible, whether Jesus actually was a carpenter is repeatedly contested,133 and yet Christmas films are rarely the sites for theological debate. Instead, as discussed throughout this chapter, bits of biblical stories are routinely reappropriated—usually uncritically— and in turn, many male characters work with wood, either professionally or as hobbyists, and in turn are framed as subtly Christ-like. Perhaps the least subtle example of this transpires in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985). Mr. Claus (David Huddleston) is a peasant woodcutter who, with his wife, Anya (Judy Cornwell), delivers gifts to children. After the couple gets stuck in snow and needs rescue, Claus is recognized as “The One” by elves, a concept articulated by Ancient Elf (Burgess Meredith): Ancient Elf: The prophesy has come to pass. That there would come to us a chosen one. And that he, having no child of his own, would love all children everywhere. And that he, himself, would be an artisan and a craftsman and a skilled maker of toys.

A woodcutter as the “chosen one” alludes to an idea apparent in a range of narratives—generally presented more subtly—where a man who works with wood ends up being The One in a romantic storyline.

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In Becoming Santa (2015), Connor (Jesse Hutch) makes wooden toys and is, seemingly, the perfect match for Holly (Laura Bell Bundy), daughter of Jessica (Meredith Baxter) and Nick Claus (Michael Gross). Mentioned earlier was Matchmaker Santa. Melanie is in a relationship with Justin (Thad Luckinbill), but with the help of the title character, she will end up with Dean. In contrast to workaholic, asset-accumulating Justin, Dean is a hobbyist wood carver just like his grandfather: by the conclusion, Dean is The One for Melanie. This idea of a man who works with wood being special—as being a woman’s true destiny—transpires widely. In While You Were Sleeping (1995), ticket booth operator Lucy (Sandra Bullock) has long loved Peter (Peter Gallagher) from afar. During his convalescence after a Christmastime fall at the train station where she works—which Lucy helped render assistance—Lucy meets Peter’s brother, Jack (Bill Pullman). Jack is a furniture maker, and by the end of the narrative he and Lucy couple: Jack is more The One for her than Peter. In The Christmas Card (2006), Faith (Alice Evans) is dating the snob Paul (Ben Weber). Meanwhile, Cody (John Newton), a returned soldier, arrives in town and takes a job with Faith’s father at the mill. By the end of the film, Cody is, of course, better suited to Faith, proven perfectly by a bench that he carves for her parents. Similar ideas transpire in A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013). Alice’s (Alicia Witt) boyfriend, Will (Scott Gibson), is a property developer. Alice however, finds true love with Matt (Mark Wiebe): Matt is a craftsman and is a sharp contrast to the cold, calculating, capitalist Will. Worth noting, in the same narrative, Matt’s grandpa, Charles (Lawrence Dane), was also a house builder and also a kindly, welcoming and sage figure. In Coming Home for Christmas (2013), Mike (Benjamin Hollingsworth) runs a woodworking shop, thus positioning him as protagonist Kate’s (Carly McKillip) perfect match. In The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013), Tony (Robin Dunne) is initially portrayed as the film’s antagonist: he is the heir to a developer family who wants to demolish protagonist Cheri’s (Lindy Booth) beloved library. Later however, Tony helps Cheri install some shelves: it turns out he worked in construction while in college and thus, by the end of the narrative, ultimately he is The One. Almost the same thing transpires in A Rose for Christmas (2017). Initially Cliff (Marc Bendavid) is presented as an aggressive businessman; it turns out, however, that he volunteered to build houses in college and eventually is The One for protagonist Andy (Rachel Boston). In Magic Stocking, Lindsey’s (Bridget Regan) soon-to-be love interest Scott (Victor Webster) is a contractor rebuilding the town’s gazebo. It is eventually revealed that Scott’s grandfather had built the town’s original gazebo: Scott, like Dean in Matchmaker Santa and Matt in A Very Merry Mix-Up, seemingly has genetic woodworking goodness.134 In Once upon a Holiday (2015), Jack (Paul Campbell) gave up a corporate career to restore furniture: he is The One for Katie (Briana Evigan), the Eu-

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ropean princess protagonist. In Moonlight & Mistletoe, Peter (Christopher Wiehl) similarly gave up a corporate career to become a wood carver: he is ultimately Holly’s (Candace Cameron Bure) nutcracker-carving love match. In Christmas under Wraps, Andy (David O’Donnell) was once a busy architect in Seattle but is now a handyman in Garland, Alaska, and is The One for Lauren (Candace Cameron Bure). In One Special Night, Robert was a builder: he’s also Catherine’s perfect match. In Holidaze (2013), Mel’s (Jennie Garth) ex-boyfriend, Carter (Cameron Mathison), runs a successful cabinetry business. When Mel gets the opportunity to live an alternate reality and reunite with him, she discovers he is her true destiny. In Christmas List, while Isobel is dating a man who works in design, when she encounters Jamie, who runs a construction company, it’s inevitable that he’s her perfect match. In Lucky Christmas, protagonist Holly’s (Elizabeth Berkley) love interest, Joe (Mike Bell), works in construction. In Back to Christmas (2014),135 when Ali gets the opportunity for a do-over to fix things up with her businessman boyfriend, her plans are disrupted when she is reunited with her childhood friend, the contractor Nick (Jonathan Patrick Moore), and the two find love. In Sleigh Bells Ring, Laurel’s (Erin Cahill) ex-boyfriend Alex (David Alpay) “knows woodwork” and is thus framed as her true match. Even outside of romantic narratives, other “good men” often work with wood. In An American Christmas Carol, as a child Benedict had been adopted and made an apprentice by a kindly furniture maker. By the end of the narrative—after Benedict, the adult Scrooge, goes through his spiritual rebirth—he takes in his own orphan as an apprentice furniture maker. In The Three Gifts, like Mr. Claus in Santa Claus: The Movie, Jack carves wooden toys. Jack is a kind-hearted man who, with his wife, Cherie (Jean Louisa Kelly), eventually adopts three orphan boys. In Christmas in Paradise, single dad Dan (Colin Ferguson) is a contractor. Not only is he presented as a potential partner for Dana (Charlotte Ross), but he is framed as distinctly more authentic than his estranged privileged wife, Madeline (Marta Martin). In The Gathering (1977), Adam’s (Ed Asner) estranged son, Bud (Gregory Harrison), is a carpenter who became estranged from his father after dodging the draft,136 but he returns for a Christmas reunion. In Love at the Christmas Table (2012), Kat (Danica McKellar), along with her father and her love interest’s father, each work with wood. In other narratives, a range of good men work with wood via Christmas trees.137 Working with wood—and manual labor more broadly—can be construed as referencing the toil of Jesus. An extension of this is that if men are engaged in the same work as Jesus, then they are framed as Christlike, or at the very least, sharing some of his same qualities. Other explanations, however, relate to themes common in Christmas narratives. In

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chapter 6, I discuss the concept of authenticity. In the popular imaginary and certainly on screen, there is a correlation between manual labor and authenticity: that the honest day of labor is work with one’s hands rather than at a desk. For the man who works with his hands, something apparently is revealed about his character: that he is without pretence, that he knows and appreciates the value of craftsmanship, of tradition; that he’s patient, that he’s, notably, without artifice. Ben (Terence Kelly) who works in the toy factory in Wish upon a Christmas, nicely encapsulated these ideas: “The best things usually are [made by hand].” When a character understands this, insight is given into their soul and they are proven to have adequate reserves of Christmas spirit. Another reference to Jesus can be gleaned via the subtle framing of love having transformative—if not resurrecting—qualities. Sociologist Eva Illouz describes how, from the end of the nineteenth century, romantic love began to replace religion as the primary source of meaning and significance.138 This idea provides another way to think about the Jesus-as-a-carpenter presentation: that romantic love delivers meaning to a character’s life, in a religious-like function. This interpretation provides an explanation as to why, in so many films, finding love is instrumental for a character’s rebirth, notably from a position of Scrooge-ishness,139 and is also so essential in quests for the Christmas spirit. A Heavenly Christmas sees this idea verbalized. Eve (Kristin Davis) is an angel sent back to earth to learn a lesson. In life she was a workaholic, foregoing relationships and the celebration of Christmas entirely for the sake of her career. After her death, as an angel, Eve develops a burgeoning romance with Max. After their first kiss, Eve comments: “I’ve felt so alive.” The same thing happens in Christmas Magic when angel Carey starts to fall in love with Scott (Paul McGillion), something she seemingly hadn’t allowed herself to do in her workaholic mortal life: “I feel more alive than when I was alive.” In these examples, love is wholly transformative and is, seemingly, the one thing that truly distinguishes living. While this chapter has largely focused on Mary, Joseph and Christ as referenced in Christmas films, other Bible characters are also alluded to. Several films portray the three wise men explicitly, such as in those films about the Nativity mentioned at the start of the chapter. These figures are also referenced in more secular narratives. The Three Kings (1987), for example, centers on three patients at a mental home who think they are the wise men. In a range of films based on the Peter B. Kayne short story “Broncho Billy and the Baby” (1910)—Hell’s Heroes (1930), Three Godfathers (1936), 3 Godfathers (1948), The Godchild (1974) and the Japanese animated Tokyo Goddofazazu (Tokyo Godfathers) (2003)—a group of three outcasts140 care for a dying woman’s child in the lead-up to Christmas. In A Very Mary Christmas, The Wise Men were the name of a back-up band.

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The figures are also loosely referenced in the title and storyline of Three Wise Guys (2005). Christmas with Holly offers another allusion when three brothers band together to raise the titular orphan. Arguably the use of clusters of three spirit guides—as transpired in Beyond Tomorrow (1940) and Collateral Beauty (2016)—as well as the three ghosts of Past/Present/ Future in the Carol riffs are also three wise men allusions. Outside of the wise men, “the whore” can also be interpreted as referencing Mary Magdalene as perhaps one of the world’s best-known sex workers.141 The Christmas Whore In It’s a Wonderful Life, the character Violet (Gloria Grahame)—who once had a crush on the protagonist, George (James Stewart)—has been described as a “flirt,”142 a “whore”143 or, as Michael Willian writes in his analysis of the film, a “bad girl”: Notice anything different about Violet’s appearance compared to the other girls at the dance? How about the fact that Violet is the only girl wearing a black dress? Here, director Frank Capra appears to have resorted to subliminal messaging to convey the notion that Violet is a “bad girl.”144

Variations on this “bad girl” theme transpire elsewhere. Mentioned earlier was Bless the Child. When Maggie asks her sister about the father of her newborn, Jenna admits she has no idea. In Crackers, Vi (Maggie King) brands her sister, Dottie (Valerie Bader), a “slut” for having sex with Vi’s husband (Jack Hall) on Christmas night. In A Very Mary Christmas, pregnant teen Mary was initially considered by her mother to be a “tramp.” In The Christmas Cottage, Tanya (Kiersten Warren) is the town hussy; it is, therefore, presented as subtly ironic that she plays Mary in the Christmas pageant.145 In A Christmas Song (2012), similar themes are alluded to in the framing of Liz (Amanda Thomson), a teen described by teacher Jill (Ramona Milano) as “the girl voted most likely to” and “the original party girl.” In these examples, the Christmas-whore reference is made through character assassination and slut shaming. In other films, the allusion is made through sex work. In Miracle on Main Street, the stripper Maria seeks sanctuary inside a church and finds a baby and, ultimately, her redemption. In White Reindeer, Fantasia (Laura Lemar-Goldsborough) is a stripper who had an affair with a murder victim. In the Christmastime musical Rent (2005), Mimi (Rosario Dawson) is an exotic dancer and heroin addict. Drugs are also linked to sex work in Less Than Zero. Set during Christmas in Los Angeles, Julian’s dealer, Rip (James Spader), pimps Julian out to

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recoup a drug debt.146 Similar themes are apparent in Boogie Nights (1997): Dirk (Mark Wahlberg) is a drug addict who can no longer perform in the adult film industry and is doing sex work. When Dirk meets a potential client in a car park, it’s Christmastime and decorations festoon the nearby buildings. In Powder Blue, Rose-Johnny is an erotic dancer, working on Christmas Eve. Tangerine (2015) unfolds on Christmas Eve and focuses on the lives of sex workers Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor). Aside, simply, from potentially referencing Mary Magdalene as a prostitute, these films largely avoid any of the other storylines associated with her: as a follower of Christ, for example, or as the first to see him after his resurrection.147 Therefore, other explanations for the inclusion of sex work need exploring. First, sex work in the broadest sense has long had a prominent place in cinema: Russell Campbell’s book Marked Women explores this topic in great depth.148 The presentation of sex work in Christmas films therefore can be construed as simply in synch with the frequency of such presentations in cinema more generally. Further bolstering this argument is that the films discussed in this section aren’t traditional holiday fare and are thus less beholden to conservatism or holiday film tropes. In chapter 6 I discuss the role of sex in Christmas films, and one rationale proposed is its role in disrupting a narrative: that sex—particularly the kind that is paid for—conflicts with the family and celebratory nature of Christmas and thus functions as an antagonist. Certainly this interpretation can be applied to the films discussed in this section. Another explanation is desperation. Like the homeless people discussed earlier whose desperation may be more pronounced during a grandiose season like Christmas, for sex workers the often dire nature of their situation may be more pronounced, particularly if—like Fantasia in White Reindeer—they have additional struggles like raising a child as a single parent. Discussed in the opening of this chapter was Belk’s suggestion that in modern culture Santa functions as a Christ-like figure. In the next section, this idea is analyzed through screen portrayals. THE BIG MEN OF CHRISTMAS In the British horror film Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984), during an investigation into a series of murders, Detective Sergeant Powell (Mark Jones) remarks, “The moment anyone puts on a Santa Claus costume they become a sort of semi-holy figure.” The name Santa as linked to Saint linguistically connects religion to the jolly fat man. Santa functioning as Christ-like within narratives plays out in numerous ways, from him being revered as having qualities akin to Jesus through to him being prayed to.

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Santa as Christ-Like Some narratives present a heavy-handed connection between Santa and Jesus. In Small Town Santa, for example, Santa (Paul Hopper) spends much of the narrative convincing protagonist Rick to go to church. Santa in this example thus serves as a missionary. In The Christmas Path (1998), it is apparently Santa who sends angels to earth to do good works. In A Country Christmas (2013), Santa (Abraham Benrubi) even has healing powers. More commonly, however, Santa is spoken about, as well as subtly shown, displaying qualities that frame him as Christ-like. At a cynical level, this is referenced in The Case for Christmas, when the protagonist lawyer, Michael (Dean Cain), remarks, “Santa Claus is just another one of those fantasies that we craft to help get through life.” More commonly, Santa-as-God is a less cynical portrayal. In Cancel Christmas, when the existence of Santa seems proven on the news, television reporter Eric Simms (David Gingrich) uses the emotive phrase “He’s real and walking amongst us!” framing the happening as similar to an appearance of Jesus. In Santa with Muscles (1996), the Scrooge-like millionaire Blake (Hulk Hogan) dresses as Santa to conduct a heist. During the heist he bumps his head and, upon waking, believes he’s Santa. Not knowing his obligations, a little orphan girl, Elizabeth (Aria Noelle Curzon), explains the “Santa rules”: Elizabeth: There are things you always do and things you never do, but it’s just that some people only follow those rules around Christmastime. You always help someone less fortunate than you, you never turn your back on someone in need, when in doubt help out, and act the way you do at Christmas all year round.

These Christian-seeming so-called “Santa rules” are referenced elsewhere. In The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998), the elf, Pointer (Dana Michael Woods), explains to protagonist Jeremy (Andre Bourque) that the difference between Santa (Colin McClean) and Santa’s evil brother Atnas (Douglas Robinson) is that “[Atnas is] everything bad. Where Santa’s everything good. Where Santa wants to give, Atnas wants to take.”149 In Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough) alludes to similar attributes: “I’m a symbol of the human ability to be able to suppress the selfish and hateful tendencies that rule the major part of our lives.” In The Santa Suit, Kriss (Derry Robinson), a toy company Santa, paints a similar portrayal: “Santa Claus is more than a symbol . . . he represents the best of human kind. Selflessness, generosity, charity, kindness.” In Cancel Christmas, Santa (Judd Nelson) equally declares, “Santa represents all that is best in the human heart. . . . People see in Santa the best parts of themselves.” In Must Be Santa, the narrative closes with

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Farthing (Peter Millard) coming to the realization: “Believe me when I say that I know, I just know, that there is indeed a Santa Claus. He is us.” While in these examples the goodness of Santa is verbalized, in others it is displayed. In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Santa (Edmund Gwenn) magically has the ability to speak to a little girl (Marlene Lyden) in her native Dutch: together they sing a song.150 In the 1994 remake, Santa communicates with a little deaf girl, Sami (Samantha Krieger), in sign language. In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, sign language is also used to convey Santa’s power and goodness: Santa’s son, Nick (Steve Guttenberg), grants a mall Santa magic powers to converse with a deaf child.151 In these scenes Santa has Christ-like powers and is able to meet the diverse needs of his constituents, although other interpretations exist. In discussing the two Miracle on 34th Street films, film theorist Mark Connelly examines Santa’s communication skills: Such an ability may be passed off as a sheer love of philology on Santa’s part but it also gives him a certain magical quality. . . . Such an ability has an air of enchantment and mystery, however, rather than of genuine religion or faith.152

This chapter is focused on faith, so it makes sense to look at special skills as being somehow divine, although it is worth remembering that Santa is a fictional character and therefore, aligning his skills with Christ is only one interpretation: being fictional, Santa can, and often is, bestowed with any number of mystical properties without any explanation provided beyond “magic”;153 as young Abigail (Brianna Dufrene) simplistically rationalizes in What She Wants for Christmas: “Santa can do anything!” (It is also why, in a range of films including Santa’s Slay and Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Santa is presented as malevolent: as a fictional character, there is no burden to be “accurate” about his portrayal.) Santa as Omniscient The popular “he knows if you’ve been bad or good” refrain from John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie’s song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (1934) encapsulates a perception of Santa as all-knowing. The idea of anybody having that much knowledge means they are supernatural, are Christ, or, as evident in Christmas films, Santa. Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss brings these ideas together: [Santa] is not a mythic being, for there is no myth that accounts for his origins or his function. Nor is he a legendary figure, as there is no semihistorical account attached to him. . . . Moreover, children pay homage at certain times of the year with letters and prayers; he rewards the good and punishes the wicked.154

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The even more pronounced punishment of the wicked is mentioned in Wind Chill (2007), when the unnamed male lead (Ashton Holmes) explains the Dutch Christmas character, Sinterklaas.155 While like Jesus, Santa is commonly presented as eternal, “living” ostensibly forever, he is also omnipotent, omnipresent,156 and notably omniscient. While, as Newman notes, “Many children are disturbed by the whole idea of an all-powerful character who can get into their house at night and knows everything about them . . . ,”157 on screen Santa’s omniscience is generally presented as benevolent. In 24 Nights (1999), adult Jonathan (Kevin Isola) writes a letter thanking Santa for sending him the perfect boyfriend and notes, “I like the thought of someone watching over us all.” In Naughty or Nice (2012), Marco (Gabriel Tigerman) makes the point, “I do believe that somebody is watching over us and all that. But not Santa Claus. I was raised Catholic.” While Marco initially is a non-believer, the narrative ultimately challenges his position: protagonist Krissy (Hilarie Burton) accidentally comes into possession of Santa’s “Naughty or Nice” book, a tool that enables the user to be all-knowing. In Naughty or Nice a magic book facilitates omniscience; in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town a special television serves similarly. In one scene, Santa (Peter Jason) and Martha Claus (Vicki Lawrence) are in the North Pole watching live footage of good and bad boys and girls. Something similar transpires in the animated The Polar Express (2004): the elves operate a massive control room with a wall of television screens. The elves watch, comment and consult with each other about children’s behavior. In chapter 6, I discuss narratives where Santa’s all-knowingness is presented as voyeuristic or sinister. A gentler presentation—and in line with the themes of Santa being good and Christ-like—transpires in Call Me Claus. While Lucy’s (Whoopi Goldberg) exchange with Santa (Nigel Hawthorne) references the weirdness of his all-knowingness, the fact that Santa turns out to actually be real ultimately negates the creepiness: Santa: I’ve been watching you for many years now, ever since you were a little girl in fact. Lucy: Eww! Santa: My name really is St. Nicholas. I really am Santa Claus. Lucy: That makes me feel so much better that your name is Santa Claus and you’re a stalker!

In Call Me Claus, Santa’s omniscience is discussed, in other films it transpires more subtly. In Christmas in Wonderland, mom Judy (Rachel Hayward) is stuck in Los Angeles trying to get to her family in Edmonton,

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Canada. At the airport Judy talks to a stranger whose name, apparently, is Kris Kringle (Matthew Walker). When they part Kris says, “Merry Christmas, Judy,” to which she calls back, “How did you know my name?” Kris doesn’t need to answer, of course: Santa knows all.158 Meanwhile, Judy’s husband, Wayne (Patrick Swayze), is miserable, alone, in a mall bar in Edmonton. Coincidentally—and impossible without magic—the same Kris is seated next to him and, as with Judy, proves his existence with insight that only someone all-knowing could have: Santa: Sounds like you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a kid at Christmas. Wayne: Tell you the truth, I do not remember being a kid at all. Santa: Are you telling me you don’t remember that pony you got for Christmas? When you were eight-years-old? Wayne: Oh yeah. How could I forget that? I didn’t expect to get anything that Christmas ‘cos my dad was broke. But sure enough, come Christmas morning, there he was out back. Good old Lightning. Santa: Did you know he took two extra jobs to buy you that pony? Because he knew how much you loved horses. Wayne: Really? Two jobs? I didn’t know that. Wait a minute, how do you know that?

A variant of this transpires in the British Christmas film Get Santa (2014). Santa (Jim Broadbent) crashes his sleigh and his reindeers escape. The reindeers are then locked up in the Battersea Dogs Home. When Santa tries to free them, he is arrested. In jail, Santa’s existence is proven to his fellow prisoners through his knowledge of their histories and childhood wishes. In a variety of other narratives—The Case for Christmas, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2 (2002), The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010)—Santa similarly proves his existence to adults by reminding them of their childhood Christmas wishes. In Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Kris proves himself to his adversary Ed Collins (J. T. Walsh) by mentioning the old TV antenna that Ed had up on his house. Kris has gotten caught on it the year prior; knowing about it provided Ed proof. Omniscience also transpires in the context of Santa knowing where to locate families for gift-giving. This was certainly a concern for young Douglas in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas when he asks his dad, “Santa will find me here, right, Dad?” after the family travel interstate for the holidays. It’s equally a concern for Patsy (Lauren Pratt) in On the Second Day of Christmas (1997): “How’s Santa gonna find us?” she asks her aunt Trish (Mary Stuart Masterson) when she learns the two will be spending Christmas in the apartment of Bert (Mark Ruffalo), the store detective. “Don’t worry,” Trish reassures her, “Santa will find us.

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He knows everything.” A young hospital patient in What I Did for Love (2006) expresses the same concerns: “How is Santa gonna find me here?” to which her doctor, Sadie (Dorie Barton), responds, “He’s gonna know exactly where to find you.” In other narratives, Santa’s omniscience is framed, simply, as an established attribute. Making reference to the song, in Hercules Saves Christmas, Sister Augustus (Kathy Garver) tells the orphan Max (Anthony Robinson), “Santa knows who’s been naughty or nice.” In the opening of The Christmas Clause (2008), the following exchange transpires between daughter Nikki (Cashel Satchwell) and her mother, Sophie: Nikki: I hate you! Sophie: Santa heard you.

The reference to omniscience in these two films is nicely explained by a mom (Beth Harvey) who Krissy encounters in a coffee shop in the opening scene of Naughty or Nice: “The one trump card parents have is that kids know Santa keeps a list. . . . The world is a better place because of it.” Here, rather than serving as testimony to Santa’s all-knowingness, the inference in Hercules Saves Christmas and The Christmas Clause is that the spectre of omniscience works to control children. This, of course, has parallels with faith whereby the potential judgment of an omniscient higher power gets internalized and tempers behavior. The parallels between God and Santa have been widely discussed. Belk, for example, connects the two to omniscience: Just as Christ brought his gifts of love and salvation to earth and then ascended to heaven, Santa brings his gifts of toys and treats to houses and then ascends up the chimney. Furthermore, Santa is immortal, omniscient, knows how children behave, and holds them accountable for their actions by bestowing the rewards that he alone can offer.159

Philosopher Scott Aiken also discusses this, noting, “Santa is morally omniscient—he knows all ethically relevant facts about all agents. He also knows about your sleep habits. . . . These are god-like powers.”160 Historian Gerry Bowler similarly notes that like Jesus, Santa shares attributes like agelessness and omniscience, and that some churches “despise” him because a preoccupation with him violates the commandment of blasphemous idolatry.161 While an omniscient Santa is easily detected on screen, he is also evident in other media. Norman Rockwell’s painting Santa’s Christmas List featured on a 1924 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. The image showed a floating Jesus-like Santa hovering above a house, seemingly taking notes in a book about the occupants. The same ideas play out

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in fiction.162 In real life, Santa as omniscient is identifiable in childhood reflections: psychotherapist Susan Nathiel, for example, quotes “Rachel”: I would go to bed at night and pray. I would pray to Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, when I still believed in them, because they were sort of supreme beings who knew everything. My parents laughed at religion or anybody who went to church, so I guess I was left with Santa and the tooth fairy.163

For Rachel, Santa served as the balm that religion provides others. Praying to Santa is, indeed, another way he is framed as Christ-like on screen. In “The Eleventh Hour” episode of the British sci-fi series Doctor Who (2005– ), a little girl is praying. The audience is led to believe she is praying to Jesus, but by the end of the scene, it is revealed that she is actually praying to Santa. Christmastime prayers to God are, of course, common. It’s a Wonderful Life opens with the prayers of the people of Bedford Falls for George; in a later scene, George prays to God himself, asking that He “show me the way.” In the remake of It Happened One Christmas, the film opens with prayers for Mary (Marlo Thomas); later Mary asks God to show her “the way.” In A Christmas Eve Miracle (2015), workaholic advertising executive mom Sharon (Olivia d’Abo) asks, “Show me the way.” While Sharon’s request may have been to Jesus, ultimately it’s Santa who hears her and gives her an alternate reality experience. In The Bishop’s Wife, like George and Mary, the bishop Henry prays for help and, like George and Mary, gets an angel: “It was your prayer that brought me here,” the angel Dudley (Cary Grant), tells him. In Lucky Christmas, young Max (Mitchell Kummen) prays to God for snow, and in Angels in the Snow, Emily prays that her parents don’t divorce.164 While prayers for material goods are a common display, more interesting are wants articulated on behalf of other people. In Fred Claus (2007), Santa’s (Paul Giamatti) efficiency expert Clyde (Kevin Spacey) discusses these kinds of wishes as something relegated to history: Clyde: The average size of a child’s wish list has grown substantially in the last 200 years. In the 1800s, for example, children rarely asked for more than one item and usually these items were of an intangible nature. Something like a family member’s health or the end of war or famine. . . . Today the average child asks for 15 gifts per letter.

The wants I discuss in this section are characterized as prayer-like because they aren’t the things that can be solved by any mortal—it’s not just

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a matter of a department store or pet shop purchase—but rather necessitate the disruption of free will and some divine intervention. In the opening scene of A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Santa (Patton Oswalt) ends a session with a young girl (Isabella Gielniak) and says, “And I’ll see what I can do about your parents’ ugly divorce, Caren.” The scene humorously references what has become a screen cliché of children asking Santa to get involved in their parents’ love lives. In The Boy Who Saved Christmas, Jeremy tells Santa (Colin McClean), “This year I don’t want any toys. I want my mom and dad to like each other again. They haven’t been getting along too good lately.” Similar requests transpire widely. In It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989), Jenny (Risa Schiffman) writes to Santa asking for his help in bringing her family back together for Christmas. She ends her letter with “God bless you, Santa.” In A Christmas Wedding Tail, The Santa Con and All I Want for Christmas (1991) children make the same request. In these narratives, Santa is asked to save marriages and ultimately he delivers, but Christmas films commonly also offer a range of other requests, each similarly sentimental and each necessitating the deployment of special powers. Commonly children request the return of an absent parent. In Call Me Claus, as a child Lucy asked Santa to bring her father home from war. Beth (Crystal Bernard) had asked for the same thing in Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus. In One Magic Christmas (1985), Abbie (Elisabeth Harnois) asks for her father to be brought back to life. In The Christmas Note, young Ethan wrote to Santa requesting his father return from an overseas military hospital. In Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, as a child Shane (Kristin Booth) had written to Santa asking for her father to come home. In A Town without Christmas (2001), Meg (Isabella Fink) asked Santa to keep her family together. In A Nanny for Christmas (2010), the children—Jackie (Sierra McCormick) and Jonas (Jared Gilmore)—ask Santa to bring their workaholic father home from a work trip. In The Christmas Heart, Santa is asked for a different kind of miracle: young Tommy (Cruise Brown) requests that his sick brother, Matt (Ty Wood), be brought home from the hospital. In Home Alone, Kevin—who had been accidentally left home by his family—visits Santa (Ken Hudson Campbell) and requests, “Instead of presents this year, I just want my family back. No toys. Nothing but Peter, Kate, Buzz, Megan, Linnie and Jeff. And my aunt and my cousins. And if he has time, my Uncle Frank. Okay?” In Dear Santa, Olivia (Emma Duke) writes to Santa asking for a new wife for her widowed father. In the Miracle on 34th Street films, a young girl asks Santa for a house, a father and a baby brother. In Christmas Mail, Emily (Piper Mackenzie Harris) asks Santa for a girlfriend for her uncle, Matt. In the opening of Love Always, Santa, Lilly (Isadora Swann) writes to Santa asking for love for her mom. In the opening of Nativity 3: Dude Where’s My

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Donkey? Lauren asks Santa to make her father marry her singing teacher. Santa with Muscles opens with Elizabeth writing to Santa pleading for her orphanage to remain open: “I hope you’re really out there, Santa.” In I’m Not Ready for Christmas, young Anna (Mia Bagley) asks Santa (Dan Lauria) to make her workaholic aunt, Holly (Alicia Witt), stop lying. In A Very Cool Christmas (2004),165 Alexa (Jodelle Ferland) asks for her older, cynical sister Lindsay (Brooke Nevin) to come home for Christmas. Aside from Lucy in Call Me Claus, Beth in Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, and Shane in Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, in each of these narratives children do actually get what they wish for. Each child requested something that no mere mortal could achieve and thus, the granting of their wish conveys the impression that Christmas is a magical season and that Santa has special, if not Christ-like, powers. Such magic also serves as testimony in each narrative to Santa being real.166 As hinted by Clyde in Fred Claus, not all prayers to Santa are so sentimental or altruistic, however, characters sometimes pray for things for themselves that require divine intervention. In 24 Nights mentioned earlier, Jonathan had asked Santa for a “dream man.” His request is ultimately granted. In A Boyfriend for Christmas (2001), as a teenager Holly (Kelli King) had asked a mall Santa (Charles Durning) for a boyfriend. Santa promised her, “Well, when you’re really ready, you’ll know. And I promise you I’ll send you just the right one.” Years later adult Holly (Kelli Williams) is delivered Ryan (Patrick Muldoon), her true love. In Matchmaker Santa, as a child, Melanie (Nikki Hahn)—after seeing her parents kiss—wrote to Santa requesting her own Prince Charming. Flash forward many years and Santa meddled sufficiently to help Melanie find true love with Dean. Santa is also framed as God-like when characters credit him for their good fortune. In The Christmas Note, when his father arrives home in time for Christmas, Ethan thinks he has Santa to thank: “It was Santa. He got my letter. I had faith and he delivered.” In All I Want for Christmas (1991), when young Ethan (Ethan Embry) gets his first kiss from Stephanie (Amy Oberer), afterward he says, “Thank you Santa!” A slightly more ambiguous presentation transpires in I’m Not Ready for Christmas. Every time the bell-ringing Santa has a victory—for example, getting a compulsive liar to see the error of her ways—he looks to the sky and nods. While it’s not clear whether the inference is that he is an angel who has taken the form of Santa, alternatively that he has been sent by the Santa himself, there is nonetheless a link presented between Santa and “the man upstairs” (chapter 5). In each of these examples, akin to how a character might say “thank God,” Santa is given credit for magical happenings, thus reiterating the perception that he is God-like.

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Just as Santa can be thanked for good works, conversely, he is also occasionally chastized when failing to deliver. In an early scene in Holiday Affair (1949), a little girl reprimands a store Santa, “You didn’t bring my baby brother that I asked for last year!” Such Santa failings transpire widely. As noted, Santa didn’t bring home Lucy’s father in Call Me Claus, nor Shane’s father in Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, nor Beth’s in Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus. In The Santa Clause, Neil (Judge Reinhold) didn’t get the whistle he wanted as a child: “I was three. It was an Oscar Meier Wienie Whistle. Christmas came. No Wienie Whistle. And that’s when I stopped believing.” For the millionaire Braxton Bennett (Barry Flatman) in The Case for Christmas, he is suing Santa (George Buza) for emotional distress; Santa’s lawyer, Michael, summarizes Braxton’s claim: “Despite his best efforts to contact you during the holidays he was always left without the Christmas gifts he wanted . . . the disappointment was so devastating that he has spent years in therapy and feels children should not be exposed to such a misleading myth as Santa Claus.” In Santa Hunters (2014), Santa hadn’t delivered Natasha (April Telek) the princess doll she had coveted as a child. In Cancel Christmas, Santa didn’t give Constance (Jean Yoon) a horse. For the Scrooge-like character Mr. Cruge (Christopher Lloyd) in Santa Buddies, Santa didn’t bring him a puppy. In The Boy Who Saved Christmas, Bob (Walter Barret Robinson) didn’t get a sled. In Fred Claus, Santa didn’t bring Clyde a Superman cape, and in Santa’s Summer House, Bryan (Daniel Bernhardt) didn’t get a flying saucer. In Mrs. Santa Claus (1996), the toymaker Augustus’s (Terrence Mann) Grinchyness was explained as rooted in his brother having stolen his teddy bear on Christmas day and thus, Augustus went into adulthood wanting everyone to be as miserable as him. Just as Santa delivering on prayers can contribute to a character’s belief, his failure to do so works conversely; something encapsulated in an exchange between Holly and Santa in A Boyfriend for Christmas (prior to him delivering her true love, Ryan): Santa: What made you give up on Christmas, my dear? Holly: You did. Santa: I? Holly: You promised you’d send me just the right boyfriend. But never did.

In The Santa Switch (2013), Daniel (Ethan Erickson) presents a similar case of disappointment due to unmet holiday expectations. In one scene, after being fired from his job as a mall Santa, Daniel looks up to the sky and harangues:

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Daniel: Thank you very much for Christmas. Every year I try my best. And what does Santa give me? He gives me a stocking full of disappointments every time. Hear that Santa? ‘Cos that’s what Christmas is, isn’t it? It’s just one big disappointment every time.

Just as in real life people lose faith in Jesus because their hopes, wishes and expectations aren’t met, this also occurs in Christmas narratives: each of the characters mentioned who didn’t get what they wanted from Santa didn’t just lose their belief but became, in varying degrees, Scrooge-like: from Holly in A Boyfriend for Christmas who just stopped being interested in Christmas through to Constance in Cancel Christmas who actively wanted to shut down the season. Worth noting, by the end of each of these narratives, Santa proves his existence in other ways. In A Boyfriend for Christmas, Santa finally—albeit belatedly—delivered Holly her promised boyfriend. This resurrected her spirits and demonstrates that Santa eventually “comes good,” thus incorporating themes of destiny (chapter 5). A final theme apparent in screen references to Santa as Christ-like is belief: that Santa, like Jesus, is not someone simply accepted, but that a conscious decision needs to be made to put faith in him. Belief in Santa In The Santa Suit, Nancy (Jodie Dowdall)—a Social Security administrator and later the protagonist Drake’s (Kevin Sorbo) love interest—remarks “If you can’t trust Santa who can you trust?” Having trust in Santa and having faith that he is real is a popular Christmas movie theme. In some cases, the importance of such faith gets verbalized. In The Christmas Secret (2000), Santa (Beau Bridges) articulates this idea: “Once a year I ask people to believe in something that can’t and shouldn’t be proved.” Santa (John P. Fowler) in Santa Claws (2014) makes a similar comment: “Christmas isn’t about proof or evidence. It’s about sharing in that spirit and spreading the joy.” At the end of Santa Hunters, the importance of belief over evidence is the realization of young Alex (Benjamin Flores Jr.) during his encounter with Santa (Donavon Stinson): Alex: Christmas is what you make of it. You don’t need videos or DNA evidence, you just need a little. . . . Santa: Belief! Alex: Belief. Santa: Belief is not limited by the impossible. It’s belief that makes the impossible happen. Alex: Belief. That’s it. The magic is belief.

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The comments made in these films nicely encapsulate many of the screen presentations of Santa as related to belief: that it is about the choice to believe. While belief is complicated and explored more fully later in this chapter, in this section the necessity of blind faith in Santa is examined. In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), neighbor Fred (John Payne) explains to young Susan (Natalie Wood) that faith is “believing in things when common sense tells you not to.” This is a sentiment that Susan’s mom, Doris (Maureen O’Hara), repeats to her—after Doris goes through her own spiritual transformation at the end of the film. The same idea is spoken in The Christmas Heart, when Ann (Teri Polo) talks to her youngest son, Tommy, about the same subject: “We can’t exactly see Santa but we know he’s there.” In The Santa Clause, young Charlie (Eric Lloyd) kept asking his father, Scott, about how Santa could possibly accomplish everything: “Charlie,” Scott eventually responds, “sometimes believing in things means that you just have to believe in them.” In The Christmas Pageant, Kristin asks her father’s friend, Vera (Melissa Gilbert), about the existence of Santa: “At Christmastime,” Vera tells her, “believing in things makes them real. That’s how Christmas wishes come true.” In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, Nick tells his future stepson Jake (Dominic Scott Kay) that Santa is real “if you believe.” In The Santa Trap (2002), mom Molly (Shelley Long) makes the same point to her daughter, Judy (Sierra Abel): “He’s real as long as you believe he’s real.” In each of these examples, adults advise children to have faith despite the absence of evidence. Parallels, of course, can be drawn between belief in Santa and belief in God—particularly given that in most narratives faith in Santa is ultimately substantiated, thus serving as an endorsement of it—but there are also other interpretations for the behavior of the adults in these films. In most narratives adults want children to believe and to hold the spirit of Christmas for as long as possible: as explored more fully in chapter 2, in several narratives adults are conscious that there is a finite amount of time for children to believe in Santa and thus they are keen to preserve that. Equally, as discussed in chapter 3, for many adults the celebration of Christmas necessitates children playing a role; that children are what the season is all about. Encouraging children’s belief also frames these adult characters as kindly figures who want the season to be enjoyed wholeheartedly167: such adults are contrasted with those who dare to tell children that Santa is fictitious—who ruin Christmas—and in turn are framed as Grinch-like. In the sections that follow, the inescapable link between children and belief is explored.

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Christmas and Children’s Belief In Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), the children of Mars—who apparently have “children’s bodies but with adults’ minds”—have suddenly lost interest in doing anything but watching television. The Ancient One, Chochem (Carl Don), suggests that they be introduced to Christmas to resurrect their spirits: “The children must be allowed to be children again. They must learn to play. They must learn what it means to have fun. We need a Santa Claus on Mars.” In A Very Cool Christmas, mom Michelle (Ingrid Torrance) makes a similar comment, “Believing in Santa is every child’s right.” These films frame belief as an entitlement; in other narratives belief is presented as an essential component of childhood. In Call Me Claus, Santa tells an adult Lucy: “It’s the most innocent among us who enjoy Christmas the best.” One interpretation of this comment centers on children’s naiveté: that the young believe because they know no better; as Oliver (Eric Mabius) cynically comments in Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, “Anything seems miraculous when you’re eight.” Another reading, however, is that children are predisposed to belief because they haven’t yet been doused in the cynicism of adulthood. This latter interpretation is alluded to in comments made by Santa (Leslie Nielsen) in Santa Who?: “They [children] see things we no longer see.” In this section, children’s belief—in Santa, and, more broadly in Christmas—is explored. Natural Believers Folklorist Jack Santino observes, “Belief in Santa is a sign of children’s unspoiled ability to have faith.”168 In a range of Christmas films, young children are indeed presented as having natural belief: that their default setting is to trust that Santa is real. It is children who apparently are born with the Christmas spirit and, invariably, it is often their belief and enthusiasm that spreads to adults. In Santa Hunters, while Uncle Charlie (Kelly Perine) seems to believe in Santa in a vague sense, he hands proof of Santa’s existence—a pipe that had been left one Christmas Eve—onto his nephew Alex who, as a child, remains an active believer: “You know, I’m glad you’re the one taking care of this,” Uncle Charlie tells Alex. “I thought a kid should have it. Someone who could still believe in the true magic of it all.” Children’s instinctual belief is identifiable elsewhere. In Christmas in Wonderland, Mary loves Christmas whereas her older brothers appear dismissive. In one scene, older brother Matthew (Brian Saunders) comments about Mary’s naiveté and her seeming obliviousness as to why Christmas is so stressful this year because of their father’s unemployment: “She’s the only one in a state of blissful innocence.” Help for the Holidays (2012) centers on the elf,

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Christine (Summer Glau), sent from the North Pole to help the Vancamp family recapture the spirit of Christmas. The youngest son, Will (Mason Cook), is the only Vancamp who still believes. Almost the same storyline transpires in Northpole: the elf Clementine (Bailee Madison) is sent from the North Pole to recruit young Kevin (Max Charles) to help the world recapture the Christmas spirit: Kevin still believes in the season while his cynical single mom doesn’t. In A Christmas Tree Miracle, youngest daughter Nina (Siomha Kenney) is the only one who still has belief. In Angels in the Snow, the Montgomery family embark on a family ski holiday: the teen siblings are cynical about the trip; the youngest daughter, Emily (Jaeda Lily Miller), is overexcited, seemingly still believing in the possibility of Christmas magic. A variation on children’s belief is illustrated in narratives where faithful children set out to prove the existence of Santa by somehow catching him. In The Santa Trap, Judy successfully sets a trap to catch Santa. In What She Wants for Christmas, Abigail does the same thing. Santa traps are also set in Santa Claws, Santa Hunters and in the animated Gotta Catch Santa Claus (2008). Worth noting, Stalking Santa (2006) and The Secret Santa (2014) focus on adults investigating Santa’s existence. In each film, belief is presented as the default state for children; that proof is only necessary to correct the cynicism of adults. One explanation put forward in these narratives is the notion that children find it easier to believe without proof. Certainly in Christmas Town this is how Kevin— single mom Liz’s (Nicole de Boer) future love interest—rationalizes it when he talks to Liz’s son, Mason (Gig Morton): Kevin: Believing is not always easy for adults. Now, Hollyville, Hollyville is a town of believers. But most of us didn’t start out that way. At least, not when we first got here. But believing is something that comes naturally to you when you’re young. Don’t ever lose that, Mason. ‘Cos when you get older, it takes a lot more work.

Adult’s paucity of belief is similarly acknowledged by Santa (Rob Morton) in Dashing through the Snow: “Believing in things, people, the miracle of Christmas, love, none of that comes easy to them.” So difficult is it to get adults to believe, apparently, that Lucy in Call Me Claus, Scott in The Santa Clause, Claudia in The Night They Saved Christmas and Jerry in The Christmas Secret (2000) each had to be whisked to the North Pole to be shown evidence. The apparent ease of children’s belief is sometimes envied by adults, as articulated by Boyd (Joel McHale) in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas: “Can you imagine still having that kind of belief in magic?” he asks his wife, incredulously. Adult Cindy (Jennifer Runyon) makes the same comment to her mom, Carol (Florence Henderson), in A Very Brady Christmas (1988),

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“Oh mom, wish I still believed in Santa Claus.” Hank (Robert Jason Black) in Love Always, Santa (2016) also echoes this point: “If someone had bothered to ask me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I would have said ‘to feel like a kid again.’” It could be argued that children simply believe because it is encouraged by our culture: that the endless stream of Christmas films and all of the Santa-suited men in department stores work to reinforce Santa as real and thus frames belief as appropriate. This compounded with parents’ active encouragement means that young children don’t have much incentive to question the season. More than this, research suggests that children, in fact, might even be predisposed to faith, a point psychologist Justin Barrett makes in his book Born Believers: I had also been working on new experiments with young children that revealed that they had much easier times thinking about God than I had anticipated. Adults surprised me with the difficulty they had using their God concepts, but children used concepts with ease.169

On screen, however, the story is a bit more complicated. While in real life children’s belief can be explained by parents and society, often children’s belief within films is portrayed as running deeper. In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Doris tells her neighbor—and love interest—Fred: “I think we should be realistic and completely truthful with our children and not have them growing up believing in a lot of legends and myths like Santa Claus.” The same position is taken by each of the single mothers in the Miracle remakes (1959, 1973, 1994). While daughter Susan has largely absorbed her mom’s disbelief, in most narratives when adults tell children the “truth,” children often continue to believe regardless. In The Santa Clause, for example, Charlie’s mother, Laura (Wendy Crewson), and stepfather, Neil, teach him that Santa is less real and more so an idea. The same explanation is offered in The Night They Saved Christmas. In other narratives, adults take a harsher line. In Santa Claws, Tommy’s (Ezra James Colbert) single mom, Julia, explicitly tells him, “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you Santa’s real. He was made up by a soda company.” In Last Chance for Christmas, single mom Annie (Hilarie Burton) offers her daughter Madison (Lola Flanery) similar insight: “Honey, we know that Santa doesn’t exist, right?” In both films—and, worth noting, as transpires in the other narratives where children have innate belief such as Christmas in Wonderland, Help for the Holidays, Northpole, The Night Before the Night Before Christmas and The Santa Trap—children’s belief is validated in the end: the kids were right, and ultimately were rewarded, for having faith, an idea verbalized by Ann to her son Tommy in The Christmas Heart: “If you believe in something with all of your heart

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and you live your life like that something is true, then sometimes it can become true. . . .” Here, Ann alludes to belief as a self-fulfilling prophecy. This idea was, in fact, a key plot point in Under the Mistletoe. A car crash killed Jonathan’s (Burkely Duffield) father, Tom (Conan Graham), although his father returns as a ghost. Nobody else could see the ghost, to which ghost-Tom explains to Jonathan: “It’s because you believe you can see me, that you can see what others can’t.” Children, like Jonathan, get rewarded for having faith. An extension of this is that children’s belief exists because it is compensated: believing in Santa, for example, gets them gifts.170 In Our First Christmas, Santa (Richard Riehle) tells stressed mom Cindy (Julie Warner), who is trying to juggle the competing wants of her family: “You have to have faith for your Christmas wishes to come true . . . Christmas magic only comes to those who believe.” This idea seems to have resonance for children, both on screen and off. In the beginning of A Christmas Story (1983), the narrator, adult Ralphie (Jean Shepherd), remarks: “Christmas was on its way. Lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas around which the entire kid year revolved.” Young Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) has belief primarily because Christmas is a season that, in practice, centers around gift giving and he was desperate for an air rifle: his belief, therefore, was strategic. Children’s natural belief, and also perhaps adults’ natural cynicism, can also be explained by adults’ tendency to seek alternate, earthly explanations. Certainly this is Santa’s (Christopher Mitchum) explanation in Santa’s Summer House: Santa: They’re adults now, they’re set in their ways. They’re resistance to— Mrs. Claus: A little Christmas magic?

Such cynicism is also articulated in Christmas Town. Liz has gone to visit her father, Jack (Garry Chalk), in Hollyville: a town obsessed with Christmas. There, she meets Kevin, whose Christmas spirit contrasts with her own lack thereof: Liz: I’m not a Scrooge. Kevin: Well that’s good to know. Liz: I look at the world realistically. Kevin: Well, then, they say you find what you’re looking for. Liz: Well it’s better than being naïve. Kevin: Is it? ‘Cause children are naïve and they’re a lot happier than most adults. Ergo being naïve wins out over cynical.

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Barrett provides a slightly different take on this in Born Believers, where he recounts an explanation for children’s belief provided to him by a Brahman: He explained to me that on death, we go to be with God and later are reincarnated. As children have been with God more recently, they could understand God better than adults can. They had not yet forgotten or grown confused and distracted by the world. In a real sense, he explained, children came into the world knowing God more purely and accurately than adults do.171

While secular narratives rarely present this idea explicitly, certainly it is one way to interpret children’s ready belief within films. While young children might seem like natural believers, this often comes at a cost whereby those around them mock their faith. Belief and Immaturity In several films, a catalyst incident will involve a child being mocked or corrected for their belief in Santa. In Santa Claws, adult Julia’s lack of belief stemmed from being teased as a child by classmates after she spoke about her encounter with Santa. In Santa Hunters, after doing a class presentation providing “irrefutable” evidence of Santa’s existence, Alex is similarly mocked: “My life spiralled into a nightmare of yuletide pranks,” he lamented. “Non believers and Kringle-deniers ridiculed what I knew to be true.” In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, Mia reveals that her classmate, Amy (Lucy Loken), had been teasing her for her belief: “She called me a baby for believing in Santa Claus.” In one scene Mia is at the mall and gets taunted by Amy, “I’m surprised to see you here and not on Santa’s lap like all the other infants.” In Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Jusso (Ilmari Järvenpää) is teased by his friend Pietari (Onni Tommila) about his belief: “What a baby. You still believe in Santa Claus? . . . This whole Christmas thing is just a bluff.” In Stalking Santa, young Keith (Simon Taylor) is even teased for his Santologist father’s beliefs. While in these narratives characters are overtly mocked, in others the same thing is implied through the revelation of the “truth.” In The Santa Clause, for example, Laura discloses that her son Charlie “came home from school the other day in tears, because some big kid told him there was no such thing as Santa.” In A Princess for Christmas (2011), Milo (Travis Turner) tells his younger sister Maddy (Leilah de Meza) that there is no Santa. In The Santa Trap, Mike tells his little sister Judy: “Santa is made up for little kids like you.” In Sons of Mistletoe, at the mention of Santa, troubled preteen Wylie (Scott Terra) comments— in front of the others at the boys’ home—“Santa’s stupid, it’s just a big

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rip-off.” In Merry Friggin’ Christmas, oldest daughter Vera (Bebe Wood) reveals to her father, Boyd, why she stopped believing: Vera: Most kids in my class don’t believe in Santa any more. But Madison and me, I mean, Madison and I, we kinda still did, except that Madison’s sister . . . she showed us this website nosanta.org. Boyd: Well, Madison’s sister is a deceitful little strumpet.

Later in the film, Boyd’s nephew, Rance (Ryan Lee), also tries to spoil things when Boyd attempts to read a holiday story to the children: “We’re not two [years old], Uncle Boyd. I mean, all this Santa crap is for babies! Every dumbass knows there’s no such thing. . . .”172 In these examples, older children spoil the belief of younger children; in others, adults do the same. In If You Believe (1999), Susan (Ally Walker) tells her seven-year-old niece, Alice (Hayden Panettiere), that Santa isn’t real. In Four Holidays, Brad tells his nephew Cody (Zak Boggan) the same thing. In Secret Santa, Rebecca reveals that when she was in the second grade, her father told her that “only babies believe in Santa Claus.” In Santa Hunters, Natasha tells the children, “Santa is a sham!” In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, young Jake reveals to Nick that his mother told him that “big boys don’t believe in Santa.” In the remake of the 1974 horror film Black Christmas (2006), the serial killer Billy (Robert Mann) is shown in a flashback being told by his mother (Karin Konoval): “Santa ain’t coming to see you. Russians shot his sleigh down. Santa Claus is dead.” In Merry In-Laws, Alex’s (Kassia Warshawski) curmudgeonly academic father, Steven (Greg Lawson), tells his grandson Max (Jacob Thurmeier) that Santa doesn’t exist. A Merry Friggin’ Christmas opens with a flashback with five-year-old Boyd (J. J. Jones) sneaking downstairs to look for Santa. Instead, he finds his alcoholic father, Mitch (Robin Williams), who reveals, “It’s all a sham, Boyd. The whole Goddamn deal. I’m the only Santa you’re ever gonna know.”173 These adult spoilsports allude to several themes explored in this book and common in Christmas films. First, they reiterate the link between children and belief: many adults seemingly are unable to do so (or even pretend to do so), and resultantly such characters get framed as Scrooge-like. Such scenes also highlight a reality that belief is invariably only transitory and that, ultimately, it is something that children will grow out of; that they will eventually become disbelieving adults. Another aspect to spoiled belief is consequences. Discussed earlier was the lost faith that came from characters not having their wishes granted by Santa. Something similar transpires for characters whose belief gets spoiled. For Boyd in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, having Christmas ruined by his father led to him obsessively trying to maintain his own son’s belief.174 In Four Holidays,

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after Brad revealed that Santa isn’t real, his distraught nephew, Cody, climbs out of the window and runs naked down the street. In The Night They Saved Christmas, after his mom, Claudia (Jaclyn Smith), explains to her young son, C. B. (R. J. Williams) that Santa isn’t real, C. B. angrily responds, “You just ruined everything. I hate you, Mom, I wish you were dead.” In a much darker example, in Black Christmas (2006), Billy’s spoiled faith motivates him to become a homicidal maniac. Something alluded to in films where children’s belief is validated is children being instrumental in bringing belief—and the Christmas spirit more broadly—to adults in ways beyond simply a belief in Santa: that the faith of children is sometimes happily contagious. Children and the Belief of Adults Discussed earlier was Angel in the House. In the narrative, Eli—seemingly an orphan from the local foster center—turns up at the home of Zooey and Alex. Initially it appears that Eli is the future adoptee that the couple had requested; by the end of the narrative, however, it is revealed that Eli had a different role. His function, as an angel, was to bring joy, hope and ultimately the Christmas spirit to the couple to help them move on from the grief over losing their first child. When Zooey and Alex are relaxed and happy again, Eli departs and the couple conceives. Children also dole out holiday spirit in other films. In If You Believe, mentioned earlier, Susan is a Grinch-like character who has lost all belief in the season. After a horrible Christmas with her brother and his family—notably after Susan spoiled things by revealing to her niece that Santa isn’t real—Susan is visited by Susie (Hayden Panettiere), herself as a child. While initially reluctant to believe, ultimately the visit of Susan’s “inner child” helps her to relax and enjoy the season and to even find love. If You Believe presents a visual display of a point articulated by Andy in Christmas under Wraps— and a theme apparent in numerous Christmas films: “I thought Christmas was supposed to bring out the kid in all of us.” Katherine in Fallen Angel makes a similar point in relation to the capacity for children to alter the Christmas spirit of adults: “Olivia’s taught me to live in the present. It’s this great gift that small children give to you. There’s no future to a child, there’s only what is here, now, in front of you.” A different presentation of the role of children in adults’ belief plays out in A Christmas Eve Miracle. As mentioned earlier, Sharon is a workaholic who gets the opportunity to live an alternate reality without children. In her new childless life, she and her once stay-at-home husband, Dustin (Anthony Starke), are materialistic workaholics. The couple is less kind, less generous and it appears that Dustin has even become cruel: in one scene he gloats about how his hedge fund nearly crushed the economy of

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Greece. The subtext is simple: children made the couple nicer. The same message is delivered in The Christmas Clause. Sophie is exhausted, balancing home, family and work. After falling and hitting her head at the mall, Sophie gets the opportunity to live an alternate reality without marriage or children. In her alternate reality Sophie is horrible: she is estranged from her sister, didn’t attend her parents’ wedding anniversary and is obsessive about her diet (commonly a sign of lost spirit).175 Having children, apparently, makes adults nicer and more well rounded. Thus far faith has been discussed in the context of belief in Santa without evidence. In fact, the concept of faith serves a much broader narrative function on screen. YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH, FAITH, FAITH In The Twelve Trees of Christmas, Cheri’s boss at the library, Bette (Shauna MacDonald), encourages her not to give up on saving the building from the developers: “Have some faith, Cheri. That’s what Christmas is all about.”176 Bette doesn’t explain what she means, but there’s unlikely any complicated undercurrent: faith—whichever way it is defined—is something inextricably linked to the season. Dictionary definitions center on trust and confidence in something or someone based on conviction rather than proof: newspaper columnist Charlotte (Nicollette Sheridan) provides such a definition in The Christmas Spirit (2013): Charlotte: It’s a time when we’re encouraged to hope and allowed to have faith. Faith in what we believe and in the things we cannot see.

Nick in Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus offers a similar definition: “Faith means believing without proof.” On-screen faith manifests in multiple ways: it can mean faith in Jesus, faith in things like Santa Claus or angels, faith in the Christmas spirit or in Christmas magic (chapter 5), or faith simply in fate: as Lynn’s eldest son Thomas declares in Paper Angels: “Maybe we just got to try our best and have faith things will turn out the way they’re meant to.” Mom Debbie (Maria Pitillo) espouses a similar sentiment in The Christmas Secret (2000), telling her daughter, Grace (Taylor Anne Reid): “Sometimes you just have to have faith that what’s in your heart is as real as what you see with your eyes.” Such ideas are widely portrayed. In The Christmas Hope, Traci (Devon Weigel) has a brief conversation with her daughter Emily that illustrates this: Emily: How do I know God is with me? Traci: You just know.

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This you just know idea is similarly articulated in Northpole. Single mom Chelsea (Tiffani Thiessen) is concerned about her son, Kevin’s, sudden talk of elves. Chelsea mentions this to Kevin’s teacher, Ryan (Josh Hopkins), who responds, “Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” The conductor in The Polar Express also shares this view: “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund) in The Preacher’s Wife (1996) makes this point in the context of angels: “Just because you can’t see the air doesn’t stop you from breathing. And just because you can’t see God, it don’t stop you from believing.” These ideas reflect the recurrent depiction of faith as a critical undercurrent of the “Christmas spirit.” Faith and the Christmas Spirit The “Christmas spirit” has been defined variously on screen. In Mr. Soft Touch (1949), social worker Jenny (Evelyn Keyes) pleas for lenience to the police on behalf of Joe (Glenn Ford): “Is that the Christmas spirit? To take a man away from his wife on Christmas Eve?” Jenny asks. In On the Second Day of Christmas, pickpocket Trish attempts to exploit this socalled spirit to get out of trouble with store detective Bert: “Christmas is supposed to be a time of compassion,” she pleas, albeit facetiously. In A Very Brady Christmas, Sam (Lewis Arquette) leaves Alice (Ann B. Davis) for another woman, although, by the end of the narrative, he begs for her forgiveness by appealing to her “Christmas spirit”: “I’ve been a fool Alice. It’s Christmas. Please have the spirit.” In each example, Christmas spirit is defined as centered on leniency and forgiveness. In other films, definitions are loftier. In Help for the Holidays, Christine, the elf, defines the Christmas spirit as “about being home with your family and singing and dancing and celebrating and being in touch with your family. That is Christmas spirit.” In Best Christmas Party Ever (2014), Jennie (Torrey DeVitto) defines it as: “Generosity, kindness, love. That’s Christmas.” In Santa Jr. (2002), Susan (Lauren Holly) explains Christmas spirit to the title character, Nick (Nick Stabile), who is the son of Santa: “When a person goes that extra mile for someone else and they have nothing to gain, and maybe even something to lose, that’s the Christmas spirit. And it has nothing to do with the Christmas season or a special reason.” Each definition is vague, all-encompassing and centers, generally, on the subjective notion of niceness. In some narratives, the Christmas spirit is presented as closely aligned with religious faith. In Chapman’s discussion of the British Scrooge (1935), he notes, “The film ends with yet another image of social cohesion as Scrooge joins the Cratchits in church.”177 In Ms. Scrooge, a specific point is

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made that the protagonist, Ebenita, hasn’t been to church since she was a child. In the film’s final scene, however, she returns for a Christmas service. In A Christmas Visitor, son John (Aaron Ashmore) was killed in the Iraq war, twelve years prior. John’s family hasn’t celebrated Christmas since his death, nor have they attended church. Spontaneously, John’s father, George (William Devane), decides to celebrate again and goes out to buy Christmas stamps, lights and a tree. In one of the stores, he has a brief conversation with the shopkeeper, Larry (Richard Blackburn): George: You know, I’ve had this weirdest feeling all day. You know how sometimes you think you can feel. . . . Well today, I think I can feel something. In here. Something that used to be there and is back. Larry: It’s called Christmas, George.

By the end of the narrative, George and his family are believers again: the Christmas spirit gets fused with faith and ultimately leads the family back to a place inextricably linked to faith: church. In a range of narratives church attendance is the sign that a character has found the Christmas spirit and been redeemed. In White Reindeer, Suzanne and her family end the narrative seated in church. In The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), the film ends with pregnant Annie (Diana Scarwid) and her three children attending church, praying for Dad’s (Robert Urich) safe return home. In the final scene of Black Nativity, Naima reunites with her son, his father and her estranged parents in church. In Wish for Christmas, the film closes with a Christmas Eve church service attended by all the characters, notably those whose faith had lapsed across the course of the narrative. In the next section, the importance of faith on screen is depicted via those in possession of it being framed as good. Faith as a Signifier of Goodness Discussed earlier were a range of spoilsport adults who ruin children’s Christmases by revealing that Santa doesn’t exist. Such characters are framed negatively: while some are bad and others miserable, each is the antithesis of the season. Conversely, characters who have faith and possesses the Christmas spirit are invariably presented as good. This distinction, for example, is why Kevin in Christmas Town becomes Liz’s love interest: people who have the Christmas spirit are portrayed as worthy, particularly so as love interests. Such characters get extra goodness points if they help other characters find their spirit. A verbalization of this transpires in Dashing through the Snow. Ashley explains to Dash her “truth test”:

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Ashley: A person who believes in the idea of Santa Claus is a fundamentally good person. Dash: Santa Claus? Ashley: It means they believe in hope, generosity, and reward for good behavior.

Santa in Call Me Claus similarly links belief in Santa to positive personal qualities: “If people stop believing in Santa . . . maybe they will stop believing in things like kindness, generosity. . . .” On the flipside, characters who don’t have the spirit of Christmas—notably, characters like Braxton in The Case for Christmas who go so far as to argue in court that Santa is not real—are framed as curmudgeonly, as Grinch-like. Connelly discusses belief as a disposition test in his work on the Miracle on 34th Street films: “Santa is shown to be a character that only truly appears to those who believe in him. Belief in him becomes a vital test for all other perceptions and understandings of life.”178 One interpretation of good characters as faithful centers simply on conservatism: that characters who “believe”—be it in Jesus or in Santa—are moral. Wish for Christmas presents this narrative quite literally, whereby cynical teen Anna prays for her religious parents to stop believing. Anna’s wish comes true, and she wakes up and her mother and father have become horrible workaholics: they are less charitable, less kind, and substantially less quality parents. For Anna’s parents, seemingly their religious faith had been their moral compass. Faith-based goodness is also grounded in resilience and on characters with faith being less controlling, obsessive and neurotic. Kevin verbalizes this idea to Liz in Christmas Town: Kevin: Life is full of disappointments. But when I look at Mason I see the light shining in his eyes when he looks at a Christmas tree or he talks about the elves, I can’t help but think that’s a kind of magic burning inside him. And a little magic, and a little hope, that’s what we have to arm ourselves against the grand disappointments of this world.

Equally Kevin tells Liz, “Christmas might not last for long but it feels good for a little while to just let go and believe.” A similar point is made in Angel of Christmas, when Grandpa (Francis X. McCarthy) says to his adult granddaughter, Susan (Jennifer Finnigan): “If you want to believe, you have to take a leap. If you look too close, the magic is gone. Where’s the fun in that?” The same idea is apparent in an exchange between Annie (Maria Thayer) and Ted (Sam Page) in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town:

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Ted: Do you think decorating will solve the problem of this balloon payment? Annie: Not just your money problems but your soul. Enthuse yourself with the Christmas spirit and life just looks better.

While more explicit in these two narratives than most, the undercurrent is that belief creates the capacity for enjoyment. Such levity, in fact, can be viewed as linked to the innocence of childhood and exists as another explanation for children’s tendency toward belief. Such a notion was alluded to in Call Me Mrs. Miracle. In one scene, Holly (Jewel Staite), who is looking after her nephew Gabe while his father is deployed, comments, “Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child is like living it all over again.” Certainly for the enormous range of Christmas film workaholics—discussed in chapter 6—the capacity for belief opens them up to new and positive Christmas experiences: that focusing on things other than work helps them see everything anew. Fir Crazy offers another presentation of this idea: once Elise recaptures the spirit she orders a holiday drink with nutmeg, tells a random stranger to “Slow down, enjoy the season,” holds the mailbox open for someone, fixes a crooked Christmas decoration, donates to charity and stops to watch street performers. For Elise, having faith and having the Christmas spirit grants her levity to enjoy life. Just as the existence of faith is a key theme in film, so too is its absence. LOST FAITH In a range of narratives, religious faith is lost. Mitch in Christmas with a Capital C, for example, Emily (Samantha Barks) in The Christmas Candle, the Boyajian family in A Christmas Visitor, Butch (Geoffrey Lewis) and Glen (Peter O’Toole) in The Christmas Cottage, Megan (Candace Cameron Bure) and her family in The Heart of Christmas, the George family in A Christmas Tree Miracle, and Jess (Sam Elliott) in November Christmas (2010), each stopped going to church.179 The same theme is apparent in A Christmas Wish when Mel tells her mom, “God won’t forget us at Christmas,” to which Martha responds, “No, no. Not you. But I think he wrote me off a long time ago.” A Dream for Christmas (1973) centers on a church that is facing closure due to the waning faith of parishioners. A Bill of Divorcement puts a different spin on this. The narrative is set across 24 hours over Christmas. Patriarch Hilary (John Barrymore) has recently escaped from a mental asylum. He explains to his wife (Billie Burke) and daughter (Katharine Hepburn) that he hadn’t really been insane but rather, had lost his faith: “I was never really like the rest of them, I was always really sane. But the face was turned away. . . . The face of God.” Some films occasionally even present preachers who have lost

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their way: David Richmond (Hans Matheson) in The Christmas Candle was a minister who left the pulpit after a family tragedy; in Christmas Miracle, the death of his wife in childbirth similarly saw James (Aaron Pearl) do the same. In Powder Blue, after the death of his wife, minister Charlie (Forest Whitaker) also became disillusioned. These narratives each offer reflections on lost faith, something that is seemingly less critical to ponder at other times of the year. Lost faith is sometimes presented in Christmas films as having physical consequences. In Northpole, for example, strong faith illuminates the Pole, weak faith dims it. In Santa Hunters, children’s attempts to prove Santa’s existence chips away at his powers. In The Case for Christmas, it is the Christmas spirit that fuels Santa’s workshop; lost spirit, therefore, equals lost production. While in these examples lost faith negatively impacts on the execution of Christmas, in most narratives lost faith primarily impacts on disposition, with faithless characters are commonly framed as Scrooges, and their disposition pathologized.180 In most narratives that include faith-challenged characters, a reason for it will eventually be provided: the undercurrent being that it is normal to have the Christmas spirit; if it’s lost it was lost for a reason. While thus far I have discussed films where lost belief centers on characters not getting what they wanted from Santa, in others, lost faith is connected to crisis or grief. Calamity and Faithlessness Noel provides a rare example where lost faith is explicitly discussed, something evident in an exchange between Rose (Susan Sarandon) and Charlie (Robin Williams), strangers who were both pondering suicide on Christmas Eve (a topic explored in greater depth in chapter 4): Charlie: How’s your faith? Rose: Oh, it’s pretty shaky. Charlie: Really? Why? Rose: Well my mom’s been sick for a long time with Alzheimer’s and she always kept the family together. And now she can’t even bathe herself. I keep trying to reconnect with her. . . .

Later in the scene, Rose admits to Charlie that she has stopped praying. In Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, not being able to find a job, to buy a tree or gifts for the children, James (Richard Thomas) experiences his own crisis: “Dammit. I’m running out of faith.” In The Christmas Heart, Ann is trying to encourage her husband, Mike (Paul Essiembre), to pray for their severely ill son, Matt. Mike also seems to have very low reserves of faith:

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Ann: The best thing that you can do for Matt now is just— Mike: What? Ann: Believe. Mike: What does that mean? I’m not like you, you know that. I can’t just sit here and accept this. Ann: I’m not just sitting here and accepting this. I am praying for a miracle. Mike: Since when has praying for anything ever worked?

Mike’s business is struggling and now his son is dying: while calamity thrusts some characters into faith, for others, like Mike, it disillusions them. Mike’s lost faith mirrors Scott’s in The Christmas Bunny when he talks about God to his wife: “I don’t think he knows this family exists.” Scott is referencing his precarious employment situation. Ted’s lost faith in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town is presented similarly. His struggling toy shop is the rationale for his shattered faith, as he explains to the title character: Annie: Please don’t give up hope, Ted. Not this close to Christmas. Ted: What does Christmas have to do with anything? It’s just a stupid day to go with the other three hundred and sixty four horrible days that my year’s made of. Annie: Don’t say that. Ted, miracles always happen at Christmas. Ted: You know, people keep saying that but I have yet to see one. Annie: Well you have to have faith. Ted: Faith means nothing. I tried it, I tried hope too and that also failed.

For Mitch in Christmas with a Capital C, his lack of faith was connected to his recent job loss and having to move home to Alaska. Another calamity commonly connected to diminished spirit is a relationship break-up. In the period drama The Dead (1987), at the Christmas party, Mr. Grace (Sean McClory) delivers a recitation of the traditional poem “Donal Og” (translated by Lady Gregory), which is about the consequences of heartbreak: You have taken the east from me, you have taken the west from me you have taken what is before me and what is behind me you have taken the moon, you have taken the sun from me and my fear is great that you have taken God from me!

In The Dead, via the poem, lost love is connected directly to lost faith—both religious and spiritual—in most narratives the idea is more

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commonly shown rather than spoken. For Jack in Chasing Christmas, for example, a consequence of his wife leaving him is his active loathing of Christmas. While Christmastime break-ups are discussed in chapter 4, the idea of them motivating characters to turn away from Christmas and toward a life of Scrooge-ishness transpires in several films. In My Santa, Jen’s (Samaire Armstrong) partner walked out on her and her son just prior to their first Christmas; resultantly, Jen lost her Christmas spirit. In Last Chance for Christmas, Annie’s lack of spirit is connected to her husband leaving her the year prior. In Karroll’s Christmas, Allen’s loathing of Christmas is linked to his failed Christmastime marriage proposal. In Angel of Christmas, Susan lost all her Christmas spirit when her relationship ended two years prior: her boyfriend left her for a yoga instructor on Christmas Day. In On the Second Day of Christmas, Bert’s partner recently left him and resultantly he lost interest in celebrating the season. In Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, Oliver’s lack of Christmas spirit was connected to his break up two Christmases prior. In Nativity! Paul (Martin Freedman) hadn’t celebrated since he and his girlfriend, Jennifer (Ashley Jensen) broke up. In A Christmas Song, Diana (Natasha Henstridge) lost her Christmas spirit when she broke up with her cheating husband four years prior. In Back to Christmas, Ali lost her Christmas spirit when her relationship ended. Akin to any calamity or grief (discussed in the next section), these breakups are the reason for a character’s anger, bitterness and initial inability to open their heart to the possibility of joy or magic at Christmas. In each example, however, each character goes through a journey to a place of renewed faith and spirit, as is common in Christmas-themed films. While break-ups create a kind of grief, it is a sentiment most commonly connected to death. Faithlessness and Grief In A Mom for Christmas, single dad Jim (Doug Sheehan) lost his Christmas spirit nearly a decade ago, something he discussed with his daughter’s new babysitter (and his future love interest), Amy (Olivia Newton-John): Amy: Why did her father stop taking pictures of her eight years ago? Jim: Eight years ago. . . . Her mother died eight years ago. Amy: I know that. Is that when you stopped listening to your daughter and looking at her?

In light of all the many widowed single parents discussed earlier, it is unsurprising that lost faith and an absence of the spirit of Christmas are

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oftentimes intertwined. It also transpires for widows without children. In Silver Bells, Catherine’s (Anne Heche) husband Brian died three years prior. She hasn’t put up a tree since. Kathy (Kellie Martin) in The Christmas Ornament (2013) and Annabelle (Christine Taylor) in Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010) handled the deaths of their husbands similarly. For Trudy (Tess Harper) in A Christmas Wish, since the death of her husband she chose to concentrate on running her diner: “I don’t really have much Christmas spirit myself. . . . My husband died at Christmas. . . . He was the love of my life . . . I’m still pretty upset at God for taking him from me.” In Christmas Ranch, grandma Mary (Francine Locke) makes a similar point about her husband: “When he died, I sure was mad at God.” In Unlikely Angel, after the death of his wife, Ben (Brian Kerwin) decided, “We don’t celebrate Christmas around here anymore.” In Christmas Magic, Scott became a widower after his wife was killed on Christmas Eve five years prior: “Ever since then, Christmas hasn’t been my favorite time of year,” he says. “I go through the motions for [daughter] Abby’s [Kiara Glasco] sake, but I’m kind of glad when the whole holiday season is over.” In Christmas Town, as a child, Liz’s father, Jack, stopped celebrating Christmas after the death of his wife. Widowed men responded similarly in Call Me Mrs. Miracle, Fir Crazy, The Tree That Saved Christmas, Every Christmas Has a Story, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, What I Did for Love and Pete’s Christmas (2013). In Cancel Christmas, Adam is in a wheelchair after the accident that killed his father. Adam doesn’t believe in Santa. Farley (Sante Scaletta) in the same narrative is equally without spirit: his dad, Charles, is an absent workaholic still grieving his wife: “I was lost. I ran to what I knew best: I went to my work,” Charles explains. The death of his fiancé in Christmas Belle (2013) sees Hunter (Nicholas Gonzalez) similarly denying the season. In I’m Not Ready for Christmas, workaholic Holly (Alicia Witt) was brought up by her sister after their parents died in a car accident when she was 13: their deaths seem to explain her lack of spirit. Dead parents function similarly in several films. In Santa Jr., Susan’s lack of spirit is connected to the death of her parents: “They were Christmas to me,” she lamented. In 12 Men of Christmas (2009), protagonist E. J. (Kristin Chenoweth) explains to her sister, Roz (Erin Dilly), why she has no spirit: “Since mom and dad are gone Christmas means nothing to me.” In A Boyfriend for Christmas, both of Ryan’s parents died while he was in law school: “I think that’s when I started letting work become more important than Christmas.” In A Perfect Christmas List, after Michelle’s (Beth Broderick) father died, her attitude to Christmas completely altered; as her mother, Evie, explained: “When her father died she felt she had to grow up overnight. No more fun and games. She just became so serious so fast.” In A Christmas Detour, Paige explains her lackluster Christmas spirit: “Growing up it was just

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mom and me and the money was really tight.” After Paige’s mom died, “Christmas just didn’t seem as important.” For Rebecca (Marla Sokoloff) in A Christmas Wedding Date (2012), after the death of her father she cut herself off from her mother and channelled her energies into work. In A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Best Christmas Party Ever and Dear Secret Santa (2013), the death of parents similarly saw women redirect energies into work. In On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, since the death of his mom at Christmas ten years prior, Mitch (Robin Dunne) lost interest in celebrating Christmas. For protagonist Maddie (Bonnie Somerville) in Love You Like Christmas, her experience was the same: “After my mom died, the holidays just kind of lost their meaning. I got presents, but none of the sentiments.” In Christmas Incorporated (2015), William’s (Steve Lund) lack of spirit is connected to the death of his grandma: “As I get older, Christmas just ends up reminding me of how much I miss my grandma. It ends up becoming something I try to survive rather than celebrate.” Just as dead partners and parents often explain lost spirit, so too, predictably, do dead children. As discussed earlier, the death of children in A Christmas Visitor and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey negatively impacted religious faith; the death of children also impairs Christmas spirit. In Carol for Another Christmas (1964), the Scrooge character—Daniel (Sterling Hayden)—lost his spirit following the death of his son in the war. In Secret of Giving, the Scrooge bank manager, Harlan (Ronny Cox), is curmudgeonly because he and his wife lost their only child to poor health. The same thing happens in Young Pioneers Christmas, The Christmas Hope, Love’s Christmas Journey, November Christmas, The Christmas Cottage, Angels in the Snow and A Princess for Christmas. Deaths of siblings function similarly. For the title character in Ebbie, her lack of spirit is connected to misplaced guilt over her sister’s death during childbirth. In Angels Sing (2013), it was the childhood death of Michael’s (Harry Connick Jr.) brother that destroyed his Christmas spirit into adulthood. (Guilt is discussed further in chapter 4.) Grief is a common hurdle for characters, particularly in romantic narratives where overcoming it is central to moving on and into new love. For narratives where romance is not a theme, the reference appears to mirror Scrooge’s journey as a dispositional rebirth. Another interpretation for absent faith and Christmas spirit is that it is attributable to something going awry in a child’s upbringing. Faithlessness and Bad Upbringings In a range of narratives, an unhappy childhood is directly connected to lost faith: that an upbringing with negligent or unhappy parents thwarts the ability for an adult to enjoy Christmas.

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Childhoods spent working in businesses related to Christmas is presented as negatively impacting on spirit (while simultaneously serving as a testimony to the challenges posed to the season by capitalism, as discussed in chapter 6). Discussed earlier was Help for the Holidays: the Vancamp family have lost their Christmas spirit based on their energies going entirely into their ornaments business. In Fir Crazy, with Elise’s family running a Christmas tree farm, she never got much of a celebration. In Charming Christmas, protagonist Meredith’s (Julie Benz) family run a department store: “We’re always too busy to enjoy it,” she explains. In Moonlight & Mistletoe, Nick runs a Santa Village. His daughter, Holly, worked there as a child: “I worked for Santa so long that Christmas didn’t have much magic anymore. All I knew was the more holiday spirit people had, the more work it meant for me.” A similar explanation appears responsible for Elizabeth’s lack of belief in A Different Kind of Christmas. Her attention-seeking father (Bruce Kirby) dressed up as Santa throughout her childhood, seemingly causing Elizabeth great consternation and forging strong anti-Santa sentiments. In other narratives, parents’ workaholism (a concept explored further in chapter 6) sabotages spirit. In Christmas Magic, Carey’s (Lindy Booth) father had been a workaholic, something that seems to have (at least partly) negatively impacted on her Christmas spirit. The same situation transpired for Patrick in Holiday Road Trip: “It’s no big deal. Christmas is not really my thing . . . I don’t have the same warm fuzzy memories about it that most people do that’s all.” For Daniel (Bart Johnson) in The Christmas Spirit his workaholism and lack of Christmas spirit were attributable to his absent father: “We just didn’t ever do that. My dad was usually working.” In Finding Father Christmas (2016), Miranda (Erin Krakow) observed that most of her Christmases were spent in hotel rooms because her mother was an actress. In My Christmas Dream, Christina’s (Danica McKellar) parents ran a restaurant so she didn’t get much of a Christmas. The same thing played out in Angels and Ornaments (2014): Dave’s (Graham Abbey) parents owned a restaurant so he spent the season bussing tables. Chapman identified that A Christmas Carol (1984) was the first Carol adaptation to break with the tradition of leaving Scrooge’s behavior unexplained: The film provides a psychological “explanation” for Scrooge’s miserliness in that he was denied affection by his father, something hinted at in previous films but developed much more fully here.181

Chapman also discusses Scrooged, identifying how it pathologized the Scrooge character: “Frank was denied affection by his own father, who in one scene from Frank’s childhood is shown giving him a Christmas

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present of 4 lb. of veal.”182 An absent—or commonly dead—parent, alternatively, a personal tragedy, is certainly a relevant interpretation for the varying degrees of Scrooge-ishness, or at least spirit-lessness, apparent in the narratives discussed above. Worth noting, in some films bad childhoods and bad experiences are directed in a more positive direction. In Farewell Mr. Kringle, for example, the titular character, Kris Kringle (William Morgan Sheppard), lost his wife in a car accident on Christmas Eve. Kris channeled his grief into an over-the-top preoccupation with Christmas to honor his wife’s memory. A similar idea is apparent in The Christmas Consultant (2012): Owen (David Hasselhoff) directed grief over his wife’s death into a Christmas consultancy business where he made sure other families had wonderful Christmases. In Looks Like Christmas, Carol (Anne Heche) dealt with her divorce by becoming “Christmas Carol” and directing her energies into the season. In Moonlight & Mistletoe, after Nick’s wife died, his grief went into his Santa Village business; his daughter, Holly, explained her father’s coping strategy as “All Santa, all the time.” In The Real St. Nick, the death of Nick’s (Callard Harris) wife and daughter saw him channeling his efforts into dressing up like Santa. In A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, Boyd is obsessed with making the season perfect for his son to give him the Christmas he never had. The same idea is at play in Deck the Halls (2006), where Steve (Matthew Broderick) explains why he makes such a big deal out of Christmas: Steve: Christmas was not a priority for [Dad]. We didn’t even have a tree. Well, I want things to be different for my kids. I want them to have big family traditions year after year that they can count on and look forward to.

Such narratives present Christmas as a coping strategy, whereby attempts to correct history are made through often extravagant celebrations. Faithlessness and Fear An undercurrent to absent spirit sometimes centers on a character safeguarding themselves from disappointment. Quoted earlier was Emily in The Christmas Candle, who stopped attending church, noting, “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.” Such skepticism—potentially centered on not wanting to put faith and hope into the unprovable, through to not wanting to be proven wrong (like those children mocked for their belief discussed earlier), appears to dissuade several characters from faith. In some examples, fear sabotaging faith is apparent in crude verbalizations. In Santa Who? for example, Claire (Robyn Lively) accuses her boyfriend Peter (Steven Eckholdt): “You’re afraid to believe in anything.”

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Fred makes a similar observation about Doris in Miracle on 34th Street (1947): “She hasn’t really believed in anything for years.” In Christmas in Paradise, older brother Chris (Devon Werkheiser) makes this point about his younger brother (Kenton Duty): “Michael doesn’t believe in anything anymore.” In other narratives, such fear is evident in parents cautioning their children not to put faith into Santa (or the season). In Holiday Affair (1949), this idea is apparent in an exchange between single mom Connie (Janet Leigh) and her son Tim (Gordon Gebert): Connie: You can’t expect miracles. Or even hope for them. Tim: My teacher says we shouldn’t be afraid to wish for things. Even things we don’t think we can get in a million years. Connie: Well I don’t agree with it. If you wish for things you can get you’re gonna be happy. But if you wish for real big things all you’re gonna get are real big disappointments.

In Christmas Town, Liz articulates the same ideas in comments made to her future love interest, Kevin, about her son, Mason: “I just don’t want him to grow up always being disappointed. Always thinking that things are gonna be great. When the truth is they’re just not.” In Northpole, single mom Chelsea has a similar conversation with Ryan about her son, Kevin’s, belief: Ryan: Imagination can be a great coping mechanism. Chelsea: Or a great way to avoid reality.

In each of these examples, characters appear to consider belief as posing a danger. Such an idea is taken further in The Case for Christmas whereby, similar to what transpires in the Miracle on 34th Street films, Santa is sued, in this case for causing “severe emotional distress.” Another way to interpret the stifling of belief is as a way to temper disappointment. In each example, children are steered away from not only devoting energies to wishes, but to investing in a supernatural entity: be it God or Santa. While in each narrative, such warnings testify to a parent’s own lack of belief or absent Christmas spirit, they can also be construed as being about the necessity to not factor the supernatural into one’s happiness. The title of the documentary Waiting for “Superman” (2010), for example, comes from a quote from the educational reformer Geoffrey Canada: [O]ne of the saddest days of my life was when my mother told me “Superman” did not exist . . . she thought I was crying because it’s like Santa Claus is not real. I was crying because no one was coming with enough power to save us . . . 183

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This quote provides an interesting way to think about the mothers in Holiday Affair, Christmas Angel and Last Chance for Christmas—as well as the parenting that Joe in Mr. Soft Touch was seemingly exposed to when he says, “[Hope is] a poor man’s disease. I was vaccinated against it when I was a kid”—whereby children are cautioned against investing in the idea that their heart’s desires can be satisfied by the supernatural. Such narratives can be construed as comparatively secular portrayals whereby solutions outside of divine intervention are advocated. Akin to all those characters, discussed earlier, who became bitter and cynical after their wishes to Santa went unfulfilled, for the characters discussed in the following section it appears that not putting faith into something is perceived as adult and responsible. Faithlessness and Maturity In A Town without Christmas, M. J. (Patricia Heaton) is a television reporter visiting the small town of Seacliff, Washington, to report on a mysterious letter to Santa. While in town, M. J. has an exchange with David, who had only recently returned to Seacliff after years living away: David: Not a Christmas person either? M. J.: I used to be. When I was a kid.

While time is discussed in greater detail in chapter 2, for the purposes of this chapter it is necessary to discuss ageing as a key explanation for lost faith. Apparent in the brief exchange in A Town without Christmas is that simply by getting older, a person moves beyond belief; an idea present in a range of narratives. In The Holly and the Ivy, Aunt Lydia (Margaret Halstan) reflects on her childhood Christmases and acknowledges: “As one gets older the magic seems to go out of things.” In The Santa Clause, the elf Judy (Paige Tamada) says the same thing to Scott: “Most grownups can’t believe in magic. It just sort of grows out of them.” In Magic Stocking, this idea is evident in an exchange between Lindsey and her daughter Hannah (Imogen Tear): Hannah: Grown-ups are always trying to stop themselves from everything. Mostly the fun stops. Lindsey: Yeah, it’s called being responsible.

The same idea is referenced in Christmas in Wonderland, in Wayne’s mall bar conversation with Kris Kringle:

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Kris: Rough day? Wayne: Let me put it to you this way. If they ever decide to cancel Christmas it’ll be just fine with me. Kris: Hold up there, friend. That’s my job you’re talking about. Wayne: Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find something else. You could always dress up as the Easter bunny. Kris: But what about all the children? Think what they’ll be missing if Christmas was cancelled. Wayne: Not much if you ask me. Kris: Sounds like you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a kid at Christmas. Wayne: Tell you the truth, I do not remember being a kid at all.

Discussed earlier was the Brahman quoted by Barrett who suggested that children were more likely to believe because they were closer, temporally, to God. This is also, potentially, one explanation for the adults’ lack of belief. A more secular interpretation, however, centers on the amount of time that has passed since these adults were children: that as children there was magic and presents and belief, and for adults this is all gone. An extension is that when they were children, Christmas was put on for them but as adults they need to do the work to make the holiday happen. While this might seem like a standard trajectory, it is nonetheless a point of consternation for some characters: in each of the examples discussed in this section, characters haven’t just grown up and moved on from fantasy and folly but rather seem conflicted and somewhat distressed about their lack of faith. The undercurrent, therefore, is that having faith—having the Christmas spirit—is normal, that its absence is abnormal, and thus characters have to go through a period of rebirth to resurrect it. Faithlessness and Bitterness Christmas cinema also presents bitterness as an explanation for lost spirit. In My Santa, single mom and columnist Jen is described by the elf, Jack (Jim O’Heir), as a “humbug mommy”; Jen is deeply resentful at having been abandoned by her partner. In one of her columns she asks, “Can there really be Christmas magic for anyone older than the age of 12?” In Chasing Christmas, Jack expresses a similar bitterness to the Ghost of Christmas Past (Leslie Jordan): “I’m not just some mean old man. I hate Christmas for a reason. Something very bad happened to me. And no amount of memories you show me is going to change that.”

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In each of these narratives, characters are angry and feel an injustice has transpired. While not articulated in either film, it could be construed that they feel that God/Santa is responsible for their personal calamities, or at the very least, that he lacked the grace to intervene. In chapter 4 I discuss disappointment and disillusionment in greater depth: for the characters in these narratives, such factors seem to have influenced their lack of belief. When Santa Loses Faith In a range of Christmas films, it is Santa who, seemingly, loses faith. Commonly this is directly related to the diminished faith of his public: Santa, apparently, feeds off of a faithful public, and without that he faces an existential crisis, if not also depression. In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), for example, Kris Kringle presents one of the screen’s earliest vocalizations of this: Kris: For the past fifty years or more I’ve been getting more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we’re all so busy trying to beat the other fellow, in making things go faster, look shinier, and cost less that Christmas and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle.

Such sentiments have become common on screen. In Santa Claus: The Movie, Santa articulates the same sentiments to his wife, Anya: Santa: The world is a different place now, Anya. You don’t see. The people don’t seem to care about giving a gift just so they can see the light of happiness in a friend’s eye. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore. . . . Maybe I’m just an old fool.

In Santa Who? Santa muses, “Back then the kids were easier. . . . Things in those days were more thoughtful. They were more caring, you know. You don’t see that today. Everything is gimme gimme gimme. . . . The magic is gone. I think it’s time for me to retire.” In It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas, Santa (Charles Durning) echoes this lament: Santa: They want more and more. They’ve gotten greedy. Why am I knocking myself out? . . . They don’t care about Santa anymore. . . . They all want for themselves. Nobody cares about anybody else anymore. . . . They can have Christmas without me.

In Once upon a Christmas (2000), with most of the world naughty, Santa (Douglas Campbell) wants to quit. In Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), Santa (Mairtin O’Carrigan) despondently declares, “We’ve entered into

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an age of entitlement.” Even elves, apparently, can lose faith: in Elf (2003), Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) spotlights, “Every year, less and less people believe in Santa.” In the animated The Year without a Santa Claus (1974) and also its live-action remake (2006), Santa decides to take a year off because he is convinced people no longer believe in him. Most obviously these films function as fictionalizations of the real-life lament of Christmas losing its meaning; of there being a supposed war on Christmas. Such narratives tap into a concern that seems new but in fact has a very long history (chapter 6), whereby we collectively imagine the Christmases of our past as more Christmassy and somehow more authentic (chapter 2). More broadly, Santa’s belief being bolstered, or, conversely, sabotaged by the lack of belief of others can be construed as referencing religious faith and the self-sustaining nature of it. This chapter has grappled with notions of faith and belief: from references to religious faith as manifested in Nativity allusions, through to faith in the season. Chapter 2 moves the discussion to nostalgia and the all importance of time in Christmas narratives. NOTES 1.  Craig Detweiler and Barry Taylor, A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003); Gordon Lynch, Understanding Theology and Popular Culture (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2005); Terry Ray Clark and Dan W. Clanton Jr., Understanding Religion and Popular Culture (New York: Routledge, 2012); Kevin Harvey, All You Want to Know about the Bible in Pop Culture (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015). 2.  Russell Belk, “Materialism and the Making of the Modern American Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993): 75–104, 78. 3.  Stephen C. Carlson, “The Accommodations of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem: Κατάλυμα in Luke 2.7,” New Testament Studies, 56, 3 (2000): 326–342. 4.  Stephen C. Carlson, “The Accommodations of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem: Κατάλυμα in Luke 2.7,” New Testament Studies, 56, 3 (2000): 326–342, 326. 5.  Christmas films borrowing much from A Christmas Carol include: Scrooge, or, Marley’s Ghost (1901), A Christmas Carol (1908), A Christmas Carol (1910), Il sogno dell’usuraio (Dream of Old Scrooge) (1910), Scrooge (1913), The Right to Be Happy (1916), Scrooge (1922), A Christmas Carol (1923), Scrooge (1928), A Dickensian Fantasy (1934), Scrooge (1935), A Christmas Carol (1938), Leyenda de Navidad (1947), Scrooge (1951), It’s Never Too Late (1953), Ein Weihnachtslied in Prosa (A Christmas Carol in Prose) (1955), Carol for Another Christmas (1964), Karácsonyi ének (1964), Carry on Christmas (1969), Scrooge (1970), A Christmas Carol (1971), A Christmas Carol (1977), Scrooge (1978), The Stingiest Man in Town (1979), An American Christmas Carol (1979), Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol (1979), Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979), Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1982), Mickey’s Christmas Carol

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(1983), The Gospel According to Scrooge (1983), A Christmas Carol (1984), John Grin’s Christmas (1986), Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (1988), Scrooged (1988), Brer Rabbit’s Christmas Carol (1992), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994), Ebbie (1995), A Christmas Carol (1997), Ms. Scrooge (1997), An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998), Ebenezer (1998), A Christmas Carol (1999), A Christmas Carol (2000), A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), Scrooge and Marley (2001), A Carol Christmas (2003), A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004), Karroll’s Christmas (2004), Natale a casa Deejay (A Christmas Carol) (2004), Chasing Christmas (2005), A Christmas Carol (2006), Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006), A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007), An American Carol (2008), Barbie in a Christmas Carol (2008), A Christmas Carol (2009), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), Christmas Cupid (2010), Three Wise Women (2010), Scrooge in the Hood (2011), It’s Christmas, Carol! (2012), Scrooge & Marley (2012), Mister Scrooge to See You (2013), All American Christmas Carol (2013) and My Dad Is Scrooge (2014). See also Fred Guida, A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens’s Story on Screen and Television (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2000). 6. A different Nativity play transpires in the sci-fi film Christmas on Mars (2008), where Major Syrtis (Steven Drozd) is on Mars and plans a “Nativity” Christmas pageant to usher in the planet’s first live birth. 7.  While the Nativity is the standard Christmas play, in other English-speaking countries other popular Christmas plays include stage adaptions of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843) and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957). In A Midwinter’s Tale (1995), the film centers on a Christmas production of Hamlet. In other films—including A Christmas Kiss (2011), Merry Kissmas (2015), A Nutcracker Christmas (2016) and Christmas List (2016)—The Nutcracker is performed. 8. The supposedly politically incorrect nature of the Nativity play is mentioned in So This Is Christmas (2013). 9.  Julie Henry and Vikki Miller, “School Nativity Plays under Threat,” The Telegraph, December 2, 2007. Accessed July 5, 2016 from http://www.telegraph .co.uk/news/uknews/1571187/School-nativity-plays-under-threat.html. 10. In The Flint Street Nativity (1999), adults play children in the film, thus making the competition for roles additionally humorous. 11.  Christmas-themed competitions are incredibly common in film: in A Christmas without Snow (1980) and Angels and Ornaments (2014) competition centers on getting a solo in a Christmas concert; there’s a Christmas window competition in Window Wonderland (2013); Christmas decorating contests unfold in Deck the Halls (2006), The Christmas Cottage (2007) and Battle of the Bulbs (2010); a first baby of Christmas competition is at the heart of Baby’s First Christmas (2012); a carolling competition transpires in The Christmas Consultant (2012); a skiing competition in Christmas with a Capital C (2011); a mall singing competition in The Mistle-Tones (2012); a Christmas song competition in Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012); a television singing competition in A Country Christmas Story (2013); a dance competition in Holiday Spin (2012); an ice sculpture competition in Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015); a school music competition in A Christmas Song (2012); cookie contests in A Cookie Cutter Christmas (2014) and A Christmas Reunion (2015) and snowman building contests in The Mistletoe Promise (2016) and Christmas in Homestead (2016).

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12.  Jo Usmar, “Most Ridiculous, Hilarious and Touching Nativity Scenes from TV and Film, including Mr. Bean, Glee and Vicar of Dibley,” Mirror, December 26, 2013. Accessed July 8, 2016 from http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/ christmas-tv-mr-bean-vicar-2946070. 13.  This film was also released as Miracle in Manhattan (2010). 14. In the Christmas horror film Santa’s Slay (2005), Grandpa (Robert Culp) reads from a book on the supposedly real history of Santa, which also references the Nativity: “In the history of man, there have been only two immaculate conceptions, the first being God and the Virgin Mary and the birth of their son, Jesus. The second was Satan with the Virgin Ericka and the birth of their son, Santa. On the anniversary of his birth, there were always a great number of unexplained deaths and murders. This day became known as the Dag of Mord or the Day of Slayings.” Satan is also referenced in The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998): Santa (Colin McClean) has an evil brother Atnas, (Douglas Robinson), who wants to end Christmas. The disgruntled brother of Santa is the protagonist of Fred Claus (2007). 15. In Love Affair (1939), festively decorated department store windows clue the audience into the fact that it is Christmas and that six months have passed since the scheduled July meeting of Terry (Irene Dunne) and Michel (Charles Boyer). 16.  This film was also released as Expecting Mary (2010). 17.  A public Nativity scene serves as a battleground in the “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo” episode of the animated series South Park (1997– ). 18.  While this book focuses on English-language Christmas films, unsurprisingly the Nativity is also used in foreign Christmas films. The Portuguese film Fátima, Terra de Fé (Fátima, Land of Faith) (1943) opens in a family home with a Nativity display to connote that it is both Christmas and that the family are faithful. In the Canadian film Mon oncle Antoine (My Uncle Antoine) (1971), a Nativity set is shown in the window of a store. 19.  While not a Nativity set, sacrilege associated with Christian iconography is alluded to in Call Me Claus (2001): a plastic Jesus is for sale on Lucy’s (Whoopi Goldberg) home shopping network. 20. “Box Office: ‘God’s Not Dead’ Soaring to $8.2 Million Opening in Limited Release.” Variety, March 21, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2016 from variety. com/2014/film/news/box-office-gods-not-dead-soaring-to-8-2-million-openingin-limited-release-1201142441/. 21.  Brent Lang, “How ‘War Room’ Became a Biblical Box Office Smash,” Variety, August 30, 2015. Accessed January 8, 2016 from http://variety.com/2015/ film/news/war-room-box-office-religious-1201581455/. 22. Christian Goodwin, in an article for The Guardian, spotlights the wellestablished maxim of politics, war and religion being “box office poison” (Christopher Goodwin, “Politics, War and Religion—How Hollywood Learned to Do Serious,” The Guardian, October 12, 2008. Accessed January 8, 2015 from http:// www.theguardian.com/film/2008/oct/12/usa-religion). Joseph Cunneen, in his book on the French director Robert Bresson, similarly observed, “It was no help to be labeled a maker of ‘religious films’ when industry wisdom was that religion in the movies was box-office poison” (Joseph Cunneen, Robert Bresson: A Spiritual Style in Film [New York: Continuum, 2003], 13). This point was also

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made in a discussion about Walt Disney, who apparently “insisted that any narrow portrayal of Protestant Christianity (or any religion, for that matter) in his animated features was box-office poison. . . . More broadly, Walt’s fear was that explicit religiosity might needlessly exclude young viewers, while a watereddown version might at the same time offend the devout” (Mark I. Pinsky, “Walt Disney,” in Don’t Stop Believin’: Pop Culture and Religion from Ben-Hur to Zombies, eds. Robert K. Johnston, Craig Detweiler and Barry Taylor [Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012], 7). 23.  Cultural theorist Rowana Agajanian makes this point: “Driven by the need to reach wider audiences both at home and abroad . . . these Christmas stories [have] remained secular . . .” (Rowana Agajanian, “‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Men’: The Depiction of Christmas in Modern Hollywood Films,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly [London: I. B. Taurus, 2000]: 143–164, 161). 24.  In a Catholic discussion of Christmas films, it is argued that “the Nativity story doesn’t lend itself to the blockbuster style of moviemaking that is Hollywood’s bread and butter these days (This year’s two unconventional Bible epics, Noah [2014] and Exodus: Gods and Kings [2014], are better fits)” (SDG, “The Trouble with Christmas Movies,” Decent Films, undated. Accessed July 7, 2016 from decentfilms.com/articles/trouble-with-christmas-movies). 25. Kim Newman, “You Better Watch Out: Christmas in the Horror Film,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 135–142, 135. 26.  Herbert Lockyer, All the Women of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1967), 92. 27.  This film was also released as A Dog’s Tale (1999). 28.  This film was also released as Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004). 29.  As a fictional character, Mrs. Claus does not have a real or official name, although other names are used in film including Martha (June Lockhart) in The Night They Saved Christmas (1984), Anya (Judy Cornwell) in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), Anna (Angela Lansbury) in Mrs. Santa Claus (1996), Sasha (Barbara Tyson) in The Christmas Secret (2000), Becca (Tedde Moore) in Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), Virginia (Marcia Ann Burrs) in Meet the Santas (2005), Jessica (Mira Sorvino) in Finding Mrs. Claus (2012), Jessica (Meredith Baxter) in Becoming Santa (2015) and Margaret in the animated film Arthur Christmas (2011). 30.  This film was also released as Oh Christmas Tree! (2013). 31.  This was also released as Four Christmases (2008). 32.  The Gathering (1977), Cancel Christmas (2010), A Christmas Kiss (2011), and One Starry Christmas (2014) each feature an Adam as a central character. 33.  Joseph, Joe and Joey are main characters in Mr. Soft Touch (1949), Sunshine Christmas (1977), Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1988), Ernest Saves Christmas (1988), The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997), the Australian film Crackers (1998), A Midwinter’s Tale (1995), This Christmas (2007), Our First Christmas (2008), A Christmas Wish (2011), Christmas in the Clouds (2011), Christmas Miracle (2012), Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), The Christmas Parade (2014), A Christmas Star (2015), Angels in the Snow (2015), and in the Australian horror film Red Christmas (2016). Josephine, Jo and Joey also feature in Little Women (1933; 1949; 1994),

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All Mine to Give (1957), Home for the Holidays (1972), Snow Wonder (2005) and The March Sisters at Christmas (2012). 34.  Characters named Faith appear in The Christmas List (1997), the New Zealand film Christmas (2003), The Christmas Card (2006), The National Tree (2009), 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011) and Trading Christmas (2011). In Anything But Christmas (2012), the sisters are Faith (Jessica Harmon) and Grace (Elaine Hendrix). Grace and Gracies also appear in Scrooged (1988), Babycakes (1989), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983), Mixed Nuts (1994), The Christmas Secret (2000), A Country Christmas Story (2013), Christmas in the City (2013), and I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016). Grace is also used as a surname in The Dead (1987). 35. Characters with names including Christopher, Chris, Christy, Christine, Christina, Kris, Kristin, Kirsten, Kristi and Krissy appear in a range of films including Home for the Holidays (1972), Elves (1989), the animated Buster & Chauncey’s Silent Night (1998), Santa Jr. (2002), Just Friends (2005), Silver Bells (2005), Christmas at the Riviera (2007), Christmas in Paradise (2007), Eastern Promises (2007), The Note (2007), Christmas Mail (2010), Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), The Santa Suit (2010), The Christmas Pageant (2011), Come Dance with Me (2012), Help for the Holidays (2012), Naughty or Nice (2012), Catch a Christmas Star (2013), Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013), A Cookie Cutter Christmas (2014), The Christmas Secret (2014), A Christmas Eve Miracle (2015), A Christmas Melody (2015), Last Chance for Christmas (2015), The Bridge (2015) and My Christmas Dream (2016). 36.  Come to the Stable (1949) is set in the New England town of Bethlehem. In A Song for the Season (1999), the story is set in Bethlehem, Kentucky. In Angel of Christmas (2015), part of the narrative is set in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. 37.  Daniel Miller, “A Theory of Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993): 3–37, 29. 38. Sheila Whiteley, “Christmas Songs—Sentiments and Subjectivities,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008): 98–112, 99. 39.  While I contend that Christmas births are nods to Jesus’s birthday, which is celebrated in December, theologians have long debated when the birth actually transpired. See for example Gerald Mussies, “The Date of Jesus’ Birth in Jewish and Samaritan Sources,” Journal of the Study of Judaism, XXIX, 1998: 416–347. 40.  Chris Lites discusses Hallmark Christmas films, noting, “You can watch them with the kids, because the romances are chaste and sweet. You can watch them with grandma, because they’re so old-fashioned that they could have been produced half a century ago” (Chris Lites, “The Sheer Brilliance of Hallmark’s Corny Christmas Movies,” The Week, December 17, 2015. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://theweek .com/articles/591033/sheer-brilliance-hallmarks-corny-christmas-movies). 41.  This film was also released as Foster (2011). 42.  This film was also released as Silent Night, Evil Night (1974) and Stranger in the House (1974). 43.  A protagonist’s past abortion is also mentioned in Christmas at Maxwell’s (2006). 44.  The comedy Rabbit Test (1978) presents another highly unorthodox pregnancy where Lionel (Billy Crystal) becomes the world’s first pregnant man. Lionel eventually gives birth on Christmas Eve in a junkyard.

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45.  This film was also released as Me and Luke (2006). 46.  This should be contrasted with a woman told by doctors that she shouldn’t conceive, as transpired in Steel Magnolias (1989; 2012). 47. Although in the second episode—focused on Christmas a year later— Bridget is ovulating and is insisting that her husband have sex with her during Christmas dinner, thus implying her first “pregnancy” hadn’t gone to term. 48.  This film was also released as Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story (1995) and Ebbie: A Christmas Story (1995). 49.  The Family Stone (2005) presents another allusion to pregnancy and, notably, the importance of the pregnant woman to Christmastime. On Christmas Day when the gifts are exchanged, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker)—the girlfriend of Everett (Dermot Mulroney)—gives everyone a framed photo of family matriarch, Sybil (Diane Keaton), taken decades prior when she was pregnant with daughter Amy (Rachel McAdams). The gift is considered perfect and epitomizes—if not also preserves—the dying Sybil in a state of perfection: as a mother. 50.  This film was also released as Cooper’s Camera (2008). 51.  Sara’s (Katarina Ewerlöf) pregnancy is also announced at Christmas in the Swedish film Tomten är far till alla barnen (In Bed with Santa) (1999). 52.  Families are, of course, also created in Christmas narratives without conception. In Bright Eyes (1934), after Shirley (Shirley Temple) is orphaned, her godfather enters a custody battle, eventually forming a family with two of the other parties who were also attempting to adopt her. In All Mine to Give (1957), some of the orphans go to childless couples to allow them to form families. In An American Christmas Carol (1979), by the end of the narrative, the Scrooge character, Benedict (Henry Winkler), takes in an apprentice as his foster son, the same way he had been taken in as a child. In Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), by the end of the narrative, Santa (David Huddleston) and his wife, Anya (Judy Cornwell), adopt Joe (Christian Fitzpatrick) and Cornelia (Carrie Kei Heim). In A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), Lorna (Dolly Parton) and Mountain Dan (Lee Majors) eventually get custody of seven orphans. The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990) centers around Tony’s (Michael Warren) attempts to adopt Reggie (Trent Cameron) in the aftermath of his wife, Lynette’s (Vanessa Williams), death. In The Preacher’s Wife (1996), Henry (Courtney B. Vance) and Julia (Whitney Houston) take in young Hakim (Darvel Davis Jr.), who had been abandoned by his mother. In Elf (2003), while Santa (Edward Asner) is delivering presents, a baby crawls into Santa’s (Edward Asner) sack. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) raises the baby as his own. In The Family Stone (2005), Thad (Tyrone Giordano) and Patrick (Brian White) adopt a baby. In The Family Holiday (2007), the con artist Donald (Dave Coulier), who borrows two runaways to pose as his family to receive an inheritance, ends up adopting both. In Christmas in Canaan (2009), Rodney (Jaishon Fisher) is taken in by the Burton family after his grandmother’s death. In The Christmas Hope (2009), Patricia (Madeleine Stowe) and her husband, Mark (James Remar), adopt orphan Emily (Tori Barban). In The Three Gifts (2009), childless couple Jack (Dean Cain) and Cherie (Jean Louisa Kelly) take in three orphans for the weekend and end up adopting them. Something similar transpires in An American Girl Holiday (2004), where Gard (Jordan Bridges) and Cornelia (Rebecca Mader) adopt three orphans. In The Christmas Bunny (2010), Patti (Madeline Vail), who can’t have more children, de-

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cides to foster a child with her husband, Scott (Colby French). In the final episode of the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2012), Bridget (Rachel Gordon) and Roger (Phil Lloyd) adopt a child. 53.  Lauren Rosewarne, “New Year’s Peeve: The Folly of the Fresh Start,” ABC The Drum, January 1, 2014. Accessed July 11, 2016 from http://www.abc.net.au/ news/2014-01-01/rosewarne-new-years-peeve/5180164. 54. Christmas narratives involving do-overs include Christmas Every Day (1996), The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004), Christmas Do-Over (2006), 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Pete’s Christmas (2013), Dear Secret Santa (2013) and Back to Christmas (2014). 55.  Christmas narratives involving an opportunity to experience an alternate reality include It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Ri¢hie Ri¢h’s Christmas Wish (1998), The Family Man (2000), Comfort and Joy (2003), Holiday Switch (2007), Snowglobe (2007), The Christmas Clause (2008), All About Christmas Eve (2012), Holly’s Holiday (2012), A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), Holidaze (2013), All I Want for Christmas (2014), Family for Christmas (2015), Just in Time for Christmas (2015), A Dream of Christmas (2016), Holiday Joy (2016) and The Christmas Swap (2016). 56. Christmas films involving characters going back in time include Three Days (2001), Eve’s Christmas (2004), Lost Christmas (2011), and Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013). It is also a theme in the Japanese animated film Suzumiya Haruhi no shôshitsu (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya) (2010). 57.  Christmastime proposals transpire in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), Fitzwilly (1967), Sunshine Christmas (1977), The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), Hope and Glory (1987), Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Mixed Nuts (1994), One Christmas (1994), While You Were Sleeping (1995), The Christmas List (1997), A Song of the Season (1999), Santa Who? (2000), Mr. St. Nick (2002), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), Karroll’s Christmas (2004), Christmas Do-Over (2006), What I Did for Love (2006), Santa Baby (2006), A Christmas Proposal (2008), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), Will You Merry Me? (2008), 3 Holiday Tails (2011), Christmas Lodge (2011), Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), My Dog’s Christmas Miracle (2011), Anything But Christmas (2012), Love at the Christmas Table (2012), Merry In-Laws (2012), Naughty or Nice (2012), The March Sisters at Christmas (2012), Christmas Belle (2013), Defending Santa (2013), Holiday Road Trip (2013), Marry Me for Christmas (2013), My Santa (2013), A Christmas Kiss II (2014), Merry Ex-Mas (2014), One Starry Christmas (2014), Small Town Santa (2014), The Color of Rain (2014), The Night Before (2015), Christmas Cookies (2016), A Puppy for Christmas (2016), A Firehouse Christmas (2016), A December Bride (2016), Season’s Greetings (2016), A Husband for Christmas (2016) and Love Always, Santa (2016). 58. Christmas weddings transpire at the beginning of Period of Adjustment (1962), A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011) and A December Bride (2016), and is the central event in A Christmas Wedding (2006) and A Christmas Wedding Date (2012). In other films a Christmas wedding concludes a film, as transpires in The Santa Clause 2 (2002), Meet the Santas (2005), A Princess for Christmas (2011), Holiday Engagement (2011), A Bride for Christmas (2012), Christmas Belle (2013), Nativity: Dude, Where’s My Donkey (2014), Just in Time for Christmas (2015), Married by Christmas (2016), A December Bride (2016) and A Cinderella Christmas (2016). 59.  This film was also released as Baggage (2008).

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60.  Animal labors also work to unify. In A Christmas Romance (1994), helping Daisy the cow give birth helps Julia (Olivia Newton-John), Brian (Gregory Harrison) and the girls bond. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997), helping the pig give birth helps Michael (Robert Hays) reconnect with his childhood sweetheart, Sarah (Ann Jillian). 61.  Social researcher Mana Nakagawa’s work on grandchildren unifying generations is one example of a very small amount of literature on this topic: Mana Nakagawa, “Grandchildren as Unifiers in Intergenerational Relations,” CUREJ: College Undergraduate Research Electronic Journal, 2007. Accessed July 16, 2016 from http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1079&context=curej. 62.  Kwame Kwei-Armah, “Can My New Baby Unite My Two Families?” Guardian, September 25, 2005. Accessed July 15, 2016 from https://www.theguardian .com/lifeandstyle/2005/sep/24/familyandrelationships.family3. 63.  Casey McPike, “The Great Unifier,” Little Treasures Magazine, February 12, 2016. Accessed July 16, 2016 from http://www.littletreasuresmag.co.nz/great -unifier/. 64.  Mosala J. Itumeleng, Biblical Hermeneutics and Black Theology in South Africa (Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans Publishers, 1989), 167. 65.  Jane Schaberg, The Illegitimacy of Jesus: A Feminist Theological Interpretation of the Infancy Narratives (San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1987). 66. Rowena Loverance, Christian Art (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007), 121. 67.  Joelle Mellon, The Virgin Mary in the Perception of Women: Mother, Protector and Queen since the Middle Ages (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2008). 68.  The narrative is slightly more complicated that than this, however: the man Kirsten had thought was her grandfather turned out to be her father. 69.  This film was also released as Cinnamon (2011). 70. In 12 Men of Christmas (2009), E. J. (Kristin Chenoweth) and Erin (Roz Baxter) were raised by an alcoholic father. 71.  Rowana Agajanian, “‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Men’: The Depiction of Christmas in Modern Hollywood Films,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Taurus, 2000): 143–164, 153. 72.  Aparna Mathur, Hao Fu and Peter Hansen, “The Mysterious and Alarming Rise of Single Parenthood in America,” The Atlantic, September 3, 2013. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the -mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/. See also Emily Badger, “The Unbelievable Rise of Single Motherhood in America over the Last 50 Years,” The Washington Post, December 18, 2014. Accessed July 7, 2016 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/12/18/the-un believable-rise-of-single-motherhood-in-america-over-the-last-50-years/. 73.  While this book does not explore race to any great extent, it is worth noting that Christmas films centering on black people are relatively rare, black single mothers feature prominently, for example in Scrooged (1988), Holiday Heart (2000), Snow (2004), The Perfect Holiday (2007), This Christmas (2007), Christmas in Compton (2012), What She Wants for Christmas (2012), A Christmas Blessing (2013), Black Nativity (2013), White Reindeer (2013), Santa Claws (2014) and Merry Ex-Mas (2016).

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Worth noting, in A Country Christmas Story (2013), while the single mom, Jenny (Megyn Price), is white, her husband, Danny (Brian McKnight), and the father of Grace (Desiree Ross) is black. While Danny is gone for most of the narrative, Jenny and Danny do decide to reconcile at the end of the film. 74.  Heather E. Bullock, Karen Fraser Wyche and Wendy R. Williams, “Media Images of the Poor,” Journal of Social Issues, 57, 2 (2001): 229–246; Parvin R. Huda, “Singled Out: A Critique of the Representation of Single Motherhood in Welfare Discourse,” William & Mary Journal of Women and the Law, 7, 2 (2001): 341–381; Maura Kelly, “Regulating the Reproduction and Mothering of Poor Women: The Controlling Image of the Welfare Mother in Television News Coverage of Welfare Reform,” Journal of Poverty, 14 (2010): 76–96. 75. Jane Eastoe, “Single Mother Saves the (Celluloid) World,” Independent, March 20, 1998. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/film-single-mother-saves-the-celluloid-world-1151230.html. 76. Jane Eastoe, “Single Mother Saves the (Celluloid) World,” Independent, March 20, 1998. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/film-single-mother-saves-the-celluloid-world-1151230.html. 77.  Lori Holyfield, Moving Up and Out: Poverty, Education and the Single Parent Family (Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2002); Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas, Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007); Alana Semuels, “How Poor Single Mothers Survive,” The Atlantic, December 1, 2015. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/12/how-poor-single -moms-survive/418158/. 78.  Hardships do indeed transpire in The Greatest Store in the World (1999) and A Christmas Wish (2011), where single mothers and their children experience homelessness. In A Christmas Romance (1994), single mom Julia (Olivia Newton-John) has lost her job and is facing foreclosure on her home. In Home by Christmas (2006), after her divorce and then after being robbed, single mom Julie (Linda Hamilton) has to live in her car. In Frozen River (2008), single mom Ray’s (Melissa Leo) financial difficulties lead her to crime and a jail sentence. In The Christmas Secret (2014), Christine (Bethany Joy Lenz) is two months behind in her rent and facing eviction. In Paper Angels (2014), Lynn (Josie Bissett) flees an abusive marriage and struggles financially with her two children. 79. In Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), Jen (Laura Vandervoort) was raised by an alcoholic single mom, but because Jen is the protagonist and her mom is not seen, Mom’s bad qualities work to frame Jen as sympathetic. 80. Jane Eastoe, “Single Mother Saves the (Celluloid) World,” Independent, March 20, 1998. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/film-single-mother-saves-the-celluloid-world-1151230.html. 81.  Disability is also a theme in Christmas Miracle (2012). The separated couple Mary (Allison Hossack) and Joseph (Dan Payne) have a son, Matt (Valin Shinyei), who has autism. Similarly, in A Dog Named Christmas (2009), the narrative centers on Todd (Noel Fisher), a developmentally challenged teen who desperately wants a dog. 82.  The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997) presented a single father whose daughter, Jolie (Margo Harshman), has heart disease.

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83. Jane Eastoe, “Single Mother Saves the (Celluloid) World,” Independent, March 20, 1998. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/film-single-mother-saves-the-celluloid-world-1151230.html. 84. Jane Eastoe, “Single Mother Saves the (Celluloid) World,” Independent, March 20, 1998. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/film-single-mother-saves-the-celluloid-world-1151230.html. 85.  Mentioned in this section are sick children in the care of a single mother. Sick children, however, also appear in a range of Christmas narratives with intact families, also functioning to reference Tiny Tim, including A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), November Christmas (2010), The Heart of Christmas (2011) and The Christmas Heart (2012). 86. Charlotte (Winona Ryder) also pines for the nuclear family in Mermaids (1990), when she comments about a family she envies: “A real live father, actually living in the same house as his wife and kids. They’re perfect. This is like television. Maybe they’ll adopt me.” 87.  Hannah Hamad, Postfeminism and Paternity in Contemporary U.S. Film: Framing Fatherhood (New York: Routledge, 2014), 17. 88.  Hannah Hamad, Postfeminism and Paternity in Contemporary U.S. Film: Framing Fatherhood (New York: Routledge, 2014), 44. 89.  This film was also released as Christmas on Salvation Street (2015). 90.  This film was also released as A Snow Capped Christmas (2016). 91.  This film was also released as A Holiday Romance (1999). 92. In Natalie Wilson, “The Mother Must Die so Daddy Can Deliver,” Girl w/ Pen!, May 7, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2016 from https://thesocietypages.org/ girlwpen/2010/05/07/pop-goes-feminism-the-mother-must-die-so-daddy-can -deliver-musings-on-the-dearth-of-mothers-in-recent-childrens-films/. 93.  In Dinah Eng, “Meet the Woman Behind Hallmark’s Christmas Movie Juggernaut,” Fortune, November 27, 2015. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://fortune .com/2015/11/27/woman-hallmark-holiday-movies/. 94.  Chris Lites, “The Sheer Brilliance of Hallmark’s Corny Christmas Movies,” The Week, December 17, 2015. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://theweek.com/ articles/591033/sheer-brilliance-hallmarks-corny-christmas-movies. 95.  An example of two holiday-themed films that start with romantic marriages are Period of Adjustment (1962), Gift of the Magi (2010) and the “Gift of the Magi” segment of O. Henry’s Full House (1952). Each film begins during Christmas and centers on newlyweds. In both narratives, however, the couples soon start fighting and thus, the plot focuses on how the couples reconcile. A rare exception where the couple’s marriage remains consistently good throughout transpires in A Perfect Christmas (2016). 96.  Donna Peberdy, Masculinity and Film Performance: Male Angst in Contemporary American Cinema (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011), 138. 97.  Michael Vincent Miller, Intimate Terrorism (New York: W. W. Norton, 1995), 124. 98. Jane Eastoe, “Single Mother Saves the (Celluloid) World,” Independent, March 20, 1998. Accessed July 7, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/film-single-mother-saves-the-celluloid-world-1151230.html.

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99.  While rare, two widowed single parents couple in A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011) and The Color of Rain (2014). In Christmas in Paradise (2007), My Dog’s Christmas Miracle (2011), A Christmas Blessing (2013) and Operation Christmas (2016), two single parents—generally a mix of death and divorce—couple. 100.  Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000), xi. 101.  Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000), xi. 102.  Berit Åström, “The Symbolic Annihilation of Mothers in Popular Culture: Single Father and the Death of the Mother,” Feminist Media Studies, 15, 4 (2015): 593–607. 103.  Gaye Tuchman, “Introduction: The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by the Mass Media,” in Hearth and Home: Images of Women in the Mass Media, ed. Gaye Tuchman, Arlene Kaplan Daniels and James Benét (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978): 3–37. 104.  Narratives that focus on a child’s grief over the loss of a parent include Scrooged (1988), Annabelle’s Wish (1997), An American Girl Holiday (2004), A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011), Christmas with Holly (2012) and The Christmas Candle (2013) where, in each, children haven’t spoken since the death of a parent. Something similar transpires in The Christmas Tree (1996), where Anna (Suzi Hofrichter) hasn’t spoken since parental abandonment. In Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012), one of the St. Bernadette’s pupils hasn’t spoken since his father left. 105.  A rare exception is The Color of Rain (2014) where Gina’s (Lacey Chabert) husband, Matt (Matthew Kevin Anderson), is being buried in the opening scene. 106.  Berit Åström, “The Symbolic Annihilation of Mothers in Popular Culture: Single Father and the Death of the Mother,” Feminist Media Studies, 15, 4 (2015): 593–607, 596. 107.  An exception to this is Angel in the Family (2004), whereby the story is told from the perspective of the dead mom, Lorraine (Meredith Baxter). 108. Sheila Whiteley, “Christmas Songs—Sentiments and Subjectivities,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008): 98–112, 106. 109.  This film was also released as Christmas Dove (1986). 110. This same plot was the explanation behind Melissa’s (Season Hubley) estrangement from her father in Christmas Eve (1986). 111.  This film was also released as Santa’s Dog (2012). 112.  This film was also released as Keep on Dancing (2012). 113.  Ranjani Mazumdar, Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2007), 3. 114.  This heightened compassion is also a theme in An American Girl Holiday (2004), whereby the privileged protagonist Samantha (AnnaSophia Robb) progressively develops a concern for servants and child factory workers. Concerns over child factory workers are also a theme in Mrs. Santa Claus (1996). 115.  This film was also released as The Castaways (1945). 116.  A rare example of charity explicitly linked to faith in a non-religious narrative transpires in A Christmas Memory (1997). Sook (Patty Duke) is baking thirty

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Christmas cakes for friends and relatives, and her sister, Jennie (Piper Laurie), sarcastically quips, “The Christian soldier, marching as to war.” 117. The well-established trope of the good guy doing charity work is referenced in an episode of the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2012), when protagonist Dan (Ian Meadows) volunteers at a homeless shelter just to impress Cora (Jane Harber). 118.  This film was also released as A Merry Christmas Miracle (2014). 119. Early into Once upon a Holiday (2015), Katie (Briana Evigan) deposits money into Santa’s kettle: it immediately frames her as a good character. 120.  This film was also released as The Christmas Gift (2009). 121.  This film was also released as The Battle of Ardennes (2015). 122.  John Storey, “The Invention of the English Christmas,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008): 17–31, 22. 123.  Eileen Gillooly, Contemporary Dickens (Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 2009), 128. 124.  Stephen Law, The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), 1. 125. In James Chapman, “God Bless Us, Every One: Movie Adaptions of A Christmas Carol,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 9–38, 9. 126.  “A Home for Christmas,” America, December 23–30 (2013): 5. 127. Robert L. Brawley, “Homeless in Galilee,” HTS Teologiese Studies, 67, 1 (2011): 67. 128.  Robert J. Myles, The Homeless Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, Press, 2014). 129.  Charles Affron and Mirella Jona Affron, Best Years: Going to the Movies, 1945–1946 (Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2009), 217. 130.  Lauren Rosewarne, American Taboo: The Forbidden Words, Unspoken Rules, and Secret Morality of Popular Culture (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2013); Lauren Rosewarne, Cyberbullies, Cyberactivists, Cyberpredators: Film, TV, and Internet Stereotypes (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2016). 131.  Outside of a hotel context, no room at the inn is also apparent in A Very Mary Christmas: when Mary and her baby arrive at the hospital, the hospital is out of space and Mary has to share a room. A variation of this transpires in Dashing through the Snow (2015), when there is only one car available for hire at the airport, so Ashley (Meghan Ory) and Dash (Andrew W. Walker) have to carpool. 132.  Richard E. Creel, Love of Jesus: The Heart of Christianity (Eugene, OR: Resource Publications, 2010); James H. Charlesworth, The Historical Jesus: An Essential Guide (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2008). 133.  David A. Croteau, Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2015). 134.  Matt’s carpentry in A Very Merry Mix-Up and Scott’s in Magic Stocking as hereditary can also be interpreted as a nod to the Bible. Jesus as a carpenter is commonly connected to Matthew 13:55: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Jesus’s

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profession is assumed based on that of his father’s (as opposed to any evidence of his own woodwork). 135.  This film was also released as Correcting Christmas (2014). 136. This same plot was the explanation behind Harley’s (Wayne Best) estrangement from her father in Christmas Eve (1986) and appears part of the reason why Sam (Cliff De Young) in Sunshine Christmas (1977) hasn’t been home from Canada in nearly a decade. 137.  The screen also presents other men who have a close affinity with trees as leading men. In Silver Bells (2005), The National Tree (2009) and The Christmas Ornament (2013), men who grow Christmas trees are the romantic leads. 138.  Eva Illouz, Consuming the Romantic Utopia: Love and the Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997). 
 139.  A good example of this is Frank’s (Bill Murray) transformation in Scrooged (1988): essential to his character’s rebirth is his reunion with his ex-girlfriend Claire (Karen Allen). 140. In his discussion of 3 Godfathers (1948), Alonso Duralde queries: “Can these Magi of the old west transport the child to safety and civilization before they die of thirst?” thus referencing the Wise Men (Alonso Duralde, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (New York: Limelight Editions, 2010), 99). 141.  Avaren Ipsen, Sex Working and the Bible (Oakville, CT: Equinox, 2009); Bee Wilson, “Contrary Mary; Prostitute or Wife of Jesus,” Sunday Times (London), April 3 (2016): 37. 142. Bob Welch, 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012), 52. 143.  Susan Mackey-Kallis, The Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001), 159. 144.  Michael Willian, The Essential It’s a Wonderful Life: A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film (Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press), 29. 145.  Several narratives make a joke out of the “ironic” choice of who will play Mary. In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983), the school thug, Imogen (Megan Hunt), is cast as Mary. A similar irony is played out in the “It’s a Wonderful Life” Christmas-themed episode of the medical drama House (2004–2012). Melanie (Jennifer Hall) visits the hospital with a sore throat: she is wearing a necklace with a Saint Nicholas medal. Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) recognizes Nicholas as the patron saint of prostitutes. On a later occasion Melanie returns to the hospital with pustules on her neck and chest. House assumes she is a sex worker who does donkey shows. At the end of the episode, House visits a church that is putting on a Nativity play. House sees Melanie in the show riding a donkey: the woman he assumed was a sex worker is in fact playing the Virgin Mary. 146.  The Mexican film Casa de mujeres (House of Women) (1966) centers on the women who work at a brothel and who decide to raise a baby boy that miraculously arrives on Christmas Eve. 147.  The “hooker with the heart of gold” archetype isn’t really relevant to any of the films analyzed in this book, although it could be argued that exotic dancer, Fantasia (Laura Lemar-Goldsborough) in White Reindeer (2013) was essential in helping protagonist Suzanne (Anna Margaret Hollyman), recover

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from her partner’s death. Equally, in Powder Blue (2009), it is sex worker Lexus’s (Alejandro Romero) advice to Charlie (Forest Whitaker) that ends up getting him to change his mind about suicide. 148.  Russell Campbell, Marked Women: Prostitutes and Prostitution in the Cinema (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2006). 149.  Santa has an evil twin brother in the horror film Krampus the Christmas Devil (2013). 150. In A Very Cool Christmas (2004), Santa (George Hamilton) shows off his range of abilities, including speaking Cantonese. 151.  While not Santa Claus, nonetheless, her ability to communicate with sign language helps the audience understand that Ashley (Meghan Ory) in Dashing through the Snow (2015) is a good person and not the criminal she is suspected of being. 152. Mark Connelly, “Santa Claus: The Movie,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 115–134, 119. 153.  Kevin Harvey argues that the ubiquitous presence of superheroes in popular cinema can be construed as referencing Christ: “Maybe our fascination with superheroes is because we are being drawn to something innate in us. A longing for something more. Something perfect. Something supernatural” [Kevin Harvey, All You Want to Know about the Bible in Pop Culture (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015], 1). Certainly Santa being superhero-like is detectable on screen and nicely encapsulated in a quote from Ginny (Barbara Niven) in Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008): “Everybody needs Santa, no matter where they live!” This quote seemingly encompasses the notion that everyone needs a little special intervention on occasion: be it in the form of Santa, Jesus or a superhero. 154.  Claude Lévi-Strauss, “Father Christmas Executed,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993): 38–54, 43. 155.  A horror genre take on Sinterklaas is at the heart of the Dutch film Sint (Saint) (2010). 156. In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Santa as omnipresent is discussed in an exchange between Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) and his brother Fuller (Kieran Culkin): Kevin: I don’t think Santa Claus visits hotels. Fuller: Are you nuts? He’s omnipresent. He goes everywhere.

157. Kim Newman, “You Better Watch Out: Christmas in the Horror Film,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 135–142, 139. 158.  The real Santa knowing everyone’s name is a common feature in Christmas films. In Snow (2004), for example, Nick/Santa (Tom Cavanagh) knows everybody’s name. In My Santa (2013), Chris (Matthew Lawrence)—son of Santa— also knows the name and backstory of everybody he encounters. 159.  Russell Belk, “A Child’s Christmas in America: Santa as Deity, Consumption as Religion,” Journal of American Culture, 5, 10, Spring (1987): 87–100, 90.

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This idea is also a plot theme in the animated The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (1985), which centers on a campaign to make Santa immortal. 160.  Scott F. Aiken, “Armed for the War on Christmas,” in Christmas: Philosophy for Everyone, ed. Scott C. Lowe (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2010): 49–58, 56. 161.  Gerry Bowler, Santa Claus: A Biography (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2005). 162.  See, for example, the short story “Nackles,” first published in 1964 (Donald Westlake, “Nackles,” in A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical Tales, ed. Brian M. Thomsen [New York: Hachette, 2003]: 15–22). 163.  In Susan Nathiel, Daughters of Madness: Growing Up and Older with a Mentally Ill Mother (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007), 58. 164. In A Christmas Wish (2011), oldest daughter Mel (Kirstin Dorn) tells her mother (Kristy Swanson) that she prayed for her. In The Christmas Heart (2012), the whole town prays for the safe landing of the transplant helicopter during the storm. In Christmas Eve (2015), a medical team is trapped in an elevator with a dying girl who asks the team to pray for her. 165.  This film was also released as Too Cool for Christmas (2004). 166.  While the examples discussed in this section focused on prayers to Santa or Jesus for familial reconciliation, in other narratives different techniques are deployed. In The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010), Toby (Gage Munroe) makes a wish on a shooting star: “I wish my family would come together and have a great Christmas this year.” In An Accidental Christmas (2007) and Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), children contrive to reunite their estranged parents by manipulating their Christmas holiday plans. Our First Christmas (2008) provides an interesting subversion of this where the kids plot to split their parents up so that their blended family can preserve their respective Christmas traditions. 167. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), Uncle Ralph (Henry Winkler) and his new friend Morgan (Warren Christie) want to convince young Brian (Connor Christopher Levins) that Santa still exists. Morgan climbs onto the roof and pretends to be Santa. This helps to frame Morgan as a nice guy and worthy love interests for Brian’s mom. Something similar happens in the animated Bratz Babyz Save Christmas (2008) when grandma goes to great lenghs— including dressing up as Santa and climbing onto the roof—to convince the title characters that Santa is real. 168.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 145. 169. Justin L. Barrett, Born Believers: The Science of Children’s Religious Belief (New York: Free Press, 2012), 2. 170.  The idea of reward for belief is something also alluded to by psychologist Justin Barrett: “Maybe children have more motivation to learn about God because God gives them comfort on dark, stormy nights” (Justin L. Barrett, Born Believers: The Science of Children’s Religious Belief [New York: Free Press, 2012], 7). 171. Justin L. Barrett, Born Believers: The Science of Children’s Religious Belief (New York: Free Press, 2012), 2. 172.  While not centered on belief in Santa, a child’s belief is linked to immaturity in Under the Mistletoe (2006) via Jonathan’s (Burkely Duffield) belief that he is

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seeing the ghost of his father: “You need to grow up and stop pretending,” scolds his mother, Susan (Jaime Ray Newman). 173.  In the animated Christmas film Annabelle’s Wish (1997), while Aunt Agnes doesn’t tell her nephew Billy that Santa isn’t real, she nonetheless makes her views known to Grandpa: “You’re teaching the boy to believe in that fantasy?” she accuses. 174.  As Boyd’s wife, Luann (Lauren Graham) asks, “Do you think you’re overcompensating on the Christmas thing, just a tad?” 175.  Almost the same thing happens in All I Want for Christmas (2014): in Jamie’s (Mason Douglas) alternate reality, his mother, Brenda (Shannen Doherty), is a horrible person who actively wants her own mother to die. 176.  The title of this section is a reference to the George Michael song “Faith” (1987). 177. James Chapman, “God Bless Us, Every One: Movie Adaptions of A Christmas Carol,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 9–38, 18. 178. Mark Connelly, “Santa Claus: The Movie,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 115–134, 120. 179.  The oldest daughter, Bernice (Tegan Moss), in Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), doesn’t want to attend church—her faith was shaken after the incarceration of her father—but her mom insists she does so. Bernice attends, she prays, and her faith is rewarded when her father enters the church, apparently released from prison. 180.  In the animated Annabelle’s Wish (1997), Santa makes a comment, “If you believe in yourself, it’s easy to believe in me.” While presented subtly here, lack of belief is somehow connected to low self-esteem. 181. James Chapman, “God Bless Us, Every One: Movie Adaptions of A Christmas Carol,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 9–38, 28. 182. James Chapman, “God Bless Us, Every One: Movie Adaptions of A Christmas Carol,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 9–38, 30. 183. In John Brothers, “Waiting for Superman—What Superhero Nonprofit Leaders Actually Resemble and Why We Need More,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, October 8, 2010. Accessed November 24, 2016 from https://ssir.org/ articles/entry/waiting_for_supermanwhat_superhero_nonprofit_leaders_actu ally_resemble_and_.

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2 “I feel, for some reason, that this is a good time of year for looking backwards” Time, Tradition, and Festive Nostalgia

T

his is a chapter centered on time. Be it because Christmas happens in December and thus so close to the start of a new year, or because the season is laden with fixed notions about tradition, nostalgia and reflection, time—its approach, its passing, its fleeting nature—is at the crux of many Christmas films. Nostalgia is a sentiment especially fixated on time: and time—and also times in the moments sense—past time(s), idealized time(s) and time(s) reimagined, are each central in the portrayal of Christmas. As a season occurring annually throughout the life course—and also one where ritual and remembrance are crucial—treatises on time are inescapable in film, be it in the form of ticking clocks or looming deadlines. Also explored in this chapter is Christmas offering its own time zone existing outside the parameters of the ordinary and functioning as a bonus round for characters whereby new identities and new lives get experienced under the aegis of “special time”; as art historian Karal Marling notes, “Christmas is a special time, a suspension of the workaday order of things, but it is also a doorway connecting the present to earlier eras.”1 FESTIVE NOSTALGIA Nostalgia is everywhere at Christmas. From the songs pining for an idealized past—perfectly encapsulated by Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” (1942) from the film Holiday Inn (1942)2—through to liberal use of sentimental, bygone era Norman Rockwell and Thomas Kinkade 93

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paintings on cards, calls to long-gone celebrations are repeatedly made. Pleas to bring back the meaning of the season (chapter 6), along with lamentations that Christmas has somehow lost its heart, are driven by the belief that there was once a celebration that was perfect and which we long to return to. In discussing nostalgia, cultural theorist John Storey cautions, “Not only did the new middle class invent the English Christmas in the nineteenth century, they also invented the ‘tradition’ which they claimed to only be reviving,”3 and that “the invention of Christmas was driven by a utopian nostalgia; an attempt to recreate an imaginary past.”4 Theologian Max Myers takes this further, contending, “A major aspect of the Christmas complex is that it carries a nostalgia for old times that is historically bogus.”5 Theologian Leigh Schmidt similarly identified the stranglehold that an imagined Christmas Past has on the enjoyment of Christmas Present: This concern plays upon an essential nostalgia of modern industrialized society for the genuine, the hand-crafted, the authentic, or real. Hence modern holidays . . . are never as good or genuine as they used to be. The widespread ambivalence about Christmas epitomizes this unease; in comparison with the joys and comforts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present always pales.6

The British film A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1987) provides a perfect illustration of such nostalgia when Grandpa Geraint (Denholm Elliott) fondly reflects on his past Christmases, in the process recalling family members fondly reflecting on their past Christmases: Geraint: And I remember that on the afternoon of Christmas Day, when the others sat round the fire and told each other that this was nothing, no, nothing, to the great snow-bound and turkey-proud yule-log-cracking holly-berry-bedizened and kissing-under-the-mistletoe Christmas when they were children.

Key in scholarly discussions of nostalgia is the reminder that we’re not really yearning for a factual past. Literary theorist Aaron Santesso notes that “nostalgia is a practice of forgetting.”7 Musicologist Ellen Koskoff similarly spotlights that nostalgia “allows for a blurring, or even erasure, of unpleasant or painful memories and a resulting reconstruction of a rosier past.”8 Instead of history, we yearn for a past as imagined. Nostalgia invariably is about fetishizing the good bits—or even, the imagined bits—and crafting a past that is sepia-hued and perfect, even if it bares no semblance to reality: as literary critic Theodore Solotaroff remarked in a 1967 review, nostalgia “reactivates the past, but it also sentimentalizes it, gives it an unearned increment of significance merely because it was once possessed.”9

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Like the season of Christmas, cinema also has an intimate connection with nostalgia, with its deployment of faux history extensively examined.10 Communications theorist Christina Lee, for example, writes that cinema is in fact the perfect vehicle for nostalgia given its time-travel machine ability to collapse time, stretch time and manipulate it.11 Thus, when Christmas—a season inextricably bound to nostalgia—is depicted within a medium similarly fixated with it, it’s unsurprising that seasonal depictions often hark to an imagined past. Myers goes so far as to contend, in fact, that “‘Christmas’ as an American tradition was an invention of the very films that celebrated it.”12 Cinema uses nostalgia in a range of ways, for example, through the strategic deployment of music,13 the fonts used in titles,14 idealized portrayals of home15 and small towns16 (the latter two discussed in chapter 3), and even—as alluded in the Berlin song—presentations of weather (more specifically, the expected snowiness, discussed later in this chapter). In film historian Frank Thompson’s work on Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), he observes, “With its nostalgic celebration of family values, along with a heaping helping of Mom and apple pie, the material was custom-made for M-G-M chieftain Louis B. Mayer.”17 Here, Thompson nods to devices common in film where nostalgic appeals are made through mom and apple pie clichés that reference a rose-tinted past that may be completely artifice. Just as fonts and snowscapes contribute to nostalgia, so too does the temper of a film: film theorist Christine Sprengler notes that nostalgia in movies is commonly “a mood or feeling.”18 Sprengler highlights that reminding audiences of not merely a past, but rather a specifically sentimental and idealized history, is achieved through aesthetics and soundtrack and, as focused on in this chapter, storyline. Lee presents the idea of cinema as a time-travel machine. The many riffs on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843), for example (chapter 1), are highly reliant on characters revisiting their past. This theme however, also transpires elsewhere. In Christmas Lodge (2011), for example, Jack (Michael Shanks) describes the titular lodge as “a time machine” in its ability to take inhabitants back to celebrations past. This chapter more broadly explores Christmas as a season that enables characters (and audiences) to visit their past: literally, metaphorically or exclusively in their own imaginings. CHRISTMAS FILM AS NOSTALGIA FILM The idea of the “nostalgia film”—as a distinct type of movie—comes from cultural theorist Frederic Jameson, who uses the term to discuss films like American Graffiti (1973) set in the 1950s or Chinatown (1974) set in the 1930s. Jameson identifies that rather than seeing these films as merely

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being set in the aesthetic past, that they in fact constitute a new type of genre marked by their use of pastiche, a process whereby a film “borrows closely, openly, appreciatively, and often playfully from the styles of previous works, frequently combining elements of different styles.”19 Jameson discusses pastiche in relations to films including Star Wars (1977): [I]t is a complex object in which on some first level children and adolescents can take the adventures straight, while the adult public is able to gratify a deeper and more properly nostalgic desire to return to that older period and to live its strange old aesthetic artifacts through once again. This film is thus metonymically a historical or nostalgia film. . . . [I]t does not reinvent a picture of the past in its lived totality; rather, by reinventing the feel and shape of characteristic art objects of an older period (the serials), it seeks to reawaken a sense of the past associated with those objects.20

An enormous range of films that depict Christmas are appropriately classified as nostalgia films by being set in the past but where historic accuracy is not fundamental, for example: The Lion in Winter (1968; 2003) set in 1183; Love’s Christmas Journey (2011) set in the 1800s; A Christmas Carol (1938; 1984; 1997; 1999; 2009), Scrooge (1970), Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), and A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004) each set in Victorian England; All Mine to Give (1957), Once upon a Starry Night (1978) and Little Women (1933; 1949; 1994) set in the mid-1800s; A Merry Ingalls Christmas (1974) and Young Pioneer’s Christmas (1976) set in the 1870s; An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010) and Miracle at Sage Creek (2005) set in the 1880s; The Christmas Candle (2013), the Australian Bushfire Moon (1987),21 We’re No Angels (1955) and, Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991) set in the 1890s; Meet Me in St. Louis, the animated An Angel for Christmas (1996), Secret of Giving (1999), Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas (2011), Christmas Oranges (2012), The Dead (1987), An American Girl Holiday (2004)22 and Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) set in the early 1900s; Happy Christmas, Miss King (1988),23 The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002), Joyeux Noël (2005) and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007) each set during World War I; It Happened on Christmas (1977) set in the 1920s; A Christmas Memory (1966; 1977), A Christmas to Remember (1978), One Christmas (1994), Mr. Christmas (2005), Booky & the Secret Santa (2007), Christmas for a Dollar (2013), A Child’s Christmas in Wales, One Christmas (1994), Renfroe’s Christmas (1997),24 One Christmas (1994), The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005), 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012), The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) and An American Christmas Carol (1979) each set during the Great Depression; A Wind at My Back Christmas (2001) set in 1938; Stalag 17 (1953), The Victors (1963), Once Before I Die (1967),25 1941 (1979), Merry

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Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), The Secret of the Nutcracker (2007), I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1988), A Midnight Clear (1992), Silent Night (2002), Miracle at Moreaux (1985), Christmas Truce (2015)26 and Journey Back to Christmas (2016) each set during World War II; A Christmas Story (1983), A Christmas Story 2 (2012), The Christmas Tree (1996), the Canadian film The Comic Book Christmas Caper (1990),27 The House without a Christmas Tree (1972) set in the 1940s; The Angel Doll (2002), Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. (1977)28 and Diner (1982) set in the 1950s; Wishin’ and Hopin’ (2014) set in 1964, The Box (2009) set in 1976 and Cooper’s Christmas (2008)29 and A Child’s Christmases in Wales (2009) set in the 1980s. In each example, the aesthetics of a bygone era—as well as the music, cars and costuming—help to tell seasonal stories that have much less to do with the actual past and center more so on universal Christmas themes like family and faith: themes that get delivered within the framing of a long-ago past that is imagined as more festive.30 Worth spotlighting are the distinct number of these nostalgia films set during the Great Depression. Identifiable throughout this volume is the enormous influence that Dickens’s Carol has had on Christmas films. It is thus unsurprising that in many, the mood and aesthetics of Victorian England—a time marked by widespread poverty—gets reimagined as an American narrative through the backdrop of the Great Depression. One interpretation for this trend is the nostalgia Americans have for this period, something undoubtedly fuelled by cinematic representations which tend to focus less on hardship and more so on aesthetics, about triumph over adversity, and a supposedly—and seemingly desirably—simpler time. The sociologist Robert Nisbet provides an explanation for nostalgia’s persistent presence on screen: Spreading nostalgia for the Great Depression is a glittering example of nostalgie de la boue.31 . . . Doubtless some of it is the consequence of living in an age of inflation and soaring interest rates. But a larger part of the Depression nostalgia is occupied by filtered memory of a simpler form of life, of hardships met, suffered from, and overcome, of a higher standard of morality, of closer cohesion of family, and of a smaller generation gap.32

The Depression provides the perfect backdrop for Christmas-themed films that attempt to exploit “Mom and apple pie” values. The term “nostalgia film” offers a way to discuss films and to identify similarities in narratives that might otherwise appear disparate like Star Wars and Chinatown, and yet which use similar devices to cultivate emotional responses in viewers. Such films also highlight that nostalgia is more than mere mood or feeling, but can also function as a commodity and a sales pitch.

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Commercial Nostalgia Historian Gary Cross discusses theme parks in his book Consumed Nostalgia: These sites are part of a deeper commercial nostalgia based less on personal memory than on a romanticized “past” derived from vague recollections of scenes from movies, illustrations, and stories.33

A similar point is made by philosopher Franklin Ginn who, drawing on Jameson, notes “commercial nostalgia objects are designed to bring an image to the viewer to prompt nostalgia for an imagined past which the viewer never experienced.”34 While Cross and Ginn spotlight the contrived nature of history in film whereby audiences are offered the opportunity to re(visit) a fabricated past,35 the authors notably play up the commercial aspects. While film can be artistic or make social or political statements, it is primarily a commercial media. Particularly so for the movies discussed in this book—many that are made-for-television or released in December to capitalize on the season and on audience leisure time— these are films produced to deliver revenue. The nostalgia film, therefore, often has an overt remit to deliver a past that people want to purchase: that is, one that is idealized. In media theorist John Pott’s discussion of television period dramas—such as Downton Abbey (2010–2015) and Mad Men (2007–2015)—he notes that these series provide “televisual nostalgia as simulacrum: artfully constructed phantasmagoria of the past, for those who did not experience the original.”36 Historian Marnie HughesWarrington uses the term “armchair nostalgia” to describe the same idea whereby the screen offers access to a past “without any lived experience of the yearned-for time.”37 While it could be argued that the entire genre of Christmas films could be viewed as selling nostalgia and peddling an idealized season—and arguably, even, contributing to real-life nostalgia by teaching audiences about once-perfect Christmases—the very idea of commercial nostalgia also gets referenced within storylines. In The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), protagonist Sidney (Bob Hope) is a con artist. In one of his scams, he encourages Gloomy (William Frawley)— one of his bell-ringing, faux-charity Santas (a scam also employed in Fred Claus [2007] and Bad Santa 2 [2016])—to stop singing “put some dough in the kitty” and instead, to be more heartfelt: Sydney: To mention money at Christmas is vulgar. You gotta work on their sentiments.

A similar idea is verbalized in All Mine to Give. Shortly after the death of his parents, oldest son Robbie (Rex Thompson) organizes for his siblings to find new homes on Christmas Day rather than wait until the day after

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when, invariably, they would go into state care: “Tomorrow’s [Christmas Day] the best day for me to do what Momma told me. . . . On Christmas we ought to get just about anybody we want to take any of us in, see,” he tells his brother. Like Sidney in The Lemon Drop Kid, Robbie implies that sentiments can be exploited at Christmastime. Even in The Bishop’s Wife (1947), the bishop, Henry (David Niven), opportunistically references this when he talks to his wife, Julia (Loretta Young), about fundraising opportunities for the church: “Plenty of rich people in this town. I’ll have to take advantage of their Yuletide spirit.” While in The Lemon Drop Kid and Fred Claus seasonal sentimentality is exploited through holiday scams,38 in other narratives it is used more akin to the way films themselves do it: to broadly frame a product a desirable. In A Nanny for Christmas (2010) for example, Allison (Emmanuelle Vaugier) and Justin (Richard Ruccolo) design a marketing strategy for Danny Donner Chocolates: Justin: Danny Donner isn’t selling chocolate . . . Danny Donner is selling the memories of Christmas youth. Everyone, both young and old, remembers the magic that Christmas brought into their lives. The anticipation, the love, the joy. And with every bite of Danny Donner chocolates, those memories can be lived over and over. . . .

Here, Allison and Justin use the idea of Christmases past—always joyful and magical—to sell chocolate. The same thing occurs in 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015) when Marc (Aaron O’Connell), also an advertising executive, uses Anna’s (Katrina Law) traditional Christmas paintings as part of a campaign to market technology gadgets. A similar pitch is deployed in A Christmas in Vermont (2016), when Riley (Abigail Hawk)—attempting to save a struggling outdoor wear company—constructs a campaign designed to utilize nostalgia: “We need to stop looking at the future and start looking at the past.” The same tactic is used in Love You Like Christmas (2016), when marketing executive Maddie (Bonnie Sommerville) concocts a strategy to save a Christmas tree farm with a campaign focused on “a traditional Christmas like the ones we’ve always wanted.” These films each reference Christmas as inextricably linked to nostalgia as well as nostalgia’s role in selling goods. In these films elements of commercial nostalgia are part of the plot, but in most narratives the film itself is a commercial vehicle delivering the audience nostalgia, as examined throughout this chapter. In the opening of The Family Man (2000), Adelle (Mary Beth Hurt), the assistant of the workaholic executive Jack (Nicolas Cage), tells him that Kate (Téa Leoni) had left him a message. Kate was Jack’s college girlfriend and Jack’s initial impulse is to ignore the call: “She’s probably just having a fit of

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nostalgia,” he rationalizes. “You know, lonely Christmas Eve. Call the one that got away.”39 Here, Jack alludes to a common theme in films whereby the season is synonymous with wistfulness. A key component of nostalgia is it being bittersweet whereby memories are fondly recalled, but—given that time has past and one has aged—the sentiment also evokes feelings of loss or melancholy. For Jack, he was (albeit erroneously) assuming that Kate was doing what people do in real life—and also what characters often do—and reflecting on her life, on those proverbial paths not taken,40 and was experiencing longing. In Back to Christmas (2014),41 protagonist Ali (Kelly Overton) verbalizes doing this very thing at Christmas: “I start thinking about roads not taken . . .” (Characters given the opportunity to actually take those roads are explored in chapter 5.) In the following sections the routine presentation of Christmas as sentimental, as a season necessitating looking backward and as a marker of passing of time, are analyzed. CHRISTMAS AS SENTIMENTAL In a scene from the animated film Arthur Christmas (2011), Steve coldly says to his younger brother, “Arthur! Christmas is not a time for emotion!” While the comment gives insight into Steve’s tyrannical ways, it is also humorous because Steve’s sentiments are the antithesis of seasonal expectations. In a 1952 review of the British film The Holly and the Ivy (1952), the critic writes, “Sentimental? Of course, but what’s the use of a Christmas story without sentiment.”42 Christmas is all about emotion. History and nostalgia of course are invariably separated and weighted differently, something sociologist Lindsey Freeman examines: Although compared to memory, which is viewed as noble even when confused, nostalgia often carries a negative connotation, as sickeningly sentimental, emotionally indulgent, and even tacky; nostalgia is the velvet Elvis painting to memory’s Caravaggio.43

Here, the difference between history and memory relates to veracity. Freeman also identifies a cringe factor around sentimentality. While “sentimentality” is rarely defined, it is a word very liberally deployed. Literature scholar Brian Wilkie offers several definitions including sentimentality being “the expression of feeling or the attempt to evoke feeling in excess of what the portrayed situation reasonably calls for.”44 Katy Waldman writing for Slate highlights that the term is often used disparagingly,45 and philosopher Stephen Law identifies that “many people are deeply suspicious about Christmas kitsch and sentimentality. It tends to bring out a combination or sarcasm and snobbery.”46 Certainly on screen,

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Christmas as exceedingly sentimental is an accusation frequently leveled. In Christmas Magic (2011), Henry (Derek McGrath)—protagonist Carey’s (Lindy Booth) spirit guide—explains why he has to warn her not to connect with anyone from her past when she returns to earth in angel form: “Holidays can make people very sentimental.” While sentimentality is framed in this remark as a foregone conclusion, in others, it’s criticized. In the range of Carol adaptations, the Scrooge’s “bah humbug” is a dismissal of warm, sentimental tidings; other films present similar criticisms. Beyond Tomorrow (1940) opens with a scheduled Christmas party planned by the three engineers: Michael (Charles Winninger), George (Harry Carey) and Allan (C. Aubrey Smith). The party appears to be a failure due to a string of apologies. Michael, however, is disinclined to give up and decides to lure in strangers by throwing a wallet out the window and inviting to the party whoever returns it. “There must be some lonely souls out in that crowd,” he rationalizes. To this suggestion, George criticizes, “You’re a sentimentalist!” The very same accusation is leveled at protagonist Cheri (Lindy Booth) in The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013). Cheri is desperate to stop developers from demolishing the town library: her deadline is Christmas. Tony (Robin Dunne), an heir to the development corporation, criticizes her efforts, “Now you’re just being sentimental!” In It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), the Scrooge bank manager, Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), refers to protagonist George’s (James Stewart) thoughts on community banking as “sentimental hogwash!” In His & Her Christmas (2005), Tom (David Sutcliffe) is a high-profile news columnist who is similarly critical of seasonal sentimentality: Tom: I’ve had just about enough of hearing that nostalgic Norman Rockwell garbage. Each year it seems this ridiculous season starts earlier and earlier. I’m convinced that if this trend continues we’ll be seeing ads for those Christmas compilation CDs right after Labor Day. It makes me wonder what the Three Wise Men would have thought about all this. Would they have bought their Frankincense and Myrrh early to beat the rush or later to take advantage of post-Thanksgiving sales?47

Sentimentality is also criticized in A Christmas Kiss (2011). Wendy (Laura Breckenridge) is an assistant to the Scrooge party planner, Priscilla (Elisabeth Röhm). In response to Wendy’s suggestion of using A Christmas Carol as the theme for Priscilla’s fiancé, Adam’s (Brendan Fehr), charity ball, Priscilla dismisses her, declaring, “Neither Adam nor I have any time for sentimentality.” A similar criticism is verbalized in Wish upon a Christmas (2015), when corporate “ax-man” Amelia (Larisa Oleynik) has a conversation with her ex-boyfriend, Jesse (Aaron Ashmore), who runs the factory she has been sent to downsize:

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Jesse: I don’t understand how anyone could hate Christmas. Amelia: No, I hate sentimentality. I love Christmas. What’s not to love? Millions of people spending money, pulling businesses out of the red— Jesse: I think you’re kinda missing the point of the season. Amelia: That is the point. Jesse: Well according to you. Amelia: Me and Charles Dickens. An old stingy man finds true Christmas happiness by spending heaps of money with reckless abandon on toys and turkeys and a grand celebration of capitalism. If A Christmas Carol teaches us anything it’s that shopping is good.48

Characters in these examples dismiss sentimentality as something bad, but it’s important to spotlight that films about Christmas are nearly always sentimental themselves and thus near universally frame sentimentality as positive. Negative comments, therefore, do not speak for the film as a whole, rather, they are used to frame certain characters as Scroogelike. Such narratives take characters through a journey of rebirth: Tom in His & Her Christmas and Amelia in Wish upon a Christmas, for example, both eventually realize that sentimentality is good. Explaining why Christmas is sentimental is not without its challenges. As an annual event, with each new Christmas there exists almost an obligation to reflect on the seasons that have gone before. It’s a season where things that often summon high emotions—tradition, reunions, gift exchange, reminiscing—are mandated. The insertion of the season into a film, therefore, serves a range of purposes: to connote the passing of time, to provide a reason to both reunite friends or family and to exploit the colorful and often romantic winter aesthetic. Most notably, however, it’s just a shortcut to inserting nostalgia. In film theorist Mark Connelly’s work on Christmas films, he draws attention to the “unashamedly emotional and nostalgic” romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989), identifying that part of the film’s sentimentality centers on the deliberate deployment of Christmas: “The nostalgia is imparted by its music and obsession with the season. . . . The film is sentimental and so Christmas is vital to it.”49 The inclusion of Christmas in When Harry Met Sally . . . channels the feelings associated with the season into the viewer experience. In the following section the seasonal mandate to reflect on one’s past is explored. A SEASON FOR LOOKING BACKWARD In her review of A Perfect Day (2006), Amy Bonawitz quotes the film’s star, Rob Lowe: “People are automatically sort of wistful during the holidays.

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I think that’s why I’m drawn to Christmas movies because I’m drawn to stories that lend themselves well to that time of year.”50 Being wistful and looking backward occurs widely in varying degrees of explicitness. In Elf-Man (2012), Gramma (Marty Terry) makes the (perhaps obvious) point that “this time of year brings up a lot of memories.” Such sentiments are taken further in The Bishop’s Wife, in remarks by the Professor (Monty Woolley): “I like to have a Christmas tree because it reminds me of my childhood. I feel, for some reason, that this is a good time of year for looking backwards.” In Holiday Affair (1949), an exchange between protagonist Connie’s (Janet Leigh) parents, Mr. Ennis (Griff Barnett) and Mrs. Ennis (Esther Dale), presents wistfulness as somehow seasonally unavoidable: Mr. Ennis: And don’t get moody on me. Holidays she always gets moody. Mrs. Ennis: Well one remembers more on holidays. . . . The little things and the funny things.

Gabriel (Donal McCann) makes a similar point in his Christmas speech in The Dead: “And yet, in gatherings such as this, sadder thoughts will occur to our minds. Thoughts of the past, of youth, of changes, of absent friends that we miss here tonight.” In Mixed Nuts (1994),51 crisis hotline worker Philip (Steve Martin) tries to commiserate with a poverty-stricken and suicidal Felix (Anthony LaPaglia), stating, “Christmas is a time when you look at your life through a magnifying glass, and whatever you don’t have feels overwhelming.” This point is also made in Finding Christmas (2013), when Mia (Cristina Rosato) remarks, “The holidays and the new year. They’re just a time I like to re-evaluate my life, look at where I am now and where I’m going.” In each example, the active process of reflection is verbalized. The same idea transpires when characters discuss the past as part of their holiday celebrations. One common way this is done is where couples—invariably estranged—reflect on the Christmases transpiring in the earliest days of their marriage. In It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), the wealthy industrialist, Michael O’Connor (Charles Ruggles), is reunited with his ex-wife, Mary (Ann Harding). The two discuss their former life when they had lots of friends and lived in a small house; a time before, in Mary’s words, “You left me and married your money.” In The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), estranged couple Gil (Bert Convy) and Linda (Brooke Bundy) were apparently once poor but happy before Gil became a successful political aide: Gil: You were supporting us both selling junk pottery to Long Island ladies in search of culture. Linda: Didn’t bother me. Gil: It bothered me.

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Linda: You wrote a wonderful book. Gil: That sold fourteen copies. Linda: We were happy, we were together.

In A Christmas Detour (2015), the same sentiments are espoused. Maxine (Sarah Strange) and Frank (David Lewis) have been married for 20 years and are feeling disconnected. In one scene they reminisce about Christmases past, including their first when they were poor but happy. Poor but happy is also reflected on fondly in Help for the Holidays (2012). Sara (Eva LaRue) and husband Scott (Dan Gauthier) have devoted so much to their business that they have become estranged: Sara: God, we had nothing then and those were the best Christmases. I never wanted them to end. Scott: And now all we want is for Christmas to be over. Sara: Maybe we are ruining Christmas for the kids.

In Christmas with the Andersons (2016), the central couple has a similar exchange, and poor but happy is how Shannon (Andrea Roth) describes her upbringing in Crazy for Christmas (2005). In Moonlight over Manhattan (2011), the estranged couple, Lucy (Tricia Helfer) and Joe (Greg Bryk), fondly reminisce about the twig-like tree they had before they had children and before their lives got complicated. Dexter (Dennis Quaid) and Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) also reminisce similarly in D.O.A. (1988). In Holiday Baggage (2008),52 Sarah (Cheryl Ladd) comments to her estranged husband, Pete (Barry Bostwick), “Those first Christmases with the girls. They were the happiest of my life. . . . What happened to us?” In The Heart of Christmas (2011), Megan (Candace Cameron Bure) says something similar to her husband, lamenting their stressed lives: “We used to go to church every Sunday. We used to go on dates.” In Love the Coopers (2015), struggling Charlotte (Diane Keaton) and Sam (John Goodman) also reflected on their earliest years of marriage, commenting: “We lost track of each other raising the kids.” In these examples, the season prompts couples to reflect on Christmases that have gone before and to compare those with their present: invariably the past is presented, simply, as a place with greater happiness. This is less, of course, accurate testimony and more so indicative of the fiction of nostalgia. Worth noting, akin to the Great Depression narratives discussed earlier, such reminiscing—particularly about being poor—is in line with Nisbet’s idea about nostalgie de la boue and the fondly remembered harsh past. Another function for reminiscing is reconciliation. As examined more closely in chapter 4, Christmas oftentimes is presented as challenging—or

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even ending—relationships. For the narratives in this section, however, when sentimental musings are actively participated in, couples are reunited and divorce papers get discarded: the usefulness, therefore, of seasonal sentimentality is validated as a vehicle to help couples reconnect; that talking about the past conjures fond feelings for it. While in the narratives discussed in this section, characters speak of bygone happiness, in others it is displayed. In adaptations of A Christmas Carol, for example, Christmas Past regularly takes Scrooge back to a time prior to his wealth and success when he had a happy, functional and loving relationship. This visit ultimately motivates Scrooge to rehabilitate; something marketing theorist Richard Belk discusses: Scrooge is moved by nostalgia for the past when he is made to remember his childhood and lost love and is filled with remorse when he is shown a future that includes his own unattended grave and the grave of a youthful Tim.53

In An American Christmas Carol, Benedict (Henry Winkler) was once happy and in love with Helen (Susan Hogan); in Ebbie (1995),54 the Scrooge title character (Susan Lucci) was once happy and in love with Paul (Ron Lea); in Scrooged (1988), Frank (Bill Murray) was once happy and in love with Claire (Karen Allen), and in A Carol Christmas (2003), Carol (Tori Spelling) was once happy and in love with John (Jason Brooks). On one hand these narratives can simply be interpreted as depictions of the past as better. These adaptations, however, also make statements akin to the poor but happy scenes discussed earlier, about money not buying happiness: that in fact, the acquisition of it can even sabotage happiness and is regularly the antithesis of the season; Scrooge, for example, despite his wealth, has nowhere near the happiness of the near-destitute Cratchits. This is particularly well illustrated in a scene from Ms. Scrooge (1997), when the Ghost of Christmas Present (Shaun Austin-Olsen) takes the title character, Ebenita (Cicely Tyson), to see the happy Cratchit family: “Look at their misery,” Present says sarcastically.55 The same scene plays out in A Carol Christmas when the Ghost of Christmas Present (William Shatner) takes Carol to see her assistant, Roberta’s (Nina Siemaszko), rough neighborhood: “How could they be so happy?” Carol asks, obliviously, “They have nothing.” The Ghost of Christmas Present has to spell out to Carol that “there are a lot of people who get pleasure out of the simple things in life” and that “there’s more love in that house than money can buy.” Education theorist Philip M. Bamber discusses poor but happy, noting that it “reflects an emergent understanding of diverse aspects of poverty beyond material wealth,”56 a theme central in these films.57 The same reminiscing that transpires verbally in the films discussed in this section is depicted visually in others. Scenes of characters looking at

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photographs are a deliberate, wordless way of conveying an active, sentimental reflection. In Bright Eyes (1934), on Christmas Eve, young Shirley (Shirley Temple) and her godfather, Loop (James Dunn), look through an album of photos of Shirley’s deceased father. Photos are similarly perused in Scrooged, Journey Back to Christmas, A Christmas in Vermont, Love You Like Christmas, The Gathering (1977), Christmas Snow (1986), The Christmas Gift (1986), Lethal Weapon (1987), Die Hard (1988), Home Alone (1990), Crackers (1998), One Special Night (1999), A Very Cool Christmas (2004),58 Noel (2004), The Christmas Blessing (2005), An Accidental Christmas (2007), A Christmas Proposal (2008), Kisses (2008), Our First Christmas (2008), The Christmas Choir (2008), Mrs. Miracle (2009), Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), 3 Holiday Tails (2011), Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), Christmas with Holly (2012), Holiday High School Reunion (2012),59 The Christmas Consultant (2012), The Christmas Heart (2012), A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), Christmas Bounty (2013), Defending Santa (2013), Pete’s Christmas (2013), A Perfect Christmas List (2014), A Cookie Cutter Christmas (2014), Northpole (2014), Mr. Miracle (2014), Merry Matrimony (2015), The Christmas Note (2015), ’Tis the Season for Love (2015), Almost Christmas (2016), Merry Christmas, Baby (2016), Holiday Joy (2016), and Sleigh Bells Ring (2016). In Unlikely Angel (1996), young Matthew (Eli Marienthal) goes through a box of photos and cards, reminiscing about his deceased mother. In What She Wants for Christmas (2012), mom Marilyn (Denise Boutte) looks through such a box. Along similar lines, old home movies are watched in films including The Family Man, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), All I Want for Christmas (1991), 24 Nights (1999), Eve’s Christmas (2004), Christmas Caper (2007), Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe (2009), Cancel Christmas (2010), The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012), Angels Sing (2013), The Color of Rain (2014) and Operation Christmas (2016). While photos and videos are commonly used to convey sentimentality, other nostalgia totems function similarly. In Just Friends (2005), on his first return home in a decade, Chris (Ryan Reynolds) and his high school best friend, Jamie (Amy Smart), look through old home videos and yearbooks. Yearbooks are similarly perused in Elf (2003), Santa Baby (2006) and Dear Santa (2011). In Meet John Doe (1941), Ann (Barbara Stanwyck) reads through her deceased father’s diaries. In The Christmas Wish (1998), Ruth (Debbie Reynolds) reads her dead husband’s journals: “It’s been wonderful, actually. Reliving different parts of our lives,” Ruth admits.60 In Holiday Switch (2007), Paula (Nicole Egger) sorts through a box of newspaper clippings featuring her ex-boyfriend, Nick (Brett Le Bourveau). In Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008), Nick (Tom Arnold) gives his daughter, Holly (Candace Cameron Bure), a box full of letters and notes written by her deceased mother. In On Strike for Christmas (2010),

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mom Joy (Daphne Zuniga) looks through an old Christmas scrapbook. In A Gift of Miracles (2015), Darcy (Rachel Boston) and her father, Frank (Andrew Airlie), go through the possessions of Darcy’s deceased mother. In Finding Father Christmas (2016), Miranda (Erin Krakow) sorts through her deceased mother’s possessions. The same thing happens in The Christmas Note. In A Puppy for Christmas (2016), Noelle (Cindy Busby) goes through a box of old letters and cards. In Coming Home for Christmas (2013), the family opens a time capsule they had buried years prior. In The Man Who Saved Christmas, protagonist A. C. (Jason Alexander) replays a dictaphone message that his brother, Frank (Ari Cohen), recorded before he went off to war. In Trading Christmas (2011), while unpacking Christmas decorations, widowed Emily (Faith Ford) finds a stocking that reads “Dad” and gets tearful. In Magic Stocking (2015), Lindsey (Bridget Regan) sniffs an old shirt that had belonged to her dead husband. Reminiscing and recapturing the past via an object in fact is central in Christmas in Conway (2013). Suzy (Mary-Louise Parker) has a terminal illness. After reminiscing about her husband, Duncan’s (Andy Garcia), fairground marriage proposal, the two travel to Myrtle Beach to revisit it. Suzy is sick on the way, however, and the journey is incomplete. Duncan then buys, and erects a ferris wheel in their backyard to give Suzy one last ride with him. In geographer Divya Tolia-Kelly’s book Landscape, Race and Memory, she contends, “Photographs also trigger memory from the imagination of other ‘texts’ or textures; through them, family narratives and recollections of a past life are evoked.”61 While Tolia-Kelly discusses the use of photographs in real life, their use in film—along with the use of other mementoes—function similarly: to convey that a character is reminiscing about times past. In my book Masturbation in Pop Culture: Screen, Society, Self, I discuss scenes of characters masturbating to photos of loved ones, identifying that “on a filmmaking level this can simply be explained as a show-don’t tell visual representation of a masturbator’s thoughts. . . .”62 Photos and mementoes alert audiences to the preoccupations and triggers of characters, tabling, in the case of Christmas narratives, a sense of longing for loved ones and times past. Such props, of course, have other functions. In some examples, looking at a photo and reminiscing alerts an audience to a possible forthcoming reunion. For Lisa (Julie Gonzalo) in 3 Holiday Tails, for Georgia (Rachel Boston) in Holiday High School Reunion, for Paula in Holiday Switch and for Eve (Elisa Donovan) in Eve’s Christmas, each woman reunites with men who appeared in the photos and videos they perused. In each example, each woman’s past is brought back into the present through a Christmastime reunion (a topic discussed later in this chapter).

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CHRISTMAS AS A MARKER OF PASSING TIME With their Christmas lights permanently up, it’s always a little bit Christmastime for women like E. B. (Lea Thompson) in Love at the Christmas Table (2012) and Darnella (Linda Gray) in A Very Mary Christmas (2010).63 Equally, it’s always a little bit Christmastime for Harold (Brandon Maggart) in the horror film Christmas Evil (1980),64 who sleeps dressed as Santa and whose home is permanently decorated. For children, however, the waits between Christmases can seem like an eternity. In The Christmas Heart, youngest son Tommy (Cruise Brown) remarks, “It always seems like a long time ‘til Christmas. But it always comes.” While for a child Christmas often seems an age away, adults conversely frequently acknowledge its ever-quicker arrival. In A Bride for Christmas (2012), Aiden (Andrew W. Walker) comments, “It’s hard to believe Christmas is just a few weeks away.” In The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010), Santa (R. D. Reid) and Mrs. Claus (Marcia Bennett) discuss this same idea: Santa: Am I wrong, my dear, or did this year pass by faster than usual? Mrs. Claus: They say time passes faster the older you get. And you, my darling, are positively ancient.

A variation of this occurs in Fallen Angel (2003), when Terry (Gary Sinise)—who returns to his hometown to bury his father at Christmastime—wonders whether his father would “be surprised at how quickly time had passed.” In these films, passing time is verbalized. In others the arrival of Christmas itself serves to connote this. Christmas as a Time Jump In lieu of a caption reading, for example, “six months later,” Christmas is often used to reveal that time has passed within a storyline: a festively decorated streetscape, for example, wordlessly alerts an audience that the year is ending. This device is often used in films that span a year or longer. Mentioned earlier was When Harry Met Sally . . . The entire narrative unfolds across fifteen years whereby the film repeatedly visits the characters in the fall and during the lead up to Christmas: the changing season reveals that another block of time has passed. Christmas frequently serves in this fashion as a time jump. Folklorist Jack Santino discusses the film Fried Green Tomatoes (1991),65 observing that it “tells us what time of year it is, and suggests time’s passage, by changing the decorations at a nursing home. . . .”66 Christmas decorations in the film connote the arrival of a new season. In highly sentimental narratives like When Harry Met Sally . . . mentioned earlier, as well as Stella Dallas (1937),

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its remake Stella (1990), Peyton Place (1957) and Beaches (1988), Christmas is a season briefly visited across the course of these multi-year narratives: it marks time through ritual. Blossoms in the Dust (1941) uses the season both for sentiment and to connote the passing of time: in one scene, protagonist Edna (Greer Garson) gives birth, and in the very next scene, she and her child—now a toddler—are sitting under a Christmas tree. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and its remakes In the Good Old Summertime (1949) and You’ve Got Mail (1998), follow the burgeoning relationships between shop colleagues across the span of a year and through the changing seasons, including Christmas. In Edward Scissorhands (1990), the arrival of Christmas connotes how much time the title character (Johnny Depp) has spent with Peg’s (Dianne Wiest) family. In the Canadian film Away from Her (2006), Grant (Gordon Pinsent) first inspects a nursing home at Christmastime; his wife, Fiona (Julie Christie), moves in shortly thereafter. Grant regularly visits his wife, and one of these visits transpires at Christmas, connoting that Fiona had been in the home for nearly a year. In the Australian psychological thriller Berlin Syndrome (2017), the arrival of Christmas means that Clare (Teresa Palmer) has been held captive in Andi’s (Max Riemelt) Berlin home since the summer. In Deadpool (2016), a collection of images of the central couple—Wade (Ryan Reynolds) and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin)—show them together at various holidays including Christmas, thus helping the audience to estimate the length of their relationship. In How to Be Single (2016), a decorated Rockefeller Christmas tree gives way to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and then summer rooftop parties to convey the passing seasons. In Holiday Breakup (2016) a similar idea of love across a calendar year is presented: Chloe (Manon Mathews) and Jeff (Shawn Roe) get together on July 4th, break up at Halloween, and pretend to be together throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas. The same device is used in Seasons of Love (2014): as the title suggests, the four seasons are used to punctuate Amir (Cleo Anthony) and Kyla’s (Letoya Luckett) relationship: the two couple up at Christmas and break up and then reunite two Christmases later. Season’s Greetings (2016) uses a similar plot device: it opens at Christmastime and concludes at Christmas the following year. In Love Affair (1939), to connote that six months had passed since Michel (Charles Boyer) and Terry’s (Irene Dunne) promised—but failed—July meeting atop the Empire State Building, department store windows are festively decorated. In the remake, An Affair to Remember (1957), to connote that six months had passed between Nickie (Cary Grant) and Terry’s (Deborah Kerr) planned but aborted July meeting, gallery owner Courbet (Fortunio Bonanova) hangs a Christmas wreath in his store window. In a later remake, Love Affair (1994), a seasonally decorated hotel and a band playing carols establishes that it has been seven months since Mike (Warren Beatty) and Terry’s (Annette

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Bening) failed meeting. Early into Love Story (1970), Jenny (Ali McGraw) and Oliver (Ryan O’Neill) are newlyweds, and he is working at a Christmas tree stall. The following Christmas he is a successful lawyer and Jenny is dying: Christmas functions in these films to highlight the passing of time through a recognizable67 and thus easily datable season, but also works to make a what a difference a year makes statement. In Falling in Love (1984), the story begins on Christmas Eve when the two protagonists, Frank (Robert de Niro) and Molly (Meryl Streep), first briefly meet. The narrative jumps forward to the middle of the year when the characters reunite, then separate again. The duo meet again on Christmas Eve a year later and, seemingly, can finally begin their lives together after having split from their respective spouses. This what a difference a year makes idea is widely deployed. The Christmas List (1997) focuses on Melody’s (Mimi Rogers) Christmas and closes by jumping forward to another Christmas two years later: seemingly Melody has coupled with David (Rob Stewart) and they now have a baby. If You Believe (1999) uses a similar device: the narrative centers on Susan’s (Ally Walker) Christmas and closes flashing forward to a future celebration when Susan (Ally Walker) and Tom (Tom Amandes) have a baby. Christmas Angel (2009) starts at Christmas and ends one year later to show that protagonist Ashley (Kari Hawker-Diaz) is happy and in a relationship with Will (K. C. Clyde). In The Family Stone (2005), the Stone family have gathered for a family Christmas. Matriarch Sybil (Diane Keaton) has advanced breast cancer. Christmas night draws to a close and then the film jumps ahead precisely one year: the Stones have gathered for Christmas again, minus Sybil, who seemingly died sometime between the two holidays. In About a Boy (2002), one Christmas, Will (Hugh Grant) is alone, perceiving himself as an “island,” before getting an invitation to Christmas dinner at young Marcus’s (Nicholas Hoult) home. At the end of the film, it’s Christmas one year later and Will is now in a relationship: Will: By the following Christmas things were back to normal. Every man is an island. I stand by that. But, clearly, some men are part of island chains. Below the surface of the ocean they are actually connected.

In Home by Christmas (2006), the narrative centers on Julie’s (Linda Hamilton) awful Christmas that involved her divorce, a mugging, an eviction and time spent living in her car. By the end of the film the narrative jumps ahead one year: it’s Christmas again and Julie is running a successful business and has recoupled. In Bridget Jones’s Diary (2010), the film opens at New Year’s and spans until the following Christmas; the New Year’s party at the beginning is contrasted with the Christmas party at the end. (The reverse happens in Pocketful of Miracles [1961], which begins at

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Christmas and ends at New Year’s, in a later year.) In Operation Christmas, Olivia and Scott (Marc Blucas) meet on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day Scott is called away for military work. A year later, the two are reunited in the lead up to the next Christmas. A variation on these presentations is Christmas as a bookend. Mentioned earlier was Falling in Love: it starts and ends on separate Christmas Eves. Similarly, in The Christmas List, If You Believe, The Family Stone and Season’s Greetings, each start at Christmas and end at Christmas in a later year; the same thing happens in Stealing Christmas (2013) and The Night Before (2015). While in these narratives the focus is predominantly on the celebrations of Christmas, in other films the seasons serves as bookends. In A Country Christmas Story (2013), the film opens at Christmas with the announcement of a country music competition; the film concludes a year later at the competition. The thriller Kind Lady (1935) begins on Christmas Eve and ends on Christmas Eve a year later. The animated film Lady and the Tramp (1955) begins on Christmas Day when husband Jim gives his wife, Darling, the cocker spaniel, Lady. The narrative ends on a later Christmas when Lady has her own puppies. In Beloved Infidel (1959), the film opens with gossip columnist, Sheilah (Deborah Kerr), being offered a new job while at a Christmas party; the film ends at Christmastime with the death of Sheilah’s partner, Scott (Gregory Peck). In each of these films, while the holiday is an important annual marker of time, the focus is not actually on Christmas but on the line in between. Another interpretation of the role of Christmas in these films—and also in films like The Night of the Hunter (1955), Rocky IV (1985) and Big Eden (2000)—is Christmas used simply to present a happy ending: that it is an easy way to end the story on a positive note. While in these narratives Christmas is a marker on the calendar, in others, it functions as a distinct reminder of the past. Christmas as a Mortality Clue In the Australian comedy Babe (1995), the titular pig is being fattened up for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, via voiceover, it is revealed: “And so it was Christmas Eve and time had run out for the pig.” While Christmas doesn’t actually end up being the end for Babe, the notion of a final Christmas is indeed a common theme. The family drama One True Thing (1998) can be likened to Love Story, Deadpool and How to Be Single in that Christmas is just one of the seasons (like Halloween) that the Gulden family pass through while matriarch Kate (Meryl Streep) loses her battle with illness.68 Christmas, however, is not just a day like any other,69 nor a season like others: that it is Kate’s last Christmas is framed as a great tragedy. In one scene, Ellen (Renée Zellweger) stands with her mother at the town’s tree lighting ceremony,

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listening to the carols. Ellen then looks across at her brother, Brian (Tom Everett Scott). Brian is crying and then Ellen starts crying: it is at that moment that both children realize that this is their mother’s last Christmas. Christmas marks another year passing on everyone’s calendar, but notably for a character with a death sentence the last Christmas is an especially sentimental portrayal. In The Holly and the Ivy, Michael (Denholm Elliott) talks about getting leave from the army by using the “last Christmas” cliché: “I pitched a tale . . . I told him me mother had died, me father is getting old. . . . Maybe it’s the last Christmas we’ll all spend together in the old home.” In Mixed Nuts, one of the callers to the LifeSavers crisis hotline also uses the same cliché, saying, “I’m calling you because this is my last Christmas . . . I have leukaemia. I have only two months.” The Holly and the Ivy and Mixed Nuts reference the last Christmas as part of a joke. This same idea is also part of a humorous misunderstanding in A Perfect Christmas List. Michelle (Beth Broderick) overhears her mother, Evie (Marion Ross), talking to her doctor about moving out of her condo; Michelle mishears and thinks they are discussing her mother’s impending death. For the entire narrative, Michelle mistakenly thinks it might be Evie’s last Christmas. This idea is also presented humorously in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) suggests to her husband, Clark (Chevy Chase), that he ease up on Uncle Lewis (William Hickey): “He’s an old man. It may be his last Christmas.” While in each of these examples the last Christmas cliché is referenced, in others the depiction is more serious and sentimental. In A Hobo’s Christmas (1987), Chance (Barnard Hughes) hasn’t seen his son, Charlie (Gerald McRaney), in 25 years. The pitch Chance uses when trying to organize a meeting with his son is “not many more Christmases left, Charlie.” Similar sentiments are espoused in Christmas in Compton (2012), when, after being hospitalized for a heart condition, Big Earl (Keith David) says to his son, Derrick (Omar Gooding), “At the end of the day, it’s really the big man upstairs who decides how many Christmases any one of us have left.” In The Gathering, estranged patriarch Adam (Ed Asner) has been diagnosed with a terminal illness: it will be his last Christmas and he wants to spend it with his estranged family. The same narrative plays out in The Fitzgerald Family Christmas for estranged patriarch Jim (Ed Lauter). In the French film L’arbre de Noël (The Christmas Tree) (1969), it is the last Christmas for young Pascal (Brook Fuller), who has radiation poisoning. In Six Weeks (1982), it’s Christmastime and 12-year-old Nicole (Katherine Healy) has leukemia with only has six weeks left. In Christmas Eve (1986),70 Amanda (Loretta Young) has a brain aneurism: it will be her last Christmas and she wants to spend it with her estranged son and grandchildren. As mentioned earlier in The Family Stone, Sybil has breast cancer: it is her last Christmas. In Christmas with the

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Kranks (2004), Bev’s (Elizabeth Franz) cancer has relapsed: the fear is that it will be her last Christmas. In The Last Christmas (2010), grandpa (Cedric Smith) has cancer and brings his family to his lodge for his last Christmas. In The Man Who Saved Christmas, Frank is called up to war on Christmas Day. The family are notified of his death shortly after: seemingly it was Frank’s last Christmas. In Angel in the Family, Buddy has a stroke and his doctor tells his daughter, Sarah (Tracey Needham), that it might be his last Christmas. In Last Holiday (2006), following Georgia’s (Queen Latifah) Lampington’s disease diagnosis, she’s under the impression that it will be her last Christmas. In November Christmas (2010), Vanessa (Emily Alyn Lind) has cancer. Her father—fearing she won’t live until Christmas—decides to bring all the holidays forward, including Halloween and Christmas. In The Heart of Christmas, Dax (Christopher Shone) is dying of leukemia: the neighbors decorate their homes early so that Dax can have one last Christmas. In Christmas Lodge, Grampa (John Innes) is dying and wants to spend one last Christmas in the titular lodge. In Christmas in Conway, Suzy has decided she doesn’t want further medical treatment and wants to die at home. While it isn’t explicitly spoken in the narrative, it appears that this will be Suzy’s last Christmas. In the Australian film Force of Destiny (2015), Robert (David Wenham) has been diagnosed with cancer: it appears as though it will be his last Christmas.71 In each of these films, the tragedy of one last opportunity to celebrate Christmas is framed as devastating, in turn delivering high emotions. Equally, the idea of a last Christmas before something like death works to reiterate that Christmas is not just an arbitrary date on the calendar, but rather is something momentous and memorable and thus the notion of the last one spent with loved ones is recalled in the bittersweet way synonymous with nostalgia whereby the moment is recalled fondly but it’s ultimately fleeting.72 A variant on the last Christmas is the last Christmas together: before divorce, perhaps, or separation. In All Mine to Give, oldest son Robbie knows that with both parents dead, he and his siblings will soon be separated. He pleads to authorities for the children to be allowed one last Christmas together. In A Christmas Memory (1966), it will be the last Christmas for elderly Sook (Geraldine Page) and her cousin and best friend, Buddy (Donnie Melvin), after it is announced that he will move away for military school in the new year. In the 1997 version, Sook (Patty Duke) verbalizes an acknowledgment of their “last Christmas.” In Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Anna (Elizabeth Peña) announces that she wants a divorce from Edy (Alfred Molina) after 36 years of marriage: their children fear that this will be their last Christmas together. In Love the Coopers, Sam and Charlotte are splitting up and Charlotte views this as their last Christmas: “It’s our last chance to be a family before we tell them. I want the kids to have

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the memory of one last perfect Christmas.” In The National Tree (2009), Corey (Andrew McCarthy) is a widowed single father to Rock (Evan William). It is Rock’s last Christmas before college.73 In Meet Me in St. Louis, after patriarch Alonzo’s (Leon Ames) decision to move the family to New York, it is, seemingly, the Smith family’s last Christmas in Missouri. In Christmas Land (2015), with Jules (Nikki Deloach) intent on selling the family Christmas tree farm, Tucker (Luke Macfarlane) tells her, “If you sell the place it is the last Christmas.” In The March Sisters at Christmas (2012), the titular characters fear that it will be their last Christmas in their ancestral home, Orchard House, in light of their parents’ decision to sell. In Almost Christmas, the adult children fear it will be their last Christmas in their family home after Dad (Danny Glover) decides to sell. In Charming Christmas (2015), it is repeatedly mentioned that it’s the last Christmas in the family department store. In The Twelve Trees of Christmas the fear is that it will be the last Christmas in the soon-to-be-demolished library. In Christmas Ranch (2016), with foreclosure looming, it is suspected that this will be the last Christmas on the ranch. In The Night Before, it will be the last Christmas bender for the three friends. A slightly different portrayal transpires with it being a last Christmas with children still believing. In I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2002), David (Corbin Bernsen) wants to make Christmas special for his son, Justin (Cole Sprouse): “This might be the last time be believes in Santa.” In What She Wants for Christmas, estranged Sebastien (Christian Keyes) breaks into the home of his daughter, Abigail (Brianna Dufrene), and her mom, Marilyn: he hasn’t seen either in five years and his rationale is that it “might be the last Christmas before she grows up” and that he wanted to give Abigail “a magical Christmas before she’s too old for that to happen.” The same fear is articulated by Boyd (Joel McHale) in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014)74 where he is very concerned about his son, Douglas’s (Pierce Gagnon), waning belief: Boyd: How many years do you think Bug has left where he walks into the living room Christmas morning, he sees the tree, the presents, and his stomach just drops? Because holy crap, Santa came. Can you imagine still having that kind of belief in magic?75

Akin to the idea of a last Christmas, films often also flag it being the first Christmas since something awful happened. In The Christmas Gift (1986), it is George’s (John Denver) first Christmas since his wife’s death. This is the same situation for John (Jason Robards) in The Christmas Wife (1988), John (Sam Elliott) in Prancer (1989), Dennis (Sam Kelly) in Christmas at the Riviera (2007) and Ralph (Henry Winkler) in The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008). In Millions (2004), the focus is on the first Christmas for Ronnie (James Nesbitt) and his sons, Damian (Alex Etel) and Anthony

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(Lewis McGibbon), without Mom. It’s also the first Christmas since Mom died in Almost Christmas and My Christmas Love (2016). In The Christmas Wish, it’s the first Christmas since protagonist Will’s (Neil Patrick Harris) grandpa’s death. In Under the Mistletoe (2006), it’s the first Christmas since Susan’s (Jaime Ray Newman) husband was killed in a car crash. In Mr. Miracle, the Australian film The Tree (2010), Come Dance with Me (2012)76 and Snow Bride (2013), it’s the first Christmas since Dad died. In One Christmas Eve (2014), it’s Nell’s (Anne Heche) first Christmas since her divorce; it’s the same situation for Julie in Home by Christmas. These firsts prompt characters to contrast their current situation with the seasons that have gone before; as noted earlier in the context of Love Story, these films make a what a difference a year makes statement. Such firsts also serve as a watershed: life, and Christmases, going forward will be different, in ways good and also bad. Our First Christmas focuses on this: it is the first Christmas that the blended family will spend together and thus they are struggling to preserve their old traditions while establishing new ones. A Perfect Christmas (2016) presents the same idea more positively: it is Cynthia (Susie Abromeit) and Steve’s (Dillon Casey) first Christmas as a married couple.77 In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island Adventure (2003), it’s Audrey’s (Dana Barron) first Christmas away from her parents. The Canadian mockumentary The Baby Formula (2008) centers on a lesbian couple, with both women pregnant. Karl (Roger Dunn), father of Athena (Angela Vint)—one half of the central couple—shoots himself after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis: when Christmastime comes, it’s the first celebration without him, and the first Christmas with both babies. Christmas also connotes the passing of time via its function as an anniversary. While of course, it could be argued that, more broadly, it’s the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, or the anniversary of past Christmases, in most narratives it denotes a more secular, narrative-specific commemoration. A Christmas Anniversary Several narratives open with montages of past Christmases. If You Believe, for example, shows protagonist Susan as she grows up through different Christmases, her spirits flailing as time passes. On Strike for Christmas opens with images of past Christmases showing that, as the years pass, Joy’s sons are less interested in helping her prepare. As noted throughout this section, Christmas marks time: it’s a unique period in the calendar that facilitates, if not encourages, reflection on what has transpired in a life, in family, in relationships, since the last one.

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Love at the Christmas Table charts Christmas celebrations over several decades: each year the protagonists Sam (Dustin Milligan) and Kat (Danica McKellar) reunite for the holiday at a family friend’s holiday party and then separate again; Christmas marks the anniversary of the last time they saw each other. This same plot plays out in the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2012): across six Christmases, Dan (Ian Meadows) and his love interest—his cousin’s girlfriend, Cora (Jane Harber)—move in and out of each other’s lives. In Silver Bells (2005), widowed single father Christy (Tate Donovan) and his family go to Manhattan each year to sell Christmas trees. Christy’s sixteen-year-old son, Danny (Michael Mitchell), is uninterested in the family business and wants to be a photographer. To avoid returning home with his father and sister Bridget (Courtney Jines), Danny runs away. After failing to find Danny, Christy and Bridget return to their farm alone. The following year they return to Manhattan and resume their search: the narrative implies that a year has passed since Danny ran away. Christmas specifically serving as an anniversary for something bad transpires widely. In Call Me Claus (2001), as a child, Lucy’s (Whoopi Goldberg) family found out about the death of her father at Christmas. In Bridget Jones’s Diary, Mark’s (Colin Firth) marriage ended when his wife left him on Christmas Day. In Trading Christmas, Charles’s (Tom Cavanagh) fiancé broke up with him on Christmas Eve two years prior. For Allen (Tom Everett Scott) in Karroll’s Christmas (2004), years prior he had proposed, unsuccessfully, to his girlfriend at Christmas. In A Grandpa for Christmas (2007), Bert (Ernest Borgnine), and his wife had separated years before at Christmastime. In Deadly Little Christmas (2009), at Christmastime fifteen years prior, Dad (Douglas Myers) and nanny Inga (Noa Geller) were murdered. In Farewell Mr. Kringle, the spouses of both Annabelle (Christine Taylor) and Kris Kringle (William Morgan Sheppard) died at Christmas. In Hector (2015), the title character’s (Peter Mullan) family were killed at Christmas. In Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014), as a child, Shane’s (Kristin Booth) father walked out on her family on the Sunday before Christmas. In My Santa (2013), single mom Jen’s (Samaire Armstrong), partner walked out on her just before their son, Eric’s (Gabe O’Mara), first Christmas. In Love the Coopers, Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) reveals that it was Christmas when she saw her fiancé kissing another woman in a restaurant, thus leading to their break up. In each of these examples, Christmas is both an anniversary of something bad and an explanation for why the characters haven’t celebrated the season since. The past is invariably a place looked to because it is construed as somehow better than the present. While reflecting on the past—for example through photos—has been discussed, in the next section, actively pining for it through words is explored.

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PINING FOR THE PAST Cultural theorist Svetlana Boy describes nostalgia as having a “utopian dimension.”78 As discussed throughout this chapter, a key component of nostalgia is looking back and remembering the past—even if inaccurately—as ideal. This activity transpires widely. Returning to the “Real” Christmas The notion of a real Christmas is widely spoken of. In The Night Before the Night Before Christmas, teen daughter Hannah (Rebecca Williams) explains why she visits her friend’s house at Christmas instead of staying home: “Katie’s family has a real Christmas every year. They play games, watch Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life. . . .” In A Very Mary Christmas, Darnella pronounces, “We’re going to have a real Christmas.” In The Real St. Nick (2012), Kate (Torrey DeVitto) notes, “I haven’t had a real Christmas since I was, like, seven.” In ’Tis the Season for Love, Beth (Sarah Lancaster) goes home for Christmas, and her mom, Shirley (Gwynyth Walsh), pronounces, “It’s far too long since you’ve had a real Christmas.” A “real” Christmas is not defined in these narratives, but there exists great capacity for speculating on the meaning. In 2013, British supermarket chain Tesco ran a Christmas television commercial that was created to look like a compilation of old home movies with Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young” (1988) playing in the background. Tesco’s marketing director, David Wood, discussed the campaign: Our advert marks the start of our Christmas campaign, celebrating what makes Christmas special—a time to see family, have fun, and give to others. We wanted to show what a real Christmas is all about—not a perfect, airbrushed one—but the ones we recognize from our own lives.79

Wood alludes to one explanation for this real Christmas yearning: authenticity. In chapter 6 I discuss authenticity in relation to real Christmas trees and real—as opposed to fake—people. Underpinning each idea is fixed notions about what constitutes “real.” While Wood indicates that authenticity is about imperfection,80 on screen it’s more commonly characterized as being about familial togetherness: that a real Christmas is one where the family is together. Real, of course, has other connotations. An Old Fashioned Christmas, introduced earlier, is set during the 1880s in Ireland and involves two Americans visiting their relatives’ castle. The film title gives a hint to what real might mean. The notion of an old-fashioned or traditional Christmas in an American context81 borrows heavily from Europe—“the tree from Germany tradition, the filling of stockings

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from the Dutch tradition”82—or from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It thus makes sense that a real Christmas is imagined as one where Christmas is celebrated as it once was. While, as noted, several narratives are set during the Victorian era, most present the concept of “old-fashioned” more flexibly. For Darnella in A Very Mary Christmas, for example, a real Christmas involved getting friends, neighbors and colleagues together and making seasonal food for a celebration held at the local casino. For Beth in ’Tis the Season for Love, “real” involved returning to her hometown. In his discussion of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Thompson identifies that “Clark Griswold genuinely longs to give his family a warm, happy, old-fashioned Christmas.”83 In The Christmas List, protagonist Melody makes a Christmas list and includes on it “an old-fashioned Christmas.” While these films don’t explain what is meant by an old-fashioned Christmas, again, as in A Very Mary Christmas and ’Tis the Season for Love, at the heart it involves bringing people together: that the real Christmas is the old-fashioned kind spent with loved ones. The “Real” of Winter Weather is frequently a key component of the notion of real. In The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), Molly (Lacey Chabert)—whose family runs a Christmas tree farm—works for a city publisher. While Molly is home at the farm, her boss, Walter (Jim Thorburn), brings his children to visit and buy a tree: “They wanted snow. They wanted a real Christmas,” Walter tells Molly. In a range of Christmas narratives, characters identify that snow is essential to the season feeling real. In Holiday Affair, Steve (Robert Mitchum) comments, “It never seems like Christmas unless it is white.” Versions of this comment—one that itself incorporates a climatic nostalgia84—appear in numerous other films. In A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Grandpa Geraint comments, “It doesn’t snow like it used to,” and later, “It was always snowing at Christmas. December in my memory is as white as Lapland.” In Elves (1989), Mike (Dan Haggerty) comments, “It wouldn’t be much like Christmas if it didn’t snow.” In The Santa Trap (2002), Molly (Shelley Long) reflects on her West Coast move: “It doesn’t feel like Christmas. I need snow and cold weather and Jack Frost nipping at my nose.” Young Annie (Natasha Calis) says the same thing in Christmas Caper: “It doesn’t feel like Christmas. It hasn’t snowed.” In A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007), Mrs. Wilson (Louise Fletcher) comments, “It just doesn’t seem like Christmas without snow.” In Will You Merry Me? (2008), Rebecca (Vikki Krinsky) comments, “You can’t have Christmas without snow.” Her future mother-in-law, Marilyn (Cynthia Stevenson), makes a similar point: “I hope it snows. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without snow.” In The Three Gifts (2009),85 Jack (Dean Cain) makes this

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point to the three orphans he has taken in for the weekend, noting that snow “sure adds something magical to the Christmas season, I’ll tell you that.”86 In Christmas on the Bayou (2013), upon arriving in Louisiana from New York, young Zack (Brody Rose) pronounces, “It doesn’t look very Christmassy. There’s no snow.” In Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010),87 Holly (Jewel Staite) comments, “I wish it would snow. It’s not Christmas unless it snows.” In Tangerine (2015), Ashken (Alla Tumanian) decisively states, “There’s no Christmas without snow.” In A Christmas Detour, Paige (Candace Cameron Bure) similarly remarks: “Christmas isn’t Christmas without the snow and the cold air and the twinkling lights.”88 Film theorist Kristi McKim discusses the “intuitive association of snow with time passed and nostalgia for the present or wistfulness for the past.”89 Certainly weather is a key component of a narrative feeling Christmassy but is also key in how Christmas gets remembered: the colder Christmases of youth—for example, as are reflected on in Meet John Doe—are presented as more authentic. Physicist Luboš Motl addresses the under-researched idea of memory and weather: In this winter, more frequently than ever before, I was involved in discussions comparing the weather we’ve experienced in recent years with the weather we remember from the times we were kids. The general spirit is as follows: the winters had to be chillier and more snowy and we went sledging and skating all the time. . . .90

Here, Motl alludes to a possibility of the winters of childhood—of perhaps the Christmases of childhood—only seeming colder due to the outdoor activities participated in. There is, therefore, the potential for these examples to be construed as confabulations: that one particularly snowy Christmas, for example, is recalled as though it speaks for all and thus works to create an ideal. This was alluded to in Wishin’ and Hopin’ when the narrator, Felix (Chevy Chase), tells us, “When you’re young, Christmases meld together into a blur of ‘Jingle Bells’ and twinkling lights.” The idea of a real or old-fashioned Christmas as being ideal is part of the continued reverence for the past and is a theme used widely. Reverence for the Past During Gabriel’s speech at the Christmas feast in The Dead, he comments, “We are living in a sceptical, and if I may use the phrase, a thought-tormented world, where the values of the past are often at a discount.” The notion of the modern world being at odds with a less warm and authentic past is at the heart of Meet John Doe, a film that is both a lamentation on the “demise of democratic liberalism”91 and “a paean to the potential power

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of the common people.”92 The film labors the point that getting closer to our neighbors is crucial; other films actively recall past Christmases to contrast (and condemn) the present. In Holidaze (2013), such ideas are referenced in Elaine’s (Mary Kay Place) comments to her daughter, Mel (Jennie Garth), “There is value in the past too.” In Christmas Cupid (2010), Mom, Vivian (Jackée Harry), idealizes the past to her daughter Sloan (Christina Milian): “We used to have so much fun on Christmas mornings. Getting all dressed up, posing for pictures by the Christmas tree.” In A Bride for Christmas protagonist Aiden similarly reminisces: “My mum and I used to play carols every Christmas. At least until the divorce. After that, Christmas was different. . . .” In Anything But Christmas (2012), Grace (Elaine Hendrix) reflects on her childhood Christmases to her Christmasphobic boyfriend John (Sergio Di Zio): “When I was a kid Christmas was magic. We had Mom and Dad and everything was warm and safe and nothing bad would happen. . . .” While in these narratives a desire to revere the past is verbalized, in others it is an idea conveyed through characters with an appreciation for the past being framed positively: that these are the good characters with adequate reserves of holiday spirit. In A Very Merry Mix-Up, Alice (Alicia Witt) runs her father’s antique store: she has a strong appreciation of the past. Her fiancé, Will (Scott Gibson), conversely wants to acquire the store’s site for a development: “You hold onto things just a little too tightly,” he accuses. By the end of the narrative Will is clearly the wrong man for Alice, and she finds love with Matt (Mark Wiebe), a craftsman with a shared reverence for history. Something similar plays out in The Christmas Wife. John’s wife died ten months prior and he is facing the upcoming holiday alone. John’s son, Jim (James Eckhouse), decides not to take his wife and children to the family cabin where they normally spend Christmas and instead invites John to visit his family: “Everything can’t always be the same, Dad,” Jim argues. John decides to go to the cabin anyway: his traditions—even after the death of his wife and maybe even because of it—are important to him, thus framing him as a good guy and his son comparatively bad, or at least comparatively modern and unsentimental. Departure from traditions can be a way to signify that something gone awry. In Holiday Baggage (2008), for example, Pete and Sarah have long been separated and he is in town to finalize his divorce so that he can remarry. Returning to see his family after so many years, Pete realizes—and laments—that since he’s been gone traditions have fallen by the wayside: the family now has a plastic tree; they don’t go to church and they do Secret Santa so everyone only gets one gift. While fading traditions are perceived negatively by Pete, interestingly, his family doesn’t seem unhappy, but rather just appears to have directed their energies elsewhere.

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Such a tension illustrates a point made by anthropologist Adam Kuper in his discussion of Christmas, noting “family tensions feed upon the contradiction between the ideal timeless repetition of Christmas and the reality of change.”93 While infrequent, a preoccupation with the past is occasionally acknowledged as problematic. In another take on Carol, An American Christmas Carol, the Scrooge character, Benedict, is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jack (Ken Pogue). During their first encounter, Jack describes hell: “Hell’s not what you think it is. Fire, sulphur, devils with pitchforks, none of that. . . . It’s worse. It’s living with all your past all the time. Forever.” If such a situation is to be considered hellish, presumably the past, therefore, has a haunting quality whereby its repetition is undesirable, notably in light of its unchangeability. Jack describes, for example, “a king who has to keep staring at the faces of men he sent to war”—and thus, a constant reminder of one’s past is torturous, a reality in line with research on mental health linking a preoccupation with the past to depression.94 Our First Christmas centers on the first Christmas celebrated after Cindy (Julie Warner) and Tom (Steven Eckholdt) marry and merge their families. By the end of the narrative, grandma Evie (Dixie Carter)—who had been so zealous about maintaining the traditions of Christmases past95—eventually realizes, “Holding on so tightly to Christmas past doesn’t seem right.” Several characters share this view or, at least, reach this epiphany. In Holiday Affair, Steve asks Connie, “Why do you keep trying to hang onto something you’ve lost?” alluding to Connie’s relationship with her deceased soldier husband. In Trading Christmas, widowed Emily admits, “I may have been holding onto my past a little too much.” In A Christmas Romance (1994), Brian (Gregory Harrison) suggests to widowed Julia (Olivia Newton-Jon), “Maybe you hang onto the past a little too much. Maybe it’s been holding you back.” In ’Tis the Season for Love, Shirley at one point advises her daughter, Beth, to “leave the past where it belongs.” In Farewell Mr. Kringle, Kris provides some similar advice, “Looking in the rear-view mirror is no way to live one’s life.” Crackers offers a different presentation of this. Grandson Joey (Daniel Kellie) has been seeing a psychologist; something granddad, Jack (Terry Gill), seems to think is a waste of time: “The past is finished, Bruno. Kaput. Yesterday’s news.” Jack considers revisiting the past as a waste of time and likely something that hinders mental health. In A Perfect Christmas, matriarch Patricia (Erin Gray) had been dwelling on the importance of traditions, insisting, for example, that presents get opened one at a time. After seeing her family’s lack of joy, Patricia changes tact. “It’s time to break the family tradition,” she declares, and a mad, happy scramble to open gifts ensues. Even in Saving Christmas (2014)—a narrative that spends 80 minutes explaining the religious significance of the season—

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protagonist Kirk (Kirk Cameron) implores the audience to “infuse old symbols with new meaning” to maintain their relevance. The past is also revered through reference to it. How Things Used to Be In The Santa Trap, Molly bemoans, “Christmas isn’t what it used to be.” In the British film Bernard and the Genie (1991), Bernard (Alan Cumming) states, “Christmas isn’t what it used to be.” Santa (Leslie Nielsen) in Santa Who? (2000) comments, “Things in those days were more thoughtful. They were more caring, you know. You don’t see that today.” In these examples, characters verbalize a recurring theme in films where characters describe Christmas as somehow less special than it once was, in reality or as idealized. Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) offers an early screen articulation of this: Kris: For the past fifty years or more I’ve been getting more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we’re all so busy trying to beat the other fellow, in making things go faster, look shinier, and cost less that Christmas and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle.

While Kris alludes to the commercialization of the season (discussed further in chapter 6), he also claims that modern Christmases are lacking. Several characters allude to a past perfect Christmas and thus an inadequate present. In Chasing Christmas (2005), the Ghost of Christmas Past (Leslie Jordan) articulates an explicit version of this in a conversation with the Scrooge character, Jack (Tom Arnold): Christmas Past: Do you have any idea how much better things used to be? I do. I witnessed it, first hand. Christmas used to have meaning. It was more than just a time for the family together at the mall. People were kind to one another. For no apparent reason. And even if it was for just one day people seemed to really care about those that were less fortunate. Every year, Jack, my job becomes more and more pointless. People get more and more cynical. . . . Now the poor lost souls are outnumbering the regular people.

While in Miracle on 34th Street and Chasing Christmas the past is revered through reference to the apparent unpleasantness of the modern Christmas, in other films, a yearning to once again have Christmas like it used to be is presented more explicitly. In Beyond Tomorrow, Allan reflects on his youth, “It really seemed like Christmas in those days.” In The Gathering, dying Adam meets with his ex-wife, Kate (Maureen Stapleton), to discuss his wishes for one last family Christmas:

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“I feel, for some reason, that this is a good time of year for looking backwards” 123 Adam: We can’t go back. Kate: We can try.

In A Hobo’s Christmas, Charlie is a widowed single father. In one scene Kathy (Jamie Sorrentini) asks her father, “Why can’t Christmas be the way it used to be?” In All I Want for Christmas, Ethan (Ethan Embry) and his sister Hallie (Thora Birch) plot to reunite their estranged parents: young Ethan’s refrain is “I just wanted it to be us again.” In An Accidental Christmas, Victoria (Cynthia Gibb) and Jason (David Millbern) have separated. Their young son, Will (Austin Majors), hears the proposed arrangements for Christmas and states, “I don’t want two Christmases. I want one Christmas like we always do.” In Battle of the Bulbs (2010) a conversation transpires between two elderly neighbors, Mrs. McKane (Maxine Miller) and Mr. Sutton (Tim Henry): Mrs. McKane: Do you really not like Christmas? Mr. Sutton: Who says I don’t like Christmas? Mrs. McKane: Well you’re always so gruff about it. Mr. Sutton: I just don’t like flashy Christmases. I like Christmas the way it used to be. When it meant something. With carols and the Christmas pageant at the church. . . .

In A Nanny for Christmas, workaholic Samantha (Cynthia Gibb) hasn’t hosted a Christmas party in years. By the end of the film she decides to do so: “I decided it just doesn’t feel like Christmas around here without having a party like we used to, you know.” In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), protagonist Kate (Amy Smart) has an exchange with her father, Mike (Peter MacNeill), when she visits the home he shares with his new wife: Mike: You’re spending the night, right? To be with the kids when they get here? Like it used to be? Kate: Nothing is like it used to be. If it was, Mom would still be alive.

In The Christmas Shepherd (2014), Mark (Martin Cummins) is a single father to Emma (Jordyn Ashley Olson). In one scene Mark suggests they buy a tree, and Emma comments, “It’ll never be like old times, Dad.” In 12 Gifts of Christmas, Marc has an exchange with his mom, Joyce (Donna Mills): Joyce: How about you take some actual time off and come spend the holidays with your family? Mark: I’ll try.

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Joyce: You’ll always try. Honey, do you know that your sister and her husband are flying in this year? I mean, how long has it been since we’ve all been together for the holidays? On Christmas morning we could all come downstairs and open presents together. Just like old times.

In A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015), young Owen (Anthony Bolognese) pleads to his single father, Charlie (Travis Milne): “Maybe we can get our own Christmas tree . . . like we used to.” In Christmas in the Smokies (2015), singer Mason (Alan Powell) goes on radio to speak about a benefit concert and reminisces about the downtown’s Christmas concerts: “I loved those, I missed those . . . I wanted to do them again. I kinda wanted to bring things back to the way they used to be. . . .” In Once upon a Holiday (2015), Katie (Briana Evigan) expresses similar sentiments to her love interest, Jack (Paul Campbell), and his friend, Harry (Jay Brazeau): “I wanted to find a way for Christmas to feel the way it used to. The way I remembered it with my family.” In ’Tis the Season for Love, part of Beth’s rationale for traveling home to Kern for Christmas was “I wanted to have a real, hometown Christmas. Like we used to have, you know?” Pining for a “traditional” Christmas appears essential to the celebration of the season. Mentioned at the beginning of this chapter was Berlin’s song “White Christmas” where Christmases “just like the ones I used to know” are yearned for. Such pining, of course, has a long history. In a 1907 issue of The Rosary Magazine, the “merry faces of the little children grouped around listening to the reminiscent talks of grandfather or grandmother, recalling those dear Christmases of old,” are described. The same issue included a poem titled “Christmas, Like It Used to Be!”96 This theme is also apparent in Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1914 poem “Speakin’ O’ Christmas”: Somehow it doesn’t seem to me Christmas like it used to be Christmas with its ice an’ snow Christmas of the long ago97

That this refrain has such a long history highlights that, in fact, there’s no specific Christmas we’re pining for; rather, we just want one from our hazy, utopian past, shaped heavily by nostalgia and, as examined in the next section, popular culture. SENTIMENTAL POPULAR CULTURE In Undercover Christmas (2003), Brandi (Jami Gertz) recalled the tradition of watching a video of a crackling fire with her mom at Christmas.98 In

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the British film Hope and Glory (1987), it’s World War II and the family stand at attention during their Christmas meal to listen to the king’s Christmas message on the radio. In the opening scene of Christmas at the Riviera (2007), Dennis programs his video recorder to tape the queen’s Christmas message.99 These examples illustrate theologian Rex Hunt’s ideas on Christmas, where he spotlights that “contemporary celebrations include mass media in an intentional way to this weaving process.”100 Santino also discusses this, noting that “some of the ways people celebrate holidays have to do with personal use of mass media products.”101 In Christmas List (2016), as a child Isobel (Alicia Witt) had fixed ideas of what constituted a perfect Christmas. As an adult she asked her mom, rhetorically, “Where did I think of all these things?” To which Mom (Wanda Cannon) replied, “All those old holidays movies you used to love so much, I guess.” Popular culture is instrumental in conjuring an image of the perfect Christmas, but it also has a role in the celebration of Christmas both in real life and within films in a meta presentation. In such examples, the nostalgia conjured through the consumption of traditional Christmas pop culture is part of the storyline. Christmas Music In The Santa Suit (2010), Marge (Rosemary Dunsmore) makes a plea to her boss, Drake (Kevin Sorbo), about the importance of Christmas and in turn references the importance of holiday music: Marge: Christmas is about being over the top. You sing songs you don’t the rest of the year. . . . You fight crowds, you stand in long lines to get that special gift for someone you love. . . . It’s about giving and it feels pretty damn good. . . .

In One Starry Christmas (2014), a similar point is made in an exchange between workaholic Adam (Paul Popowich) and his girlfriend, Holly (Sarah Carter): Adam: It’s just a day on the calendar. Holly: No, Monday is a day on the calendar. . . . What day on the calendar has a whole soundtrack and a season?

Both Marge and Holly spotlight that part of the specialness of the season comes from the special and distinct music.102 In Christmas in the Smokies, Mason actually references some of these special songs in his radio interview:

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Mason: My favorite, to this day, is Nat King Cole singing “O Holy Night” [1960]. . . . My mom used to put that on every Christmas Eve. She would break out the vinyl and put that record on and I still can’t listen to that song without breaking down. . . .

The playing of seasonal music and the singing of carols transpires widely in films: music is essential in alerting the audience to the season and also in conveying a mood, routinely one that is nostalgic; as noted by psychologists Patrick Juslin and colleagues, nostalgia is one of the most common sentiments felt while listening to music,103 something with heightened applicability to Christmas tunes. In Angels and Ornaments (2014), Dave (Graham Abbey) admits, “I’ve always been a sucker for Christmas carols.” In A Bride for Christmas, Jessie (Arielle Kebbel) makes the comment, “Corny as it may sound, I’ve always had a soft spot for Christmas carols.” In these narratives a fondness for carols is simply spoken about; in others, Christmas music serves a plot function. In The Night Before Christmas (1994),104 the sheriff deputy Dodge (Neil Summers) and his gang plan to finally take down the gunslinger Travis (Terence Hill), and his brother, Moses (Bud Spencer). Once Dodge and his associates arrived, however, the sounds of children singing Christmas carols motivate them to put down their weapons for a fairer fight. In Midnight Clear (2006), Eva (K. Callan) is preparing to commit suicide by taking a prescription medication cocktail. She is, however, interrupted by carollers from her local church. In Sound of Christmas (2016), to get his developer son, Travis (Damon Runyan), to change his mind about acquiring a music school site for redevelopment, Earl (Derek McGrath) plays “The First Noel” at the Christmas concert to tug at Travis’s heartstrings. In The Christmas List, Melody becomes convinced by her colleague, Naomi (Enuka Okuma), to write a Christmas list. To get herself in the mood, Melody plays some Christmas music.105 In Sons of Mistletoe (2001), the residents of a struggling boy’s home try to coerce the heiress of a department store, Helen (Roma Downey), to make a donation. As part of their efforts, the home’s manager, Jimmy (George Newbern), takes a group of boys to sing carols outside her office. Something similar transpires in Christmas with the Kranks where carollers incessantly sing Christmas songs outside Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Luther’s (Tim Allen) home to get them to reinstate their Christmas plans. In each narrative, there is an attempt to replicate what is done in department stores and malls: to cultivate the Christmas spirit through a festive soundtrack.106 Music also drives plot through its ability to bond characters. In discussing Bob (Bing Crosby) singing “White Christmas” to Linda (Marjorie Reynolds) in Holiday Inn, Myers describes the performance as a “song of seduction.”107 Holiday music, similarly other music played during the hol-

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idays, seduces similarly in other examples. In Holiday High School Reunion, Georgia returns home for a high school reunion. There she reconnects with her high school best friend, Ben (Jonathan Bennett): after years apart, the two bond singing carols. In Elf (2003), Buddy (Will Ferrell) and Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) first bond singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (1951). In A Very Murray Christmas (2015), a fighting bride and groom reconcile singing the Todd Rundgren song “I Saw the Light (Only You)” (1972). In Christmas in the City (2013), Wendy (Ashley Williams) and department store heir, Tom (Jon Prescott), bond while singing carols at the department store piano. In A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Gwen (Meredith Hagner) and her client, Charlie, bond—and fall in love—by singing a carol duet at the company Christmas party. In Finding Christmas, Mia (Cristina Rosato) falls in love with Owen (J. T. Hodges) while watching him perform at an open mic night. In Seasons of Love, Amir is dazzled watching Kyla play carols on the piano at his parents’ home. Such swooning over musical performances also occurs in A Bride for Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut (1945), Christmas Mail (2010) and The Wishing Tree (2012). Music also becomes part of a narrative when it works to showcase negative sentiments toward the season. In the opening scene of The Addams Family (1991), a group of carollers visit the home of the titular family: the Addams are positioned on the roof poised to tip the contents of a cauldron down onto the singers. This scene aptly displays the Addams’s negative sentiments toward Christmas. In A Christmas Kiss, Priscilla’s objection to the playing carols helps frame her as a Scrooge: Adam: Shall I put on some Christmas music? Priscilla: Oh, please, anything but. They’ve been playing it since Halloween.

In the opening scene in Every Christmas Has a Story (2016), protagonist Kate (Lori Loughlin) is woken by the sound of a Christmas song, to which she responds, “No thanks,” and immediately turns off the radio. In Hitched for the Holidays (2012), Rob (Joey Lawrence) complains: “Can’t they wait ‘til December to haul out the Christmas music?” In the opening scene of The Mistletoe Promise (2016), Elise (Jaime King) is eating lunch at a mall food court when a bunch of carollers crowd her to sing at her table. Elise packs up her lunch and relocates. Nick (Luke Macfarlane) is dining at another table, and when the carollers approach his table, he puts in his earbuds. In a scene from A Heavenly Christmas (2016), protagonist Eve (Kristin Davis) asks her taxi driver to change the radio station: “It goes on and on,” she complains about the Christmas music. Negative sentiments toward Christmas music frame these characters as curmudgeonly and in need of a spirit resurrection.

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As already noted, nostalgia is often bittersweet. It is thus no surprise that on screen Christmas music sometimes incites longing and melancholy or even just a reminder of the festiveness not felt. In Christmas in the Smokies, mentioned earlier, Mason identifies not being able to listen to Nat King Cole’s “O Holy Night” without breaking down. Christmas music triggers sad sentiments in several films. In Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969), John (Lloyd Bridges), for example, comments, “Those Christmas carols get me down.” In Angel in the Family, Sarah’s boyfriend, Joe (Tommy Hinkley), breaks up with her three days before Christmas. Shortly thereafter, she has the radio on. When a song with the lyrics “are you coming home for Christmas?”108 comes on, Sarah quickly turns it off: the music, apparently, amplifies her loneliness. Christmas as a trigger for negative sentiments is discussed further in chapter 4. Christmas Movies In A Christmas Kiss, Priscilla’s assistant, Wendy, bonds with Adam based on their shared sentiments toward Christmas. Wendy describes her childhood—which Adam dubs a “Norman Rockwell painting come to life”109— and tells him that it involved watching holiday movies including It’s a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965),110 A Christmas Story (1983), and “The Grinch” (which may be a reference to either of the How the Grinch Stole Christmas films produced in 1966 and 2000). The role of Christmas films as part of the holiday celebrations within storylines is a meta presentation detected widely.111 In Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) watches the 1966 Grinch cartoon; in A Very Cool Christmas, watching The Grinch is part of the Dearborn family’s yearly tradition. In A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015), Luce (Lexi Giovagnoli) names Home Alone and Home Alone 2 as her favorite Christmas movies. In A December Bride (2016), Layla (Jessica Lowndes) names White Christmas (1954) as her favorite Christmas film. In Lethal Weapon, during the Christmas Eve scene where Martin (Mel Gibson) holds a gun to his head, the animated Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol (1979) plays on the television. In Eyes Wide Shut (1999), young Helena (Madison Eginton) watches the same film. In Fred Claus, the title character (Vince Vaughn) watches A Charlie Brown Christmas; at the end of The Ref (1994), the fugitive thief, Gus (Denis Leary), wants to watch the same film. In The Family Stone, Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser) watches Meet Me in St. Louis; Steve (Matthew Broderick) watches the same film in Deck the Halls (2006). In Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Annie (Meg Ryan) watches An Affair to Remember. In 12 Men of Christmas (2009), E. J. (Kristin Chenoweth)—after catching her fiancé cheating on her—cries while watching Miracle on 34th Street (1947). Sydney (Meg Ryan) in D.O.A. identifies that watching Miracle on 34th Street is part of her family’s holiday

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traditions. In The Preacher’s Wife (1996), protagonist Julia’s (Whitney Houston) mother (Jenifer Lewis) watches, and cries, to the same film, something Julia discusses with her son, Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund): Jeremiah: Grandma’s crying. Julia: Yeah, baby. She cries at these movies every Christmas. She cries at “Jingle Bells” [1857].112

In Home Alone, Kevin also watches Miracle on 34th Street, as does Noelle (Angela Goethals) in Stealing Christmas and Emily (Autumn Reeser) in Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012). In the “Silent Night” episode of NCIS (2003– ), Anthony (Michael Weatherly) pronounces: Anthony: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight you’re all going to share in a DiNozzo family tradition: caramel popcorn, hot mulled cider, and the greatest, greatest Christmas movie of all time: It’s a Wonderful Life.

It’s a Wonderful Life is part of celebrations in films including National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Ref, Trading Christmas, Love the Coopers, The Mistletoe Promise, Operation Christmas, Gremlins (1984), Just in Time for Christmas (2015) and Hearts of Christmas (2016). The film’s recurrence in these films serves several purposes. Most obviously, watching the film—akin to watching other popular seasonal titles—is actually part of the real-life rituals for many people. Film theorist Jeffrey Richardson charts the shift in audiences reading A Christmas Carol to watching It’s a Wonderful Life: During the nineteenth century the family reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was one of the rituals of Christmas. In the latter part of the twentieth century, the ritual television showing of Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life took its place. This is symptomatic of the process by which cinema became an integral part of the celebration of Christmas in the twentieth century.113

It shouldn’t, of course, be overlooked that It’s a Wonderful Life in fact bears very strong semblance to A Christmas Carol, notably with characters who have lost their Christmas spirit given supernatural insight, not to mention both films centering on men who get spiritually reborn.114 While It’s a Wonderful Life was actually considered a box office failure when it was released 1946,115 the expiry of the film’s copyright—and thus, television networks seizing on the opportunity to play the film repeatedly at no cost—meant that through repeated broadcasts over the years, the film became widely consumed and, eventually, considered fundamental to the American holiday experience.

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While relatively contemporary titles like Home Alone are mentioned in several films, the more frequent reference to films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street highlight a point made by Elizabeth Haynie in her book on Christmas cinema, where she contends that “the older films are warmer and more sincere.”116 While Haynie’s point is open to debate, it is nonetheless indicative of the stranglehold of nostalgia: that simply by virtue of time having passed, certain cultural artifacts get an esteemed reputation and, thus, through watching them there is an opportunity to return to a time that has past; something I’ve written about in the context of Citizen Kane (1941).117 An extension of this is the perception of Christmas being celebrated better, more sincere and more authentically in the past and that by watching these older films, viewers can “recapture” some of that lost feeling.118 Attitudes to holiday movies can also provide insight into characters. In On the Second Day of Christmas (1997) for example, Bert (Mark Ruffalo) condemns Christmas movies: “They’re always so sappy.” In Love at the Christmas Table, in one scene Kat cynically mentions a (fabricated) Christmas film called Love Fixes Christmas: “Classic Christmas movie bait and switch,” Kat condemns. “They do that so they can post some loveable character actor dressed as Santa on the box. It’s like ten minutes of the movie.” For Bert and Kat, insights into their characters are gleaned from their dismissive attitudes toward holidays films; something made even more explicit in other narratives, for example, in Baby’s First Christmas (2012) in an exchange between future couple Jenna (Rachel Wilson) and Kyle (Casper Van Dien): Jenna: Do you like decorating the Christmas tree? Kyle: Oh Please. Putting a string through popcorn is not my idea of fun. Jenna: What about watching Christmas movies? Everybody loves It’s a Wonderful Life. Kyle: I prefer when it’s over. Jenna: Are you serious? You’re a Scrooge!

Kyle’s views are echoed in several television episodes as a way to present a characters’ Scrooge-ishness. In “The Worst Noel” episode of the sitcom Married with Children (1987–1997), mom Peggy (Katey Sagal) wants to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, conversely, her husband, Al (Ed O’Neill), claims that the film “stinks, it bites, it blows.” In the “Food Fight” episode of The King of Queens (1998–2007), Arthur (Jerry Stiller) claims that Bedford Falls is boring with George [James Stewart]: “Without him, there’s nightclubs and bars. It’s fabulous. I wish he hadn’t been born.” For Kyle

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in Baby’s First Christmas, Al in Married with Children and Arthur in King of Queens, they each completely miss the point of the film, and in turn insight is provided into their curmudgeonliness. In Baby’s First Christmas, Kyle accuses Jenna of having a Pollyanna attitude, making claims such as: “You’ve watched way too many Christmas movies,” “Miracles only happen in movies” and “This is not the movies, Jenna. People don’t change.” Just as negative attitudes to the season can clue an audience into disposition, watching too many Christmas movies can similarly demonstrate that a character has lost touch with reality (in a way similar to those characters who have become too interested in Christmas thus framed as mentally ill [chapter 4]). Reference to this is evident in Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), when cynical workaholic Jen (Laura Vandervoort) accuses her assistant, Marissa (Paula Brancati), of such a reality loss: Marissa: Don’t you just love Christmas? Jen: The only thing I love about Christmas is the fact that we’re about to make a third of our yearly sales in six weeks. Marissa: Every year ‘round the holidays you put on this Grinch routine but deep down I know you are just a big softy who loves Santa and babies and rainbows. Admit it. Jen: You watch too many Christmas movies.

This scene also references the perfect world depicted within such films, something also discussed in an exchange between Jesse and Amelia in Wish upon a Christmas: Jesse: Christmas is more than just things, Amelia. Amelia: Yeah, maybe in the movies.

While for Amelia, cynicism about Christmas films frames her as having lost the Christmas spirit, for Della (Marla Sokoloff) in Gift of the Magi (2010), such films are a trigger for melancholy, akin to how music was a trigger for Sarah in Angel in the Family. After Della and her husband, Jim (Mark Webber), have a fight, Della confesses, “I spent the morning watching Christmas movies about blissfully happy families. And I just couldn’t take it anymore.” Holiday films often self-referentially make nods to their sentimental powers within narratives. While watching It’s a Wonderful Life may have replaced reading A Christmas Carol, nonetheless seasonal literature still has a place inside films.

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Holiday Literature Just as films present trends in the holiday titles watched by characters, equally there are patterns in the literature read. In several films the story of the Nativity is told (chapter 1). In Secret Santa (2003), a copy of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi (1905) is given as a sentimental gift.119 In To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992), Rhonda (Cynthia Geary) reads her daughters Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957); Nora in Christmas with the Kranks reads the same book. In The Perfect Holiday (2007), Nancy (Gabrielle Union) reads her children The Twelve Days of Christmas. In The Cheaters (1945),120 the Christmas houseguest, Mr. M. (Joseph Schildkraut), recounts A Christmas Carol in great detail. The same story gets read, or referenced, in the British sci-fi drama Brazil (1985), Eloise at Christmastime (2003), The Christmas Bunny (2010) and An American Christmas Carol. In several films, Carol adaptations are also included. In The Man in the Santa Claus Suit, Terry (Andre Gower) watches a film adaption; in Anywhere But Here (1999), Surviving Christmas (2004), and the Australian horror film Hounds of Love (2016), the 1971 cartoon version plays on a television. In a scene from Scrooged, children watch a film version; Frank’s network also televizes a live adaption. In the opening scene of Finding Father Christmas, young Miranda’s (Sasha Neuhaus) mom dies while performing in a stage production of A Christmas Carol; the same play is performed at the end of this film as well as in Surviving Christmas. Even in Reindeer Games (2000), a line from the book (“God bless us, everyone”) is recited, albeit factitiously, by Gabriel (Gary Sinise) after the heist. References to, and recitations of the Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (1823)—commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”—are also an extremely common in film. ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) is a short animated film about a town being struck off Santa’s nice list. ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1977) is a made-for-television drama about a New England family celebrating the season. ’Twas the Night (2001) centers on an uncle and nephew who end up doing Santa’s deliveries. The phrase is also frequently used as part of the titles in a range of Christmas episodes of television series.121 In a scene from Santa Hunters (2014), Uncle Charlie (Kelly Perine) calls out to his nieces and nephews, “Grandpa’s [Alvin Sanders] about to break out ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.’ Breaking out the Moore poem transpires in films including The Gathering, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Santa Who? Stealing Christmas, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, Wish upon a Christmas, The Christmas Note, Snow Bride, A Heavenly Christmas, The Santa Clause (1994), Twas the Night (2001), Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004), Meet the Santas (2005), Mr. Christmas (2005), The Case for Christmas

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(2011), White Reindeer (2013), The Christmas Gift (2015), Looks Like Christmas (2016), A Firehouse Christmas (2016) and Falling for Christmas (2016).122 Even in Die Hard, one of the terrorists recites part of the poem, as does casino boss Jack (Dennis Farina) in Reindeer Games. In some narratives, the use of the poem is even more important than a mere recitation. In All Mine to Give, oldest son Robbie reads it to his siblings on their last night together. In Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014), at the end of the narrative Becky (T. J. McGibbon) demonstrates her progress with her literary skills by reading the poem aloud to her mother, Nicky (Alicia Witt). In Santa Claws (2014), Tommy’s (Ezra James Colbert) mother, Julia (Nicola Lambo), has made it quite clear that she believes Santa to be “made up by a soda company,” and has no interest in Christmas. Tommy then celebrates privately, buying his own tree and reading himself A Visit from St. Nicholas. In Christmas Incorporated (2015), William (Steve Lund) reveals that his grandmother taught him to read using the poem. While the rhythm of the poem undoubtedly appeals, the actual content of A Visit from St. Nicholas has in fact contributed just as much to the modern Christmas celebration as Dickens. Literature scholar John Mundy spotlights that “even before Dickens, Columbia College professor and anti-abolitionist Clement Clarke Moore had created the modern Santa Claus from an amalgam of European ancestors.”123 It is thus no surprise that the poem features so frequently in light of its fundamental role in teaching Americans about Christmas. Christmas as infused with past times has been noted. In the following section the discussion moves to Christmas offering its own time zone. CHRISTMAS AS BONUS ROUND In White Christmas, General Thomas F. Waverly (Dean Jagger) remarks, “There’s no Christmas in the Army, Captain.” This unfestive sentiment can be contrasted with the French World War I–themed film Joyeux Noël when Lieutenant Gordon (Alex Ferns) remarks, “I don’t think anyone would criticize us for laying down our rifles on Christmas Eve.” Here, Gordon alludes to the possibility of Christmas as somehow a space that can be separated from ordinary time. Discussing the real-life truce between English and German soldiers on Christmas Day in 1914—a story Nick (Howard Hesseman) recounts during his holiday toast in A Christmas in Vermont—Law observes, “These soldiers were engaged in an escapist fantasy for a day.”124 Other narratives present similar circumstances by showing Christmas celebrations in other wartime settings, as occurs in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Once Before I Die, In Which We Serve (1942),

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Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Behind Enemy Lines (2001) as well as the German film Das Boot (The Boat) (1981) and the Italian film Natale al campo 119 (Christmas at Camp 119) (1947).125 Such scenes work to grant some levity to the narrative and to provide a jarring juxtaposition between a celebration happening in such horrible circumstances. Media theorist Sheila Whiteley writes that the construction of Christmas “offers an idealised version of a world without war, famine or disease.”126 Certainly this “idealized world” plays out widely. In Joyeux Noël weapons are laid down at Christmas, as they are in other World War II narratives such as Silent Night and Christmas Truce. While in these narratives Christmas provides a special time bubble for soldiers, Christmas is also a special time for everyone else too. In 12 Gifts of Christmas, Marc hires Anna as his personal shopper. By the end of the narrative Anna devises the perfect gift for Marc’s employees: giving them each the week between Christmas and New Year off as leave. Here, the specialness of Christmas as a bonus round is acknowledged as something truly valuable to employees. The gift of time is also alluded to in The Bishop’s Wife. The angel, Dudley (Cary Grant), explains his role as an assistant to the bishop, “I’m going to help Henry to rest and get some relaxation.” The theory is that Henry and his wife, Julia’s, relationship is strained but, with some seasonal magic—and, notably, the gift of time—their relationship can be salvaged. One reason Christmas is particularly conducive to a nostalgic presentation is because it is considered as a special time separate and distinct from the rigors and routines of daily life; an idea discussed by Kuper: The ritual time that constitutes the Christmas period has a special quality. It tends to freeze history, to associate this Christmas with Christmas past.127

While this is played up in narratives whereby the season is portrayed as not merely special but magical (chapter 5), in this section I focus on depictions of Christmas as a bonus round with special properties that enable the season to be packaged up and recalled with unique fondness. Santino observes that “holidays offer periods of liminality, when normal time is suspended and people behave in ways they otherwise may not.”128 The Reverend Martin Gregory (Ralph Richardson) in The Holly and the Ivy takes these ideas further, discussing the origins of Christmas and the hijinks associated: Martin: One theory is it goes back to the days when they were making the calendar. They put in the extra days between the lunar and the solar days. When they put them in they felt they were queer sort of days, they didn’t really exist. Days on which anything might happen.

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In the sections that follow, Christmas providing special anythingmight-happen bonus rounds for mood, for diet, for love, for vacationing and for supernatural activities are explored. A Dispositional Bonus Round Kuper notes, “The celebration of Christmas constructs an alternative reality: a community without strife, caring of the weak and lonely, incorporating outcasts, in which services and gifts are motivated by love, and everyone is happy.”129 While this is partly attributable to the notion of the Christmas spirit and the expected kindness and charity, it is also in line with people acting differently within this special festive time zone. In the alternate reality-themed All About Christmas Eve (2012), Eve (Haylie Duff) has a Sliding Doors moment130 where her life splits onto two paths: on one track she’s living her “dream” career in Los Angeles and the other she’s home in New York after missing her flight. In the Los Angeles version, Eve’s colleague—and future love interest—Aidan (Chris Carmack) gives her some advice, “Sometimes it’s good to be out of your comfort zone.” The same point is made in 12 Dates of Christmas, when Jack (Benjamin Ayres) tells his ex-girlfriend Kate, “You just have to be open to new experiences, new people.” While stepping out of one’s comfort zone is, of course, clichéd, pop psych advice, it is also a theme in Christmas films where the unique properties of the season provide characters a justification to act uncharacteristically—to let their hair down and relax—and thus open themselves up to new opportunities. In Farewell Mr. Kringle, Kris has been the town’s Santa for fifty years. The town mayor, Phil Green (Shashawnee Hall) explains: “For 11 months a year Kris Kringle keeps to himself . . .” but at Christmas, Kris emerges “like a butterfly bursting out of his cocoon.” Christmas sees Kris socializing, participating in public events and celebrating the season to its fullest. The holiday seemingly is a time for him to take respite from his grief while simultaneously honoring the memory of his wife who died at Christmastime 50 years earlier. A different dispositional bonus round transpires in A Christmas Melody (2015). After her fashion business fails, Kristin (Lacey Chabert) leaves Los Angeles to go back to her hometown in Ohio. There she reunites with a man, Danny (Brennan Elliott), who had a crush on her in high school. By the end of the narrative, Kristin says to Danny, “I see you now.” While Kristin’s comment isn’t unpacked, one interpretation is that the time is now right for her to see Danny anew. Christmas, obviously, plays a crucial role in this. Almost the same narrative transpires

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in Holiday High School Reunion, where Georgia returns home for her Christmastime high school reunion and, while anticipating a reunion with her ex-boyfriend, Craig (Jon Prescott) instead reunites with her high school best friend Ben (Jonathan Bennett) and realizes—also with the opportunity to see him anew—that, in fact, he was always The One. While like Kristin in A Christmas Melody, Georgia was returning home older and potentially wiser, most importantly it’s Christmas, a season of festive spirit and magic, and thus the holiday appears to play a key role in them reconnecting romantically. As discussed in chapter 3, a key theme in Christmas narratives is reunions. As discussed in chapter 3, these often center on family, the screen also offers numerous romantic ones too. While such narratives can be interpreted as being about the key Christmas themes of forgiveness and reconciliation, such storylines can be construed as a product of the holiday: that the season grants characters a levity to rethink broken entanglements against the backdrop of a romantic holiday setting. In Love Affair (1939) and its remakes An Affair to Remember and Love Affair (1994), separated couples reunite at Christmas. This also happens for Jo (Julie Berman) and Marcus (Mark Famiglietti) in The March Sisters at Christmastime. In The Miracle of the Bells (1948), protagonist Bill (Fred MacMurray) is reunited on Christmas Eve in Iowa with Olga (Alida Valli), years after they first met. At the end of the French film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherboug) (1964), two former lovers reunite briefly, after years apart, at a gas station on Christmas Eve. In One Special Night, after spending the titular evening in a cabin on Thanksgiving, strangers Robert (James Garner) and Catherine (Julie Andrews) part ways. The two reunite at Christmas. In Eloise at Christmastime (2003), Rachel (Sara Topham)—daughter of the hotel proprietor—returns to the Plaza after five years away and is reunited with her first love, waiter Bill (Gavin Creel). In the British film Nativity! (2009), by the end of the narrative Jennifer (Ashley Jensen) returns from Los Angeles to be with her ex-boyfriend Paul (Martin Freeman). At the end of A Carol Christmas, Carol reunites with her true love, John (Jason Brooks). Catch a Christmas Star (2013) centers on Chris (Steve Byers) reuniting with his first love, Nikki (Shannon Elizabeth), who is now a famous pop star. In The Family Man, after sampling an alternate reality, Jack seemingly reunites with his ex-girlfriend Kate. The same thing transpires in another alternate reality narrative, Family for Christmas (2015), for Hannah (Lacey Chabert) and her college ex-boyfriend Ben (Tyron Leitso). In Merry Matrimony (2015), Brie (Jessica Lowndes) and her college boyfriend, Eddie (Christopher Russell), are romantically reunited after seven years. In The Night Before, Ethan and his ex-girlfriend Diana (Lizzy Caplan) reconcile at Christmas. In Broadcasting Christmas (2016), news reporters and former lovers Emily (Melissa

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Joan Hart) and Charlie (Dean Cain) reunite while competing for a job. In A Christmas Reunion (2015), childhood best friends and then ex-lovers Amy (Denise Richards) and Jack (Patrick Muldoon) are reunited in their hometown as joint inheritors of a bakery. In Bridget Jones’s Diary, the parents of the title character reunite on Christmas Day after a separation. In Anything but Christmas, Grace and John break up just prior to Christmas but spend the holiday together. In The Santa Switch (2013), Dan (Ethan Erickson) has been given divorce papers from his wife, Linda (Anne Dudek). Across the holiday season they manage to reconcile. Almost the same narrative transpires for Charlotte and Sam in Love the Coopers.131 In each of these narratives, several ideas are fused. First, Christmastime seemingly provides characters a dispositional overhaul that leaves them open to serendipitous happenings like reunions and reconciliation. The season, apparently, delivers characters a levity that enables them to see things differently. Equally, Christmas is (as explored in the next section) commonly framed as a distinctly romantic holiday and thus there is the opportunity to partake of a romance that may not be possible at other times of the year. A Romantic Bonus Round Santino notes, “Holidays and celebrations often have this quality of allowed excessive or licentious behavior.”132 The same idea was hinted to by the reverend in The Holly and the Ivy. While highly sexualized portrayals are discussed further in chapter 6, the holiday providing an excuse for romance is certainly worth examining. In A Very Merry Mix-Up, Alice is engaged to Will (Scott Gibson), but when her path crosses serendipitously with Matt (Mark Wiebe) at Christmastime, she finds true love. In one scene, Matt’s grandpa (Lawrence Dane) comments, “Life is about timing and timing is everything. In love and loss.” At the end of the narrative, Matt gives Alice a clock for Christmas. This film links love to the concept of a “right time” and, notably, to Christmas being the facilitator.133 The love/time themes are also fused in other narratives. In Looks Like Christmas, Carol’s (Anne Heche) gift to love interest Terry (Dylan Neal) is a pocket watch. The gift forces Terry to revaluate how he is spending his time and, ultimately, to making it back from a work commitment in time to attend his daughter’s concert: “I’ve been so busy chasing my tomorrows, I forgot to live for today,” he realizes.134 The romantic gift of time via a timepiece also occurs in other examples. In the “Gift of the Magi” segment of O. Henry’s Full House (1952), Della (Jeanne Crain) sells her hair to buy her husband a fob chain for his watch. In Finding John Christmas (2003), Noah (David Cubitt) gives his love interest, Kathleen (Valerie Bertinelli), a watch: it was, in fact, the

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magically repaired watch that her brother had given her before he left 25 years ago and which she had broken. Mistletoe serves as a metonym for the romance of the season, and notably, the opportunity created for flirty, festive frivolity. A spin on this transpires in both A Christmas Kiss and A Christmas Kiss II (2014) whereby both narratives are sparked by an anonymous kiss in an elevator. An elevator at Christmastime, incidentally, is also the backdrop for a chance taken on love in Christmas Eve (2015). The narrative centers on six elevators getting stuck across New York on Christmas Eve. In one elevator is a group of musicians: Walt (David Bamber) finally confesses his years-long crush on Dawn (Cheryl Hines). The same chance at love transpires in the British Love Actually (2003), when Mark (Andrew Lincoln) declares his love to his best friend’s partner, Juliet (Keira Knightley), after years, seemingly, of pining. While the romantic themes of Christmas are identifiable in incalculable romance novels,135 it is something notably aided by the aesthetics of the season—snow as discussed earlier or New York explored in chapter 6— making the ordinary seem aesthetically magical, and, on occasions, even actually magical (chapter 5). These narratives illustrate the romantic themes of Christmas and allude to the madness created by the season (chapter 4), resulting in people acting unlike themselves, particularly so in a romantic sense. A variation on this is Christmas creating a romantic, albeit time-constrained, bubble. In The Miracle of the Bells mentioned earlier, Bill and Olga reunite at a theatre in Iowa on Christmas Eve. The two spend the evening together falling in love while at a Chinese restaurant. The entirety of their romance—the entirety of their reunion, in fact—plays out in that Christmas Eve bubble, and Olga dies not long after. In I’ll Be Seeing You (1944), Mary’s (Ginger Rogers) Christmas furlough from prison136 gives her and Zack (Joseph Cotton) an opportunity to meet on a train and spend a romantic week together before she has to be re-incarcerated. In Mr. Soft Touch (1949), it’s the night before Christmas Eve and Joe (Glenn Ford) is on the run after a robbery, seeking refuge in a settlement house. Across the course of his very brief stay he and social worker Jenny (Evelyn Keyes) fall in love. In Remember the Night (1940), Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) is arrested for stealing a bracelet. Through a series of mishaps, she is put into the custody of the assistant district attorney, Jack (Fred MacMurray), for the holidays. During the short time they spend together they fall in love. A similar storyline is used in On the Second Day of Christmas. Store detective Bert has been ordered to keep shoplifters Trish (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her niece Patsy (Lauren Pratt) in custody over Christmas until the store reopens. Bert and Trish fall in love. Susan Slept Here (1954) also presents a version of this: police have put vagrant teen Susan (Debbie Reynolds) in

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the care of struggling playwright, Mark (Dick Powell), over the Christmas period: the two fall in love. In Silent Night, Lonely Night, John and Katherine (Shirley Jones) are two strangers staying at a New England hotel over Christmas. Across the course of their stay, John and Katherine have a brief affair and then return to their respective lives: their relationship was contained within the romantic bonus round of Christmas. In The Family Stone, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Everett (Dermot Mulroney) are visiting Everett’s family for Christmas. During the visit, Everett has the opportunity to meet and fall in love with Meredith’s sister, Julie (Claire Danes). The same opportunity is granted for Meredith to find love with Everett’s brother, Ben (Luke Wilson).137 A different romantic seasonal bubble plays out in Love at the Christmas Table. The film centers on the Christmas celebrations hosted by E. B. and which are attended by Sam and Kat throughout their lives. While Sam and Kat are together and close each Christmas, they separate afterward: Sam: I’m every here every year for you. Kat: And you then leave!

While Sam and Kat’s relationship is an example of a narrative whereby a clock is ticking on a situation (addressed later in this chapter), it’s also a relationship that seems to work within the parameters of the season but, at least initially, appears to be unable to exist outside of it: that Christmas creates the special time—and oxygen—to fuel romance. Another bonus round for love transpires in do-over and time-loop narratives whereby characters get a special chance—presumably because it’s Christmas and miracles can happen (chapter 5)—to redo the holiday. Numerous narratives make points about love being the reason for the season,138 but the do-over narratives notably position this as central, with characters coming to a realization of the centrality of love to their happiness. In Three Days (2001), Andrew (Reed Diamond) is given the opportunity to relive three days with his wife, Beth (Kristin Davis), in the lead up to Christmas. In doing so he learns the necessity to properly and demonstratively love his wife. In Eve’s Christmas, the title character, Eve, is taken back in time to Christmas eight years prior, and she is given seven days to sort out her life and to learn lessons from her mistakes, including reconciling with her ex-boyfriend Scott (Sebastian Spence). In Christmas Do-Over (2006), Kevin (Jay Mohr) has to keep living Christmas Day over until he perfects it. Crucial in this is finding love again with his ex-wife, Jill (Daphne Zuniga).139 In 12 Dates of Christmas, Kate similarly has to keep living Christmas Eve over until she fixes her selfishness and ultimately finds love with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar); the same plot transpires for Calvin (Steven Weber) in The 12 Days of

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Christmas Eve (2004). In these narratives, the magic of the season gives characters an opportunity to try again, to follow Scrooge’s journey of rebirth, to fix the errors of their ways and ultimately acknowledge that central to the Christmas spirit (chapter 1) is love. Outside of romance, a slightly different intimacy-themed bonus round transpires in Eyes Wide Shut. It is Christmastime, and the protagonist, Bill (Tom Cruise), has just been told by his wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), about a fantasy she had involving sex with another man. The combination of this disclosure and, seemingly, the festive season, sees Bill in a bubble140 for two days where he finds himself in a range of unlikely situations: in the home of a sex worker, Domino (Vinessa Shaw), and at a masked sex party and being offered the sexual services of the underage daughter (Leelee Sobieski) of a costume store proprietor. The Manhattan Christmas aesthetic gives Eyes Wide Shut a dream-like quality whereby the veracity of events remains questionable throughout,141 a point spotlighted by musicologist Kate McQuiston in her discussion of the film: For Kubrick, whose attention to even the most mundane details was well known, the reappearance of the Christmas decorations cannot have been a matter of simply using a prop. For Kubrick too, its reappearance manifests the uncanny, dreamlike interrelatedness of the film’s events.142

Dying Young (1991) offers a slightly different romantic bonus round. Victor (Campbell Scott) is dying of cancer. At Christmastime he wants to go away for the holidays with his carer and love interest, Hilary (Julia Roberts). “Can we just pretend . . . that I’m alright?” he asks her. While away, Victor neglects to take his medication and refuses further treatment. Victor wants to create a bubble where he is not sick and where his relationship with Hilary is uncomplicated by his illness. An extension of seasonal magic is answered prayers. In chapter 1 I discussed the notion of Santa as Jesus: in several narratives, characters ask for love, a wish that is often fulfilled seemingly because of the powers of the season. Mentioned earlier was 12 Dates of Christmas: early into the narrative Katie articulated a fear of dying alone, and by the end of the narrative she finds love with Miles; seemingly her loneliness was heard and corrected. In Babycakes (1989), protagonist Grace (Ricki Lake) declares, “I just wanted a little happiness before it’s too late.” Grace’s want for love is heard and she is gifted love with Rob (Craig Sheffer). In the gay-themed 24 Nights, Jonathan (Kevin Isola) writes to Santa asking for a boyfriend: by the end of the narrative he meets Keith (Stephen Mailer). In A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004), as a pre-teen, Holly (Kelli King) asked a mall Santa (Charles Durning) for a boyfriend. As an adult, and reuniting with the same Santa, adult Holly (Kelli Williams) queries the whereabouts of her

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promised boyfriend: by the end of the narrative she finds love with Ryan (Patrick Muldoon). In these films, wishes for love are granted during this apparently magical holiday. Discussed further in chapter 5 is the close link between Christmas and the supernatural. The supernatural, in fact, has a notably strong link to bonus round storylines whereby special or mystical powers often only work for a time-bound period across the holidays. A Supernatural Bonus Round In A Mom for Christmas (1990), Jessie (Juliet Sorci) is granted “One Free Wish” from Philomena (Doris Roberts) who works in the Milliman’s department store. Jessie uses the wish to ask for a mom for Christmas. Philomena brings to life a mannequin. Jessie is made aware that her wish is only temporary and that once Christmas is over, she will lose Amy: that she will only have a mom for Christmas. The notion of time-constrained supernatural happenings transpire widely. In It Came upon the Midnight Clear (1984), deceased grandpa Mike (Mickey Rooney) comes back to life for Christmas. Lorraine is temporarily resurrected similarly in Angel in the Family. In The Spirit of Christmas (2015), Daniel (Thomas Beaudoin) is the former owner of an inn who haunts the premises year-round; during Christmas, however, Daniel gets to live again in a flesh and blood body. In A Christmas Tail (1999), Tim (Clayton Taylor) wishes on the Christmas star for a dog and gets turned into one; the spell lasts until Christmas day. These narratives ,of course, take cues from Christmas’s most famous supernatural story: A Christmas Carol, discussed further in chapter 5. Food and drink is another area whereby a bonus round exists and moderation gets festively eschewed. A Dietary Bonus Round In Christmas Angel, Ashley pronounces that Christmas is “the most depressing time of the year . . . Christmas, this soulless commercial endeavour that encourages overspending and overeating. . . .” Overindulgence is similarly mentioned in the gay-themed Torch Song Trilogy (1988), in an exchange between Arnold (Harvey Fierstein) and Allan (Matthew Broderick): Arnold: Do you remember anything at all about last night? Allan: Not really. I don’t usually drink. But you know how is it around the holidays.

In Finding Father Christmas, the same point is made to the protagonist, Miranda, by her assistant, Annie (Bethany Brown): “It’s Christmas,

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Miranda. You’re supposed to celebrate, give thanks, exchange gifts, eat too much. . . .” Given the central role of feasting, it is no surprise that Christmas is often presented as offering a bonus round of great indulgence whereby the shackles of ordinary restraint are shaken. In A Star for Christmas (2012), Cassie (Briana Evigan) runs a bakery. Alex (Corey Sevier), who transitions from actor to handyman to Cassie’s love interest, convinces her to rename her snowballs as “sinful snowballs”: “People like to be ‘bad’ on the holidays,” Alex says, providing another interpretation for Santino’s comments on licentious behavior. Christmas providing an opportunity to be “bad” and to eat abnormally is a theme in a range of examples. In Holiday in Handcuffs (2007), Dad (Timothy Bottoms) comments about the highly fatty Christmas fare, noting: “That’s the best thing about the holidays: no guilt.” A similar point is made in One Starry Christmas, when Betsy (Kathleen Laskey) unsuccessfully tries to control her husband, Ken’s (Neil Crone), calorie intake: Betsy: You shouldn’t be eating that cake. Ken: Honey, it’s the holidays. They don’t count.

A popular bumper sticker reads “birthday cake calories don’t count,” and the same idea can be extended to Christmas calories whereby the season seemingly provides an excuse for overindulgence. It should, of course, not be overlooked that in these examples, it is men who overindulge: women encourage temperance and men partake of excess. This makes an interesting fat husband/thin wife point hinting to the gendered underpinnings of dietary restraint. On screen, having a liberal attitude to food is presented—akin to belief in Santa or possession of the Christmas spirit—as useful in framing a character’s disposition. On one end of the spectrum is a character like Riley (Shenae Grimes-Beech) in Christmas Incorporated whose enthusiasm for the season is demonstrated through her food choices. Riley’s boss, William (Steve Lund), correctly predicts, for example, that she would want a peppermint mocha with extra peppermint. Riley possesses the holiday spirit and thus, presumably, would want an especially indulgent holiday drink. Riley’s attitudes toward food and Christmas contrast with women in a range of narratives whose restrained attitudes to food are coupled with a dearth of spirit. In A Christmas Wedding Date (2012), Rebecca (Marla Sokoloff) is a workaholic who has lost the spirit of Christmas. In one scene she is en route to a friend’s wedding when a Girl Scout approaches her: Rebecca: Cookies? No I don’t want to buy any cookies. Cookies make you fat. And especially during the holidays there’s a lot of temptation. So, no I don’t want to buy your cookies.

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Rebecca’s concerns about fatness play out in other examples. In Window Wonderland (2013), Sloan (Chyler Leigh) admits to her colleague, Jake (Paul Campbell), “I haven’t had chocolate since I met Kenneth.” In Miracle on 34th Street (1994), the young Susan (Mara Wilson)—who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus—dourly says, “I’m trying to limit my intake of sugar.” In Let It Snow (2013), Stephanie (Candace Cameron Bure) is introduced as uptight and without the Christmas spirit, something compounded by her attitude to food. In one scene Karla (Gabrielle Rose), the hotel proprietor, offers her pastries. Stephanie declines. Later Stephanie is looking for something to eat and has an exchange with one of the hotel guests, Sally (Samantha Ferris): Sally: Are you looking for something diet? Stephanie: Is there anything? Sally: I doubt it.

In Battle of the Bulbs, Stu’s (Matt Frewer) wife Mary, (Teryl Rothery), won’t eat cookies or drink anything not low calorie. In A Christmas without Snow (1980), when protagonist Zoe (Michael Learned) is offered eggnog, she declines, “I’m already way over my calorie count.” Eggnog calories are mentioned elsewhere. In The Santa Suit, Nancy (Jodie Dowdall) says, “I make egg nog every year because I love it but I never drink it ‘cause it has like ten thousand calories a glass.” In A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), Meg (Alicia Witt) mentions the “squintillion” calories in eggnog. In Unlikely Angel, Ruby (Dolly Parton), the new angel nanny, makes waffles for breakfast. Teen daughter, Sarah (Allison Mack), comments, “I’m sure it’s three thousand calories.” In Come Dance with Me, Jack is dating Demi (Stephanie Anne Mills). In one scene, Demi goes out for dinner with Jack’s mom, Jessica (Mary Long), eats one tiny morsel and then says, “I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat another bite.” In Finding Christmas, Owen goes on a date with model Halo (Jessica Phillips) and something similar transpires: Halo: I’m not really a big eater. Calories are kind of a job hazard. I’m a model—I eat what I need to.

In Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas (2013), Dax (Drew Lachey) is a washed up rockstar who is falling in love with his fan, Kelly (MacKenzie Porter). Kelly is contrasted with Dax’s girlfriend, Chelsea (Olivia Cheng), who makes comments such as “I don’t even eat carbs.” The same thing plays out in Just Friends: Chris has reconnected with his high school crush Amy. Amy is contrasted with Chris’s ex-girlfriend and client Samantha (Anna Faris). In one scene Samantha remarks, “Carbs? Are you kidding

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me?” Jamie on the other hand is shown eating ice cream straight from the tub. In A Very Cool Christmas, Lindsay (Brooke Nevin) discloses that she’s on a low-carb diet. In The Flight Before Christmas (2015), Stephanie (Mayim Bialik) and her seatmate Michael (Ryan McPartlin) get grounded in Montana due to inclement weather. Their shared predicament positions them to get to know each other, including their respective dietary preferences. In one scene Stephanie encourages Michael to order flapjacks with plenty of syrup: “[My fiancé] Courtney has me on more of a plain oatmeal diet,” Michael laments. To which Stephanie rationalizes, “You’ve got to live a little.” Here, unlike all the uptight calorie counters identified earlier, Stephanie is comparatively carefree and low maintenance. Just as Kelly in Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas and Amy in Just Friends are framed as preferable love interests, the same device is used in The Flight Before Christmas to elevate Stephanie as more suitable than Courtney due to her appreciation of syrup. In Babycakes, Grace is similarly presented as a better match for Rob than his current girlfriend, Olivia (Cynthia Dale), because while Grace might be overweight she enjoys cooking and eating, thus subtly conveying that she is less uptight than Olivia. The undercurrent of each of these scenes is that women who are more flexible with their diets are preferable partners. A statement is also made about authenticity: that an authentic person eschews fad diets. An extension of this is women who are more flexible being more inclined to live life to the fullest, an idea at the heart of Last Holiday. While Georgia loves to cook, she always gives her food away, explaining, “I don’t eat nothing but my Lean Cuisine.” After her fatal illness diagnosis however, she travels abroad at Christmas to a hotel renown for its celebrity chef. A sign of Georgia finally—albeit belatedly—living life is her reformed attitude to food: during her time abroad, she eats heartily. Food is also used to demonstrate that a character is no longer so uptight and might even be recapturing the Christmas spirit. In If You Believe, Grinchy editor Susan travels from Manhattan to New Dover, Connecticut, to visit with a new writer, Tom (Tom Amandes). Tom offers Susan a pastry; she declines and saying she’s on a diet. Tom says she doesn’t need to diet, and then Susan finally takes a bite: this proves to be an early sign that she is on the road to rebirth. In The Christmas Hope (2009), Patricia (Madeline Stowe) and her husband, Mark (James Remar), are grieving their son, Sean (Garth Merkeley), and their grief has halted their celebration of Christmas. The couple eventually take in an orphan and Patricia cooks the three a meal of pasta. Mark is astonished, commenting, “You’re actually allowing carbs into the house?” Food choice, seemingly, is a sign that Patricia is slowly moving out of her grief. In Desperately Seeking Santa, early on Jen notes that she doesn’t eat pizza because of the “carbs.” Eventually—after

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her relationship with David (Nick Zano), son of a pizza restaurateur, blossoms—she does and says, “So this is what I’ve missing out on all of these years.” Early into Fir Crazy (2013),143 Elise (Sarah Lancaster) is offered a seasonal drink by her barista, Max (Danny Smith): Elise: Coffee. No whipped cream. Not nutmeg. No Santa Claus. Coffee. Max: No whipped cream, no nutmeg, no fun.

Later, after Elise develops a romantic interest in Darren (Eric Johnson) and her Christmas spirit starts to re-emerge, she orders a drink with nutmeg. The same thing transpires in Angel of Christmas (2015): the first time Susan (Jennifer Finnigan) is shown in the coffee shop when she is offered the Christmas blend but instead orders “a multigrain gluten free bagel, exactly one tablespoon of light cream cheese. Thank you.” By the end of the narrative, after falling in love, Susan returns to the coffee shop and buys a Christmas coffee: extra large. In Charming Christmas (2015), uptight Meredith (Julie Benz) takes her coffee black with no sugar. In one scene, love interest Nick (David Sutcliffe) stirs her coffee with a candy cane, and she begins to soften.144 An outlier male example of the food/spirit link transpires in 12 Gifts of Christmas. Marc is introduced as a workaholic who doesn’t eat sugar. Later, after meeting Anna, he softens and even orders a cupcake: a sign of him recapturing the Christmas spirit.145 In Santa Claws, an indiction that Mom’s spirit is returning is conveyed through her giving cookies to her son, Tommy: “Mom never lets me have cookies at night,” he observes. In each of these examples, changing attitudes toward the season, and alterations to disposition, are illustrated through food. Christmas offers characters the time to be away from work, often with the capacity to travel. In the following section, vacations serving as a bonus round are explored. A Vacation Bonus Round Several Christmas narratives—Trading Christmas, Finding Christmas and The Holiday (2006)—center on characters participating in a house swap. The house-swap premise also works to illustrate a time-bound bonus round: such swaps relocate individuals—quite literally—out of their normal lives, and give them the opportunity to experience someone else’s: another person’s home, surroundings and even acquaintances within a bubble that is time bound. In each of these house-swap narratives, love transpires: it’s no surprise that in other Christmas holiday narratives, love is similarly found. In A Moody Christmas, it is during Dan’s visits home to Australia from England for Christmas that he falls in love with Cora. In Christmas in

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Paradise (2007), single parents Dana (Charlotte Ross) and Dan (Colin Ferguson), find love while vacationing in Puerto Rico over Christmas. In Christmas at the Riviera, something similar happens with Dennis and Avril (Pam Ferris) while staying at the titular hotel. Such narratives can be interpreted as simply framing vacations as a bonus round. Hailee in The Christmas Parade makes a point about this: “Carver Bend is like a vacation. Everyone you meet on vacation is great, right? That doesn’t make them the one. It’s a break from reality and we do not live on vacation.” Certainly such examples are illustrative of the “holiday romance” and popular storyline of love happening outside the rigors of the ordinary. A different vacation bonus round transpires where, because of travel, characters cross paths with people they otherwise would never have met. This was the case in A Very Merry Mix-Up: Alice was traveling to meet her fiancé, Dean’s, family for the first time: she ends up meeting Matt at the airport, mistakenly thinking he is Dean’s brother, and the two fall in love. In The Road to Christmas (2006), Claire (Jennifer Grey) is trying to get to Aspen for the holidays while Tom (Clark Gregg) and his teen daughter, Hilly (Megan Park), are driving to Grandma’s. Circumstances conspire leading Claire to hitch a ride with Tom and then the two fall in love. In Love the Coopers, Eleanor is traveling home for Christmas: at the airport she meets, and finds love with, Joe (Jake Lacy). In A Christmas Detour, Paige is traveling cross-country to meet her in-laws. En route she meets Dylan (Paul Greene), who is making the holiday journey to see his family. Weather events force the two to carpool, and they find love. The same narrative plays out in The Flight Before Christmas where Stephanie and Michael’s flight is rerouted and the strangers make emergency plans together and, eventually, fall in love. Similar circumstances transpire in Dashing through the Snow (2015): Ashley (Meghan Ory) misses her flight home for Christmas, tries to rent a car at the airport, there is only one available, and it has just been booked by Dash (Andrew W. Walker). The two carpool and fall in love. In One Starry Christmas, Holly’s boyfriend has traveled to Chicago for work over Christmas. On a whim, Holly takes a bus to surprise him and en route she meets Luke (Damon Runyan), a cowboy, and the two fall in love. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Uncle Ralph is traveling cross-country to see his niece, Jennifer (Brooke Burns), for Christmas. At the airport Ralph meets Morgan (Warren Christie) and invites him to spend Christmas with him and his neice. Jennifer and Morgan find love. Picking Up and Dropping Off (2003) opens on Christmas at Denver Airport. Over several years, Will (Scott Wolf) and Jane (Amanda Detmer) briefly cross paths while either dropping off or picking up their children who are traveling cross-country to the

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homes of their interstate exes. The seasonal act puts the two in contact and eventually helps them find love. Indicative of the ever-popular “meet cute,” these narratives are each examples of characters accidentally meeting: Christmastime serves as the backdrop for their meet cute. Christmas provides characters a reason to disrupt their ordinary routines and in turn opportunities for love are created. In Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Kenneth More) comments to the title character (Albert Finney): “There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember, Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly you’re not there anymore.” On screen, time—and, notably, its brevity—is frequently referenced in Christmas narratives. THE CHRISTMAS CLOCK In Love the Coopers, Hank (Ed Helms) is unemployed and has a conversation about his predicament with his grandpa, Bucky (Alan Arkin): Hank: I’ve got to find a job by the New Year. Bucky: You don’t have to find a job by the New Year. That’s an arbitrary deadline. You can find it January 11, March 17, it makes no difference.

Bucky’s comments are interesting because they provide a critique of a trend in Christmas films whereby deadlines—be they real or completely arbitrary—impose time constraints on characters. With the New Year as a new start, it makes sense that Hank would want a job before then, having to find a new job before then, however, is in line with an enormous range of narratives whereby characters have deadline until Christmas to do something, to change something, to fix something which creates necessary—even if implausible—tension in the narrative. In an enormous range of films, the plot consists of something under threat—like the church in Going My Way (1944), the orphanage in Santa with Muscles (1996) or the search and rescue program in 12 Men of Christmas—and thus narratives center on characters needing to save it before Christmas (chapter 6). While Bucky in Love the Coopers spotlights the randomness of this deadline, it’s nonetheless recurrent in Christmas films. In Christmas Eve (1947), Aunt Matilda (Ann Harding) has a deadline to bring her adopted sons to New York by Christmas to stop a lawsuit. In The Lemon Drop Kid, Sidney has a Christmas deadline to pay back a debt. In An Old Fashioned Christmas, Cameron (Leon Ockenden) only has until Christmas to win Tilly’s (Catherine Steadman) heart before her fiancé,

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Gad (Kristopher Turner) arrives. In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooge (Michael Caine) proclaims, “One might say that December is the foreclosure season. Harvest time for the moneylenders.” A looming foreclosure is a particularly popular Christmas deadline in film. In The Tree That Saved Christmas, 12 Dog Days Till Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue, the Australian film Bush Christmas (1983) and It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989), farms face foreclosure. In The Tree That Saved Christmas, A Christmas Romance, Secret of Giving, and The Christmas Cottage (2007), family homes face foreclosure. In Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005),146 Alex’s (Bobby Cannavale) restaurant is facing shutdown; in Moonlight & Mistletoe, Nick has until Christmas to pay his debts or his Santa Village property will be seized. In an NPR radio broadcast, host Linda Holmes discusses the appeal of the foreclosure narrative: These are always pro-small business, anti-corporate movies. They’re—frequently the man is some terrible corporate dude who comes to town and wants to ruin the Thanksgiving Day parade or close down the year-round Christmas hat store. . . . Holiday time can actually be a little fraught and a little stressful. You know, you want something uncomplicated, and sometimes saving the Christmas tree farm from foreclosure is a pretty good option.147

Holmes highlights the often very thin plotlines of Christmas films, offering up simple, escapist fantasy. She also subtly highlights the more political elements of the films. In each of these narratives, characters have limited time to turn their fortunes around to save Christmas because of the imposition of Scrooge-like bankers and landlords. Such challenges often bind characters together to triumph over adversary; looming deadlines and foreboding bankers serve in such a fashion. In other narratives, Christmas provides other kinds of deadlines. In Santa Who? Santa is hit by a car and has amnesia. He has until Christmas to regain his memory or else Christmas is ruined.148 A similar amnesia narrative transpires in Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008). In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, Nick has until Christmas to find a wife and take over as Santa. The same plots play out for Chris (Matthew Lawrence) in My Santa and Nick (Kelsey Grammer) in Mr. St. Nick (2002). In The Santa Clause 2 (2002), Scott (Tim Allen) is already Santa: to stay in his post he has until Christmas to find a wife. In The Note (2007), columnist Peyton (Genie Francis) has until Christmas to expand her readership; her editor, Nora (Maria Ricossa), tells her: “Improve these numbers by Christmas or you’re out.” In A Dog Named Christmas (2009), the animal shelter has to rehouse the animals before its Christmas closure. The same theme is central in 12 Dog Days Till Christmas. In Cancel Christmas, Santa (Judd Nelson) is given thirty days to

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instill Christmas into the heart of three boys or the Santa Board will shut him down. In Christmas Lodge, Mary (Erin Karpluk) has until Christmas to get the titular Lodge up and running because her Grampa is dying and he wants to spend his last Christmas there. In Dear Santa, Crystal (Amy Acker) has been given a deadline that unless she finds a job or a man by Christmas, her parents will stop paying her allowance. In Lucky Christmas (2011), Holly (Elizabeth Berkley) only has until Christmas Eve to cash in her lost winning lottery ticket. In Anything But Christmas, Grace presents John the challenge of winning her heart before the holiday ends. The same challenge exists for Dan in The Santa Switch: he has seven days until he and his wife, Linda, sign their divorce papers and so, under his reckoning, seven days to get his wife to change her mind. In Hercules Saves Christmas (2012),149 Santa (George Maguire) gives Max (Anthony Robinson) a deadline: that he’ll put him on the nice list if he can bring the Christmas spirit to Rick (Danny Arroyo). In The Christmas Heart, Matt (Ty Wood) has a heart attack while playing basketball: he needs a transplant and will only survive a week—that is, until Christmas—without a heart transplant. In The Twelve Trees of Christmas, Cheri has until Christmas to save her library from developers. In A Christmas Reunion, Amy is given a Christmas Eve deadline to return to her job in New York to claim her promotion. In A Prince for Christmas (2015), Todd (Aaron O’Connell) gives his ex-girlfriend Emma (Viva Bianca) the deadline of Christmas to change her mind and marry him. In each of these examples, Christmas exists as a deadline— characters have to change their fate, their finances, their circumstances before the holiday. In Pete’s Christmas, mom Pamela (Molly Parker), who is working over Christmas, says: “Just because I have to work today doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and make this Christmas special.” Later she declares, “The Kisser family is going to keep its Christmas traditions or die trying.” In Wish upon a Christmas, Jesse says, “There will always be space for tradition. Especially at Christmas.” In both films, the sentiments espoused are that Christmas traditions are worth upholding without question, and regardless of cost. In numerous Christmas films, rituals and routines are mentioned. In Call Me Mrs. Miracle, young Gabe’s (Quinn Lord) father reads him the Nativity every year; in Trading Christmas, mom Emily and daughter Heather (Emma Lahana) watch It’s a Wonderful Life. In Serendipity (2001), Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) return each Christmas to the accessories counter at Bloomingdale’s where they first met. In The Christmas Shoes (2002), Robert (Rob Lowe) returns each year to decorate his Christmas-loving mother’s grave. In the sections that follow, two popular Christmas traditions are explored: trees and decoration.

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OH CHRISTMAS TREE In Christmas Incorporated, Riley comments, “I think it’s a magical time when anything is possible. Decorating is a must because it’s part of the magic.” Christmas decorations, notably but not exclusively trees, play key roles. In The National Tree, The Tree and The Tree That Saved Christmas, entire narratives center on saving beloved trees. The British film The Christmas Tree (1966) centers on outpatient Gary (William Burleigh) trying to find a tree for the child patients of a hospital. The Christmas Tree (1996) is about the search for the perfect tree for Rockefeller Center. In The Tree and The Christmas Tree, trees serve as substitute fathers.150 In films including Love Story, Love You Like Christmas, A Boyfriend for Christmas, Silver Bells, Christmas in Compton, The Christmas Shepherd, Fir Crazy, Stealing Christmas, A Puppy for Christmas, Big Business (1929), A Dad for Christmas (2006),151 Egg Nog (2010), All Is Bright (2013),152 The Christmas Ornament (2013), An Evergreen Christmas (2014), Christmas, Again (2014) and Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015) major characters are involved in growing and selling trees.153 In A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), the plot centers on Harold (John Cho), Kumar (Kal Penn) and Kumar’s neighbor, Adrian’s (Amir Blumenfeld) adventure to find a perfect tree to meet the great expectations of Harold’s father-in-law, Mr. Perez (Danny Trejo). In many narratives, shopping for a tree is a family activity,154 something friends do to together,155 (or occasionally even adversaries),156 and sometimes something potentially intimate or romantic done as a signifier that two people might couple.157 Sometimes characters cut down their own live tree158; in others, Christmas trees are obtained through theft.159 Trimming the tree, and decorating for the holidays more broadly, is invariably a family celebration,160 or at the very least, a social one done with friends.161 Sometimes, it’s an attempt to ingratiate oneself through an act of kindness.162 When visitors are included it’s a sign of acceptance into the family,163 if not romance.164 On those occasions when a person decorates the tree alone—as transpires for Kevin in Home Alone, Kathleen (Meg Ryan) in You’ve Got Mail and Kate (Kelly Macdonald) in The Merry Gentleman (2008), the scenes are tinged with sadness (ditto solo tree purchases).165 In the following section, narratives that specifically spotlight the tree as essential to the Christmas celebration are explored. The Importance of a Tree While the cultural importance of Christmas trees is aptly illustrated in films through formal public lighting ceremonies,166 in most narratives it is the domestic tree that is of greatest importance. On many occasions this importance is explicitly articulated.

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In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Kevin asks, “How can you have Christmas without a Christmas tree, Mom?” In Christmas in Wonderland (2007), Mary (Amy Schlagel / Zoe Schlagel) comments, “It won’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree, you know.” In The Family Holiday (2007), Mrs. Pendergast (Christina Pickles) says, “It’s not Christmas without a tree.” In Christmas Town (2008), Grandpa Jack (Garry Chalk) comments, “You can’t have Christmas without a tree.” In Trading Christmas, Emily says, “It just isn’t Christmas without a tree.” In Christmas in Conway, Suzy asks, “What’s Christmas without a tree?” In Magic Stocking, grandma Donna (Iris Quinn) arrives with a tree to visit her widowed daughter: “Who doesn’t want a Christmas tree?” she asks. In each of these films the importance is stated; in others it is shown. In On the Second Day of Christmas, young Patsy throws a tantrum because Bert, the store detective who has her and her aunt in custody, doesn’t have a tree. In A Princess for Christmas (2011), the duke of Castlebury (Roger Moore) has summoned his orphaned grandchildren, Milo (Travis Turner) and Maddie (Leilah de Meza), to his castle for Christmas. As he is still in mourning over the death of his son and daughter-in-law, he hasn’t decorated. “How can you deny two children a tree at Christmas?” asks Jules (Katie McGrath), Milo and Maddie’s aunt. In Santa Claws, young Tommy whines, “Everyone else has a tree.” His mother’s response is “There’s no need to have a tree if there’s not going to be presents under it.” So important is the tree to young Tommy that he goes out and purchases one himself. In Paper Angels (2014), even in their dire poverty Lynn (Josie Bissett) buys the family a Christmas tree. In The Christmas Ornament, Tim (Cameron Mathison) owns a tree farm and considers trees so important that his business is “recession-proof”: “Everybody finds money for a Christmas tree.” So important is a tree as a metonym for the season, that when one is unavailable, characters fabricate makeshift ones. In Scrooged, for example, Grace’s (Alfre Woodard) family tie one of her children up in Christmas lights to pose as a tree because they can’t afford a real one.167 In The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), the children make a makeshift Christmas tree from a pot plant. In Deck the Halls, mom Kelly (Kristin Davis) makes a makeshift Christmas tree in the motel room that she and her children fled to after her husband’s decoration obsession got out of hand. In A Christmas Wish (2011), daughter Mel (Kirstin Dorn) draws a Christmas tree on the wall of the motel. While in the narratives discussed thus far the importance of Christmas trees is shown or verbalized, in others, some explanations for the importance are offered. In The Bishop’s Wife, the professor comments about his own crappy tree: “It’s disgraceful. However, it gives me the illusion of peace on earth,

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goodwill toward men.” In The Twelve Trees of Christmas, Deidre (Ace Hicks), a volunteer at the library, comments loftily, “A Christmas tree is a representation not just of the holiday but of our lives. Each one tells a story of who we are.” Both films purport that Christmas trees are a symbol of the values of the season: hope, goodwill, and togetherness. If trees—and decorations more broadly—can connote Christmas values, then their absence can be interpreted as signifying missing spirit. The Absence of Decoration In The Real St. Nick, Spaulding (Matt Felker), the Grinch hospital administrator, describes Christmas decorations as “the sneakiest kind of vandalism.” For Kate in Every Christmas Has a Story, she hasn’t put up a tree; her problems with Christmas trace back to her father walking out on the family. Mentioned earlier was the duke in A Princess for Christmas; the absence of a tree in the castle is reflective of his grief. In Chasing Christmas, two children bring a Christmas decoration to Jack’s house. He takes it and puts it in the middle of the road where it gets immediately run over. For Jack, who has lost his Christmas spirit, decorations serve as a kryptonite. Something similar happens in the opening of A Christmas in Vermont (2016) when Scrooge boss Preston (Chevy Chase) is given a fancy bauble and deliberately drops it. Similarly, in Office Christmas Party (2016), Grinch CEO Carol (Jennifer Aniston) walks into her Chicago branch office and tears down the tinsel. In Christmas Mail, Richard Fuller (Lochlyn Munro), the boss at the mail sorting plant, is a Grinch who orders the decorative wreaths to be removed because they are a “fire hazard.” In What I Did for Love (2006), patriarch Karl (James Gammon) no longer decorates for Christmas: as his daughter, Sadie (Dorie Barton), explains, “Dad hasn’t put them up [decorations] since mom died. The holidays seem to remind everyone that Mom isn’t here anymore.” A similar situation transpires in Silver Bells: Catherine was once an annual customer at Christie’s tree stall but stopped buying trees when her husband died. In Unlikely Angel, Ruby—an angel sent to look after Ben’s (Brian Kerwin) grieving family— criticizes their lack of decorations: Ruby: There is not a sign of Christmas in this house. Not a tree, nothing at all. Ben: Well we don’t celebrate Christmas around here anymore.

In Under the Mistletoe, a car crash kills Susan’s husband, Tom (Conan Graham), and Susan doesn’t want to decorate. When her son Jonathan (Burkely Duffield) suggests they get a tree, Susan’s response is, “Not this year, J. J.” In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, the title character (Maria

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Thayer) spotlights the lack of decorations in Ted’s (Sam Page) struggling toy store: Annie: Christmas makes everyone feel good and you don’t have so much as a single candy cane in here. Ted: Well this may come as a shock to you, Annie, but Christmas makes some people feel like failures at life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Annie: All the more reason to surround yourself with it.

In Baby’s First Christmas, Kyle, as quoted earlier, commented, “Putting a string through popcorn is not my idea of fun.” In A Christmas Snow (2010), while staying with her father’s girlfriend, Kathleen, young Lucy (Cameron Ten Napel) whispers over the phone to her dad, “She has no Christmas decorations in her house,” as an indictment. In Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), teen Bailey (Olivia Scriven) is disinclined to help decorate the house: “Christmas decorations are for real families, as you can see we don’t fit that profile.” In Trading Christmas, Charles hasn’t decorated for the season, explicitly stating, “I just don’t want to be reminded of . . . things, that’s all,” referencing his relationship that failed two Christmases prior. In A Prince for Christmas, three years prior, Emma’s parents were out buying a Christmas tree when they were killed in a car crash. Emma’s younger sister, Alice (Brittany Beery), wants to buy a tree; Emma is reluctant. When characters haven’t decorated, insight is provided into their mindset. Decorating is associated, apparently, with happiness and celebration; feelings of grief and other kinds of sadness thwart that. When such characters decide to decorate again, therefore, the inference is that their Christmas spirit has been resurrected. In Jack Frost (1998), after the death of his father (Michael Keaton), Charlie (Joseph Cross) is angry. He watches his neighbors’ children build a snowman with their dad. This motivates Charlie to build a snowman by himself; that snowman comes to life, embodying the spirit of his father. As part of Jack’s advice to his son is the importance of convincing Mom (Kelly Preston) to start decorating for the holidays again. In some narratives, like the consumption of holiday food, festooning a home is indicative of an improved festive outlook. In The Christmas Pageant (2011), Beverly (Kate Flannery) is grumpy and negative and, uncharacteristically, hasn’t decorated her home. It turns out Beverley had to have a biopsy and cancer fears had distracted her. Once her results come back negative, however, jubilant Beverly says: “I’m going to decorate this whole place until I pass out!” In Christmas Ranch, Mary (Francine Locke) hasn’t decorated since the death of her husband: “[I] kind of lost enthusiasm once Charles died.” With her granddaugh-

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ter, Lizzy (Taylor Lyons), staying with her, Mary decides to decorate again. A Dennis the Menace Christmas provides a rare exception where not only does a man do the decorating—something frequently portrayed as women’s work as discussed later in this chapter—but where it highlights his spiritual transformation. Mr. Wilson (Robert Wagner) has contempt for the season until he is visited by Bob (Godfrey) the angel. Mr. Wilson then decorates to surprise his long-suffering wife who has suppressed her love of Christmas for him. While decorations are a sign of restored spirit in these examples, of course this can work in reverse too. In Mame (1974), the title character (Lucille Ball) attempts to raise the spirits of the house by decorating early for Christmas, something encapsulated by the singing of the song “We Need a Little Christmas.” The symbolism of Christmas trees discussed earlier means that if one is absent, often too are the values associated. This is also, presumably, why trees sometimes get given as gifts in films as an attempt to give the Christmas spirit: something made explicit in A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013), for example, when Henry (Terry Kiser)—who owns a Christmas tree farm—gives all his trees away for free: “It’s not just giving away trees,” he explains. “It’s giving away Christmas.” In Christmas Magic, as part of angel Carey’s efforts to help single father Scott and his daughter Abby (Kiara Glasco) find the spirit of Christmas, Carey buys them a tree. In Help for the Holidays, Uncle Dave (John Brotherton) brings the family a tree to which Christine helps the kids and Dave decorate. Trees are also given away in A Royal Christmas (2014): the prince, Leo (Stephen Hagan), buys all the trees from the charity stall and donates them back to the town. Christmas trees are also gifts in other narratives. In Christmas in the City, Tom buys his colleague, Wendy, and her daughter, Grace (Kylie Noelle Price), a tree.168 In The Santa Con (2014), estranged father John (Scott Grimes) buys his family a tree and asks to be allowed to come back home. In Merry Kissmas (2015), Kayla’s (Karissa Lee Staples) boyfriend, Carlton (David O’Donnell), cheats on her. In a last-ditch attempt to save the relationship, Carlton—who has no real interest in Christmas—decorates an elaborate tree for her. Just as Christmas trees are given as a means to gift Christmas, so too are other kinds of decorations. In The Christmas Note, Ethan and his grandpa decorate the home of their grieving neighbor, Melissa (Leah Gibson), as a demonstration of the same idea. In Home By Christmas, Michael (Rob Stewart) decorates the home that Julie is trying to sell to break into the real estate industry. In Angels Sing, rather than trees, neighbors bring Michael’s (Harry Connick Jr.) family Christmas lights so that they can decorate, in line with the traditions observed by the residents of his street. In other narratives, ornaments are given as a Christmas metonym; something that transpires in Come Dance with Me, My Santa, The Christmas Ornament, The Merry Gentleman and The Christmas Parade.

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Christmas trees, while symbolic in their own right, are part of a broader tradition of decorating for Christmas; something widely depicted and— as hinted—something with strong gendered connotations. Gender and Decorating Mentioned earlier was A Dennis the Menace Christmas where Grinch-like Mr. Wilson surprises his wife by decorating their home. In the opening scene of A Firehouse Christmas, Bruce (James Hamilton) decorates his home. In Deck the Halls (2011), Willie (Larry Miller) decorates the tree for his friend, Nora (Jane Alexander), while she convalesces. In The Bridge (2015), Charlie (Ted McGinley) does all the decorating. The three uncles who are raising Holly (Josie Gallina) decorate their home in Christmas with Holly. Examples where men do the Christmas decorating alone are in fact rare. While male characters sometimes decorate with children— often to ingratiate themselves to the mother (Holiday Affair provides an example of this)—doing so of their own volition, simply because they enjoy the act and want to celebrate the season with lights and tinsel, is rare. In films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Deck the Halls (2006) and Battle of the Bulbs men decorate. Rather than being exclusively a celebration of the season, however, these male characters turn decorating into a competition.169 In Jingle All the Way (1996), when Ted (Phil Hartman) puts up the lights on his neighbor’s home, rather than being a signifier of his spirit, it was an attempt to seduce his neighbor’s wife. In most narratives, decoration is presented as women’s work. In A Christmas Snow, for example, Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart) is snowed in for Christmas with her boyfriend’s daughter, Lucy, and Sam (Muse Watson), a mysterious stranger. Using the meager things Kathleen has around the house, she and Lucy decorate. Sam, who didn’t help in this regard, compliments, “You gals do great work.” James (David HaydnJones) in A Cookie Cutter Christmas makes almost the same comment: “You Greenville women really know how to do it up at the holidays.” In Christmas at Cartwright’s, Bill (Gabriel Hogan) offers his own version of this compliment to young Becky (T. J. McGibbon): “Moms are the best at decorating trees. Obviously.” Gals doing great work transpires widely. In Angels and Ornaments, Dave (Graham Abbey) and his music store employee Harold have a brief exchange that mentions their co-worker, Corinne (Jessalyn Gilsig): Harold: Sure is beautiful this time of year with all these Christmas decorations, hey Dave? Dave: I usually leave that stuff to Corinne. She always makes the place look so welcome.

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In A December Bride, Layla reflects on her mom’s holiday talents: “She always used to make the holidays so special. She would turn our entire house into this virtual Winter Wonderland.” In Borrowed Hearts (1997), Kathleen (Roma Downey) and her daughter Zoe (Sarah Rosen Fruitman) pose as the fake family of Kathleen’s boss, Sam (Eric McCormack), to help him conduct a business deal. Kathleen immediately begins work to make the house more homely and to make the tree “look like a family decorated it together.” Here, Kathleen—seemingly instinctively—knew what was needed to make the house look festive. In Christmas Belle (2013) Isabella (Haylie Duff) is sent by her father to the country (a week before Christmas) to secure the commission for an estate sale. Belle ends up decorating the house. While this is (arguably) part of her job, it’s also seemingly something that comes naturally to her. In A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Gwen secretly decorates the office of her client Charlie. Something similar transpires in Christmas Incorporated, when Riley surprises her boss, William, by decorating his home. In How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015), Sarah’s (Lindsey Gort) ghost decorates her ex-boyfriend Jordan’s (David Theler) home. In Come Dance with Me, Jack’s mom, Jessica (Mary Long), makes a surprise visit to see him for Christmas and then decorates his home. “Now it’s beginning to feel like Christmas,” she says. In Will You Merry Me? Rebecca decorates the outside of the home of her future in-laws, helping them to win a neighborhood decorating competition. Women’s natural talents at decorating are indicative of a bigger tradition of Christmas as women’s work. GENDER AND TRADITION In her book Merry Christmas!, Marling reflects on all the male stars of Christmas narratives and observes, “Studying Christmas would turn anyone into a card-carrying feminist!”170 While the likes of Santa, Scrooge and George Bailey might be the first characters we remember from Christmas films, in fact, many films do actually make a point about women having a special relationship with Christmas. This point is made in a range of ways whereby a conservative message is delivered that Christmas—a celebration of the domestic, centered on home and family (chapter 3)—is presented as largely women’s domain. Mrs. Claus, the Christmas Wife Mrs. Claus is often portrayed as the archetypal Christmas wife: she, after all, supports Santa who makes the season happen. In It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas, it is Mrs. Claus (Beverly Rowland) who encourages her hus-

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band (Charles Durning) to go and be among the real people to rediscover the meaning of Christmas, knowing how important it is that he clears his head so that he can do his job. In The Christmas Secret (2000), Mrs. Claus, Sasha (Barbara Tyson), is the soothing voice of reason who reassures her husband (Beau Bridges) that people eventually return to their Christmas faith: “Every few generations this happens. People think they don’t need you. But they come back. They always do.” In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, Santa (John Wheeler) acknowledges to his son Nick that while he might be the head of the enterprise, “your mother [Marcia Ann Burrs] is the heart.” In Mrs. Santa Claus (1996), the title character (Angela Lansbury) feels neglected by her husband and ends up fleeing the North Pole for Manhattan. The same thing happens in Finding Mrs. Claus (2012). In both examples, Santa is bereft; in Finding Mrs. Claus, Kris (Will Sasso), laments: “Without my Jessica [Mira Sorvino], there is no Christmas.” In Hercules Saves Christmas, it is Mrs. Claus (Carla Spindt) who prompts Santa (George Maguire) to get to work: “It’s midnight. Time to make your run.” Mrs. Claus (Jayne Eastwood) takes this much further in Last Chance for Christmas (2015) when she ends up sending elves from the North Pole to steal one of Annie’s (Hilarie Burton) reindeers so that Santa (Derek McGrath) can make his deliveries. In these examples, Mrs. Claus personifies the work done by ordinary women throughout Christmas narratives. Women as Bearers of Tradition In research on gender and national costume, the notion of women as bearers of culture is discussed: “Scholars have recognized the role gender plays in expressing ethnic, racial, religious or class identities. Women are the bearers of ethnic identities through conventions of dress.”171 Just as women pass on traditions through dress and faith, this is also achieved through holiday ritual: that women do the work in making Christmas happen. In Catch a Christmas Star, Chris is a single, widowed father. In one scene he talks to his friend Nikki (Shannon Elizabeth) about his deceased wife: “I think the holidays are still the hardest. Kate, she just knew how to make them really special.” Women instinctively knowing what to do for Christmas is identified widely. In Pete’s Christmas, Grandpa (Bruce Dern) reflects on his dead wife to his grandson (Zachary Gordon): “Your grandma could really make a Christmas.” In The Christmas Cottage, Thomas (Jared Padalecki) speaks of his mother, Maryanne (Marcia Gay Harden), identifying, “My mother was always there to comfort everyone.” In Sound of Christmas, a different contribution to the season was discussed by single father Brad (Robin Dunne) about his deceased wife who coordinated the family’s socializing at Christmastime: “She was kind

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of the glue that held that social circle together. When she died we all just kind of drifted apart.” Alluded to in chapter 1 was women being the ones to deliver Christmas, often to widowed single fathers. In some narratives, women actually deliver the Christmas spirit as part of their jobs. In Help for the Holidays, for example, Christine (Summer Glau) is sent from the North Pole to bring the Christmas spirit to the workaholic Vancamp family (by the end of the narrative the youngest Vancamp son, Will (Mason Cook), actually says about Christine: “She made Christmas special again!”). In Northpole the elf, Clementine (Bailee Madison), is dispatched for a similar task. In 12 Gifts of Christmas, Marc hires Anna to be his personal Christmas shopper; in A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Gwen is hired by workaholic executive—and single father—Charlie for the same task. By the end of the narrative, Charlie tells Gwen, “You changed everything.” While Anna and Gwen are hired for the very specific, and routinely feminized172 task of gift purchasing, the two women also succeed at delivering Christmas—and notably, the Christmas spirit—to men: their skills at present buying, decorating and their general enthusiasm for the season serve as a festive elixir. While Anna and Gwen did some of this work professionally, in most examples, such work is unremunerated and simply presented as what women do. Mentioned earlier was William in Christmas Incorporated. It was William’s new assistant, Riley, who eventually brings him the Christmas spirit. In Unlikely Angel, Ruby is the nanny who brings the spirit back to widowed Ben and his children. At the end of the film, Ben acknowledges Ruby’s success: “Thank you for bringing Christmas back into this house.” In A Christmas Wish, Martha (Kristy Swanson) is a self-described “destitute mother of three.” After hitting the road with her children she eventually gets a job in a small-town diner. Soon into her stay, Trudy (Tess Harper), the diner proprietor, acknowledges: “This has been more like old times around here than in a very long time. I think you have a lot to do with that, Martha.” In Anything But Christmas, John hates Christmas and can barely speak any words associated with it. His girlfriend, Grace, however, considers Christmas very important: even though it’s a depressing season for her (since the death of her husband), she wants everyone— especially her son—to have a great time. As John realizes by the end of the narrative, “You make magic, Grace, for everybody.” As mentioned earlier in Christmas Belle, Belle is sent by her father to sell a deceased estate owned by Hunter (Nicholas Gonzalez), whose fiancé recently died. Belle does the decorating, the female activity. Men invariably enjoy the trappings of Christmas—Hunter, for example, loves Belle’s decorating and, even at the end, says, “I’ve been dead inside. . . . You’ve bought me back to life”—but these men likely would never have done the actual work of the season themselves.

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In The Mistle-Tones (2012), Holly (Tia Mowry) brings the Christmas spirit to her boss, Nick (Jonathan Patrick Moore), by coercing him to join her in a mall singing competition. In A Princess for Christmas, Jules brings the Christmas spirit to the grieving household in Castlebury. In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, Annie brings the spirit to Ted and helps him save his store. The premise of On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (2015) centers on Maggie (Brooke Nevin) bringing the Christmas spirit back to her former crush, Mitch (Robin Dune), by sending him daily gifts. In A Wish for Christmas (2016), Sara (Lacey Chabert) helps her boss, Peter (Paul Greene), find the Christmas spirit, to reconcile with his father and to share the spirit with his employees. Less common, but there are also narratives where men help women get the Christmas spirit. In Santa Jr. (2002), the title character (Nick Stabile) decorates the home of Susan (Lauren Holly) who lacks Christmas spirit: “Just like my parents used to do,” she muses, appreciatively. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Morgan brings the Christmas spirit to single mom Jennifer: “Every year I hear someone say I can’t wait for Christmas to be over. For me, the saddest day of the year is December 26th.” In Farewell Mr. Kringle, Annabelle (Christine Taylor) is a widow who has lost the spirit of Christmas. After going to the small town of Mistletoe to report on Kris Kringle, Annabelle ends up allowing Kris to help her regain her Christmas spirit. In The Christmas Consultant, Owen (David Hasselhoff) is hired by the workaholic Fletchers to help their family organize Christmas: he ends up teaching them about what’s really important in the season. In The Real St. Nick, it is Nick (Callard Harris) who brings the Christmas spirit to the depressed in the hospital. In The Christmas Ornament, Tim is the one with the Christmas spirit: he shares it with the widowed Kathy. In Snow (2004), Nick/Santa (Tom Cavanagh) spends Christmas with Sandy (Ashley Williams) and the other residents of her boarding house. Later, Sandy says to Nick, “Nick, you have given something back to me that I never thought that I would have again . . . Christmas.” In Christmas under Wraps (2014), Andy (David O’Donnell) works for the family Christmas business. He brings the Christmas spirit to the ambitious doctor Lauren (Candace Cameron Bure): “It’s the most Christmas I’ve had in a long time,” she eventually admits. In Angel of Christmas, Susan hasn’t had any Christmas spirit since her relationship ended two years prior. She meets Brady, and he’s full of Christmas spirit and promises to be her “guide to all things yuletide.” He succeeds. In I’m Not Ready for Christmas (2015), schoolteacher Drew (George Stults) brings the Christmas spirit to workaholic Holly (Alicia Witt). In Wish upon a Christmas, Amelia arrives to close down an ornament factory and ends up catching the Christmas spirit from Jesse. While these narratives are counter examples to women doing the work of the Christmas season—and while they are indeed about men delivering

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the spirit to women—they are also each conservative narratives where women are workaholics and thus need to be tamed and domesticated. The men help return things to the natural order of women caring about the domestic at least as much as their careers. Equally, it’s worth noting that in each of these examples outside of The Christmas Consultant, while women do have their Christmas spirit restored and while men are instrumental, it could equally be argued that in fact love is what actually delivers it: that men might want to spread the Christmas spirit but their real desire is winning over these women. Equally, given these films are targeted at a female audience (chapter 1), it’s perhaps no surprise that these films are less concerned with alpha masculinity and instead depict sensitive new-age male leads who excel at romance. This chapter focused on the concepts of time and tradition as transpiring in Christmas narratives. In chapter 3 family is the focus. NOTES 1.  Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000), 129. 2.  Discussing this song, film theorist H. Mark Glancy writes, it “summons nostalgia for an old-fashioned and idealized holiday in which ‘children listen,’ Christmas cards are written, and all the days are ‘merry and bright.’” H. Mark Glancy, “Dreaming of Christmas: Hollywood and the Second World War,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 59–76, 67. 3.  John Storey, “The Invention of the English Christmas,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 17–31, 30. 4.  John Storey, “The Invention of the English Christmas,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 17–31, 30. 5. Max A. Myers, “Christmas on Celluloid: Hollywood Helps Construct the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 39–54, 40. 6.  Leigh E. Schmidt, Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press), 1995, 354. 7.  Aaron Santesso, A Careful Longing: The Poetics and Problems of Nostalgia (Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 2006), 21. 8.  Ellen Koskoff, “Is ‘White Christmas’ a Piece of Jewish Music?” in Mazal Tov, Amigos! Jews and Popular Music in the Americas, eds. Amalia Ran and Moshe Morad (Boston: Brill, 2016), 11–24, 19. 9.  In Ben Furnish, Nostalgia in Jewish-American Theatre and Film, 1979–2004 (New York: Peter Lang, 2005), 20.

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10.  Caryl Flinn, Strains of Utopia: Gender, Nostalgia, and Hollywood Film Music (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992); Phil Powrie, French Cinema in the 1980s: Nostalgia and the Crisis of Masculinity (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997); Vera Dika, Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film: The Uses of Nostalgia (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003); Shirley Law, “Film, Memory and Nostalgia in Cinema Paradiso,” Australian Screen Education, 33, Winter (2003): 111–117; Susan Aronstein, Hollywood Knights: Arthurian Cinema and the Politics of Nostalgia (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005); Pam Cook, Screening the Past: Memory and Nostalgia in Cinema (New York: Routledge, 2005); Janina Falkowska, Andrzej Wajda: History, Politics, and Nostalgia in Polish Cinema (New York: Berghahn Books, 2007); Christine Sprengler, Screening Nostalgia: Populuxe Props and Technicolor Aesthetics in Contemporary American Film (New York: Berghahn Books, 2009); M. Gail Hamner, Imaging Religion in Film: The Politics of Nostalgia (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011); Christina Lee, Violating Time: History, Memory, and Nostalgia in Cinema (New York: Continuum, 2012); Gilad Padva, Queen Nostalgia: In Cinema and Pop Culture (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014); Michael D. Dwyer, Back to the Fifties: Nostalgia, Hollywood Film, & Popular Music of the Seventies & Eighties (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015); David Sweeney, “‘Your Face Looks Backwards’”: Time Travel, Cinema, Nostalgia and the End of History,” Thesis Eleven, 131, 1 (2015), 44–53; Brigitta B. Wagner, Berlin Replayed: Cinema and Urban Nostalgia in the Postwar Era (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2015); Jason Sperb, Flickers of Film: Nostalgia in the Time of Digital Cinema (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2016). 11.  Christina Lee, “Introduction,” in Violating Time: History, Memory, and Nostalgia in Cinema (New York: Continuum, 2012), 1–11. 12.  Max A. Myers, “Christmas on Celluloid: Hollywood Helps Construct the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001): 39–54, 40. 13.  Caryl Flinn, Strains of Utopia: Gender, Nostalgia, and Hollywood Film Music (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992); Michael D. Dwyer, Back to the Fifties: Nostalgia, Hollywood Film, & Popular Music of the Seventies & Eighties (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015). 14. Discussing Body Heat (1981), cultural theorist Frederic Jameson contends that even though the film takes place in a contemporary setting, it evokes nostalgic reactions: “the credits—always our first cue—are lettered and scripted in a ‘30s Art-Deco style which cannot but trigger nostalgic reactions.” Frederic Jameson, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society,” in Modernism/Postmodernism, ed. Peter Brooker (New York: Longman, 1992): 163–179, 170. 15.  Dwayne Avery, Unhomely Cinema: Home and Place in Global Cinema (London: Anthem Press, 2014); Claire Jenkins, Home Movies: The American Family in Contemporary Hollywood Cinema (London: I. B. Tauris, 2015). 16.  Frederic Jameson, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society,” in Modernism/ Postmodernism, ed. Peter Brooker (New York: Longman, 1992): 163–179, 170; Susan Mackey-Kallis, The Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001); M. Keith Booker, Disney, Pixar, and the Hidden Messages of Children’s Films (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010);

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Michael D. Dwyer, Back to the Fifties: Nostalgia, Hollywood Film, & Popular Music of the Seventies & Eighties (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015). 17.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 112–113. 18. Christine Sprengler, Screening Nostalgia: Populuxe Props and Technicolor Aesthetics in Contemporary American Film (New York: Berghahn Books, 2009), 68. 19.  Annette Kuhn and Guy Westwell, A Dictionary of Film Studies (New York: Oxford University Press), 305. 20.  Frederic Jameson, “Postmodernism and Consumer Society,” in Modernism/ Postmodernism, ed. Peter Brooker (New York: Longman, 1992): 163–179, 170. 21.  The film was also released as Miracle Down Under (1987) and The Christmas Visitor (1987). 22.  This film was also released as Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004). 23.  This film was also released as An Avonlea Christmas (1998). 24.  This film was also released as Renfroe’s White Christmas (1997). 25. This film was also released as No Toys for Christmas (1967) and The 26th Cavalry (1967). 26.  This film was also released as The Battle of Ardennes (2015). 27.  This film was also released as Angel Square (1990). 28.  This film was also released as The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle (1977). 29.  This film was also released as Cooper’s Camera (2008). 30.  Definitions of the “nostalgia film” are expectedly contested, but a range of other Christmas films have been described using the term: social scientist Martin Halliwell considers A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) as a “nostalgia film,” and film reviewer Stefene Russell uses it to describe Love the Coopers (2015) (Martin Halliwell, American Culture in the 1950s [Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007], 235; Stefene Russell, “Watch This Now: Love the Coopers,” St. Louis Magazine, October 16, 2015. Accessed July 26, 2016 from https://www.stlmag.com/arts/ movie-reviews/watch-this-now-love-the-coopers/). 31.  This French phrase translates as “yearning for the mud,” or, more colloquially, slumming it. 32.  Robert Nisbet, Prejudices: A Philosophical Dictionary (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982), 230. 33.  Gary Cross, Consumed Nostalgia: Memory in the Age of Fast Capitalism (New York: Columbia University Press, 2015), 215. 34. Franklin Ginn, Domestic Wild: Memory, Nature and Gardening in Suburbia (New York: Routledge, 2017), 57. 35.  Theologian Kathleen Sands also notes that “nostalgia is not simply sanitized memory: it is an alternative to memory, a kind of ‘motivated forgetting.’ Christmas in our country has always been that” (Kathleen M. Sands, “Still Dreaming: War, Memory, and Nostalgia in the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey ([Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001]: 55–83, 56). 36.  John Potts, The New Time and Space (New York: Palgrave, Macmillan, 2015). 37.  Marnie Hughes-Warrington, The History on Film Reader (New York: Routledge, 2009), 255.

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38. Seasonal scams transpire in a range of narratives whereby people’s feelings of goodwill and generosity get exploited. In Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), B. Z. (John Lithgow) has an epiphany about how to duplicate the festive spirit (and thus its excess spending): “A sequel. That’s it. We’ll bring it out on March 25, and we’ll call it . . . Christmas 2!” The same suggestion is made in Reindeer Games (2000). In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), a man knocks on single mom Jennifer’s (Brooke Burns) door offering to put up her Christmas lights for a fee. Once she agrees, he then attempts to rob her. In Family for Christmas (2015), television reporter Hannah (Lacey Chabert) reports on a man who embezzled charitable donations at Christmastime. 39.  While in The Family Man (2000), Kate (Téa Leoni) wasn’t actually having a fit of nostalgia, such an idea does play out in Better off Dead (1985). On Christmas Day, Lane (John Cusack) phones his ex-girlfriend who dumped him. His ex, alas, had recoupled. Nostalgic attempts to reconnect during the holidays transpire in other narratives too. In Christmas at the Riviera (2007), Tim (Darren Boyd) phones his ex-girlfriend, Karen, on Christmas Day. She had recoupled. In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Katie (Amy Smart) calls her ex-boyfriend, Jack (Benjamin Ayres). He had recoupled. 40. In Scrooged (1988), Frank (Bill Murray) verbalizes doing just this to his exgirlfriend Claire (Karen Allen): “I have been thinking a lot about the past, and you know, when that happens, you start thinking to yourself, ‘Well, I’ve made a lot of decisions, you know. And what would have happened if I had made different decisions?’” 41.  This film was also released as Correcting Christmas (2015). 42.  In Jeffrey Richards, “Crisis as Christmas: Turkey Time, The Holly and the Ivy, The Cheaters,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 97–113, 111. 43.  Lindsey A. Freeman, Longing for the Bomb: Oak Ridge and Atomic Nostalgia (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2015), 141. 44.  Brian Wilkie, “What Is Sentimentality,” College English, 28, 8 (1967): 564–575, 564. 45.  Katy Waldman, “What’s Wrong with Sentimentality?” Slate, July 16, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2016 from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_sci ence/science/2014/07/science_of_sentimentality_why_we_love_weepy_ya_ books_and_movies.html. 46.  Stephen Law, The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), 37. 47.  The same point about the season coming ever earlier is made in The Christmas Box (1995), when the elderly Mary Parkin (Maureen O’Hara) reminisces: “I’ve lived here all of my life. When I was young, these decorations went up a couple of weeks before Christmas. Then they started putting them up just after Thanksgiving. And now, we don’t even get to enjoy Thanksgiving. They’re so busy selling Christmas.” 48.  A similar point is made in The Mistletoe Promise (2016), where Nick (Luke Macfarlane) comments, “Scrooge is a business story.”

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49.  Mark Connelly, “Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 1–9, 7. 50. In Amy Bonawitz, “Lowe’s ‘Perfect Day’ Has Christmas Message,” CBS News, December 16, 2006. Accessed August 7, 2015 from www.cbsnews.com/ news/lowes-perfect-day-has-christmas-message/. 51.  Mixed Nuts (1994) is a remake of the French film Le Père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus Is a Stinker) (1982). 52.  This film was also released as Baggage (2008). 53.  Russell Belk, “Materialism and the Making of the Modern American Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 75–104, 87. 54.  This film was also released as Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story (1995) and Ebbie: A Christmas Story (1995). 55.  This can also explain why, even in the shadow of disease and war, the nostalgia film presents an idealized version of the past when people were assumed as closer-knit. 56. Philip M. Bamber, Transformative Education through International ServiceLearning: Realising an Ethical Ecology of Learning (New York: Routledge, 2016), 159. 57.  The sentiment behind the money-can’t-buy-love idea is illustrated well in Christmas for a Dollar (2013). The financially struggling Kamp family invite their rich, lonely neighbor, Mrs. Rathbone (Nancy Stafford), for Christmas dinner: Mrs. Rathbone had money but she did not have the love that the Kamps shared. 58.  This film was also released as Too Cool for Christmas (2004). 59.  This film was also released as Christmas Crush (2012). 60. In Sunshine Christmas (1977), Sam (Cliff De Young) goes home for the holidays and reconnects with his old girlfriend, Cody (Barbara Hershey), and they both visit their old boarded-up high school. In Catch a Christmas Star (2013), former high school sweethearts Chris (Steve Byers) and Nikki (Shannon Elizabeth) visit their old school too. In The Night Before (2015), three adult friends meet at their old high school to make a drug purchase. 61.  Divya Praful Tolia-Kelly, Landscape, Race and Memory: Material Ecologies of Citizenship (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2010), 104. 62.  Lauren Rosewarne, Masturbation in Pop Culture: Screen, Society, Self (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2014), 112. 63.  This film was also released as Expecting Mary (2010). 64.  This film was also released as You Better Watch Out (1980). 65.  This film was also released as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café (1991). 66.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 115. 67.  Folklorist Jack Santino references films like Holiday Inn (1942) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and notes that each “use the passage of the year as a narrative structure, employing the special days as a means of moving the story along” (Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture [Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996]), 114–115. 68.  A similar plot device is used in Stepmom (1998).

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69.  The “just another day” perception is a way to present a character as lacking in the Christmas spirit. In The Santa Trap (2002), spiritless mom Molly (Shelley Long) comments “Christmas is just another day.” In Chasing Christmas (2005), Jack (Tom Arnold) is a Scrooge boss. His workers ask him whether they can leave early on Christmas Eve, to which he responds, “Today is just like any other day around here. We all work our regular shifts and when we’re done we can go home.” In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), Ted (Sam Page) claims that Christmas is “just a stupid day to go with the other three hundred and sixty four horrible days that my year’s made of.” In Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), David (Nick Zano) comments, “No one should spend Christmas alone,” to which Jen (Laura Vandervoort) replies, “It’s just another day.” In A Christmas Song (2012), Diana (Natasha Henstridge) has lost her Christmas spirit and says, “Christmas is just a day.” In One Starry Christmas (2014), Adam (Paul Popowich) organizes a work trip over Christmas: “It’s just a day on the calendar,” he says. In Last Chance for Christmas (2015), Mr. Buckley (Tim Matheson), the Scrooge-ish developer, comments, “To you it’s Christmas Eve, to me it’s Thursday.” In Tangerine (2015), Razmik (Karren Karagulian) tells his family: “Christmas is for Americans. For us, it’s another workday.” Characters, however, who don’t believe this—or who reform their position on this—are presented as having the Christmas spirit. By the end of Desperately Seeking Santa, for example, Jen says, “I used to think that Christmas was just another day. I don’t want to spend another Christmas alone at home. I want to spend it with family. I want to spend it with you.” In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Kris (Edmund Gwenn) comments, “Christmas is not just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” In Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), Kris (William Morgan Sheppard) says, “To me, Christmas is not just a date in the calendar, it’s a feeling. Like the smile you get from a long lost friend, the joy you feel when you’ve chosen just the right gift for a special someone. Christmas in the season of romance. . . . It’s wonderful, isn’t it? Being in love at Christmastime?” 70.  This film was also released as Christmas Dove (1986). 71.  While this book focuses on film, Steve Vizard’s play Vigil (2017) also focuses on a daughter, Liz, returning home to spend her ailing mother’s last Christmas with her. 72.  A day you can live again is referenced repeatedly in Fallen Angel (2003), when Katherine (Joely Richardson) and her daughter Olivia (Jordy Benattar) speak of “live-over” days: days so good they should be lived over. 73.  A similar idea sparks the narrative in Christmas with the Kranks (2004). Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) has joined the Peace Corps: Blair leaving home prompts her parents to try to carve out a new Christmas celebration without her. 74.  This film was also released as A Merry Christmas Miracle (2014). 75. A variation on this transpires in Crown for Christmas (2015), when Allie (Danica McKellar) cautions single father Max (Rupert Penry-Jones) about parenting: “Childhood is a short season.” 76.  This film was also released as Keep on Dancing (2012). 77.  It is also a first Christmas for the newlyweds in Period of Adjustment (1962), although it’s a substantially less happy time for them. 78.  Svetlana Boym, The Future of Nostalgia (New York, Basic Books, 2001), xiv.

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79.  In Marija Milosevic, “Tesco Reminds What Christmas Is All About,” Branding Magazine, November 14, 2013. Accessed August 18, 2016 from http://www .brandingmagazine.com/2013/11/14/tesco-christmas-ad/. 80.  In fact, a preoccupation with perfection can be considered as the antithesis of a real Christmas. A good illustration of this transpires in A Christmas Detour (2015). Engaged Paige (Candace Cameron Bure) visits her future in-laws. In one scene the in-laws stand next to a Christmas tree: “Don’t touch the tree,” the wife reprimands her husband. The tree is perfect, but perfection in this scene is portrayed as cold and unChristmassy. 81. A small number of Australian Christmas presentations are mentioned in this book, for example, Bush Christmas (1946), Bush Christmas (1983), Bushfire Moon (1987), Dead Calm (1989), Crackers (1998), The Tree (2010), Force of Destiny (2014), Red Christmas (2016), Hounds of Love (2016) and the television series A Moody Christmas (2012). The Southern Hemisphere climate means that the winter backdrop common in American and British Christmas films is absent and thus, there are distinct limits to the manner in which an Australian Christmas can be old-fashioned in an aesthetic sense (See also Lauren Rosewarne, “A Very Aussie Christmas?” The Conversation, December 24, 2016. Accessed December 30, 2016 from https://theconversation.com/a-very-aussie-christmas-70647). 82.  Daniel Miller, “A Theory of Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 3–37, 4. 83.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 193. 84. Film theorist Kristi McKim discusses the “intuitive association of snow with time passes and nostalgia for the present or wistfulness for the past” (Kristi McKim, Cinema as Weather: Stylistic Screens and Atmospheric Change [New York: Routledge, 2013], 32). 85.  This film was also released as The Christmas Gift (2009). 86.  While they don’t get real snow at the end of the narrative, Jack does install a snow machine under the three orphan boys’ windows to give the allusion of snow on Christmas morning. 87.  This film was also released as Miracle in Manhattan (2010). 88. A similar comment transpires in We’re No Angels (1955) when Madam Parole (Lea Penman) remarks (in reference to the too-warm weather): “Merry Christmas if you can call it that. It’s 105 in the shade.” In The Santa Trap (2002), the family moves to the desert for Dad’s (Robert Hays) promotion. Daughter Judy (Sierra Abel) asks her mom, Molly (Shelley Long), how Santa can land his sleigh without snow. Molly responds, “I don’t know. I don’t know how anyone deals with Christmas around here.” This is also alluded to in An Accidental Christmas (2007), when Victoria (Cynthia Gibb) remarks, “There’s nothing Christmassy about the beach.” In The Flight Before Christmas (2015) Courtney (Trilby Glover) similarly comments, “It just isn’t Christmas if it’s seventy degrees.” In The Christmas Shepherd (2014), Sally (Teri Polo) says something similar: “It’s been so warm it’s hard to get into the holiday mood.” 89.  Kristi McKim, Cinema as Weather: Stylistic Screens and Atmospheric Change (New York: Routledge, 2013), 32.

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90.  Luboš Motl, “Do We Remember the Snows of Our Childhood?” The Reference Frame, January 21, 2016. Accessed September 1, 2016 from motls.blogspot .com/2016/01/do-we-remember-snows-of-our-childhood.html. 91.  Erika Doss, Benton, Pollock, and the Politics of Modernism: From Regionalism to Abstract Expressionism (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 268. 92.  M. Keith Booker, From Box Office to Ballot Box: The American Political Film (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2007), 9. 93. Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993): 157–175, 170. 94.  Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, “Responses to Depression and Their Effects on the Duration of Depressive Episodes,” Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100 (1991): 569–582. Jack (Terry Gill) verbalizes this in the Australian film Crackers (1998). His grandson Joey (Terry Gill) had been seeing a psychologist; Jack’s opinion was “I personally don’t think wallowing in the past is going to do this boy any good. It’s turning him into a cot case.” 95.  As anthropologist Adam Kuper comments: “Family tensions feed upon the contradiction between the ideal timeless repetition of Christmas and the reality of change” (Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993]: 157–175, 170). 96.  The Rosary Magazine, v. 31 (Rosary Press, 1906), 646. Accessed August 26, 2016 from books.google.com. 97.  Paul Laurence Dunbar, “Speakin’ O’ Christmas,” Ebony, December (1985): 96. 98. In Metropolitan (1990), Tom (Edward Clements) also mentions watching Channel 11’s “traditional Yule log.” 99. While listening to the queen’s speech is referenced as a comic moment in Christmas at the Riviera (2007), the function of a Christmas speech with more serious connotations transpires in the historic drama Amen (2002). It’s World War II, and it is hoped that the pope (Marcel Iures) might mention the extermination campus in his Christmas speech. This does not happen. 100.  Rex A. E. Hunt, Cards, Carols & Claus: Christmas in Popular Culture and Progressive Christianity (Preston, Victoria: Mosaic Press, 2013), 10. 101.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 19. 102. In his Guardian article about Christmas music, Nick Shave notes, “The truth is, there isn’t really such a thing as Christmas music—not a style of music that belongs only to Christmas, anyway. Listen to the hymns that are assigned to the Christmas season and you’ll find no particular contours to their melodies or rhythms that distinguish them from the music written for any other time” (Nick Shave, “The Music That Makes Christmas,” Guardian, December 17, 2010. Accessed July 31, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/16/ christmas-music-familiarity-tradition). 103. Patrick N. Juslin, Simon Liljeström, Daniel Västfjäll, Gonçalo Barradas and Ana Silva, “An Experience Sampling Study of Emotional Reactions to Music: Listener, Music, and Situation,” Emotion, 8, 5 (2008): 668–683.

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104.  This film was also released as The Fight Before Christmas (1994), The Trouble Makers (1994) and Troublemakers (1994). 105. In a Guardian article, Sarah Galo similarly discusses listening to Christmas music to conjure a mood where doing so “is an attempt to conjure up some warmth and good will rather than an expression of actual cheer” (Sarah Galo, “The Real ‘War on Christmas’: Holiday Spirit Becomes a Burden When It’s Compulsory,” Guardian, December 13, 2015. Accessed September 6, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/13/the-real-war-on -christmas-holiday-spirit-becomes-a-burden-when-its-compulsory). 106.  In a PR Newswire article it is stated, “Retailers know that they are more likely to increase their receipts at the cash register when customers are surrounded with a more enjoyable shopping environment” (“’Tis the Season for Holiday Shoppers to Receive More Christmas Music; Businesses Can TargetMarket to Consumers with Innovative Holiday Program,” PR Newswire, November 13 [2000], 1). 107.  Max A. Myers, “Christmas on Celluloid: Hollywood Helps Construct the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 39–54, 44. 108.  Unfortunately it is not clear which song this is due to the fact that only the one line is played and it is not listed in the credits. 109.  The description of a childhood as “Rockwellian” also transpires in Trading Christmas (2011): Ray (Gil Bellows) makes this comment to Emily (Faith Ford) after she tells him about her father cutting down their tree each Christmas. 110.  In “The Rhinitis Revelation” episode of The Big Bang Theory (2007– ), Howard (Simon Helberg) mentions watching A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) each year; Xander (Nicholas Brendo) makes the same claim in “The Replacement” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). Other narratives demonstrate familiarity with the story, notably its sparse Christmas tree. In Crazy for Christmas (2005), Trevor (Jason Spevack) refers to the tree picked out by his mom, Shannon (Andrea Roth), as “a Charlie Brown tree.” In A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), grandpa Charles (Lawrence Dane) mentions how Matt (Mark Wiebe) “only likes those pathetic Charlie Brown trees.” The hardships of Charlie Brown are also mentioned in the “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” episode of The Simpsons (1989– ) when Bart says to his father, Homer, “Come on, Dad, if TV has taught me anything, it’s that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas. It happened to Tiny Tim, it happened to Charlie Brown, it happened to the Smurfs, and it’s gonna happen to us.” 111.  A Snow Globe Christmas (2013) and Christmas in Homestead (2016) take the meta presentation to another level: both are Christmas films about the production of Christmas films. 112.  Sentimental Christmas visuals also cause distress in the Christmas zombie film A Cadaver Christmas (2011). The film opens at a bar at Christmastime. The bartender, Eddie (Ben Hopkins), is flicking channels. He stops at a hippopotamus Christmas special, and the drunk patron, Sam (Yosh Hayashi), comments, “I love those Goddamn hippos, Bobby did too” and gets teary. 113.  Jeffrey Richards, “General Editor’s Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), n.p.

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114.  The connections between the two narratives are spotlighted in a range of academic works including: Joseph J. Walsh, Were They Wise Men or Kings? The Book of Christmas Questions (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001); Margaret Horwitz, “It’s a Wonderful Life: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Frank Capra’s Film,” in Where Faith Meets Culture: A Radix Magazine Anthology, ed. Sharon Gallagher (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2010): 189–200; Christopher Deacy, Christmas as Religion: Rethinking Santa, the Secular, and the Sacred (New York: Oxford University Press, 2016). 115.  Jonathan Munby, “A Hollywood Carol’s Wonderful Life,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 39–57, 39. 116. Elizabeth Haynie, Great Christmas Movies: Holiday Favorites, Behind-theScenes, Fun & Trivia (Downers Grove, IL: Anton Publications, 2004), 8. 117.  Lauren Rosewarne, “Legacy in the Age of Manipulation,” ABC The Drum, July 25, 2011. Accessed July 31, 2016 from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07 -25/rosewarne---legacy-in-the-age-of-manipulation/2808698. 118. Within narratives, characters seemingly try to enter the picture-perfect worlds delivered in popular culture. In Snowglobe (2007), Angela’s (Christina Milian) perfect Christmas is a scene within a Christmas ornament, which she gets a magical opportunity to experience. For Holly (Claire Coffee) in Holly’s Holiday (2012), her ideal scenario is out of a catalog; something she also gets to experience. 119.  The reading of O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi is also mentioned in A Christmas Tail (1999), where Tim (Clayton Taylor) is reading the story at school. 120.  This film was also released as The Castaways (1945). 121. A 1955 episode of The Honeymooners (1955–1956) was called “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and centered on Ralph (Jackie Gleeson) selling his bowling ball to buy wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows), a present. An episode of the sitcom Silver Spoons (1982–1987) was called “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and centered on a homeless family at Christmas. A 2004 episode of medical drama E.R. (1994–2009) was titled “Twas the Night.” “’Twas the Night” was also a 2001 episode of the British drama Holby City (1999– ). “Twas the Night Before” was an episode of the sitcom Three Sisters (2001–2002). A variety of riffs also transpire, such as the episode “Twas the Night Before Christmas. . . . Or Twas It?” from sitcom Trophy Wife (2013–2014); “Twas the Night Before Mxymas” from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997) and “’Twas the Night Before Chaos” from sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999). 122.  This film was also released as A Snow Capped Christmas (2016). 123.  John Mundy, “Christmas and the Movies: Frames of Mind,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 164–178, 164. 124.  Stephen Law, The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003), 42. 125.  Another wartime film, Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), does not have any scenes of Christmas, but in one scene troops are reminded to mail Christmas cards early if they want them to reach the United States in time. 126.  Sheila Whiteley, “Introduction,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 1–14, 1.

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127. Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 157–175, 169. 128.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 10. 129. Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 157–175, 171. 130.  This refers to the film Sliding Doors (1998). A “sliding doors moment” has become shorthand for referencing the moment in time whereby life can go in two very different directions (Lauren Rosewarne, “In Your Ear: The Ticking iPod Time Bomb,” ABC The Drum, November 26, 2010. Accessed August 1, 2016 from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-11-26/in_your_ear3a_the_ticking_ipod_ time_bomb/41518; Lauren Rosewarne, “Auster and the Paths Not Taken,” The Conversation, September 5, 2015. Accessed August 1, 2016 from https://thecon versation.com/auster-and-the-paths-not-taken-46506). 131. Non-romantic reunions also transpire. The British film Peter’s Friends (1992) centers on a group of old friends converging for a three-day Christmas celebration. In the British film Tom & Thomas (2002), two twin boys separated in infancy are reunited in London in the lead-up to Christmas. 132.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 10. 133.  Time being important to familial love is briefly explored in A Hobo’s Christmas (1987). The film centers on patriarch Chance (Barnard Hughes) who left his family twenty five years ago. He returns and tracks down his son Charlie (Gerald McRaney), and the two have the following exchange: Charlie: Why are you here? Chance: Because it’s time. Charlie: Not by my clock.

134.  Richard (Richard Thomas), the reformed workaholic, articulates the same idea at the end of The Christmas Box (1995): “I don’t want to postpone my family anymore.” 135.  Folklorist Jack Santino discusses seasonal and holiday themes in literature (Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture [Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996]). 136.  A similar theme transpires in Trapped in Paradise (1994) where Dave (Jon Lovitz) and Alvin (Dana Carvey) get parolled at Christmastime due to prison overcrowding. A Christmastime furlough is also mentioned in Gone with the Wind (1939), when Ashley (Leslie Howard) has a furlough from the military. 137. Another Christmastime partner exchange transpires in The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012), when Quinn (Michael McGlone), his sister and Sharon (Kerry Bishé) and their respective partners go to the Hamptons in the days leading up to Christmas. By the end of the film, the siblings’ partners had coupled with each other.

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138.  A range of narratives make statements about love and Christmas. In Love Actually (2003), Billy (Bill Nighy) says, “Christmas is a time for people with someone they love in their lives.” Later he collects himself, “Christmas is the time to be with the people you love.” In Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), Santa’s (Mairtin O’Carrigan) wife, Becca (Tedde Moore), proclaims, “Love is the real essence of Christmas.” In The Christmas Parade (2014), Mrs. Parker (Sandra Beech) states, “Christmas is love in action. A divine day full of sharing joy and peace.” Later in the same narrative, Beck (Jefferson Brown) states, “Christmas isn’t about stuff. It’s about the exchange of love.” In One Starry Christmas (2014), Holly (Sarah Carter) says, “Christmas is about being with the people you love.” Her love interest, Luke (Damon Runyan), makes the same point at the end of the narrative, “Christmas is the time to be with the ones you love.” 139. Giving a relationship another try because it’s Christmas transpires in a range of narratives. In I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2002), in the opening scene it’s Thanksgiving and Felix (David Millbern) and Marie (Shauna Thompson) announce their divorce. Come Christmas however, and the two decide to get counseling and give their marriage another try. In A Country Christmas Story (2013), Jenny (Megyn Price) and her ex Danny (Brian McKnight) are reunited at their daughter’s country singing star competition and also decide to give their relationship another go. 140. A different bubble transpires in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) and The Night Before (2015) where men spend Christmas Eve engaged in various party-related adventures. 141. Patrick Webster identifies that the role of Christmas in the narrative is aesthetic rather than thematic, notably given that the season exists with no reference to Christmas or faith: “In this sense, the world of Eyes Wide Shut is decidedly atheistic, appearing to point more towards the pagan, a life of sensual pleasure.” (Patrick Webster, Love and Death in Kubrick: A Critical Study of the Films from Lolita through Eyes Wide Shut [Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2011], 155). 142.  Kate McQuiston, We’ll Meet Again: Musical Design in the Films of Stanley Kubrick (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 193. 143.  This film was also released as Oh Christmas Tree! (2013). 144.  Another example where the lack of Christmas spirit is illustrated via beverage choice transpires in Angels Sing (2013). Michael (Harry Connick Jr.) has been without the Christmas spirit since the death of his brother decades prior. In one scene he goes into a coffee shop and has the following exchange with a barista (Ernest James): Barista: Would you like to try our Christmas gingerbread latte? . . . Our holiday eggnog hot chocolate? . . . How about our festive peppermint candy cane tea? Michael: I just want a black coffee. I don’t want a bow on it. I just want a cup of black coffee to go.

While Michael does eventually get his Christmas spirit back, this isn’t shown through him returning to the café and ordering a holiday beverage. 145.  While men restricting food is rare, Christmas List (2016) offers an example where Brett’s (Peter Benson) strict diet—evidenced in his diner order—positions

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him as a severely inappropriate, uptight love interest: “All white meat for me, no skin. Instead of potatoes, extra veggies, lightly steamed. Gravy on the side. I’m sure I don’t need to say no bread, no butter . . . I don’t suppose you’ve got a gluten free option?” 146.  This film was also released as Smothered (2005). 147.  In “Christmas Bells Are Ringing, and Cable Holiday Movies Are Unrelenting,” All Things Considered (NPR), November 26, 2014. Accessed August 28, 2016 from Gale Cengage Learning. 148.  William D. Crump’s book focuses exclusively on the recurrent theme of Christmas being threatened on screen. William D. Crump, How the Movies Saved Christmas: 228 Rescues from Clausnappers, Sleigh Crashes, Lost Presents and Holiday Disasters (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2017). 149.  This film was also released as Santa’s Dog (2012). 150.  This is also a theme in the non-Christmas film A Monster Calls (2016). 151.  This film was also released as Me and Luke (2006). 152.  This film was also released as Almost Christmas (2013). 153. In Lethal Weapon (1987), drug dealers seemingly also operate a Christmas tree stall. 154.  See for example A Christmas Story (1983), Unlikely Angel (1996), A Christmas Visitor (2002), Crazy for Christmas (2005), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010), Deck the Halls (2011), Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), Holiday Spin (2012), My Santa (2013), The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), A Christmas Melody (2015), How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015) and ’Tis the Season for Love (2015). 155.  See for example When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989) and The Christmas Ornament (2013). 156.  See for example A Christmas Proposal (2008) and Nativity! (2009). 157.  See for example When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989), The Preacher’s Wife (1996), Secret Santa (2003), Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004), The Family Holiday (2007), A Nanny for Christmas (2010), Christmas under Wraps (2014), Northpole (2014), The Christmas Shepherd (2014), The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014), Charming Christmas (2015), I’m Not Ready for Christmas (2015), Magic Stocking (2015), Once upon a Holiday (2015), My Christmas Dream (2016), A Heavenly Christmas (2016), Looks Like Christmas (2016) and The Mistletoe Promise (2016). A variation of this transpires in Carol (2016), where, before their relationship is established, Therese (Rooney Mara) surreptitiously photographs Carol (Cate Blanchett) while she is shopping for a Christmas tree, an act that seems to reveal Therese’s interests and flags to the audience a burgeoning relationship. 158. See for example A Christmas Memory (1966; 1997), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), Our First Christmas (2008), The Three Gifts (2009), A Christmas Snow (2010), Ice Quake (2010) and Hearts of Christmas (2016). 159.  See for example Mr. Soft Touch (1949) and Elf (2003). 160.  See for example A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1987), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), Elf (2003), Eve’s Christmas (2004), The Family Stone (2005), Our First Christmas (2008), A Dog Named Christmas (2009), Christmas in Canaan (2009), An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010), Christmas with Holly (2012), Christmas with Tucker (2012), What She Wants for Christmas (2012), A Very

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Merry Mix-Up (2013), The Santa Switch (2013), A Baby for Christmas (2015) and A Perfect Christmas (2016). 161.  See for example Silent Night (2002), A Grandpa for Christmas (2007), A Very Mary Christmas (2010), Christmas in Conway (2013), The Christmas Ornament (2013), The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013), Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014) and ’Tis The Season for Love (2015). 162. In Holiday Affair (1949), Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004), Christmas Caper (2007), Deck the Halls (2011) and My Santa (2013), men decorate trees as a gift for single mothers or, as in the case of Christmas Caper, single aunts looking after children. In Lucky Christmas (2011) something similar transpires: Mike (Jason Gray-Stanford) decorates the home of single mom Holly (Elizabeth Berkley) with thousands of lights. In Anything But Christmas (2012), despite his loathing of Christmas John (Sergio Di Zio) puts up the exterior lights on his girlfriend, Grace’s (Elaine Hendrix), home because he knows she likes them. Something similar happens in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011): Ted (Sam Page) surprises Annie (Maria Thayer) by decorating the motel she is staying at with thousands of Christmas lights. While this is part of Ted’s efforts to ingratiate himself to Annie, it’s also indicative of the return of his Christmas spirit. 163.  See for example The Family Stone (2005), A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), A Christmas Melody (2015) and A Puppy for Christmas (2016). 164. In The Gathering (1977), The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013), Charming Christmas (2015) and A Wish for Christmas (2016) decorating trees together is a sign of ever-closer relations. In Our First Christmas (2008), similar bonding is shown with Evie (Dixie Carter) and Joe (John Ratzenberger) putting up Christmas lights on the exterior of the house together. 165.  See for example All That Heaven Allows (1955), When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989), The Christmas Wish (1998), A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004) and White Reindeer (2013). 166.  Community tree lighting ceremonies transpire in films including One True Thing (1998), If You Believe (1999), Three Days (2001), Secret Santa (2003), What I Did for Love (2006), Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), The Christmas Pageant (2011), Magic Stocking (2015), The Christmas Note (2015), Christmas Cookies (2016), The Rooftop Christmas Tree (2016), Christmas in Homestead (2016), Looks Like Christmas (2016) and Finding Father Christmas (2016). In Mr. Miracle (2014), Harry (Rob Morrow) hosts a tree-lighting party at his home. In Northpole (2014), the town’s tree lighting ceremony is under threat. It goes ahead unofficially, but that small ceremony apparently provided enough Christmas spirit to reignite the Northern Lights. 167.  The youngest son wraps himself in Christmas lights in Frozen River (2008). 168.  This scene can be likened to one that transpires in Holiday Baggage (2008), when estranged father Pete (Barry Bostwick) helps to decorate the Christmas tree. 169.  Such films can be likened to Jingle All The Way (1996) and its sequel Jingle All the Way 2 (2014) where men exert much energy into sourcing Christmas gifts: unlike in most narratives where shopping is left to women, when shopping becomes a competitive combat sport, men seemingly can summon some interest. 170.  Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000), xi.

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171.  Helen Sheumaker and Shirley Teresa Wajda, Material Culture in America: Understanding Everyday Life (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008), 212. 172.  Several theorists spotlight that it is women who invariably do the work of Christmas shopping: Eileen Fischer and Stephen J. Arnold, “More Than a Labor of Love: Gender Roles and Christmas Gift Shopping,” Journal of Consumer Research, 17, 3 (1990): 333–346; Leslie Bella, “An Exploration of the Work Women Do to Produce and Reproduce Family Leisure,” in Women and Wellbeing, ed. Vanaja Dhruvarajan (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1990): 79–89; Leslie Bella, The Christmas Imperative: Leisure, Family and Women’s Work (Halifax, NS: Fernwood Publishers, 1992). Research also notes that women spend more in this regard: Mark Dyble, Abram J. van Leeuwen and R. I. M. Dunbar, “Gender Differences in Christmas Gift-Giving,” Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 9, 2 (2015): 140–144.

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3 “Can’t we pretend to like one another? It’s Christmas for heaven’s sakes” Home and Family at the Holidays

T

his chapter focuses on the inextricable link between families and Christmas. I begin with a discussion of the importance of family as articulated, and depicted, widely. I explore the centrality of children and also the mandate that the holiday be spent with kin. Also examined are the challenges: the conflict and the anxiety created by forced merrymaking where socializing with relatives—often not seen at any other time of year—is mandated. Cultural theorist Sheila Whiteley comments, “To have a home, to be at home with the family, is central to Christmas ideology.”1 While family forms the focus of the first part of this chapter, the second half centers on home. In many narratives, the recurring theme of characters “going home” is central: to see family and to return to an ancestral house, commonly in a small town, where people from one’s past—where expartners—often still reside. Narratives about home are often about family but also table distinct questions about what constitutes happiness and whether going home again2 is ever really possible, or conversely, whether one actually ever really leaves. FAMILY AS EVERYTHING

Anthropologist Daniel Miller observes, “All interpretations of Christmas acknowledge the central image of the family in its celebrations.”3 Film theorist James Chapman makes a similar point: 175

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[Charles] Dickens is regarded almost as the “father” of the modern Christmas. . . . The Dickensian Christmas is one which reaffirms the values of the family and the joyful innocence of childhood. Dickens espouses the qualities of human warmth and kindness, charity for the poor and moral regeneration.4

In chapter 2 I discussed the portrayal of holiday traditions on screen. While traditions commonly center on trappings like trees, decorations and food practices, underlining each is family: that—as flagged by Miller and Chapman—traditions are only such when they are practised not merely with loved ones, but with those we’re related to. When Marci (Malinda Williams) in A Baby for Christmas (2015) says, “This is a time we typically spend with family. Together,” she spotlights that holiday rituals are inextricably bound to those who the season is spent with. This idea is verbalized widely. In The Christmas Wife (1988), for example, newly widowed John (Jason Robards) is in his local diner. Dora (Patricia Hamilton), his waitress, tells him explicitly, “Christmas is the time for the family.” In Twas the Night (2001), teen Danny (Josh Zuckerman) asks, “What’s Christmas without a family to celebrate it with?” and later rhymingly opines, “The best gift at Christmas comes at no price, it’s to be with your family whether you’re naughty or nice.” Such sentiments took a little longer for the adolescent sons Brian (Matthew Knight) and Danny (Cameron Bright) to realize in Christmas in Wonderland (2007), although, predictably, they got there in the end, as apparent in an exchange with their dad, Wayne (Patrick Swayze): Wayne: Oh no, I just remembered something. After all that I didn’t get any Christmas presents. Mary: That’s okay. We don’t need any presents. Brian: Yeah, family’s the most important part of Christmas anyway, right? Danny: Wait, what did you just say? Brian: I don’t know what’s come over me. I’m not myself.

While the scene makes a subtle generational and also gendered point about boys not naturally or instinctually valuing Christmas or being sentimental, nonetheless, an epiphany about family being the (secular) reason for the season is reached, a position common on film. In A Carol Christmas (2003), Beth (Paula Trickey) tells her Scrooge sister, Carol (Tori Spelling), that “Christmas is a time for families.” In Will You Merry Me? (2008), Marilyn (Cynthia Stevenson) tells her son, “There’s nothing more important than family.” In the animated film The Nutcracker in 3D (2010), young Mary says, “It’s Christmas and everyone should be together.” In A Christmas Snow (2010), Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart) intends to keep her restaurant open over the holidays; an idea criticized by her

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employee, Martin (Craig Walter): “People should be with their families at Christmas.” In Anything But Christmas (2012), on Christmas Day, Sergeant Thomas (Adrian Holmes) says, “That right there is what Christmas is all about. Love and family.” In Help for the Holidays (2012), nanny Christine (Summer Glau) declares “Christmas is about being home with your family.” In Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012), protagonist Donald (David Tennant) narrates, “That’s what Christmas is all about: family.” In The Christmas Consultant (2012), after a near breakdown, mom, Maya (Caroline Rhea), finally realizes, “Christmas is about being together as a family. I just forgot that.” In Holiday Road Trip (2013), Maya’s (Ashley Scott) mom, Cynthia (Shelley Long), comments, “You can’t beat Christmas at home with your folks.” In the opening of Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014),5 the title dog muses, “Ahh, Christmas. . . . It’s a time to gather with family.” In Crown for Christmas (2015), in his Christmas speech, Max (Rupert Penry-Jones) declares, “Christmas is a time to come together. It’s about family, giving and love.” In Operation Christmas (2016), the hotel singer makes the same point, “Christmas is all about family, isn’t it?” A variation on this theme transpires in Desperately Seeking Santa (2011) whereby “family” is applied more liberally. Jen (Laura Vandervoort)— like Carol in A Carol Christmas—had long held a Scrooge-like attitude toward Christmas. Once she met love interest David (Nick Zano), however, her spirit changed, and by the end of the film she delivers a speech at her workplace Christmas party which acknowledges her “work family”: Jen: Christmas was nothing more to me than one of the biggest retail opportunities of the year. But as someone very wise said Christmas isn’t about sales reports or profits, it’s about family. And since I really have none to speak of, the people of South Boston Mall have become my family.

The same warmth toward a work family plays out in Charming Christmas (2015) when department store manager Meredith (Julie Benz) eventually realizes: “The people here, they’re not just employees. They really are family” and “I’m not interested in building an empire. I’m interested in building a family.” Hinted to earlier in the context of Christmas in Wonderland is that there is a gendered component to the articulation of the importance of family. While in many of the examples identified thus far, women verbalize this, in others, women’s prioritization of the family is central to the storyline. A Gendered Family Celebration In an early scene in The Perfect Holiday (2007), the narrator, Mrs. Christmas (Queen Latifah), addresses the audience:

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Mrs. Christmas: A wise man once said the best Christmas present is a happy family all wrapped up with each other. Or maybe it was a wise woman. Men don’t usually think that clear.

While in other chapters I discuss the labor of Christmas being women’s work and the spirit of Christmas being something that women disproportionately bring to men (chapter 2), as explored in this section, women more frequently identify family as integral to the celebration. While this is something illustrated in verbalizations of the kind already noted, it’s also apparent in other ways. In A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004), for example, after being reunited with her children, Sheila (Laura Kirk) states: “I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present.” In A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014),6 grandma Donna (Candice Bergen) articulates similar pleasure: “You know it is a dream come true for me to have my family home on Christmas.” In 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015), mom Joyce (Donna Mills) makes the same claim, “I have my whole family here. I have everything I could possibly want.” Joyce’s daughter, Yvonne (Ali Durham), echoes the same sentiments, identifying that her Christmas wish was for the whole family to be together. In A Wish for Christmas (2016), after son Peter’s (Paul Greene) surprise visit home, his mom, Barb (Colleen Wheeler), claims his visit as the “best Christmas present ever.” While in these examples women vocalize just how important family is to them, in others it is shown. In The Gathering (1977), Adam (Ed Asner) and his estranged wife, Kate (Maureen Stapleton), exchange Christmas gifts. Kate gives Adam a telescope; Adam gives her an album of family photos. On one hand this scene is an example of couples choosing the perfect gift for one another (chapter 5). On the other hand, the fact that Kate’s perfect gift is a sentimental, family-centric one whereas Adam’s is an expensive object for himself highlights that family is distinctly and disproportionally important to her. In A Perfect Christmas List (2014), the narrative centers on grandma Evie (Marion Ross) who is convalescing after a fall. Given her incapacitation, she assigns a list of holiday duties to her daughter, Michelle (Beth Broderick), and granddaughter, Sara (Ellen Hollman). Evie’s list, however, is less about making sure that the season runs smoothly and instead is motivated by a desire to get Michelle and Sara—who had a tempestuous relationship—to collaborate, reconcile and bond: Evie knows just how important family is.7 (Women’s roles, more broadly, in brokering reconciliations is a topic returned to later in this chapter.) A different depiction of women uniquely understanding the importance of family—particularly at Christmas—is conveyed in narratives where, after the death—or illness—of a matriarch, holiday traditions are abandoned. In Noel (2004), for example, Rose (Susan Sarandon) explains: “My mom’s been sick for a long time with Alzheimer’s and she always

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kept the family together. And now she can’t even bathe herself.” Unpartnered Rose thus was destined to spend Christmas alone. In Christmas Incorporated (2015), William (Steve Lund) makes a similar comment: “As I get older, Christmas just ends up reminding me of how much I miss my grandma. It ends up becoming something I try to survive rather than celebrate.” William was set to skip Christmas entirely. In A Christmas Kiss (2011), the death of Adam’s (Brendan Fehr) grandma fifteen years prior similarly negatively impacted his celebrations: Adam: My father travelled a lot, my mother was always busy. And Christmas just always happened without a lot of fanfare, personal touch. Except for my grandmother. My grandmother made it pretty special. . . . She really was the one who kept my family together. . . . She always made Christmas so warm and homey. Not exactly an easy feat in this household.

In each of these examples, it is women who are framed as not merely doing the labor of Christmas (chapter 2), but recognizing that family is the meaning of the season. The link between women and family almost goes without saying: women bear children and are understood culturally in relation to their roles within families; as daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers. It is no surprise that women are also the ones who, on screen, recognize that Christmas is about kinfolk. This is not, of course, something that exists without consternation: as explored further in chapter 4, women in real life and on screen often in fact resent their seasonal burden. While Rose in Noel, William in Christmas Incorporated and Adam in A Christmas Kiss each hint to the importance of women in maintaining Christmas traditions, these films also allude to what happens when certain family traditions are no longer maintained: when women, for example, are no longer keeping rituals alive. The Christmas Orphans While the tragedy of parentless children is repeatedly alluded to through the many orphan portrayals in Christmas films,8 this section focus on adult of orphans. With her mother in hospital and her sister overseas mediating with monks, Rose in Noel was left home alone without any family celebration. In several narratives the same situation is presented: when parents die, adult children sometimes elect to opt out of Christmas completely rather than establish new traditions. Such presentations subtly convey that Christmas is not merely about family, but about the coming together of multiple generations: that if characters no longer have parents and/or haven’t yet

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formed families of their own, then a “proper” celebration is impossible. For Jen in Desperately Seeking Santa, with her alcoholic single mother now dead, she had long lost any inclination to celebrate the season. In A Boyfriend for Christmas, both of Ryan’s (Patrick Muldoon) parents died while he was in law school: “I think that’s when I started letting work become more important than Christmas,” he says. In Santa Jr. (2002), Susan (Lauren Holly) also stopped celebrating Christmas when her parents died: “They were Christmas to me.” In 12 Men of Christmas (2009), protagonist E. J. (Kristin Chenoweth) likewise had confined Christmas to a celebration of her past: “Since Mom and Dad are gone Christmas means nothing to me.” In A Holiday Heist (2011), Jennifer’s (Lacey Chabert) parents were killed in a hit-and-run when she was 12: “Christmas isn’t exactly the same anymore,” she says. Protagonist Paige (Candace Cameron Bure) in A Christmas Detour (2015) was raised by a single mother, and after she died, “Christmas just didn’t seem as important.” Will (Casey Manderson) in Season’s Greetings (2016) makes a similar point, “After my parents passed away, Christmas just wasn’t the same.” In A Christmas to Remember (2016), protagonist Jennifer (Mira Sorvino) says, “My mom made Christmas so special. She was so wonderful at it and since she’s been gone it just hasn’t really been the same for me.” In narratives like A Christmas Wedding Date (2012), Dear Secret Santa (2013), Best Christmas Party Ever (2014), and A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015), the death of a parent sees women channel their energies into work instead of the holiday. These examples each illustrate that Christmas—particularly so for uncoupled characters—is bound not only to loved ones but more specifically to parents: that traditions necessitate the participation of at least two generations, and thus without having parents, or being a parent, Christmas celebrations can fall by the wayside. While the practices of “Christmas orphans” aren’t extensively explored in academic literature, they are mentioned in popular media.9 In a facetious Vice article about being an adult orphan, for example, Joel Golby lists lessons he learned after his parents died, two of which included: EASTER IS DIFFERENT Had to buy my own six-pack of Creme Eggs this year. CHRISTMAS IS DIFFERENT I HAD TO COOK MY OWN TURKEY.10

A similar point is made is made in Jennifer Huget’s article in The Washington Post: Leigh Oberholzer, a 41-year-old resident of Houston, says that her mother’s raft of Christmas traditions “could get a little tedious” when her parents

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were alive. “But now that they’re gone, I think, man, my mom really knew how to do Christmas.”11

Golby and Huget highlight that without parents doing the work of Christmas—and perhaps, specifically without mothers—either the season is relegated to the past as transpired in the screen examples discussed above, or alternatively, that new Christmas traditions get created. Discussed in chapter 1 was the preoccupation in Christmas films with single people—particularly single parents—being coupled off by the end: that singleness is commonly portrayed as only ever being temporary. Disinclination toward celebrating Christmas is often portrayed as similarly transitory. For Jen in Desperately Seeking Santa, Ryan in A Boyfriend for Christmas, Susan in Santa Jr., E. J. in 12 Men of Christmas, Paige in A Christmas Detour, Jennifer in A Christmas to Remember and Will in Season’s Greetings, while they had each stopped celebrating because they were Christmas orphans, this was also likely because they were single. Once each of these characters met a love interest—and the possibility of having a whole new family was presented—and experienced a sudden resurgence of Christmas spirit, suddenly the season was important again. The importance of family is also conveyed in other ways within narratives: notably through teachable moments. Family and Teachable Moments In Home Alone (1990), after being accidentally left alone at home by his family at Christmas, protagonist Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) pleads a case to a local Santa (Ken Hudson Campbell): “Okay, this is extremely important. Will you please tell [the real] Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back?” Before his family’s departure, however, Kevin’s attitude was much different: he was sick of everyone and wanted the opportunity to be alone. In one scene he explicitly states, “I hope I never see any of you jerks again! I wish they would all just disappear.” Getting the opportunity to experience his family’s disappearance, and then realizing just how essential they were to him—and notably how important they were to celebrating the season—of everything that Kevin could have asked of Santa, he just wanted his family back.12 Lessons on the importance of family are also common in alternate reality films like The Christmas Clause (2008), All I Want for Christmas (2014), A Christmas Eve Miracle (2015), A Dream of Christmas (2016) and Holiday Joy (2016). In each, like Kevin in Home Alone, characters verbalized a desire for a different life, got what they wanted, and subsequently learned a be-careful-what-you-wish-for lesson (chapter 5): pre-teen Jamie (Mason Douglas) in All I Want for Christmas, for example, wanted the life of his spoiled classmate; stressed mom

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Sharon (Olivia d’Abo) in A Christmas Eve Miracle and stressed mom Sophie (Lea Thompson) in The Christmas Clause wanted lives less encumbered by the demands of children and work; Penny (Nikki Deloach) in A Dream of Christmas wished she had never gotten married, and teen Joy (Bailee Madison) in Holiday Joy coveted the life of her neighbor. In each example, these characters actually got to sample their much-craved alternate life and learned that they really just desperately wanted things as they were. The same lesson is provided in narratives where children go missing—explored later in this chapter—whereby parents are taught lessons about the importance of family through having it jeopardized. A different importance-of-family presentation transpires in Christmas with the Kranks (2004). With their daughter, Blair (Julie Gonzalo), away in the Peace Corps, parents Luther (Tim Allen) and Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to abandon their domestic holiday party plans and take a cruise. Blair, however, decides to make a surprise return home, with her new fiancé, necessitating Luther and Nora to hastily reinstate their traditions. By the end of the narrative—and while enjoying their reinstated holiday party with Blair and their friends and neighbors—Luther and Nora recognize the importance of Christmas, of tradition, of home and, notably, of family. In the sections that follow, the importance of family is further explored through the emphasis placed on children. CHRISTMAS AND CHILDREN In The Christmas Box (1995), elderly landlord Mary (Maureen O’Hara) challenges her tenant, Richard (Richard Thomas), to guess what the first gift of Christmas was. He facetiously guesses a necktie, and then suggests that the first gift was love. Mary tells him that he is close. By the end of the narrative—and on Mary’s death bed—Richard arrives at the “correct” answer: “The first gift of Christmas was a child: ‘for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son.’” While in The Christmas Box children are connected to Christmas through gift and sacrifice, even before then—and as explored in chapter 1—the Nativity story itself highlights the crucial role of children: no Holy Family exists without the birth of a child, no Christmas celebration exists without the birth of Christ, and, equally, no modern Christmas celebration exists without the young. Historian William Waits identifies that the celebration of Christmas was initially one that largely excluded children: “When Europeans first began to settle the Atlantic seaboard . . . [Christmas] was characterized by adult revelry with peers rather than adult gratification of children’s

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desires.”13 Film, of course, is largely unconcerned with Christmases predating European settlement14 and thus, modern portrayals of the season are almost unimaginable without children.15 As folklorist Jack Santino observes, while “Thanksgiving symbolism is focused on past generations (the pilgrims, the eldest generations of ‘Americans’; our grandparents, the eldest generation of our family) . . . Christmas is focused on future generations.”16 Santino illustrates this focus through reference to some of Christmas’s iconography: Santa often poses for photographs with our children on his knee. There is an analogy here, having to do not only with a sacred child, but with children as sacred and also with parental relationships to them.17

While the importance of children to Christmas is illustrated through the many films with conception, pregnancy and labor themes (chapter 1)—not to mention that the audience for Santa is invariably children and thus those opening presents and getting truly excited for the season are commonly kids—children are relevant to the themes of this chapter for two key reasons. First, as noted, “family” within a film narrative generally necessitates the very young: it is why, as discussed in the next section, there exists a norm that Christmas celebrations necessitate people—plural—as opposed to individuals on their own, or even just couples. Second, the undercurrent is that Christmas is made better with children. While in several narratives Christmas making adults feel like children is noted,18 the primacy of children is a point made through the idea that the holiday is best enjoyed when children are around. In On the Second Day of Christmas (1997), shoplifters Trish (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her niece Patsy (Lauren Pratt) are put into the custody of store detective Bert (Mark Ruffalo) over Christmas. In one scene—after Bert begins to soften toward the duo—he comments: Bert: It’s kinda nice having a kid around. It makes it seem more like Christmas. Makes you feel like there’s some hope, you know? Like once a year God decides to give the world another shot.

A similar claim is made by Holly (Jewel Staite) in Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010),19 who is looking after her nephew, Gabe (Quinn Lord), while his father is deployed: “Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child is like living it all over again.” Children as essential to the season partly centers on the child-focused nature of the holiday, and partly also on bustle: on the perception that a “proper” celebration necessitates a crowd, preferably multi-generational.20

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THE BUSTLE IMPERATIVE In the Christmas zombie film, A Cadaver Christmas (2011), The Janitor (Daniel Rairdin-Hale) enters a bar, covered in blood. He begins to tell the story of his predicament when the bartender, Eddie (Ben Hopkins), and another patron, Tom (Hanlon Smith-Dorsey), interrupt: Tom: Wait a second. You were mopping the floors on Christmas Eve? How pathetic is that? The Janitor: Yeah, ‘cause sitting alone at a bar on Christmas Eve isn’t pathetic at all. Eddie: He’s got you there, Tom.

In this brief exchange, a subtle point is made about right and wrong ways to celebrate. Sitting alone, in a bar, apparently is wrong; a point echoed in other films. In The Christmas Choir (2008), a bar piano player, Bob (Tyrone Benskin), tells patron Peter (Jason Gedrick), “You shouldn’t be alone. It’s the Christmas season.” Bob then invites Peter to spend the evening with his “family” at the homeless shelter. The pitifulness of the “bar stool Christmas” was also identified in The Apartment (1960). As a result of being dragooned into providing short-term loans of his apartment to his adulterous colleagues, protagonist C. C. (Jack Lemon) finds himself in a bar at Christmastime, unable to go home. C. C. is miserable and encounters another woman, Margie (Hope Holiday), who feels similarly: “A night like this,” she says, “it sort of spooks you to walk into an empty apartment.” In these examples, the supposed inappropriateness of solo Christmases is a point made with a bar-room backdrop,21 but in other films, the idea is verbalized. In Mrs. Santa Claus (1996), the title character (Angela Lansbury), who is visiting New York from the North Pole, is told by a policeman (Bryan Murray), “We can’t have you spending Christmas Eve by yourself, can we?” The same point is made in Desperately Seeking Santa, in an early exchange between new colleagues Jen and David: David: No one should spend Christmas alone. Jen: It’s just another day.22

In How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), young Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen) tells the title character (Jim Carrey), “No one should be alone on Christmas.” In The Merry Gentleman (2008), Diane (Darlene Hunt) makes the same point to her co-worker, Kate (Kelly Macdonald), “Not good to be alone over the holidays.” In Finding Mrs. Claus (2012), Noelle (Laura Vandervoort) gives her daughter, Hope (Aislyn Watson), the opportunity

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to go to Colorado for Christmas to stay with her extended family. Hope declines, saying, “I don’t want you to be alone on Christmas.” Later, Myles (Andrew W. Walker), Noelle’s colleague and future love interest, says: “The holidays should be spent with people we care about.” In Matchmaker Santa (2012), Melanie’s (Lacey Chabert) parents are away for Christmas, and her colleague Donna (Victoria Gabrielle Platt) tells her, “Christmas Day is not the day to be alone.” In the opening scene of One Christmas Eve (2014), José (Juan Carlos Velis) invites his colleague, Cesar (Carlos Gómez), to spend Christmas with his family: “Nobody should be alone on Christmas Eve,” José says. In Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), Gabe (Bill Cobbs), the hotel concierge, rhetorically asks workaholic father, Joe (Patrick Muldoon), “Do you really want to spend the holidays by yourself alone in some hotel off the interstate?” In Christmas Incorporated, William reveals that he usually spends Christmas alone. His new assistant, Riley (Shenae Grimes-Beech), counters, “You can’t be alone on Christmas, I won’t allow it.” While in these examples the inappropriateness of a solo Christmas is spoken, in others it is shown. In the British film About a Boy (2002), bachelor Will (Hugh Grant) plans to spend Christmas the way he does every year: watching videos and getting drunk and stoned.23 Will purchases a copy of Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and later while watching, he takes particular notice of an exchange between the Monster (Boris Karloff) and the Hermit (O. P. Heggie): Hermit: It is bad to be alone. Monster: Alone, bad. Friend, good.

The scene motivates Will to get up off his couch and accept the Christmas dinner invitation from Marcus (Nicholas Hoult)—a young boy who had recently latched onto him. While eating dinner with Marcus’s family, via narration Will reveals: “As I sat there, I had a strange feeling. I was enjoying myself. I’d never really enjoyed Christmas before.” The unsubtle message here is that Christmas is supposed to be spent with others: that staying home and watching Bride of Frankenstein is wrong. Even monsters know that alone is bad and friends are good. In each of these scenes, a statement is made that being alone at Christmas is unacceptable. While the why is invariably not stated, Christmas with the Kranks hints to an explanation: Nora: It’ll be so different this Christmas. . . . The first time in twenty-three years Blair won’t be here. Luther: Might even get depressing. Lot of depression at Christmas, you know.

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Here, Christmases not spent in the company of family are construed as potentially depressing (explored further in chapter 4). While Luther’s motivation to go on a cruise with his wife is partly justified as a cost saving, it also seems motivated by escape: that if being with family at Christmas isn’t possible then the season will simply be skipped. Such an idea is widely identifiable. In Call Me Mrs. Miracle, in the years since the death of his wife, J. R. (Tom Butler) and his son, Jake (Eric Johnson), go away to the Virgin Islands each year. As Jake explains, “It’s really just an escape.” In An En Vogue Christmas (2014), protagonist Kendall (Genelle Williams)—whose parents are dead and who is estranged from her only living relative, Uncle Marty (David Alan Grier)—travels for Christmas: “For some of us, those of us without family, Christmas is painful and sad and it’s best spent on a tropical island drinking cocktails with tiny little umbrellas in them.” In Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014), unpartnered Shane (Kristin Booth), who doesn’t have a family, also holidays alone. For unpartnered Kate (Lori Loughlin) in Every Christmas Has a Story (2016), she had scheduled a solo Hawaiian vacation. In Last Holiday (2006), Georgia (Queen Latifah) goes on a solo Czech holiday. In Finding Father Christmas (2016), Miranda’s (Erin Krakow) plans for the holidays center on “avoiding it as much as possible.”24 Such characters can be likened to workaholics, for example, who elect to work over Christmas because of non-existent or sub-optimal relationships with their families (chapter 6). Equally, it is often why some characters are in fact forced to work over Christmas because they are perceived as not having the same obligations as their colleagues who are married with children25 (chapter 4). In these examples the absence of loved ones motivate characters to escape the season rather than stay home and be conscious of the deficit. The apparent rationale is that Christmas is a social event whereby being not alone is insufficient; that people—plural—need to be celebrated with. In The Christmas Consultant, the titular character, Owen (David Hasselhoff), notes, “Christmas brings people together.” In The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013), Mack (Joe Pingue) says, “Christmas is about bringing people together not driving them apart.” Ian (Niall Matter) takes this further in Finding Father Christmas and uses the adage “the more the merrier.” Protagonist Carol (Anne Heche) says the same thing in Looks Like Christmas (2016). While the social aspects of Christmas almost go without saying, as illustrated in Christmas with the Kranks, for Nora and Luther, seemingly the couple alone aren’t enough for each other during Christmas and thus, if they couldn’t celebrate with their children, they wanted to skip it. This message of Christmas needing to be celebrated in a group is portrayed in a range of ways.

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The Scale of the Social At the end of Holiday Joy, neighbor Marcie (Jennifer Robertson) invites Joy and her family for Christmas dinner. “I always wanted more people around the holiday table,” Marcie says. “And now, finally, my wish is coming true.” In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Sally (Mary Long) laments, “I wish we had a full house tonight,” referencing that this year’s Christmas lacked hustle, bustle and notably people. A similar lament is made in Christmas on the Bayou (2013), when single mom Katherine (Hilarie Burton) talks to her son, Zack (Brody Rose), about their upcoming plans for Christmas: Katherine: We’ll have a nice dinner. . . . Zack: Oh yeah, with who?

In Charming Christmas (2015), Jessie (Ashley Leggat) is a single mom to Tyler (Aidan Wojtak-Hissong), who, in one scene, asks, “How come we never spend Christmas with anyone?” Cooper (Christian Convery) has a similar question for his single father, Kurt (David Haydn-Jones), in My Christmas Dream (2016), “Dad, is it just going to be you and me and Nanna for Christmas again this year?” In Last Chance for Christmas (2015), a stranger, John (Gabriel Hogan), turns up to help single mom Annie (Hilarie Burton) save her reindeer farm. Annie’s daughter, Madison (Lola Flanery), is excited for him to stay for supper because they haven’t had a visitor for so long. Almost the same storyline transpires in A Christmas Romance (1994) when the bank vice president, Brian (Gregory Harrison), turns up to foreclose on Julia’s (Olivia Newton-John) home. Julia’s daughters are keen for John to stay: seemingly they too haven’t had a visitor in a while. In About a Boy, this idea of expanding one’s social circle is at the forefront of the narrative. After his single mom’s (Toni Collette) suicide attempt, young Marcus has a realization: Marcus: Suddenly I realized two people isn’t enough. You need a backup. If you’re only two people, and someone drops off the edge then you’re on your own. Two isn’t a large enough number. You need three, at least.

While Marcus’s musings aren’t specific to the celebration of the season, given that About A Boy depicts two consecutive Christmases—and in fact, ends on Christmas—seemingly this has festive applicability. Initially Marcus attempted to couple his mom off with Will, but eventually realized that assembling a makeshift family (discussed later in this chapter)— rather than just a dyad—would be preferable. At the end of the film, when Christmas Day rolls around a second time, Marcus explains his new reasoning:

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Marcus: All I meant was I don’t think couples are the future. You need more than that. You need backup. The way I saw it, Will and I both had backup now.

While so many Christmas films have romance and coupling as a theme (chapter 1), in most narratives the season is presented as needing more than two people,26 hence why, so often in Christmas romances, one person in the couple will already have children—alternatively, a pregnancy will transpire quickly—and thus a ready made family is formed. With the necessity to spend Christmas in company so well established, some lonely characters—unpartnered or without family—make special efforts to find companionship during the season to thwart solitude. Attempts to Socialize In a range of narratives set at Christmastime—for example, Escort Girls (1974), Less Than Zero (1987), Boogie Nights (1997), Go (1999), Powder Blue (2009), White Reindeer (2011), Tangerine (2015)—various aspects of the sex industry are portrayed. While there is a range of commercial explanations for this (chapter 6), another is simply connection: that characters often want to connect with others and that, perhaps, Christmas exacerbates this. Velvet Larry (Patrick Swayze), the manager of a strip club in Powder Blue, references this explicitly in his insistence that dancer Rose-Johnny (Jessica Biel) work over the holiday: Velvet Larry: On Christmas Eve I’m going to have a lot of very lonely people out in my club. Some even thinking about killing themselves. And they come here looking for companionship. They are looking for a little bit of a love. They are looking for a little bit of hope. . . .27

While the sex industry is generally an outlier presentation in the films discussed in this volume, characters that do visit clubs or purchase sex have made a concerted effort to avoid being alone at Christmastime, a theme in many of the more standard holiday films too. In Sunshine Christmas, for example, this idea is verbalized when diner proprietor Cody (Barbara Hershey) explains why she chose to keep her diner open over the holidays: Cody: I can’t imagine people would want to eat out at Christmas, but I guess there’s a lot of people without family and they want to come in a place like this just to be with someone.

The same rationale is apparent in A Christmas Snow and A Christmas Wedding Date. In A Christmas Snow, as mentioned earlier, Kathleen wanted to keep her restaurant open: “I will not abandon my regular holiday lon-

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ers,” she says. In A Christmas Wedding Date, Shirley (Catherine Hicks) also kept her diner open: “There are people who depend on me. You know, folks with no family. Where would they go if I wasn’t there for them?” Cody’s just wanting to be with someone theory potentially underpins why a range of characters go somewhere public and social—like, for example, to a bar, as transpired in The Apartment, A Cadaver Christmas and The Christmas Choir—to avoid being alone during a season that mandates bustle. In other films, characters attempt to source holiday companionship in other ways. In Stubby Pringle’s Christmas (1978), the title character (Beau Bridges) planned to ride his horse for twenty miles to a Christmas dance in the hope of seeing a girl he kissed at the same dance the year before. In Mixed Nuts (1994), a desperate transsexual, Chris (Liev Schreiber), attempts to seduce the crisis hotline worker, Philip (Steve Martin), by turning up at his office and dancing for him. Something similar occurs in the British film Christmas at the Riviera (2007): Avril (Pam Ferris) is a lonely, elderly woman with cancer who, in one scene, tries desperately—messily—to seduce Tim (Darren Boyd). In While You Were Sleeping (1995), ticket booth operator Lucy (Sandra Bullock) has long lusted after commuter Peter (Peter Gallagher). After he has an accident in the lead up to Christmas—and after Lucy accompanies him to the hospital—she spends time talking to him at his bedside. In one scene, Lucy asks the unconscious Peter, “Have you ever been so alone you spend the night confusing a man in a coma?” Lucy inserts herself into Peter’s life and family, something at least partly driven by her loneliness. The very premise of The Christmas Wife centers on John, whose wife died ten months prior. He didn’t want to be alone at Christmas so responded to a newspaper advertisement for a matchmaking service. In Powder Blue, Qwerty (Eddie Redmayne) goes to a Christmastime singles event. In Fir Crazy (2013),28 Lance (John Bregar) turns up at his ex-girlfriend Elise’s (Sarah Lancaster) door looking to hook up. “It’s the holidays. I’m lonely, you’re lonely,” he says. In the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2012), Uncle Terry (Darren Gilshenan) hires an escort to accompany him to Christmas dinner. In Office Christmas Party (2016), Nate (Karan Soni) hires an escort to go with him to his workplace Christmas party. In 12 Dates of Christmas, protagonist Kate and Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) have a first date on Christmas Eve and discuss loneliness and, in turn, their respective holiday desperation: Kate: It must be hard during the holidays. Miles: Hence the desperate blind date.

The desperate Christmas date is taken further in Powder Blue when Rose-Johnny tries to seduce a date who, seemingly, only wants to get her out of his car as quickly as possible. In Noel, after going on a lackluster

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Christmas Eve date with a younger colleague, Rose hears music coming from a nearby apartment, enters, and joins another family’s Christmas celebration. In Surviving Christmas (2004), Drew (Ben Affleck) is a wealthy advertising executive whose girlfriend just broke up with him. After not finding anyone who would spend Christmas with him, Drew ends up paying the Valcos family to pretend to be his.29 Something similar transpires in The Borrowed Christmas (2014), when wealthy John (Jeff Rose) rents a family for the season. In Mermaids (1990), it’s Christmastime and, feeling that she can’t talk to her mother about her pregnancy fears, teen Charlotte (Winona Ryder) runs away. She ends up crashing her car and seeking help at a random house. Unlike her own family, the inhabitants are a typical nuclear family: “a real live father, actually living in the same house as his wife and kids. They’re perfect. This is like television. Maybe they’ll adopt me,” Charlotte says, enjoying the family’s holiday decorations. In My One Christmas Wish (2015), without a family, Jackie (Amber Riley) laments, “I don’t think I can handle another Christmas alone,” before putting an ad on Craigslist in search of a family to spend Christmas with. A variation on these themes transpires in Christmas in Connecticut (1945). Protagonist Elizabeth (Barbara Stanwyck) has been writing magazine columns describing her picturesque East Coast family life: From my living room window as I write I can look out across the broad front lawns of our farm like a lovely picture postcard of wintry New England. In my fireplace, the good cedar logs are burning and crackling. I just stopped to go into my gleaming kitchen to test the crumbly brown goodness of the toasted veal cutlets in my oven.

In reality, Elizabeth lives in a tiny New York apartment with a leaking heater. After her boss, Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), insists she hosts a war hero for the perfect Christmas dinner—and then Alexander invites himself too—Elizabeth has to quickly find a home, a husband and a baby. Despite her lack of feelings for her suitor John (Sydney Greenstreet), Elizabeth finally accepts his proposal because he has a farm in Connecticut and thus, can help her orchestrate her fake perfect family. While in these examples, odd and, in varying degrees outlandish, attempts are made to find companionship over Christmas—as well as to insert elements of screwball comedy into a narrative—in others, characters solicit companionship for other reasons, commonly to satisfy the expectations of family. Not all Christmas films present family as being about blood relations: as Jen in Desperately Seeking Santa and Meredith in Charming Christmas mention, colleagues can be family too. In other narratives, makeshift families are assembled as part of an outcasts celebration.

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MAKESHIFT BUSTLE In Bad Santa 2 (2016), Thurman (Brett Kelly) makes the point, “When you don’t have family you have to pick a new one.” In Charming Christmas, a version of this is articulated in a note left by Nick/Santa (David Sutcliffe) for his colleague Jessie: “Once we abandon what a real family is supposed to look like and open our hearts to the people who care about us, that’s when we make the circle complete.” Kate (Carly McKillip) in Coming Home for Christmas (2013) comes to a similar realization at the film’s end: “It’s our responsibility to work at it. And continue to expand and grow as a family. To include and accept others.” Jenny (Anna Hutchison) in A Firehouse Christmas (2016) puts another spin on this: “A family is whatever you make it.” In Holiday Joy, the narrative concludes with Joy’s similar epiphany: “There’s the family you are born into and the family you chose.” Spending the season with blood relatives isn’t always possible, so a theme in several films is a makeshift family created by a group of people—often disparate—who come together to quell each other’s loneliness. The Merry Gentleman offers this narrative on a small scale: Kate and Frank (Michael Keaton) are both alone at Christmas and end up spending some of the holiday together in Frank’s hospital room where he is recovering from pneumonia. Something similar occurs in Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969). Lonely John (Lloyd Bridges) and Katherine (Shirley Jones) are guests at an inn, visiting hospitalized family members in Amherst, Massachusetts, over Christmas and celebrate the season together. More commonly, however, the makeshift family narrative necessitates more bustle than just two people. The Wishing Tree (2012) centers on a small group of adolescents left at boarding school over the Christmas break. In one scene student Juliet (Emmalyn Estrada) confesses that her family can’t afford to fly her home for the season, to which her teacher, Professor Evan Farnsworth (Jason Gedrick), articulates, “We’ll be your family,” referring to himself and the small number of other students left on campus. In Black Christmas (1974; 2006), To All a Goodnight (1980), The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982),30 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and A Holiday Heist characters are also left on campus over the break, each also necessitating the creation of makeshift families and celebrations. While in these examples makeshift families center on campuses, other variations also play out. In It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), wealthy industrialist, Michael O’Connor (Charles Ruggles), is erecting an office tower; in the process, everyone in the existing tenement block is evicted. Meanwhile, Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore) is squatting in Michael’s 5th Avenue mansion that has been boarded up for the winter. Aloysius invites one of

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the tenement evictees, military veteran Jim (Don DeFore), to squat with him. O’Connor’s daughter, Trudy (Gale Storm), then arrives, joining the mansion’s growing “family.” Jim and Trudy later bump into Jim’s friend Margie (Dorothea Kent), who is living in the back of a car with her children, her military veteran husband and another family: Jim brings the two families to the mansion. Eventually Michael returns to his home (in disguise), as does his estranged wife, Mary (Ann Harding). The group celebrates Christmas together, forming a sprawling makeshift family for the season. In Silent Night (2002), it is World War II and Elisabeth (Linda Hamilton) and her son Fritz (Matthew Harbour) take in an injured American soldier and then some German soldiers. Elisabeth forces each to leave their weapons—and their war—outside so that they can share a peaceful celebration. In Snow (2004), Nick/Santa (Tom Cavanagh) joins the tenants in a boarding house who come together to celebrate the season. Later he reflects, “I had a great time tonight. It felt like family.” The British film How About You . . . (2007) centers on a nursing home with several residents who are unplaceable over Christmas. Ellie (Hayley Atwell), who had been put in charge over the holidays, takes it upon herself to create a sense of family in the home: Ellie: I was thinking we should have Christmas dinner together. Look, we’re all going to be here for Christmas and there’s nothing we can do about it so we might as well try and be a family. Maybe a dysfunctional family but we’re still a family, nonetheless.

In A Very Mary Christmas (2010),31 early into the narrative Darnella (Linda Gray) says to young Mary (Olesya Rulin), “Sometimes we choose our families, sometimes we make our own families.” Later, Darnella actions this and organizes a makeshift Christmas party with everyone from the trailer park where she lives and from the Indian casino where she works. In Christmas Miracle (2012), as a result of a snowstorm, several couples are stranded off a highway and seek refuge inside a church. The couples try to celebrate the season together, even participating in a gift exchange with objects found in the church. In One Christmas Eve, due to a set of misadventures, Nell (Anne Heche) and her children Alden (Griffin Kane) and Emma (Ali Skovbye), along with Cesar, and numerous other characters spend the night together in a police station. The makeshift family later reassembles to celebrate again at Nell’s house. In the British film A Wonderful Christmas Time (2014), with his parents away for Christmas, and having been recently dumped by his girlfriend of three years, Noel (Dylan Edwards) feels abandoned. He reconnects with an old friend, Steve (Ian Smith), and then he and Steve meet Cheri (Laura Haddock) and Mandi (Mandeep Dhillon). Together with Noel’s therapist,

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Simon (Oliver Maltman), one of Noel’s dates, Laura (Karen Paullada), and Cheri’s ex-partner, Gary (Robert Wilfort), they all spend Christmas together. In A Christmas Detour, after weather grounds their plane, Paige, her seatmate Dylan (Paul Greene)—along with a married couple Maxine (Sarah Strange) and Frank (David Lewis)—commute together and end up celebrating together. There is something notably cinematic about the situation inside the mansion in It Happened on 5th Avenue, and in fact, in each of the makeshift family configurations mentioned, dissimilar characters are brought together in a temporary circumstance that likely only exists for the duration of the film. I’ve written about the ragtag posse previously, which is common in literature and also in film, as apparent in these examples: Recently I’ve realised I have a real fondness for fictional unions of people whose paths probably shouldn’t have crossed, but they did and it was splendid. This can involve sex, sure, but I particularly like it when it involves unique friendships. In real life friendships oftentimes are with people like us: similar backgrounds, education, income, values. In fiction however, sometimes the most special relationships form between people who have no real business being in one another’s company but there they are and it’s magical.32

This distinctly fictional scenario derives plot from diverse characters brought together for the season. Aloysius notes during his Christmas toast that, “our paths may never cross again . . .” but ultimately this doesn’t matter: those characters were there for each other during Christmas: when it was important. A variation on the makeshift families discussed in this section is when people unrelated to a character step in to fulfill a familial role. In Six Weeks (1982), for example, twelve-year-old Nicole (Katherine Healy)—being raised by her single mother, Charlotte (Mary Tyler Moore)—has leukemia and has only six weeks to live. Nicole strikes up a friendship with Congressman Patrick (Dudley Moore), and he steps in to serve as a father for her remaining weeks: a fake wedding is even staged between Charlotte and Patrick. In A Baby for Christmas, Donald (Gregory Alan Williams) and wife, Myra (Deetta West)—both not enjoying their retirement—find fulfilment by volunteering at a children’s home. Myra, notably, bonds with a young girl, Denny (Nadej K. Bailey), and steps in to be her “pretend grandma.” In the follow-up film Merry Christmas Baby (2016), Donald and Myra elect to adopt Denny. A subtler version transpires in Christmas on Division Street (1991). Teen Trevor’s (Fred Savage) grandpa had recently died and his family had recently moved towns. Trevor and homeless Cleveland (Hume Cronyn) become friends, the latter serving as a grandfather figure. A different version of this transpires in Frozen River (2008).

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After single mom Ray (Melissa Leo) and her smuggling partner-in-crime, Lila (Misty Upham), are apprehended at Christmastime, Ray takes the blame and Lila and her son move in with Ray’s sons to form a family while Ray is in jail. In The Night Before (2015), Ethan’s (Joseph GordonLevitt) parents are killed in a car crash just before Christmas, and his friends Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) step in to help him cope: Isaac: You know what, we’re your new family now. I’ll be your daddy, Chris will be your mommy. Chris: No, I’ll be the daddy you be the mommy.

Such examples highlight that while Christmas is supposed to be spent with family that this isn’t always possible, so family members can sometimes be substituted. In Snow, discussed earlier, Nick’s time in the boarding house saw him participate in a makeshift family. Another way of examining this presentation is that Nick fulfills the role of Christmas stranger. THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER Beyond Tomorrow (1940) centers on three engineers who have planned a Christmas party. Guests progressively send messages of apology leaving the engineers with no attendees. One of the engineers, Michael (Charles Winninger), then gets an idea: he will throw a wallet containing a small amount of money and a business card out into the street and invite in whoever returns it. His colleague, Allan (C. Aubrey Smith), is aghast: Allan: What? Strangers out on the street? Michael: There are no strangers on Christmas Eve. Besides, it’s better than sitting around and hooting at each other like three old owls in a barn.

While in most narratives characters don’t set out to actually meet strangers the way Michael does, nonetheless, his point about there not being strangers on Christmas Eve is one repeated widely whereby newcomers are welcomed into homes, lives and celebrations simply because it is Christmas; sometimes filling an established family vacancy, at other times, serving as an adjunct. In A Christmas Romance, one of Julia’s children, Emily Rose (Stephanie Sawyer), is reading a book about the “Christmas stranger”: a story where an empty chair is left for a random guest who happens to arrive at Christmas. When bank vice president Brian arrives to foreclose on their home,

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Emily Rose believes that he is that stranger, and thus she is keen for him to stay: “I wanted the Christmas stranger to come. And he did!” In a range of narratives, other strangers arrive at Christmas. In discussing the British Christmas film The Cheaters (1945),33 the historian Jeffrey Richards notes: “It is in the celebrated tradition of the mysterious stranger who arrives in the bosom of a household and causes them to face up to the truth about themselves and reform.”34 In The Cheaters, the stranger is Mr. M. (Joseph Schildkraut), a supposedly down-and-out actor, who has been invited to spend the holiday with the Pigeon family. In A Moody Christmas, Dan (Ian Meadows) invites a woman from the homeless shelter to Christmas dinner; his mother, Marie (Tina Bursill), invites a gay man from her work too. Mentioned earlier was Last Chance for Christmas, where John seemingly randomly turns up to help Annie save their farm: he is a stranger who stays for the season, and ultimately, finds love with Annie. In The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), curmudgeonly critic Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Woolley)—who is staying in the home of the Stanleys—slips and breaks his hip on their doorstep and has to convalesce in their home over Christmas. In A Christmas Visitor (2002), the hitchhiking stranger, Matthew (Dean McDermott), turns up at Christmastime to spend the season with the Boyajians. (By the end of the narrative, it turns out that he is the ghost of their dead soldier son, discussed further in chapter 5.) In Stubby Pringle’s Christmas, Stubby is en route to the Christmas dance when he stops to help a woman cut fire wood. He becomes her Christmas Stranger, helping her also cut and decorate a tree and make gifts for her children. In The Ref (1994), Gus (Denis Leary) is a cat burglar, holding Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) and Caroline (Judy Davis) hostage: Gus ends up staying for Christmas dinner. In Secret of Giving (1999), Rose (Reba McEntire) is a single mom struggling to pay her mortgage. Harry Withers (Thomas Ian Griffith) is a mysterious stranger who initially seems intent on robbing Rose, but he changes his mind and ends up helping her. By the end, the two find love and Rose realizes, “It was the kindness of strangers that opened our hearts that Christmas. It kept us going and inspired us all.” A near identical plot transpires in Stealing Christmas (2003). In The Christmas Card (2006), Cody (John Newton) returns from military service and visits the small town where Faith (Alice Evans) resides; Faith, a stranger, had written to him during his deployment through a church program. Cody is immediately embraced by the town and, ultimately, by Faith’s family. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), Uncle Ralph (Henry Winkler) is traveling to visit his niece, single mom Jennifer (Brooke Burns), for the holidays. A stranger, Morgan (Warren Christie), helps Ralph at the airport and the two end up sitting together on the plane. Ralph brings Morgan to Jennifer’s home for Christmas. As Morgan admits after dinner, “This has been one of the best Christmases I’ve had in

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a very long time. I guess I forget how nice it was to be around a family.” In narratives such as A Mom for Christmas (1990), Christmas Magic (2011) and A Christmas to Remember, lady strangers—a mannequin come to life, an angel and an amnesiac respectively—randomly turn up to motherless homes and are welcomed in for the season (and ultimately permanently). In the British film The Greatest Store in the World (1999), homeless Geraldine (Dervla Kirwan) and her daughters are secretly living in the Scottley’s department store. Once discovered, Mr. Scottley (Brian Blessed), the storeowner, not only declines to press charges but also invites them to spend Christmas dinner with him. In Mr. Krueger’s Christmas (1980), the carollers invite the lonely title character (James Stewart) to carol with them and to then join them for a meal. In Christmas Snow (1986), Mrs. M. (Katherine Helmond) invites her reformed Scrooge-ish landlord, Snyder (Sid Caesar), for Christmas dinner. In Santa Buddies (2009)—a loose riff on A Christmas Carol—at the end of the film, the sickly Mikey (Andrew Astor) and his father, Bob (Craig Anton), invite Mr. Cruge (Christopher Lloyd), the reformed Scrooge-ish dog catcher, to join them for Christmas dinner. In Bad Teacher (2011), school teacher Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz) is invited by one of her pupils to spend Christmas with his family. In Pete’s Christmas (2013), as part of teen Pete’s (Zachary Gordon) Christmas doovers, his perfected day involves inviting friend Katie (Bailee Madison) and her mom (Victoria Fodor) for dinner after seeing them eating Chinese food alone. In Angel in the House (2011),35 Zooey (Toni Collette) and Alec (Ioan Gruffudd) meet a (seemingly) homeless man, Mr. Potts (Richard E. Grant), who they invite to Christmas. Something similar transpires in the British film Mr. Stink (2012), when the title character (Hugh Bonneville) is invited to stay for Christmas by young Chloe (Nell Tiger Free) and her family. In Baby’s First Christmas (2012), Jenna (Rachel Wilson) invites lonely and elderly Ethel (Donna Belleville) and her dog Lambie to Christmas dinner. In Christmas for a Dollar (2013), the Kamp family invite their rich, lonely neighbor, Mrs. Rathbone (Nancy Stafford), to join them. In Once upon a Holiday (2015), new-in-town Katie (Briana Evigan) is invited by Jack (Paul Campbell) and Jack’s friend, Harry (Jay Brazeau), to spend Christmas with them. While these Christmas stranger stories have similar themes, there are some outliers. In the film noir Backfire (1950), for example, on Christmas Eve, while recuperating in a hospital, war veteran Gordon (Bob Corey) is visited by a mysterious female stranger (Viveca Lindfors) with news about his missing soldier colleague, Steve (Edmond O’Brien). In Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas? (1990),36 the Christmas stranger is actually an alien. A variation on the Christmas stranger plot is the notion of unusual paths crossing because of the season and, commonly, for the purposes of serendipitous love (something explored in chapter 5).

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Akin to makeshift families, the Christmas stranger demonstrates the malleability of “family” and the ability for it to expand and evolve to include others. An extension of this, and an idea alluded to in chapter 1, is the necessity for charity at Christmastime: that homes should be opened and fortunes shared with those less fortunate. While inviting a stranger into a home at any other time of the year might seem vaguely madcap, doing so at Christmas makes sense given the nature of the Christmas spirit (chapter 1), the bonus round qualities of the season (chapter 2), and the expectation to count—and share—one’s blessings. An extension of this is the very fact that a stranger’s true identity is often unknown, so while you might end up hosting a ghost (as in A Christmas Visitor) or Santa (as in Snow) in your home, there’s also the possibility of someone even more special. In The Christmas Card, during a service, the Reverend Ives (Charlie Holliday) quotes a Hebrew phrase: “Be kind to strangers. By doing so we might be entertaining one of God’s angels.” In Angel in the House Mr. Potts was such an angel: equally, the strangers in some of the other narratives were people able to greatly improve the lives of those who were kind to them. The moral of these stories is that kindness, charity and hospitality can be rewarded in a range of ways. Another interpretation for the Christmas stranger, alluded to by Richards earlier, is that such characters shake up the storyline. Discussed throughout this book—although certainly not distinct to Christmas films—are hurdles: of complications and challenges for characters to overcome before a final resolution. An extension of this is Christmas strangers functioning to change destinies. Film theorist James Clapp alludes to this in his discussion of small towns in films including It’s a Wonderful Life (1946): [S]mall towns, or at least small town movies, often receive their dramatic impetus from the outside, be they angels, or devils, or someone in-between. . . . Not untypically, small town plots are energized by the introduction of a character from outside the small town community. . . .37

In chapter 5 spirit guides are discussed in more detail. While angels commonly fill this role—characters like Mr. Potts in Angel in the House enters the life of Zooey and Alec to help them conceive a child—mortal strangers can also serve as spirit guides. In Mr. Stink the title character helps Chloe’s family find cohesion again. In Baby’s First Christmas, Ethel ends up offering a job to the unemployed Jim (Noah Cappe). In Secret of Giving, Snow, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year and The Christmas Card strangers become love interests. The inclusion of makeshift families and Christmas strangers reiterate family as the most important thing during the holidays: that while the pref-

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erence might be blood relations, in its absence, simply being with people is essential. An extension of such sentiments is the importance of community. A CHRISTMAS COMMUNITY In Baby’s First Christmas, Jenna states that “Christmas is about people coming together.” While this can happen in a romantic sense as discussed throughout this volume, platonic versions of the same idea transpire when communities come together. One of the central contentions of media theorist Derek McKiernan’s book Cinema and Community is that “commercial, mainstream cinema provides a site on which dramas concerning the idea, practice and representation of community have been, and continue to be, played out and witnessed.”38 While, as McKiernan notes, academic work on this topic is scarce, community is nonetheless a strong theme in films. While McKiernan doesn’t discuss Christmas in any detail, the film It’s a Wonderful Life is indeed briefly mentioned: The film is also a highly manipulative, sentimental fairy story/morality tale that extols the virtues of pragmatism, friendship and community engagement. . . .39

While McKiernan notes that family (as already discussed) and home are important throughout the film (the latter explored later in this chapter), community is at the heart of It’s a Wonderful Life. Several other authors also make this observation. Bob Welch identifies that the film’s charm “lies in its people. In the community connectedness. In people feeling part of something.”40 Literature scholar Matthew Costello takes this further: No matter how much we focus on the protagonist, George Bailey, we cannot ignore the community of Bedford Falls. [Frank] Capra nested George in a community, showed how vital he was to it, yet also how vital that community was to him. . . . While analysts of It’s a Wonderful Life have offered divergent interpretations of the central message of the film, they frequently conclude that it requires a choice between individual and community.41

While George repeatedly self-sacrifices for his community—electing to stay in town and run the bank rather than pursue his own travel ambitions—ultimately Bedford Falls is what gives George a sense of meaning: when he is shown—alternate-reality style—what life would have been like in town had he not been born, George discovers just how much he has contributed to Bedford Falls and also how much it had contributed to his own sense of well-being. At the end of the film, the Savings and

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Loan—the very bank whose jeopardizing leads George to contemplate suicide—ends up being saved by the community with everyone in town chipping in, at Christmastime, to keep it afloat. While community is at the heart of It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s also central in a range of other Christmas narratives. Richards, for example, spotlights the role of community in his discussion of the British film Scrooge (1935): So the film’s clear message is that monarchy and religion provide the vital underpinnings of society and all will be well if selfish individuals discover the joys of good neighbourliness and are absorbed into the community.42

Such themes are identifiable widely. In All Mine to Give (1957), it’s the mid-1800s and Robert (Cameron Mitchell) and his pregnant wife, Jo (Glynis Johns), arrive in the United States from the Shetland Islands. Alone, destitute and with nowhere to live, Robert and Jo are welcomed into their new community and helped to build a home. At the end of the film, after Robert and Jo die while their six children are still young, it’s the same community who take in the orphans. In A Christmas without Snow (1980), alone in a new city, divorcee Zoe (Michael Learned) finds a community with her local choir. In A Christmas Visitor, John was killed in the Iraq war, twelve years prior. His parents and sister haven’t celebrated Christmas since. When his dad, George (William Devane), decides to celebrate for the first time since John’s death, he goes to buy Christmas stamps, Christmas lights, and a Christmas tree. In every transaction George is given the goods for free in recognition of his continued generosity toward his community, even in the face of his grief. In Stealing Christmas, on-the-run thief Jack (Tony Danza) hides out in the small town of Evergreen. While he had planned to rob the town, he is warmly embraced by the community and changes his mind. In The Christmas Cottage (2007), Maryanne (Marcia Gay Harden), who always organizes the town’s Christmas concert, is living in a rapidly dilapidating home which she can’t afford to fix. By the end of the film, the community chips in to help repair her home; as neighbor, Ernie (Chris Elliott), says: “We know this probably won’t solve all your problems, but we had to do something.” Akin to what transpires in It’s a Wonderful Life, in A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), the town bands together to buy the forest so that developers don’t acquire it. In Christmas with the Kranks mentioned earlier, initially—in line with McKiernan’s discussion that sometimes an ambivalent relationship to community is depicted— Nora and Luther’s decision to skip Christmas and go on a cruise is made impossible by their community: neighbors harass them to put up decorations; their most vocal neighbor, Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd), reminds them, “Christmas has always been a neighborhood thing around here. . . . Everybody decorates, bakes cookies, swaps gifts. . . .”43 While ini-

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tially Nora and Luther’s community impinges on their ability to act autonomously, it is that same community who, when their daughter, Blair, decides to make a surprise return home, help the couple put together a last-minute party for her arrival. A variation on this theme transpires in November Christmas (2010) and The Heart of Christmas (2011). In November Christmas, young Vanessa (Emily Alyn Lind) has cancer. Her father— fearing she won’t live until Christmas—decides to bring all the holidays forward, including Halloween and Christmas. The community pitches in to facilitate. In The Heart of Christmas, toddler Dax (Christopher Shone) is dying of leukemia. Unsure how to support his family without encroaching on their privacy, the neighbors decorate their homes for Christmas early so that Dax can have one last Christmas (a concept discussed further in chapter 2). Something similar transpires in The Christmas Heart (2012). Teen Matt (Ty Wood) is waiting for a heart transplant. His community bands together to support and pray; they also collectively light their luminaria which illuminate a path so that the transplant-carrying helicopter can land during a storm. In Christmas in Conway (2013), Suzy (Mary-Louise Parker) is at home with a terminal illness. After reminiscing with her husband, Duncan (Andy Garcia), about his proposal at a fairground years prior, the two decide to travel to Myrtle Beach to revisit it. Before arriving, Suzy gets sick and the two have to turn back. Duncan decides to buy, and erect, a ferris wheel in his backyard to give Suzy one last ride. While Duncan stubbornly tries to build the wheel alone, the project only comes together when the community helps. In Christmas with Tucker (2013), the theme of community enters the plot in several ways. In one scene, matriarch Cora (Barbara Gordon) cleans her alcoholic neighbor Frank’s (Ron Lea) home and prepares him a meal; “Just being neighborly,” she says. Later, when Cora’s husband, Bo (James Brolin), is injured, the neighbors rally around to help. As his neighbor, Hank (Derek McGrath), tells him: “‘Bout time all the people you’ve helped over the years had a chance to give you a hand.” In Christmas with a Capital C (2011), the Grinch character, Mitch (Daniel Baldwin), had secretly sold off all his possessions due to financial hardship. At the end of the film, everyone departs from the town’s Christmas concert to visit Mitch, each bearing presents and food to welcome him back to town and, ultimately, to help make his empty house a home. In A Christmas Wish (2011), everyone in town rallies together to bring things to help struggling Martha (Kristy Swanson) and her children have a merry Christmas. They even fixed her car. “Everyone pitched in,” her pastor tells her. In Christmas with the Andersons (2016), a different community spirit transpires via a Yankee swap where everybody offers a service: lawn mowing, carpooling, baking lessons. In the British film The Christmas Candle (2013), in the village of Gladbury, an angel visits every

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25 years and blesses one single candle that can make one wish come true. The local candlemaker, alas, loses the blessed candle among all the others. He and his wife decide to give a candle to everyone who asked for one, rationalizing that someone will end up with the blessed one. Lots of the wishes made are granted by people banding together and helping one another, highlighting that much more important—more powerful—than any “blessed” candle is community: that community is the true blessing. In Christmas under Wraps (2014), doctor Lauren (Candace Cameron Bure) has taken a temporary job in Garland, Alaska, while she waits for a fellowship at a prestigious hospital. She performs a procedure on a reindeer and she gets lots of flowers from the grateful townsfolk: this, seemingly, endears her to the small town and, eventually, she decides to stay. Even outside of small towns, community spirit is still identifiable. At the end of A Heavenly Christmas (2016), Eve (Kristin Davis) discovers that her neighbor had taken care of her cat while she was in a coma in hospital, despite the fact that she had never paid the woman much attention. “That’s what neighbors are for,” Pearl (Shirley MacLaine), Eve’s angel spirit guide, explains to her, “To help each other out.” In these examples, the importance of community is shown; in others it is verbalized. In A Christmas Carol (1938), nephew of Scrooge (Reginald Owen), Fred (Barry MacKay), states: Fred: Uncle, there are many things that have made me happy, things that have never fattened my purse . . . Christmas is one of these. I’ve always looked on Christmas as a good time, a kind, charitable, forgiving, pleasant time. It’s the only time when people open their hearts freely, the only time when men and women seem to realize that all human beings are really members of the same family, and that being members of the same family they owe each other some measure of warmth and solace.

A similar point is made in A Town without Christmas (2001). News reporter M. J. (Patricia Heaton) travels to the small town of Seacliff to report on a child’s heartfelt letter to Santa. There she learns important lessons about community: M. J.: I came here four days ago with dozens of reporters from around the country looking for a boy named Chris. But I found something I didn’t count on. I found hope in a small town that thought it was dying. I found common people who have pride, who believe in community, and who want to have some meaning in their lives. I didn’t want to believe in the magic of Christmas but I found it here. And I will go home a different person because of my time in Seacliff . . . Chris represents all those troubled and alienated kids out there. We all know who they are. Who we are. . . .

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In Christmas in Compton (2012), Big Earl (Keith David), dressed as Santa, makes a similar-themed speech to his community of staff, customers and friends at his tree farm: “Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, if it brings us all together, it’s all good.” In Northpole (2014), news reporter mom, Chelsea (Tiffani Thiessen), also addressed community in one of her articles: Chelsea: the joy of gathering together as a community. That’s what so wonderful about this special holiday. It provides an opportunity for fellowship, a chance to truly touch our neighbors, friends and family with generosity of heart and spirit. And if you ask this reporter, that’s nothing short of miraculous. . . .

In each example, community is presented as serving as an extension of the family; that in a crisis, it’s the perfect illustration of what Marcus articulated in About a Boy: “a backup.” Another interpretation for the repetition of this theme is that it gives the narrative broad appeal, something McKiernan addressed: As a political concept, community is attractive to both the right, in the form of “golden ageism” and ardent nationalism, and the left, in the form of the self-defining counter cultural politics of the alternative society of the sixties and seventies and in feminist, gay, lesbian and ethnic minority community activism.44

While, as McKiernan acknowledges, sometimes community is considered problematic and thus ambivalence occasionally makes its way to the screen, generally—and particularly in light of the lack of overt politics in most Christmas films—community is presented as something good, aspirational and inextricably linked to the season. While Home Alone, The Christmas Clause, All I Want for Christmas, A Christmas Eve Miracle and Christmas with the Kranks—each introduced earlier—deliver lessons about the importance of family through challenges posed to it, another narrative device used to make this same point is what I term the Christmas runaway. In an abundance of narratives, children run away at Christmas, and in doing so provide yet another lesson on the importance of family. THE CHRISTMAS RUNAWAY Kris’s claim in A Christmas Eve Miracle about how you “don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone”45 alludes to a lesson reiterated widely in Christmas narratives through storylines involving child runaways; a plot that

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is surprisingly common. Children run away or go missing in narratives including A Christmas without Snow, A Very Mary Christmas, The Perfect Holiday, Northpole, Christmas Miracle, The Wishing Tree, Last Chance for Christmas and Christmas on the Bayou as mentioned earlier, as well as in One Magic Christmas (1985), It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989), The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), The Santa Clause (1994), The Christmas Tree (1996), The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), Unlikely Angel (1996), The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998), An Accidental Christmas (2007), Christmas in Paradise (2007), The Christmas Hope (2009), The Christmas Bunny (2010), The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010) and Wish Upon a Christmas (2015).46 In these narratives, however, missing children only constitute minor plots; in others such disappearances are more pronounced. In To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992), the young twins Julie (Ashley Olsen) and Sarah (Mary-Kate Olsen) overhear their mother, Rhonda (Cynthia Geary), saying, “All I want for Christmas is a couple of days by myself.” This prompts the twins to run away in an attempt to travel to their grandmother’s house alone. In Silver Bells (2005), sixteen-year-old son, Danny (Michael Mitchell), doesn’t want to leave Manhattan to return to his family’s tree farm. To avoid returning with his father and sister, Danny runs away. In the Irish film Kisses (2008), the two protagonists Kylie (Kelly O’Neill) and Dylan (Shane Curry) run away from abusive homes at Christmas. In film theorist Frank Thompson’s work on Christmas film, he observes that children going missing was actually a popular theme in silent Christmas films: “Children in peril are a recurring theme in these films—and are nearly always saved by generous strangers (never by their parents).”47 While in the films named above invariably parents and not “generous strangers” save the children, nonetheless, such presentations achieve a variety of purposes related to the themes of this chapter. Cultural theorist Carol Siegel discusses the “children in peril” narrative in the context of apocalyptic films, noting that in them “adults are consistently called upon to sacrifice themselves for the child who represents the future.”48 While parents don’t quite sacrifice themselves in any meaningful way in the films I’ve mentioned, nonetheless children representing the future is indeed relevant. Throughout this book the notion of Christmas being about children is espoused. For lost or runaway children to be saved in Christmas narratives, arguably Christmas gets saved too: something Bert verbalizes in On the Second Day of Christmas when he argues that having children around at Christmas “makes you feel like there’s some hope, you know? Like once a year God decides to give the world another shot.” Almost the same point is made in Baby’s First Christmas where Jenna proclaims, “Babies are hope. The future.” Aside from To Grandmother’s House We Go, Kisses and Silver Bells, the Christmas runaway plot generally only constitutes a minor subplot:

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children go missing and are found in a short space of time, sometimes laughably so. Part of the explanation is simply genre: Christmas films aren’t aspiring to be like Ransom (1996) or Taken (2003)—which have missing children at their core—but rather, the missing child storyline is used, more modestly, to make a point about family. Another aspect of this is that the child in Christmas narratives is never actually in peril; rather, the storyline is simply used to nod to vulnerability without presenting genuine danger. In The Night Before the Night Before Christmas, for example, part of Toby’s (Gage Munroe) rationale for running away was to create a reason for his parents to pause and to reassess their priorities. When Toby says, “They probably wouldn’t have even noticed I was gone,” he spotlights that his parents are workaholics who have lost the spirit of Christmas. While sacrifice of the kind Siegel discusses doesn’t transpire, the fact that Toby’s parents are forced to reassess their priorities can be construed as a version of this. In The Christmas Bunny, prior to running away, Julia (Sophie Bolen) overhears her foster parents fighting about her. By running away, Julia—and many of these other Christmas runaways— force parents to think abut what is truly important. Given that these are Christmas narratives, obviously what’s important is family. It is for this reason that the search for Will (Austin Majors) in An Accidental Christmas and Matt (Valin Shinyei) in Christmas Miracle actually end up bringing estranged couples back together: parents focus on family and not on the trivial things that have kept them apart. Another explanation for the children-in-peril narrative is to highlight the notion of fragility. In The Note (2007), after a plane crash, protagonist Peyton (Genie Francis) finds a note from a father to his child; the plot centers on her efforts to hand deliver the note at Christmastime. Peyton views the note as a reminder that “life is fragile.” Peyton’s lesson in The Note is one also learned in the children-in-peril narrative. While this fragility can be construed as centering on life—that nobody knows what the hand of fate (explored further in chapter 5) has in store (for example, nobody could have predicted Matt’s heart attack in The Christmas Heart)— it also relates to human bonds: that relationships can be precarious and thus must always be treated as special. In a scene from The Christmas Bunny, for example, Betsy the Bunny Lady (Florence Henderson) tells young Julia: “I guess we don’t really know how we feel about our family ‘til we think we’re never going to see them again.” This comment both references Betsy’s own situation—she and her daughter had had a fight 20 years prior and hadn’t spoken since—but also that Julia, a foster child, will only come to realize how important her new foster family is, and vice versa, when their situation is put at risk; again illustrating Kris’s point in A Christmas Eve Miracle about not understanding the true value of something until it is threatened. A variation of this transpires in Ms.

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Scrooge (1997) when one school mom helps out another who had recently been evicted: “It takes emergencies sometimes to remind us about what Christmas is really all about. That we’re all family and we can get through anything if we help each other.” In the Christmastime disaster film, Christmas Icetastrophe (2014),49 one of the rescuers, Cole (Toby Levins), comments, “It wouldn’t be Christmas unless someone needed saving, right?” While audiences don’t have enough information to know what Christmases were like in town prior to the “icetastrophe,” Coby seems to imply that Christmastime rescues are common. A different in-film reference to the holiday-rescue cliché transpires in Christmas Every Day (1996). Teen Billy (Erik von Detten) has to keep redoing his Christmas Day until he finally learns the true meaning of the season. As part of the good deeds he completes during his re-dos, he is instrumental in helping save a lost child. The child-in-peril cliché referenced by Cole in Christmas Icetastrophe and hinted to in Christmas Every Day is that such dramas are common in Christmas films and that such a storyline is an easy way to add tension: that they add a challenge and conjure emotions in viewers. In an Esquire article about the childrenin-peril film Prisoners (2013), Nick Schager discusses this recurring plot, noting that “like animals, another favorite go-to victim, kids have an innocence and powerlessness that makes them prime devices for frazzling audiences’ nerves.”50 Schager contends that Prisoners is gripping because “it embraces the notion that having a child go missing—and confronting the possibility of losing them forever . . . would be so dire, it would drive a sane parent to insane ends.”51 Ginia Bellafante in the New York Times Magazine contends that the recurrence of such storylines in fact is a product of the Zeitgeist: The endangered or ruined child has emerged as a media entity within a culture that has idealized the responsibilities of parenthood to a degree, as has been exhaustively noted, unprecedented in human history. The more we seek to protect our children, the more we fear the consequences of an inability to do so.52

While the films discussed in this section are of a different genre to Prisoners, as Schager reminds us, there is “an implicit agreement between moviegoers and moviemakers: scare us with kids in peril, and then comfort us with kids in safety,”53 and Christmas narratives achieve this with families near universally getting their happy ending. Worth noting, Christmas films often put other characters in jeopardy to teach family-importance lessons. In Angels Sing (2013), a car accident that kills his father and injures his son forces the protagonist, Michael (Harry Connick Jr.), to reprioritize his life and overhaul his negative attitude

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toward Christmas. In Christmas Magic, following Carey’s (Lindy Booth) car accident and coma, her estranged father goes to her bedside. A car accident is also a theme in A Different Kind of Christmas (1996). Young Tommy (Nathan Lawrence) gets hit by a car and his mother, protagonist Elizabeth (Shelley Long), is forced to embrace the Christmas spirit—to potentially even believe in Santa—to save him. In The Christmas Heart mentioned earlier, teen Matt needs a heart transplant. While his mother, Ann (Teri Polo) already has faith, her husband, Mike (Paul Essiembre), has to find his in order, apparently, to save Matt’s life. In One Magic Christmas, Ginny (Mary Steenburgen) has lost her Christmas spirit. After a bank shootout, her husband, Jack (Gary Basaraba), is killed and the shooter abducts her children. Ginny is forced to reconsider her curmudgeonly ways and to re-evaluate all that she had—all that she had taken for granted—to earn a do-over courtesy of the angel Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton). In A Very Brady Christmas (1988), on Christmas Day, Mike (Robert Reed) gets called out on an architecture job and is caught in a site collapse. The Brady family rallies at the site for the rescue. In Christmas at the Riviera, curmudgeonly Maurice (Warren Clarke) is nearly killed in a fire at the hotel. After this, he realizes that his long-suffering wife, Rita (Barbara Flynn), is the only friend he has and he commits to being nicer to her. In Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Edy (Alfred Molina) has cancer. While he had been keeping his illness hidden, when his estranged wife, Anna (Elizabeth Peña), finds out, they reconcile. Edy’s illness also sees their struggling actress daughter, Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), turn down a role so that she can stay home and care for him.54 In 12 Men of Christmas, E. J. only realizes her love for Will (Josh Hopkins) after his hospitalization following a search-andrescue accident. In Christmas in the Clouds (2011), hotel critic Stu O’Malley (M. Emmet Walsh) gets stuck in the snow and nearly freezes to death. Once saved, his estranged daughter rushes to be with him. In Angels in the Snow (2015), dad Charles (Chris Potter) gets injured while trying to find a photo of his dead daughter, Bella. His injury eventually helps thaw and then, ultimately repair, relations with his estranged wife, Judith (Kristy Swanson).55 In Every Christmas Has a Story, after thinking that his estranged daughter, Kate, was lost in a storm, her father, Michael (Michael St. John Smith), instigates a Christmastime reconciliation. In Christmas Magic, Henry (Derek McGrath) is Carey’s spirit guide and explains why he gave her the near-death experience that constitutes the crux of this and many narratives, including those discussed in this section: Henry: Everyone in life can’t have a near-death experience to make them see what’s important in life. We’ve been using Christmas for the last two thousand and some odd years to stop for a day or two and think of someone else for a change.

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For the narratives discussed in this section, they each serve—akin to Henry’s lesson in Christmas Magic—as an experience that puts lives at risk to emphasize the importance of family; this can be viewed as a dramatic way to belabor the secular meaning of the season. As outlined, Christmas narratives commonly present the view that Christmas is a time for family and that family is positive. While familyas-good is a standard refrain, some films don’t leave this notion unchallenged. In a scene from Home Alone, for example, neighbor Marley (Roberts Blossom) makes some interesting comments to young Kevin: Marley: How you feel about family is a complicated thing. Deep down, you’ll always love him. But you can forget that you love him. And you can hurt them, they can hurt you. That’s not just because you’re young.

While Marley is talking about Kevin and the McCallister family relations, the comments nod to Marley’s own strained relations with his family—specifically his son—and also, more broadly, to the real-life complexity of family relations that often play out on screen. In the sections that follow, challenges to family wonderfulness are presented. I begin with a discussion of disappointment, and then examine how this sometimes manifests in avoidance, strained relations and conflict. A CHRISTMAS CUSTODY DISPUTE A variation on the child-in-peril storyline is children being at the center of custody disputes where the child becomes a prize/present in a Christmastime competition. In Bright Eyes (1934), after Shirley’s mom, Mary (Lois Wilson), is killed at Christmastime, Shirley (Shirley Temple) is put at the center of a custody dispute between her mother’s employer—the Smyths—and Mary’s godfather, Loop. In the The Kid Who Loved Christmas, after the death of his wife, Tony (Michael Warren) has to fight to keep custody of adopted Reggie (Trent Cameron) as a single parent. In A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), Lorna (Dolly Parton) and Mountain Dan (Lee Majors) battle to get custody of seven orphans. In the animated Annabelle’s Wish (1997), while orphaned Billy is being raised by his grandpa, his Aunt Agnes abruptly decides that her Christmas is incomplete without a child and wants custody: “I get what I want,” she declares. In When Angels Come to Town (2004), Sally (Tammy Blanchard) tries to gain custody of her younger brother Jimmy (Alexander Conti). In A Carol Christmas, the Cratchit character, Roberta (Nina Siemaszko), is struggling to retain custody of her daughter, Lily (Holliston Coleman). The same narrative plays out in The Christmas Secret (2014) and A Christmas Wish. In Carol (2015),

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Harge (Kyle Chandler), the husband of the title character (Cate Blanchett), collects evidence throughout the film of Carol’s lesbian affair to assemble a case against her for sole custody of their daughter. In A Heavenly Christmas, after the death of his sister and her husband, Max (Eric McCormack) has custody of his niece Lauren (Jaeda Lily Miller). Lauren’s paternal grandparents want to take her out of state. Arguably each of these narratives reference not merely the real-life custody battles that challenge families, but custody issues more broadly which impact on the celebration of the season.56 In line with the common themes of Christmas films, these plots work to further demonstrate the importance of family: that the family unit might get threatened—by a child running away for example, or, in these examples, a custody claim— but that ultimately preservation of the family is the most important thing. Equally, because Christmas narratives are commonly conservative—leaning toward maintenance of traditions and doing things the way they have always been done—it’s no surprise that in The Kid Who Loved Christmas, Reggie is successfully adopted by single parent Tony; that Billy stays with his grandpa in Annabelle’s Wish; that the kids stay with Sally in When Angels Come to Town and it’s why children stay put in The Christmas Secret, A Carol Christmas and A Heavenly Christmas. Bright Eyes offer a particularly festive compromise where competing parties join forces to create a makeshift family who adopt Shirley. It’s only Carol where the situation is slightly less predictable. Given that the film features the season much less heavily than the others—and generally wouldn’t be described as a “Christmas film”57—it’s obviously less beholden to Christmas film conventions and so, when it culminates with Carol in fact relinquishing custody to Harge, the ending is not as subversive as it would have been in a film with a title like The Kid Who Loved Christmas or The Christmas Secret,58 where seasonal plots take a more predictable journey. In Angel in the Family (2004), Sarah (Tracey Needham) asks: “How do you have a nice holiday with people you don’t get along that well with?” In A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, grandma Donna states at the end of the film: “If we always learnt from our mistakes, nobody’d ever spend Christmas with their family.” In both examples, commentary is offered about the lessthan-savory aspects of family life, something widely apparent on screen. FRAUGHT FAMILIAL EXPECTATIONS In A Very Brady Christmas, Cindy (Jennifer Runyon) is resentful because she had been told to come home for Christmas rather than invited. This perception of Christmas as an obligation is alluded to in several films. In the opening of Four Holidays (2008),59 protagonists Brad (Vince Vaughn)

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and his girlfriend Kate (Reese Witherspoon) are at an office Christmas party. One of Brad’s colleagues, Stan (Cedric Yarbrough), outlines his Christmas plans: Stan: I’ve got the entire family flying in. Thirteen airport pickups. Four days of listening to how gifted my nieces are. My brother thinks his daughter, the 4-year-old, is gonna be the next Beyoncé.

Another colleague, Eric (Brian Baumgartner), chimes in with his own woes: Eric: I’m vacationing in tropical Albany this year with Tricia’s family. They got us a cot, which is awesome. But we’ll probably end up sleeping on the musty couch in the basement with the cats. All seven of them. Oh and we get to be there the whole week.

Brad comments, “Kinda sounds like a prison sentence,” to which Kate agrees, asking, “Why do you guys put yourselves through that?” In other narratives, the chaos is shown rather than spoken. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), not only is the Griswold’s house filled with relatives, but mom Ellen’s (Beverly D’Angelo) cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his family turn up without notice or invitation. Something similar transpires in A Perfect Christmas (2016), where a procession of family members—who were meant to stay in a local hotel—end up staying in the home of the protagonist couple Cynthia (Susie Abromeit) and Steve (Dillon Casey). In Almost Christmas (2016), patriarch Walter (Danny Glover) insists his extended family all stay under his roof, much to the consternation of some of his adult children. Such narratives highlight that for all its joys, Christmas necessitates family-related work: physical and emotional; that there are picks ups and drop offs, relatives staying over, overcrowding and stress and sometimes-unwanted bustle. In each of the films mentioned in this section, visiting family members create drama and anxiety. By the end of each film, however, a typical point is made about family being what’s important: that chaos and stress may play a part, but that the palaver only happens once a year and that ultimately it’s worth it. Kate in Every Christmas Has a Story verbalizes such ideas: Kate: The place to look if you want to find your Christmas spirit is with the people around you. The people who love and care about each other not just on Christmas . . . they might not always get along and they don’t always agree, but they’re always there for you.

Scott/Santa (Tim Allen) makes a similar point to his in-laws in The Santa Clause 3: The Santa Clause (2006):

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Scott: Just like families all over the world are doing on Christmas Eve that love each other: ticking each other off. And it’s okay. They don’t have to be perfect to be good families. They just have to be together.

While most films discussed in this volume end happily, there is often much drama and angst en route. The next section focuses on specific sources of, and manifestations of, family stress and conflict, beginning with a discussion of disappointment. WHEN FAMILY DISAPPOINTS In The Christmas List (1997), Melody (Mimi Rogers) comments, “Christmas just seems to bring out the worst in my family.” In The Christmas Clause, stressed mom Sophie similarly claims that the season “brings out the worst in everyone.” While there are many assumptions about what families should look like and how they should function, in a range of films, families can be a source of disappointment, of pain. While small-scale pains like Pamela (Molly Parker) and Ronald (Rick Roberts) forgetting to buy their son, Pete (Zachary Gordon), a present in Pete’s Christmas, or young Frank (Ryan Todd) receiving a hunk of veal from his dad in Scrooged (1988), in others, disappointment is more pronounced. In the sections that follow, family disappointment—notably rooted in embarrassment and abuse—is examined. Embarrassing Family In Just Friends (2005), Chris (Ryan Reynolds) hasn’t been home in ten years: instead of going back to New Jersey, he generally flies his family out to see him in Los Angeles. This year, however, he ends up in his ancestral home after his flight is accidentally rerouted. Once there, almost instantly he starts slipping back into old patterns: he has to wear a retainer, he is fighting with his brother and at one point he realizes, “I’m right back in high school again!” While this narrative can be construed as centered on strained family relations (addressed later in his chapter), most important is the theme of embarrassment: that spending time with family, notably at Christmas, causes embarrassment. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, embarrassment centers on protagonist Clark’s (Chevy Chase) inlaws. Uncle Eddie and his wife and children aren’t merely “trailer trash” but are presented as uniquely uncouth: something illustrated well in a scene when Eddie tells Clark that his trailer’s “shitter’s full” and proceeds to drain it into the storm sewer. In Four Holidays, Brad and his partner Kate haven’t spent Christmases with their families for several years.

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Brad’s family are “white trash” types while Kate’s mother, Marilyn (Mary Steenburgen), is a cougar. In Cooper’s Christmas (2008),60 Uncle Nick (Mike Beaver) tells racist jokes at the family celebration; in A Moody Christmas, Uncle Rhys (David Field) makes racist comments about “boat people” and Uncle Terry is accompanied by a procession of Eastern European “exotic beauties.” In the British film A Gert Lush Christmas (2015), protagonist Dan (Russell Howard) takes his girlfriend Lisa (Hannah Britland) home for Christmas. In the lead up, Lisa reassures him that “everyone thinks their family is mad. How bad can it be?” Lisa and Dan wake up on Christmas morning to hear Dan’s parents having noisy sex. The family tensions discussed in these examples are quite modest: embarrassing or offensive family members don’t cause the same amount of turmoil as absent or cruel ones. In fact, the notion of embarrassing family members is commonly presented as part of the rhetoric of the season: that Christmas involves reconnecting with family members who are often not seen at any other time—who often embarrass us, or themselves—but who don’t cause too much enduring damage. At the other end of the difficult-families spectrum is abusers, whereby relationships are strained, or severed, for more serious reasons. Abusive Family Akin to On the Second Day of Christmas mentioned earlier, in Remember the Night (1940), shoplifter Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) is in the custody of district attorney John Sargeant (Fred MacMurray) over the Christmas break. John has planned to visit his family over Christmas and Lee accompanies him. Given that both their families reside in Indiana, John offers to take Lee to see her family, who she hasn’t visited since leaving home. When Lee arrives at her ancestral home, Mama (Georgia Caine) “greets” her by saying, “What’d you come here for? What do you want?” Later, Mama reflects on Lee moving out of the home: “Good riddance to bad rubbish I said the day she left. . . .” The coldness and acrimony of Mama is contrasted to the warmth of John’s family. While alcoholism, and more specifically alcoholic parents, are discussed in chapter 4, other kinds of abuse sometimes enter narratives to insert tension or provide backstory. In chapter 1 I discussed A Christmas Carol adaptions whereby Scrooge’s upbringing explains his bitterness and miserliness. In several of the Carol adaptions, in fact, abuse is offered as explanation for un-Christmas-like behavior. Mentioned earlier was Scrooged: young Frank’s gift of veal is presented as a factor in him growing up to become a Scrooge. In Ebbie (1995),61 the Scrooge title character (Susan Lucci) was emotionally abused as a child by her father. In A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), when the Scrooge protagonist, Ebony (Vanessa

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Williams), is taken back to see her Christmas Past, her father (Warren Slim Williams) is revealed as an abusive drunk: Father: For the last time, there’s no Christmas in the house. There’s nothing to celebrate. You see any presents? You see your mother anywhere? You’re lucky you’ve got a roof over your house.

Ebony’s past also involved her and her brother, Ronny (Ade Obayomi), being taken and separated by Child Services. Ebony’s Ghost of Christmas Past (Kathy Griffiths) jeers, “You’re a little thin on Christmases worth remembering.” Even outside of Carol riffs, lost spirit is frequently connected to abuse. In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, it is hinted that the title character was bullied by his peers at school. In My One Christmas Wish, Jacky’s father has been abusive. In Noel, adult Jules’s (Marcus Thomas) only positive childhood memory was a Christmas spent in hospital as a child; his childhood was otherwise abusive. In The Family Holiday (2007), con artist Donald (Dave Coulier) grew up in an emotionally abusive home: “I never had one Christmas with my mom, not one. No Christmas tree, no presents, no I love yous. Nothing.” In Baby’s First Christmas, Kyle’s (Casper Van Dien) negative attitude to Christmas is connected to his deadbeat father: he tells a story of wanting his father to attend his mother’s deathbed and his dad never arriving. This was also an underpinning of Elizabeth’s (Shelley Long) lack of belief in A Different Kind of Christmas. While Elizabeth’s dad was less of a deadbeat, nonetheless, he wasn’t at her mother’s deathbed when she died: instead, he was dressed as Santa entertaining children elsewhere in the hospital. In Anything But Christmas, John’s (Sergio Di Zio) loathing of Christmas appears directly connected to the awful, cold relationship of his parents.’ In The Rooftop Christmas Tree (2016), John (Stephen Huszar) describes his parents’ lackluster skillset: “They liked the idea of kids a lot more than the actual day to day reality.” In Undercover Christmas (2003), a similar idea is alluded to when Brandi (Jami Gertz) mentions her mother prioritizing her boyfriends over her. In Kisses, both pre-teen protagonists come from abusive backgrounds: Kylie had been sexually abused by her uncle, and her neighbor, Dylan, had been physically abused by his father. In Christmas Angel (2009), after being abandoned as a baby, Ashley (Kari Hawker-Diaz) grew up in the foster system, and it is hinted at that her upbringing was abusive. In Coming Home for Christmas, Mike (Benjamin Hollingsworth) grew up in the same system. In Christmas Angel (2012), elderly Elsie (Della Reese) has an estranged daughter who she had been physically and emotionally abusive to; apparently she had treated her three husbands similarly. In The Mistletoe Promise (2016), after Nick’s (Luke Macfarlane) father died and his mother remarried, he was sent away to boarding school and was seemingly condemned to a childhood

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of unhappiness. In Bad Santa 2, the curmudgeonly thief Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) was born to a 13-year-old mother in a detention center. While abuse by family members is uncommon in Christmas films, its inclusion serves several purposes. In some cases, like the Carol adaptions, the function is about backstory and pathology: that circumstances explain a character becoming a Scrooge, or a Grinch; that such a state can never be natural. Another function is comparison: that audiences potentially see their own troubled family lives mirrored, or perhaps, more commonly, can look at those troubled families and feel that their own lot is far preferable, in turn encouraging a blessings counting (chapter 1). Even within a narrative such comparisons transpire. In The Heart of Christmas, as mentioned, Dax is dying and Megan (Candace Cameron Bure), his neighbor, credits Dax’s mother, Julie (Jeanne Neilson), for “saving my family” by helping her loved ones realize what’s truly important. As discussed throughout this chapter, the assumption is that Christmas is a holiday spent with family. In a range of examples, however, this is not possible. While death or illness are unavoidable, in some films, a conscious choice is made not to spend Christmas with family. FAMILY AVOIDANCE A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013) opens with the George family trying to take a family Christmas portrait. Dad (Kevin Sizemore) and teen daughter, Natalie (Emily Capehart), are on their cell phones, and everyone except the youngest girl, Nina (Siomha Kenney), looks stressed and distracted. At one point, mom Julie (Claudia Esposito) asks, “Can’t we pretend to like one another? It’s Christmas for heaven’s sakes.” Families having to perform closeness is articulated in other examples. In A Christmas Horror Story (2015), a family is in the car en route to an elderly aunt’s home when an exchange transpires between parents Taylor (Jeff Clarke) and Diane (Michelle Nolden): Taylor: I just wanted to have some bonding time. You hear that! [calling to the kids in the backseat] I want this to be a happy, loving family. Diane: So you want a Christmas miracle?

In Surviving Christmas, the protagonist Drew verbalized similar cynicism during a business presentation: Drew: Folks, my firm’s done a tremendous amount of marketing research and we’ve discovered two critical things; one, most Americans feel that Christmas is a time for family. Two, most Americans feel that in order to

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stand being around their family, for even one or two days, they need to swill as much alcohol as humanly possible.

In the British film The Holly and the Ivy (1952), Margaret (Margaret Leighton) is home to visit her family, and illustrates Drew’s point, saying: “We have to get through the evening somehow,” before taking another sip of alcohol. These examples present—and also potentially normalize—family togetherness as sometimes difficult. In the sections that follow, two manifestations of family avoidance are explored: selectively separated families and dodged celebrations. A Christmastime Separation Mentioned earlier in the context of Black Christmas, To All a Goodnight, The Dorm That Dripped Blood, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and A Holiday Heist was young people left on campus over the break because their parents had made other plans to celebrate the season. Children separated from their parents—and such a separation serving as a point of consternation—actually transpires widely. In Black Christmas (1974), Barb (Margot Kidder) discovers—at the last minute—that her mom wouldn’t be spending Christmas with her. Their conversation ends with Barb saying, “you’re a real gold-plated whore, Mother, you know that,” before hanging up. In Less Than Zero, Blair (Jami Gertz) goes to visit her father for Christmas. He’s too busy to even emerge from his office to see her. In Metropolitan (1990), on going to visit his father at Christmas, protagonist Tom (Edward Clements) discovers that Dad had moved to New Mexico without telling him. In A Very Mary Christmas, Mary travels from New York to Los Angeles to find her musician father, Taylor (Gene Simmons). Upon reaching him, Taylor tells her that he is going on tour for three months. In The Wishing Tree, Andrew’s parents have gone to St. Moritz for Christmas. In A Wonderful Christmas Time, Noel’s parents have gone on holiday for the season. In Dear Santa (2011), protagonist Crystal’s (Amy Acker) parents have gone to a beach resort. In 3 Holiday Tails (2011), Lisa’s (Julie Gonzalo) mom is in Spain; in A Christmas Kiss II (2014), Jenna’s (Elisabeth Harnois) mom is on a tropical vacation. In Matchmaker Santa, Melanie’s parents have taken a holiday. In A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015), protagonist Luce’s (Lexi Giovagnoli) parents have gone to Botswana to do charity work; in The March Sisters at Christmas (2012), the March parents have gone to Afghanistan. In My Christmas Dream, Christina’s (Danica McKellar) parents have gone to Africa. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jennifer’s mother went to the Caribbean for Christmas. Parents abandoning their (generally adult)

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children to go on a cruise is a storyline used in several films. In Make the Yuletide Gay (2009), Nathan’s (Adamo Ruggiero) parents have gone on a cruise instead of spending Christmas with him. In All About Christmas Eve (2012), Eve (Haylie Duff) makes a surprise visit to her parents in Long Island only to find they are about to leave for Bermuda on a cruise. In A Christmas Kiss II (2014), Jenna’s (Elisabeth Harnois) mother has gone on a tropical cruise. In One Christmas Eve, Alden and Emma’s father has gone on a cruise with his new girlfriend. The same thing transpires in Operation Christmas. In A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Gwen’s (Meredith Hagner) mother has gone on a cruise for Christmas; in Christmas in Homestead (2016), Matt (Michael Rady) and Zoe’s (Katrina Norman) parents have “skipped Christmas” in favor of a river cruise. Discussed earlier was Christmas with the Kranks: Nora and Luther’s plan to skip Christmas and go on a cruise is viewed by their neighbors as selfindulgent and an inappropriate way to celebrate the season; an interpretation applicable to the other narratives mentioned whereby a cruise not only bucks tradition but also seemingly eschews familial obligations and is thus framed as sacrilegious and selfish.62 Other interpretations of these “abandonments” are also viable. In Make the Yuletide Gay, A Very Mary Christmas and The Wishing Tree, Christmastime holidays away from home aren’t framed as primarily about indulgence, but rather, are testimony to strained relations; that parents not wanting to spend the season with their children is indicative of an absence of family closeness. While this will be discussed later in this chapter, it’s worth noting that in such examples, no conscious decision has been made to abandon Christmas traditions (as transpired in Christmas with the Kranks), but rather, there were simply no plans existing to disrupt given the lack of family closeness; that Christmas is often just ad hoc, if not perceived as less about a holiday to be celebrated, and more so an opportunity to take a vacation. While in the examples discussed thus far parents skip Christmas, in other narratives other family members dodge the celebration. Dodging Christmas In Scrooged, each year Frank’s brother invites him to spend Christmas with his family; every year Frank declines. In Ms. Scrooge (1997), when the title character, Ebenita’s (Cicely Tyson), nephew visits her for Christmas, her response is “don’t let the doorknob hit you.” Ebenita—like most Scrooge characters—has no interest in spending time with her family. The same thing happens in A Diva’s Christmas Carol: after Ebony is invited to spend Christmas with her niece, she responds, “Well let me consider your appealing offer for a second. Um, no.” In A Carol Christmas, when

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Carol’s sister, Beth, invites her to Christmas, she also quickly declines. In each of these Carol riffs the Scrooge character’s heart has been hardened and, in turn, warm relationships with family are eschewed; something that is framed as going against nature and thus embellishing the Scrooge character’s loathsomeness. In other examples, Christmas gets dodged for other reasons. In Silver Bells, Catherine’s (Anne Heche) parents ring her for Christmas but she doesn’t take their call. While the nature of her relationship with them is undisclosed, Catherine is a recent widow and seemingly has lost the spirit of Christmas and thus is avoiding being reminded of it. 12 Gifts of Christmas offers a different spin: Marc (Aaron O’Connell) is a workaholic advertising executive. In one scene he ignores a call from his mother; it turns out that he has actually been ignoring her calls for a month. While Marc’s behavior isn’t explicitly pathologized, his workaholism seems to have sufficiently distracted him (a topic discussed further in chapter 6). In the examples discussed in this section, reasons behind family avoidance are undisclosed. Such situations are unusual: commonly if family is avoided there is a distinct explanation which gets revealed during the narrative—an idea discussed in the next section. STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS In The Ref, Rose (Glynis Johns) asks her son, Lloyd, “Why do you get strange at family gatherings?” While her question goes answered, the undercurrent is that Christmastime family gatherings are a source of strain and tension for Lloyd and, more broadly, for several other characters. In historian Jeffrey Richards’s work on Christmas, he discusses family time as difficult: As the normal routines are disrupted and everyone is cooped up together, tensions rise to the surface, tempers fray and uncomfortable home truths are spoken. This has a particular poignancy during the Christmas holidays when the season of peace on earth and goodwill to all men can give rise to the most unseasonal feelings and actions.63

In The Christmas Consultant, the titular character, Owen, comments, “Holidays wouldn’t be the same without a little family squabble.” A similar point is made in Every Christmas Has a Story where a news item— about Christmas twins—gets abandoned due to the siblings falling out: “Oh. Families and holidays,” reporter Kate says, knowingly. These films normalize families being difficult; something widely portrayed. In A Christmas Detour, Dylan hasn’t been home in four years: for him, he’s

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been off “licking his wounds” following his break-up with his girlfriend, Cynthia (Mackenzie Mowat), who dumped him in favor of his brother, Bryce (Kaj-Erik Eriksen). The same idea is a subplot in A Husband for Christmas (2016): Brooke’s (Vivica A. Fox) ex-boyfriend is marrying her sister; Brooke has been reluctant to go home for the past few Christmases. In the British film Christmas at the Riviera, Christopher (William Travis) has been lying to his father, Maurice (Warren Clarke), about going skiing with his family each year and instead, has just been avoiding seeing him: Christopher: It’s a lie, Dad. I say we’re going skiing so we don’t have to spend Christmas with you . . . I can’t stand you. Your bullying . . . the way you speak to mum.

In Angel in the Family, Sarah and her sister, Beth (Natasha Gregson Wagner), have a tense relationship seemingly grounded in Sarah’s decision to stay home and look after her father64 while Beth went off to pursue her career; although it seems their relationship was strained even before then: “We never got along as kids,” says Beth. “Why should today be any different?” In A Perfect Day (2006), Rob’s (Rob Lowe) relationship with his father is bad; in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, Boyd’s (Joel McHale) relationship with his father is dismal. “I’d rather be sodomized by an angry clown than spend Christmas with him,” he says at one point. In A Perfect Christmas List, Sara and her mom, Michelle, have a strained relationship. Michelle’s view of her mom (“she’s controlling”) is similar to Sara’s view of hers. Sara hasn’t been home for the last few Christmases: Michelle: You never see what’s wrong with the world. Sara: And you can never see what’s right.

There are often some consistencies in triggers for family stress. In the sections that follow, recurring themes such as in-laws and step-relations, unmet expectations and unresolved issues are examined. In-Laws and Step-Relations In a scene in All I Want for Christmas, Jamie visits a friend, Megan (Jade Pettyjohn). Megan’s grandma (Jackie Joseph) observes: “Christmas isn’t the same is it, when a person is split between one house and another?” Grandma’s point illustrates anthropologist Adam Kuper’s contention that “family tensions feed upon the contradiction between the ideal timeless repetition of Christmas and the reality of change.”65 On screen, tension created by in-laws and step-relations is a good illustration of this whereby, over time, family members die and new ones get added, thus

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creating a situation where traditions once so beloved (as discussed in chapter 2) have to alter. At the most basic level are narratives that include the awkwardness of meeting future in-laws for the first time. In the supernatural-themed Blood Beat (1983), it’s Christmas and Ted (James Fitzgibbons) brings his new girlfriend, Sarah (Claudia Peyton), home for the first time to his parents’ isolated Wisconsin home. Drama ensues. As noted in A Gert Lush Christmas, Dan takes Lisa home to meet his family: comedy (and drama) ensues. While the backstories to these meetings aren’t discussed in these films, in others the weight of such a meeting is an explicit plot point. In Some Girls (1988), when Michael (Patrick Dempsey) is invited to spend Christmas with his girlfriend Gabriella’s (Jennifer Connelly) family, he tells the audience, “The significance of this request did not escape me.” Michael highlights that “meeting the family” elevates a relationship to a new level of seriousness. Conversely, in narratives where such meetings don’t transpire, a message is conveyed that a relationship isn’t serious, as occurred in Undercover Christmas. In the opening of the film, cocktail waitress Brandi is excited about meeting her wealthy boyfriend Scott’s (Cameron Bancroft) family. Before this happens, however, Scott ends up uninviting her; he apparently did the same thing to her the year prior. In My Christmas Love (2016), in the opening scene Cynthia (Meredith Hagner) and Jason (Houston Merrill) break up: his explanation centers on not wanting to spend two weeks with her family over the holidays. Discussed earlier were A Christmas Detour and A Husband for Christmas, where exes seemingly still have a place at the dinner table. Similarly, in Four Holidays, Brad’s mother, Paula (Sissy Spacek), had coupled with Brad’s childhood friend Darryl (Patrick Van Horn), making Daryl not merely an ex-school friend, but also Brad’s stepfather. While these examples highlight specifically unique family dynamics, much more common are tensions with parents-in-law. In Will You Merry Me? the narrative centers on the initially fraught blending of Jewish Rebecca (Vikki Krinsky) and Christian Nathan’s (Tommy Lioutas) families following the duo’s engagement. In A Madea Christmas (2008), the first meeting occurs of Lacey’s (Tika Sumpter) black family and her new husband, Conner’s (Eric Lively) white family. In This Christmas (2007), Claude (Columbus Short) has neglected to tell his family about his new—and pregnant—white wife (Jessica Stroup). Such ideas also play out in Boxing Day (2008): Emmy (Bridget Devlin Burke) brings her boyfriend, Darryl (Demetrius Parker), home for Christmas, neglecting to tell the family in advance that he’s black. Outside of race and culture, clashes of personalities also transpire. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark’s father-in-law, Art (E. G. Marshall), is hypercritical of him. Art mocks him about the lack of twinkling lights in his Christmas lights display, and when Clark’s tree

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burns down, Art sneers, “It was an ugly tree anyway.” In Meet the Santas (2005), Joanna (Mariette Hartley) is hugely critically of her daughter Beth’s (Crystal Bernard) fiancé and his family; Joanna is keen for Beth to reconnect with her ex, Mark (Roark Critchlow). Almost the same thing transpires in Merry In-Laws (2012), whereby protagonist Alex’s (Kassia Warshawski) father, Steven (Greg Lawson), is unsupportive of her new fiancé, Peter (Lucas Bryant), and instead champions his colleague, Edward (Matty Finochio), as a more suitable match. In The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), Carol’s (Elizabeth Mitchell) parents visit the North Pole to spend time with her husband, Scott (Tim Allen), unbeknownst to them that he’s Santa. The relationship is hostile with the in-laws perceiving Scott as a secretive workaholic. In A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), Harold’s (John Cho) in-laws visit and have a strong dislike of him: centered on everything from the fact that he is Korean to his fake Christmas tree. In Christmas Do-Over (2006), Kevin (Jay Mohr) visits his son, Ben (Logan Grove), at the home of his ex in-laws; also in attendance is his ex-partner, Jill (Daphne Zuniga) and her new boyfriend, Todd (David Millbern). Arthur (Tim Thomerson), Jill’s father, clearly views Todd as the preferable choice over Kevin; in one scene he states that he is thankful that his daughter finally found “the man we always dreamed she’d find.” In A Royal Christmas (2014), Leo (Stephen Hagan) is a prince and invites his commoner girlfriend, Emily (Lacey Chabert), home with him to meet the family for Christmas. His mother, the queen of Cordinia (Jane Seymour), instead wants Leo to marry Natasha, duchess of Warren (Katherine Flynn), and conspires for this to happen. The same plot transpires in Crown for Christmas where the king, Max, is being pushed to marry Lady Celia (Alexandra Evans) and not the commoner he is in love with, Allie (Danica McKellar). Son-in-laws are also a source of conflict in This Christmas and Almost Christmas: interestingly, in both examples, the sons-in-law turn out to be adulterers, and thus the family’s widespread dislike for them is actually validated. Different kinds of in-law strain also transpire. In Happy Christmas (2014), Kevin’s (Mark Webber) sister, Jenny (Anna Kendrick), comes to stay after a breakup. She is seemingly suffering with a mental health problem and her presence puts a strain on Kevin’s relationship with his wife, Kelly (Melanie Lynskey). In The Perfect Holiday (2007), mom Nancy’s (Gabrielle Union) new relationship with Benjamin (Morris Chestnut) causes great consternation for her oldest son, John-John (Malik Hammond), who still holds hope that his mother and father reconcile: “I don’t care how nice he is—he ain’t my dad.” A pattern in family tensions in Christmas films is unmet expectations. While this might pertain to a lack of support regarding partner choice, more commonly it centers on a lack of a partner altogether.

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Unmet Expectations In When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989), following Sally’s (Meg Ryan) break-up, her friend Marie (Carrie Fisher) laments, “[But] you had a date on national holidays.” Marie’s implication, seemingly, was that there is intense pressure to be coupled during holidays and that one should do what they can to avoid being single, pressure identifiable in a range of narratives. In The Christmas List, Melody is hassled by her mother (Stella Stevens) about her singlehood: “I just want you to be happy . . . I mean really happy, like your sister Caroline. A husband, children, a single-family house.” Melody’s friend and later, love interest, David (Rob Stewart), divulges his familial pressures: David: I was supposed to go down to San Diego to spend the holiday with my folks. But I just couldn’t take that combination of pity and Shamu. Melody: At least you get Shamu in the deal. David: Why would your family pity you? Melody: Perhaps you’re not familiar with the stigma attached to single women over thirty.

In A Boyfriend for Christmas, protagonist Holly (Kelli Williams) is scheduled to meet her mother for lunch and complains about it to her colleague, Beth (Erica Gimpel): Holly: As far as my mother’s concerned you may as well be dead if you’re not married. And my sister-in-law just aids fuel to the fire. . . . They want me to be them. One husband, two cars, two kids.

Holly’s fears aren’t merely imagined: over lunch her mother wishes aloud that Holly would have a ring by the following Christmas. In This Christmas, Ma’Dere (Loretta Devine) hassles her daughter Kelli (Sharon Leal) about why she hasn’t settled down. In Snowglobe (2007), Rose (Lorraine Bracco), the mother of protagonist, Angela (Christina Milian), makes similar comments: “You’re not getting any younger. . . . Look at your sister: married, pregnant. You should be so lucky.” In Holiday Engagement (2011), mom (Shelley Long) says something similar to her unpartnered daughter, Hillary (Bonnie Somerville): “You’re not a spring chicken anymore.” A variation of this transpires in Catch a Christmas Star (2013), when young Sophie (Julia Lalonde) wants to play cupid for her widowed father, Chris (Steve Byers): “He needs to find love again, he’s not getting any younger.” In Holiday in Handcuffs (2007), Trudie’s (Melissa Joan Hart) boyfriend, Nick (Benjamin Ayres), tells her at the last minute that he’s not coming to Christmas with her. Trudie panics and—determined not

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to go home alone—kidnaps a customer from her workplace. In Holiday Engagement, in the aftermath of her dissolved engagement, Hillary is so perturbed about going home for Christmas partnerless that she decides to post a video on an online dating site asking for a man for the holidays. In Hitched for the Holidays (2012), Rob (Joey Lawrence) and Julie (Emily Hampshire) both feel pressure from their respective families to be coupled for the holidays; both go online looking for a fake partner and find each other. In Marry Me for Christmas (2013), Marci (Malinda Williams) hasn’t been home for four years, partly because of the harassment she experiences about her single status; this year, she takes a colleague, Adam (Brad James), as her date. In Love the Coopers (2015), Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) takes home for Christmas a man she met at the airport, presenting him as her boyfriend to thwart scorn. In Holiday Breakup (2016), while Jeff (Shawn Roe) and Chloe (Manon Mathews) broke up at Halloween, they decide to pretend that they are still together so that they can attend Thanksgiving without their families pitying them. When Christmas arrives, the two continue the ruse. In The Mistletoe Promise, something similar transpires, whereby Nick enters into a contract with a woman he meets in a mall to pose as his girlfriend for work holiday parties. In A December Bride (2016), Seth (Daniel Lissing) pretends to be Layla’s (Jessica Lowndes) fiancé for her cousin’s Christmastime wedding. In Borrowed Hearts (1997), Sam (Eric McCormack) recruits one of his employees, single mom Kathleen (Roma Downey) and her daughter Zoey (Sarah Rosen Fruitman), to pose as his family over Christmas while he entertains a business client who has a bias in favor of family men. A variation of this storyline transpires in films where a person needs to be coupled to receive an inheritance. In The Family Holiday, Donald’s uncle’s will states that, to inherit, he needs to have settled down and started a family: Donald makes an arrangement with a woman and two orphans to pose as his family. A very similar plot plays out in both A Cinderella Christmas (2016) and Married by Christmas (2016),66 whereby characters need to get married to inherit. With the unmet expectations discussed thus far relate to failure to couple (or to couple “correctly” as discussed earlier), other disappointments are also evident. In Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger, Donald’s father had always been cruel to him and long compared him, unfavorably, to his twin brother. The same needless cruelty transpires in Pete’s Christmas: Grandpa (Bruce Dern) constantly makes snide comments to his son, Ronald (Rick Roberts), including criticisms of his marketing work—“It’s just a fancy way of saying you sell snow boots to dogs”— and his Christmas tree: “Did you get this tree right out of the box?” In Sunshine Christmas, after not having been home for nearly a decade, Sam (Cliff De Young) returns from Canada to Texas. His relationship with his father has long been strained, seemingly centered on Sam’s musical

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ambitions and draft-dodging. In A Wish for Christmas, Peter hasn’t been home in two years after a falling out with his father over his disinclination to become a lawyer. In The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002), A. C.’s (Jason Alexander) strained relationship with his father, Charles (Edward Asner), is centered on A. C. entering the “lunatic enterprise” of toy making rather than becoming a doctor. Jake’s (Shawn Christian) decision to not become a lawyer underpins his fraught relationship with his father, Joe (Winston Rekert), in Undercover Christmas. In Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013), the title character (Shiri Appleby) hasn’t spoken to her mother in 17 years based on a falling out about Kristin’s college plans. In film theorist Kim Newman’s discussion of Christmas films, he notes, “The celebration of Christmas as decreed by Clement Clarke Moore, Charles Dickens, Norman Rockwell (and the Coca-Cola company) and Walt Disney Enterprises is for many a tyrannical regime, emphasizing the shortfall of their own family lives (or lack thereof).”67 Certainly in the examples discussed thus far, such ideas seemingly have been internalized by characters who judge others, and also themselves, harshly. Unresolved Issues In a range of narratives, family tensions center on unresolved issues: things that have gone unsaid or situations gone unexplained. In A Grandpa for Christmas (2007) for example, Marie (Tracy Nelson) is estranged from her father, Bert (Ernest Borgnine). Marie has long believed that Bert didn’t care about her, beliefs fostered by her mother. Bert in fact had been pushed away but strongly cared for Marie and was secretly in attendance at many of her milestones, including her graduation ceremony. In A Christmas Snow, Kathleen had long blamed her mother for her father leaving the family. Kathleen’s father, in fact, had left of his own volition and had been guilt ridden in the decades since. In A Christmas Visitor, John was killed in the Iraq war, twelve years prior. The family hadn’t celebrated Christmas since. His mom, Carol (Meredith Baxter), had retained over a decade of unspoken resentment toward her husband, George, for encouraging John’s enlistment. In An En Vogue Christmas, Kendall and Uncle Marty reconcile after years of misunderstandings about who really had embezzled from the family’s nightclub. In the British film Love Actually (2003), when Mark (Andrew Lincoln) finally reveals his feelings for Juliet (Keira Knightley), he writes a message to her that begins: “Just because it’s Christmas (and Christmas you tell the truth). . . .” Telling the truth happens widely in films, something Margaret verbalizes in The Holly and the Ivy: “It’s Christmas, the family festival. We’ve all learnt a thing or two about each other, that’s all.” While pent-up secrets can be a source of consternation, so too can their revelation.

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In The Holly and the Ivy, Margaret’s secret pertained to having gotten pregnant by an American soldier, him being killed, and then her child dying at four years old: none of which she had told her family. In A Very Brady Christmas, nearly every character is keeping a secret. The film begins with Mike and Carol (Florence Henderson) planning secret gift trips for each other. When their children arrive for the holiday, each of their secrets are eventually revealed: Jan (Eve Plumb) is separating from her husband, Marsha’s (Maureen McCormick) husband, Wally (Jerry Houser), has lost his job, Bobby (Mike Lookinland) has left school and is now a racing car driver and Greg (Barry Williams) is in a romantic relationship with his boss. In How About You . . ., two elderly sisters, Heather (Brenda Fricker) and Hazel (Imelda Staunton), live in a nursing home. Across the course of the narrative, Hazel discovers that decades prior, Heather had replied to an adoption agency letter addressed to Hazel, saying that she didn’t want to meet the son she had given up. Hazel had never wanted to put her son up for adoption but had been forced to by their father. In Holiday in Handcuffs, after Trudie’s “boyfriend” ruse is exposed, her siblings reveal their own secrets: Trudie’s brother is gay and has been keeping it a secret,68 and he used her law school tuition money to invest in a pilates studio. In Nothing Like the Holidays, while Roxanna’s family thinks she has “made it” as an actress, in fact, she is struggling. While family togetherness is the Christmas expectation, as already hinted, in many narratives tensions have often led to estrangement, often preventing a family celebration. ESTRANGEMENT FROM FAMILY A common plot hurdle in Christmas narratives is familial estrangement. Such estrangements are pronounced at this time of year because the season is portrayed as all about being with loved ones and thus, their absence, creates varying degrees of consternation. Mentioned earlier was the draft dodging in Sunshine Christmas. Draft dodging is similarly a cause of estrangement in The Gathering. In Christmas Eve (1986),69 each of Andrew’s (Arthur Hill) children are estranged, including Harley (Wayne Best) who also dodged the draft. In Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987), brothers Ray (John Schneider) and Pete (Tom Wopat) are estranged after Peter “stole” Ray’s girlfriend, Jessie (Kim Delaney). This is a similar situation to A Christmas Detour, discussed earlier, where Dylan has spent years avoiding going home since his brother “stole” his girlfriend. A female version of this was presented in A Husband for Christmas, discussed earlier, and also in Mrs. Miracle (2009). In the latter, Reba (Erin Karpluk) and her sister, Vicki (Johannah Newmarch), are estranged:

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Vicki had ran off with Reba’s fiancé. In A December Bride, the same plotline plays out between female cousins. Male cousins dueling over a girl also transpires in A Moody Christmas. In A Hobo’s Christmas (1987), Chance (Barnard Hughes) hasn’t seen his son, Charlie (Gerald McRaney), in the 25 years since Charlie left his family. In Home Alone, Marley has long been estranged from his son following an argument. In Fallen Angel (2003), Katherine (Joely Richardson) has been estranged from her father since she was little and he left home. In Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005),70 Alex (Bobby Cannavale) hasn’t spoken to his dad in a year. In A Dad for Christmas (2006),71 Matt (Kristopher Turner) has been estranged from his family since his father left when Matt was a child. Eventually Matt tracks down his grandmother, Glennie (Louise Fletcher), who explains to him that “this family doesn’t have any aptitude in that department”; that is, in parenting. In The Christmas Bunny, the Bunny Lady, Betsy, had a fight with her daughter twenty years prior and they haven’t spoken since. In Three Days (2001), Andrew (Reed Diamond) is estranged from his father: “My father was never home. He was always on the road mixing business with pleasure . . . I don’t want to see him.” In Black Nativity (2013), Naima (Jennifer Hudson) is a single mom to Langston (Jacob Latimore). Naima has been estranged from her parents since she discovered that her father had paid Langston’s father to stay away. In Coming Home for Christmas, sisters Kate and Melanie (Britt McKillip) haven’t spoken in five years after Kate failed to support her sister’s doomed marriage. In The Christmas Gift (2015), Wesley (Sterling Sulieman) is estranged from his property developer father (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs). With the rare exception of The Christmas Bunny—where Betsy and her daughter don’t reconcile—in each of the other narratives mentioned in this section, a degree of reconciliation transpires, in line with the prioritization of family in Christmas films and the conservative nature of most of these plots. Reconciliation, needless to say, is a recurring theme on screen. RECONCILIATION In discussing All I Want for Christmas (1991), historian Gerry Bowler observes, “One of the strongest themes in late 20th-century Christmas movies is the notion of reunion and reconciliation.”72 Reconciliation indeed transpires widely. In The Gathering, Adam eventually reconciles with each of his children. In both versions of Christmas Eve (1947; 1986), reconciliation similarly transpires by the credits. In Home Alone, by the film’s conclusion—and with the help of young Kevin—Marley reunites with his son and granddaughter. In One Special Night, Lori (Patricia Charbonneau) and her estranged husband, Jeff (Stewart Bick), reconcile at her bedside after

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her labor on Christmas Eve: she forgives him for his affair and workaholism. In Coming Home for Christmas, the estranged sisters and also their newly estranged parents reconcile. In Fred Claus (2007), by the end of the narrative, Fred (Vince Vaughn) reconciles with his brother, Nick (Paul Giamatti), his parents, and his girlfriend, Wanda (Rachel Weisz). In Mrs. Miracle, Reba eventually reconciles with her sister Vicki. In A Different Kind of Christmas, A Grandpa for Christmas, Christmas in the Clouds, Karroll’s Christmas (2004), Crazy for Christmas (2005), and the Irish film Three Wise Women (2010), fathers and daughters reconcile. In Christmas in Compton, Dad and Derrick reconcile. At the end of A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, dad Mitch (Robin Williams) apologizes to his sons Boyd and Nelson (Clark Duke) for being a bad father. In The Rooftop Christmas Tree, years after his mother had taken him away, Danny (Eddie Guillaume) returns to see his father, Dale (Tim Reid), on Christmas Eve. In Christmas Angel (2012), young Olivia (Izabela Vidovic) helps elderly Elsie reconcile with her estranged daughter. At the end of Black Nativity, Naima returns to see her parents and is invited to move in with them; something teen Langston seems to be instrumental in: Langston: You and Dad, Grandma and Granddad, family I never knew I had. . . . This is my Christmas miracle. It’s time to forgive, Mom. It’s time to be redeemed. And it’s time to come home.

While children on screen serving as angels is discussed further in chapter 5, it is worth noting that in Home Alone, Christmas Angel (2012) and Black Nativity children are instrumental in brokering reconciliations between adults. In other narratives, however, adults accomplish this themselves. Reconciliation also enters a film via a do-over storyline whereby— with the chance to go back and change something (chapter 5)—reconciling with estranged loved ones becomes a high priority. In Three Days, for example, following an encounter with angel Lionel (Tim Meadows), Andrew is given the opportunity for a do-over; as part of this, he travels to his hometown, Mahone Bay, where Andrew reconciles with his father. In A Christmas Wedding Date, Rebecca (Marla Sokoloff) goes home for a Christmas wedding. There, she participates in a do-over and has to reconnect—and reconcile—with a variety of people from her past, including old friends, her mother and her ex-boyfriend. A similar idea transpires in The Christmas Spirit (2013): Charlotte (Nicollette Sheridan) and Daniel (Bart Johnson) have a car accident. Both characters are in comas afterward but have the opportunity to do good works in spirit form. As a spirit, Daniel calls his estranged father to make peace. While most reconciliations relate to relatives or former partners, in November

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Christmas, it centers on friendship: Jess (Sam Elliott) heals a friendship with a neighbor that fell apart after Jess’s young son died. An interesting component of reconciliation on screen centers on the role of women. Discussed earlier was the notion of women appearing to value family more. One way this is illustrated is women taking a heightened role in helping others to heal their relationships. Gendered Reconciliation In Let it Snow (2013), hotel proprietor Karla (Gabrielle Rose) gives some advice to the protagonist, Stephanie (Candace Cameron Bure): “Men aren’t good at compromising. Women are better at finding the middle ground.” On screen, compromise—of women guiding other characters to reconciliation—is widely identifiable. In The Gathering, Adam has a terminal illness and, resultantly, he wants his estranged children back in the family home together for Christmas. After receiving the invitation, son Tom (Lawrence Pressman) doesn’t want to go. Tom’s wife, Helen (Veronica Hamel), however, advocates for reconciliation: “If you won’t do it for her, will you at least do it for me?” In A Hobo’s Christmas, Chance wants to reconnect with his son; Charlie is uninterested, but Charlie’s girlfriend, Laurie (Wendy Crewson), is keen. “Those kids upstairs have a right to meet their grandfather,” she tells him. In Undercover Christmas, FBI agent Jake is home for Christmas with a witness, cocktail waitress Brandi. During the visit, Jake has a falling out with his father, Joe. Brandi convinces Jake to initiate a reconciliation. Jake’s mom (Tyne Daly) also tries to encourage this too. In Noel, after adult Jules breaks his own arm so that he can spend Christmas in the hospital where he had been for his favorite Christmas as a child, he is sent to see the female hospital psychologist, Dr. Batiste (Carmen Ejogo). Dr. Batiste encourages Jules to get in contact with his mom who he hasn’t seen since he was 14. In Angel in the Family, deceased mom, Lorraine (Meredith Baxter), returns to her family as a ghost to help heal the relationships between her daughters Sarah and Beth: “You need me, so here I am,” she says, recognizing, “Our family’s kinda fallen apart since I’ve been gone. Or maybe it happened before and I never noticed. Either way, I have to set it right.” In 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011), the protagonist, Laura (Elisa Donovan), helps to reunite her new love interest, Andy (David O’Donnell), with his estranged father, Harry (Michael Gross). In The Christmas Choir, Peter reconciles with his alcoholic father with the help of Marilyn (Marianne Farley), a woman he met at the train station. In 12 Gifts of Christmas, personal shopper Anna (Katrina Law) convinces her boss, Marc, to phone his sister, Yvonne, for Christmas. In A Wish for Christmas, Sara (Lacey Chabert) is instrumental in getting her boss—and future love interest—Peter, to reconcile with

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his estranged father. In A Firehouse Christmas, Jenny is key in convincing her colleague Parker (Benjamin Charles Watson) to make peace with his estranged father, Jason (Daniel Bacon): “Parker, you need to give him a chance. . . . He regrets what he’s done. . . . One day you’re going to want to know the truth. Maybe that truth will heal all the pain that’s inside you. Why not make that day today?” Jenny urges him. In A December Bride, Aunt Lorraine (Karen Kruper) takes it upon herself to broker a reconciliation between her niece Layla and her daughter Jessica (Pauline Egan). Jessica had “stolen” Layla’s fiancé. In Collateral Beauty (2016), Amy (Keira Knightley) is instrumental in convincing Whit (Edward Norton) of the importance of reconciling with his young daughter. Outside of brokering reconciliations between family members, in the aforementioned Silent Night, Elisabeth (Linda Hamilton) is credited with orchestrating a temporary truce between the soldiers; her adult son, Fritz (Michael Sinelnikoff), reflects, “Because of one woman a group of men came together as bitter enemies and parted again as friends.” While in these examples there is a strong gendered component to reconciliation, it should be noted that there are some examples where men serve in this function. While men doing so as angels is discussed in chapter 5, and Santa also occasionally functions in this role,73 Mrs. Miracle offers an example of a mortal man brokering reconciliation. Seth (James Van Der Beek), Reba’s love interest, is actually key in Reba reconciling with her sister Vicki. (That said, Reba returns the favor: she is key in getting Seth to show his sons photos of Mom, which he had been avoiding.) In Every Christmas Has a Story, Kate’s colleague and love interest, Jack (Colin Ferguson), is instrumental in convincing her to give her father a second chance, and in A Dad for Christmas, it’s Matt who ends up brokering reconciliation between his grandmother and mom, Lisa (Carolyn Dunn). Media theorist Sheila Whiteley comments that Christmas is a time when “sentiments of benevolence and goodwill are mobilised . . . the implication being that this is a period when personal and social conflicts can be magically resolved.”74 Here, Whitely alludes to a central reason why Christmastime reunions are so common on screen: they are fictionalizations of sentiments routinely associated with the season. Another explanation, and one related to the themes discussed throughout this chapter, is the all importance of family. It thus makes sense that family members are encouraged to find their way back to each other; that—in a genre where family is positioned as all important—the family unit is reassembled by the credits. This section focused on successful reconciliation. Such attempts, however, don’t always have happy endings. Discussed earlier was My One Christmas Wish: Jackie’s efforts to reconnect with her father failed, and the film ends with the two staying estranged. In The Christmas

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Bunny, reconciliation isn’t even attempted: Betsy and her daughter stay estranged. More commonly, however, failed reconciliations center on couples who were once romantically involved. In Better Off Dead (1985), for example, on Christmas Day Lane (John Cusack) phones his exgirlfriend who had dumped him. She, alas, had recoupled. Such failed attempts at romantic reconciliation also occur in Christmas at the Riviera and 12 Dates of Christmas. Discussed thus far has been the all importance of family. Another theme almost as important—and one that oftentimes references family—is home. In the sections that follow, the importance of home, going home and, notably, the recurring image of the small town on screen are explored. THE ALL IMPORTANCE OF HOME Miller writes that “Christmas may be everywhere but the only true Christmas is within one’s own home.”75 Theologian James Tracy identifies the role of the Knickerbockers in the United States in shaping not only the modern celebration, but also one where home is central: As a means of social control and in concert with emergent middle-class sensibilities, the Knickerbockers sought to transfer Christmas merrymaking from the public realm to the domestic sphere. . . . The major literacy vehicle for disseminating this new notion of a domesticated Christmas symbolically focused on Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts to children in their homes was, of course, Clement Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”76

The pivotal role of the home is also something examined by art historian Karal Ann Marling, who dubs Christmas a “domestic” festival: Christmas reminds everybody of home truths, of the particular sense of comfort and joy that Christmas cards represent with their pictures of ornaments and presents and snug little houses nestled in the snow, a curl of smoke arising from the chimney. It is the one occasion in the fitful progress of the year that calls upon us to consider domesticity and continuity seriously. . . .77

While the earlier, public space revelry of Christmas past is examined elsewhere,78 the domestic celebration championed from the 1800s onward is the standard way that the holiday is celebrated today: within homes. The importance of home on screen is portrayed in a range of films where this idea is simply verbalized. In An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010) for example, Tilly (Catherine Steadman) tells her fiancé, Gad (Kristopher Turner), “Home is where the heart is.” In Operation Christmas, Danielle

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asks her mother, “if we can spend Christmas at home this year. Like a real family.” In Finding Father Christmas, this point is articulated through reference to deviant celebrations: Miranda: My mother was an actress so we spend most of our Christmases in hotel rooms. Ian: That’s not exactly festive.

In Let it Snow, Stephanie’s memories of Christmas were similarly unfestive: Stephanie: I didn’t even get one day of Christmas growing up. . . . All of our Christmases were pretty much a store-wrapped gift bought by one of his assistants and a rubber turkey lunch at the restaurant in one of the hotels in the franchise [Dad] was running at the time. Not much magic in a Christmas like that.

This same point is reiterated in narratives where characters decide to travel for Christmas instead of staying home and celebrating “properly”: for example, in the cruises discussed earlier, in Christina’s plans to celebrate the holiday alone in a hotel suite in My Christmas Dream, or Eve’s boss, Elizabeth (Connie Sellecca), in All About Christmas Eve who articulates her own unfestive plans: Elizabeth: This Christmas when most people are sitting at home by the fire, wiping snot off the faces of their little ones, I’ll be on a red-eye to Aspen into the strong, capable hands of Hans. The best Swedish masseuse in the Western hemisphere.

While in these examples the all importance of home is verbalized, in others it serves an important narrative function. As discussed in chapter 6, while numerous narratives have foreclosure—on churches or inns or candy stores—as a theme, the most common presentation is the threat of Christmastime foreclosures on homes, as transpires in narratives including It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas, Ms. Scrooge, Secret of Giving, Baby’s First Christmas, The Christmas Cottage, A Christmas Romance, Frozen River, Christmas Ranch, Young Pioneers’ Christmas (1976), Bush Christmas (1983), Battle of the Bulbs (2010), 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012), Christmas in the Smokies (2015) and Wish for Christmas (2016). While such narratives are a way to make nods to Scrooge through mercenary bank managers, these films also make the case that home is the most important thing and that it needs to be defended aggressively. Equally, in narratives where the true value of home is not yet acknowledged, a threat to it teaches that lesson.

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In Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), a central plot point is patriarch Alonzo’s (Leon Ames) decision to move the family from St. Louis to New York. This makes his family—and ultimately Alonzo himself—realize how important their Missouri home really is; something Margaret O’Brien, who played Tootie in the film, commented on: Meet Me in St. Louis showed how the family came together and the father realized money wasn’t that important . . . he realized that it was much more important to just stay in their own hometown that they loved so much, that they had everything right there instead of looking for it somewhere else, and that the family was the most important, to keep his family happy.79

A variation on this transpired in The March Sisters at Christmas. The parents of the titular sisters want to sell the family home because the girls are grown and they can’t afford the upkeep on the crumbling house. The home means so much to the daughters that, with their parents away in Afghanistan, they commit to renovating it themselves. In Almost Christmas similar ideas are at play: with Mom dead, Dad wants to sell the family home; his children are aghast. Dad rips up the sale contract after the Christmas meal. The importance of home is also commonly presented via characters going home. In chapter 2 I discussed that the celebration of Christmas often necessitates a multi-generational celebration. Commonly an essential component of this is the younger generation going home for the holidays to reunite at least two generations. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS While home occasionally means things like “where the heart is,” in most narratives, going home involves returning to one’s ancestral home, which is almost never in a city; rather, it is commonly in a small country town, or, much less frequently a suburb. Many films—A Very Brady Christmas, Marry Me for Christmas, A Baby for Christmas, This Christmas, Love the Coopers, Almost Christmas, Mrs. Parkington (1944), Home for the Holidays (1972),80 Jingle Hell (2000), The Family Stone (2005), Together Again for the First Time (2008), Fanny, Annie & Danny (2010), Marry Us for Christmas (2014) and Merry Christmas, Baby (2016)—center on siblings (and often also their respective families) returning to their ancestral home for Christmas. Film theorist Susan Mackey-Kallis discusses this storyline in reference to It’s a Wonderful Life: That the film begins on Christmas Eve also emphasizes the home motif so central to our experience of the film. Christmas, like Thanksgiving, is a time

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of homecoming when friends and relatives, no matter how widely dispersed, come together to celebrate the holiday and familial love, often in a hometown setting.81

In Black Christmas (2006), Melissa (Michelle Trachtenberg) comments, “Everybody should be home for Christmas,” and a range of narratives do indeed depict characters back home for the season. Discussed earlier were films—Just Friends, A Christmas Detour, Four Holidays, Sunshine Christmas, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas and Marry Me for Christmas—where characters who haven’t been home for Christmas in several years make the trip back. Other narratives focus on fraught attempts to complete this journey. Both Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) focus on parents going to great lengths to get back home to their son, Kevin, who they had accidentally left behind over Christmas. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998) centers on Jake’s (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) journey—on a range of different transportation modes—to make it home in time for Christmas. In the vein of the Thanksgiving-themed Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), the German film, Zwei Weihnachtsmänner (Two Santas) (2008), centers on two strangers trying to make their way home from a Vienna airport in time for Christmas. The desperate desire to get home for the holidays is also a plot in Christmas horror films Dead End (2003) and Wind Chill (2007), whereby the journey home for the holidays is perilous. While characters going home for Christmas is almost ubiquitous, there are often themes in how this storyline is framed, specifically as related to the reasons motivating a return. In the sections that follow, returns after misadventure and for a specific project are explored. Returning After Misadventure In a range of narratives, characters return home not just because it’s Christmas and they want to see their families, but because something has gone awry in their lives and they seek a safe place to lick their wounds: as grandpa Marshall (Michael Hogan) in The Christmas Secret tells his recently returned-home grandson, Jason (John Reardon), “That’s what home and family is all about. A safe haven.” In A Smoky Mountain Christmas, overworked singer Lorna goes home to the Smoky Mountains to get away from the paparazzi: “I had never been so happy to be home in my life,” she says. Something similar transpires in Christmas in the Smokies. Mason (Alan Powell)—who has become a famous singer—goes on a celebrity reality dance show and performs poorly. He flees home to Pine Valley, Tennessee, at Christmastime, to lay low. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997), it’s been four years since his wife died, but doctor Michael (Robert Hays) is suddenly suffering from anxiety attacks so he takes his

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daughter to his small hometown of St. Nicholas in Iowa. In Eve’s Christmas (2004), Eve (Elisa Donovan) goes home to Oregon for Christmas for the first time in eight years after her affair with her married boss ends. In The Rooftop Christmas Tree, Sarah (Michelle Morgan) returns from the big city to her hometown of Rosedale following a break-up. In Christmas with a Capital C, Mitch returns to his hometown after two years away following a career failure. In A Christmas Wedding Tail, after losing her gallery job, Susan (Jennie Garth) returns to the small town of Los Olivos to be near her mother. In Fir Crazy, after being fired, Elise goes home to stay with her family at their tree farm. In A Christmas Melody (2015), after her fashion business in Los Angeles fails, Kristin (Lacey Chabert) returns to her home town of Silver Falls, Ohio. In The Christmas Note (2015), with her husband recovering in a military hospital in Germany, Gretchen (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and her son Ethan (Dylan Kingwell) move back to Gretchen’s hometown of Wilsonville. Such examples present home as a safe haven, as a return to one’s roots— and thus, presumably, to a more authentic self—and as a place where healing is possible. Molly (Lacey Chabert) actually references this when she returns home in The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), “My heart’s always going to be here. This place is what grounds me.” In chapter 6 I discuss authenticity in more detail; as relevant for this section, it relates to home being a place away from the artifice associated with cities. In his discussion of the American small town in cinema, Clapp notes, “[I]t was the sense of stability, security, and certainty that became the essence of the mythology of the American small town.”82 That a character could go home again—to a place where nothing much has changed—serves as a buoy in their world which is often perceived as changing too quickly. In Christmas Bounty (2013), for example, protagonist Tory (Francia Raisa) has been working as a schoolteacher in Manhattan, but she was once a bounty hunter with the family business. When Tory returns to New Jersey at Christmastime and reconnects with her family and ex-boyfriend, she realizes: “I’m still a bounty-hunting, criminal-collaring, occasional animal-print wearing Jersey girl.” The undercurrent is that home is the place where your true self can be (re)discovered. A version of this storyline is where leaving home can have a detrimental impact on spirit. In Christmas Caper (2007), for example, young Annie (Natasha Calis) tells her aunt, Cate (Shannen Doherty), “Mom says when you left here you lost your heart.” “Here” refers to the small town of Comfort, Connecticut. The fact that, at the end of the film, Cate commits to never missing another Comfort Christmas highlights that she, seemingly, thinks her sister might have had a point; that in leaving Comfort she lost part of herself. A similar storyline plays out in Christmas in the Smokies, when Mason explains that en route to becoming a famous singer, he lost himself along the way: “I lost touch. And I know

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that. I was thinking, I was hoping, that spending some time back in town would jog my memory.” Returning in what seems like a permanent way appears testimony to Mason finding his true self at home in Tennessee. In the examples discussed thus far, private life calamities lead characters back home. In other examples, a death serves a similar function. Characters returning home for the funeral of a parent is a relatively common plot in film,83 and thus it’s no surprise that it is a storyline often deployed. In The Christmas Wish (1998), Will (Neil Patrick Harris) has come home from New York in the aftermath of his grandpa’s death to organize his real estate agency: “I do feel I was meant to come back here,” he says at the Christmas party, stirring notions of fate (chapter 5) into his return. In Fallen Angel, Terry (Gary Sinese) returns home, at Christmastime, to bury his father. In A Christmas Reunion (2015), Amy (Denise Richards) and Jack (Patrick Muldoon) are reunited in their hometown for the reading of Amy’s aunt Linda’s (Catherine Hicks) will. The same storyline plays out when a character returns home to care for a sick or injured parent. In Home for the Holidays, the Morgan girls—who have not been home since the suicide of their mother years prior—return at their father’s request; he is ailing and thinks his new wife is trying to murder him. The catalyst for the storyline in How About You . . . has Kate (Orla Brady) going home at Christmastime to look after her ailing mother. In Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008), Nick (Tom Arnold) runs a Santa Village and is injured in a sleighing accident. His daughter, Holly (Candace Cameron Bure), travels from Boston to Chester, Vermont, to look after him. In Dear Secret Santa, Jennifer (Tatyana Ali) goes home to visit her father who has had a fall and needs to be looked after. In Santa Baby (2006), after her father, Santa (George Wendt), has a heart attack, Mary (Jenny McCarthy) returns home—for the first time in four years—to the North Pole to help him. These narratives function to highlight the importance of family and the necessity to care for loved ones. Such narratives are also another way to get a character—particularly a character who might be a workaholic like Holly in Moonlight & Mistletoe, Jennifer in Dear Secret Santa or Mary in Santa Baby—to come home for Christmas, to feel compelled to do so, often because the notion of a “last Christmas” looms large (chapter 2). Returning for a Task Aside from a family death or illness, characters often need an excuse beyond family to return home. In Diner (1982), for example, Billy (Tim Daly) returns to Baltimore at Christmastime for his friend Eddie’s (Steve Guttenberg) wedding. In A Christmas Wedding Date, workaholic Rebecca similarly leaves New York to go home to California for a friend’s wedding. More common is characters returning because they have a task

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they need to complete while at home, oftentimes pertaining to their career. In Christmas Caper, Cate returns home to look after her niece and nephew. In A Holiday for Love (1996), Jacob (Tim Matheson) is sent home to do an audit of a factory located in his hometown of Athens, Nebraska. This same plot transpires in All She Wants for Christmas (2006), where Noelle (Monica Keena) returns home to Forest City to consult at the town’s Christmas ornament factory. This plot was also used in Wish upon a Christmas, where Amelia (Larisa Oleynik) returns home for the same reason. In Christmas Cookies (2016) the return isn’t quite to a hometown, but nonetheless, Hannah (Jill Wagner) travels to a small town that she had holidayed as a child to close down a cookie factory. In The Christmas Cottage, Thomas (Jared Padalecki) and his brother, Pat (Aaron Ashmore), return home for Christmas to save their ancestral home. In A Christmas Proposal (2008), the couple at the center of the narrative, Rick (David O’Donnell) and his girlfriend, Reagan (Sarah Thompson), return to Rick’s hometown of Fillmore, Connecticut, to finalize a development deal. In Hats Off to Christmas! (2013), Nick (Antonio Cupo) returns from the city to his hometown to help out with his father’s Christmas store. In The Tree That Saved Christmas, Molly goes home to her family’s Christmas tree farm which is facing foreclosure; the same thing plays out in An Evergreen Christmas (2014). In Magic Stocking (2015), Scott (Victor Webster) has moved back to Gilford to rebuild the town’s gazebo. In A Wish for Christmas, Peter returns to his hometown to do a business deal with an elusive tycoon. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997), while Michael initially returns home for the holiday, later he returns to run the town’s hospital. A theme discussed throughout this section is characters sometimes not wanting to return home of their own volition, but rather, needing a reason to compel them to do so. In some examples, this is taken further where characters actually need to be bribed or tricked into returning. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998), Jake’s dad (Gary Cole) bribes Jake to come home: if he does so in time for Christmas Eve dinner he will give him his Porsche. In A Royal Family Holiday (2015), to lure their children home for Christmas, parents Leighton (Richard Lawson) and Alfreda (Debbi Morgan) fake their divorce. In Undercover Christmas, Jake’s mom phones to tell him his father had a heart attack. There was no heart attack, Mom just wanted him to lure Jake home. In Fred Claus, Fred is arrested and asks his brother, Santa Nick (Paul Giamatti), for bail money. Nick says he will give him the money if he will come home to the North Pole for a visit. As noted earlier, going home generally involves a return to a picturesque town not unlike It’s a Wonderful Life’s Bedford Falls. Such examples reflect the idealization of the small town in American cinema, something common in Christmas film.

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THE CHRISTMAS SMALL TOWN In Mark Glancy’s work on Christmas films, he makes an interesting point about the role of small towns: Whereas Dickens used London as the setting for A Christmas Carol and saw no incongruity between Christmas and the metropolis, in Hollywood’s Christmas films the settings are primarily small towns or farms, and large cities are imbued with values entirely at odds with the Christmas spirit.84

In reviewing hundreds of Christmas films for this book, I didn’t find Glancy’s statement true on the whole—as explored in chapter 6, big cities and especially New York City play a very important role—but Glancy’s point does have applicability in narratives where home, and especially hometowns, are central. While a small number of narratives allow for jibes about small towns, ultimately the small town is redeemed if not wholly revered. In The Miracle of the Bells (1948), protagonist Bill (Fred MacMurray) is visiting small town Iowa, and via voiceover says, “I wasn’t thinking of you that night, I wasn’t thinking about much of anything except what a cold and lonely place a small town can be on Christmas Eve.” While “cold and lonely” might paint a small town negatively for a visitor, it in fact also hints to close communities and the likelihood of families celebrating together, inside.85 In A Christmas Reunion, Amy leaves New York and goes home for the reading of Linda’s will. There, she is reunited with her childhood friend and ex-partner, Jack, who drolly criticizes her: “Heaven forbid you actually have to spend time in your home town. With us lowly people.” By the end of the film, however, Amy and Jack recouple and commit to staying in the town. In the do-over narrative Back to Christmas (2014),86 Ali (Kelly Overton) gets the opportunity to go back in time and change the trajectory of her love life. Going back—and going home for Christmas—she is reunited with a childhood friend, Nick (Jonathan Patrick Moore), and they reconnect romantically. In The Christmas Pageant (2011), Vera (Melissa Gilbert) is a Broadway director who gets fired from directing her latest play. The only job available to her is in Ashton Falls, New York. On Vera’s arrival she asks, “What is this perky McHappy town?” and later claims, “I’m in doily hell.” By the end of the narrative however, Vera finds love again with her ex-fiancé and decides to stay. Even in Magic Stocking, where Lindsey (Bridget Regan) comments about her hometown of Gilford, “In this town everyone knows everything,” and Scot says, “This is Gilford. Everyone is watching,” neither criticism is a genuine indictment on a town that both characters clearly love.87 In a range of narratives, the appeal of the American small town is verbalized. In A Christmas Wedding Tail, Susan’s head-hunter, Pat (Tom

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Arnold), tries to warn her about spending too much time in Los Olivos: “You know how those small towns are, they suck you in,” he cautions. The same point is made in A Prince for Christmas (2015), whereby a small-town innkeeper comments, “This town has a way of keeping people form leaving.” In other narratives, the appeal of the small town is shown. In those films where characters are sent to close factories or conduct business deals, ultimately, these are places where the characters ultimately want to remain. At the end of each of the Miracle on 34th Street (1947; 1959; 1973; 1994) films, Santa gives the Manhattanite couples at the center of the narratives a home in a small town: the home is presented as ideal, not just in comparison to their New York apartment, but as the perfect place to raise a family. The perfect nature of the small town is also referenced in Christmas under Wraps. Lauren, a doctor, only plans to stay in Garland, Alaska, until something better comes along. By the end of the narrative she decides to stay: “Going to Boston will make me successful but staying in Garland would make me happy.” Learning to appreciate, if not love the small town is a theme in a large range of narratives; the characters who fail to appreciate the virtues are invariably portrayed as antagonists.88 The recurring presence of not only the small town on screen—which has been well documented89—but notably the small town in Christmas films, can be explained by several factors. In Clapp’s work on cities in cinema, he discusses the small town: At the turn of the millennium only a small fraction of Americans were born, or lived and worked, in small towns. Yet despite their lack of experience with small towns, surveys of living location preferences often indicate that as many as one-third of the respondents express a desire to live and work in a small-town.90

While this is not the place to investigate these grass-is-greener sentiments, small towns are nonetheless often idealized, and therefore in Christmas movies—which are invariably positive and optimistic—a small town is a key component of a version of perfect domesticity. Similarly, mentioned repeatedly throughout this book is that most Christmas narratives eschew politics and try to remain both nice and conservative. As Clapp discusses, small towns are all about conservative values and, in turn, their presence subtly imbues narratives with these themes: Small towns and the farms, both prominent in America’s proximate paste, are closely associated with so-called bedrock American values that emphasize the family, fundamental religious (particularly Christian) values, neighborliness, patriotism, and self-reliance.91

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When protagonist Miranda in Finding Father Christmas, for example, visits the “picture perfect” small town of Carlton Heath, Vermont, she actually verbalizes a sentiment that exists as an undercurrent in a range of Christmas presentations: “I didn’t think towns like this still existed.” Alex (David Alpay) in Sleigh Bells Ring (2016) returns from New York to his hometown and makes the same point: “I sometimes forget places like Mission City still exist. . . . And yet, coming back here feels like the most natural thing in the world. Everything’s still the same.” Neighborliness and community, while not impossible to imagine in narratives centered in cities, is nonetheless presented effortlessly in films set in small towns where, seemingly, everyone knows each other and where everyone helps each other. Discussed earlier was Clapp’s point on the constancy of small towns, with them offering a “sense of stability, security.”92 On screen, one way this is presented is via characters coming full circle: being born in a small town, leaving for adventure and opportunity, and then ultimately coming home. RIGHT BACK WHERE I STARTED FROM In Holiday High School Reunion (2012),93 Georgia (Rachel Boston) goes back home for a Christmastime high school reunion. There, the reunion committee chairman makes a speech: Reunions are special because they allow us to go right back, reconnect and experience things just they way they were and be reminded of all the things we hoped for and dreamed of, and maybe even be inspired to go after those things we dreamed with new renewed hope.

Such an idea certainly has applicability to a range of coming-home narratives as discussed in this section as well as in the reunion narratives examined in the next. A key theme in The Wizard of Oz (1939) is that Dorothy (Judy Garland)—after all her wonderful adventures—comes to realize that there’s no place like home. While on a less grandiose scale, it is very common in Christmas narratives for small town characters to find themselves living in a big city; oftentimes it’s New York City (chapter 6). In A Christmas Melody, Aunt Sarah (Cathy Najimy) makes a quip about her niece, Kristin’s, return from Los Angeles to small town Ohio and, in turn, references the trope: “Small town girl returns from the big city.” In such narratives, city characters might have career success and material assets, but they tend to be missing something: Christmas spirit, sure, but often also love

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and close bonds. Such characters often leave their big city life—perhaps to see family or to fulfill a work assignment—and return to their small town (or even just a small town) and there, they are able to see the town and its inhabitants, with fresh eyes. In Christmas Caper, Cate is home in Comfort after years away. There, she reconnects with her high school boyfriend Hank (Ty Olsson). By the end of the narrative, and after finding love again with Hank, not only does Cate say, “I promise I will never miss a Christmas in Comfort ever again,” but she comes to an important realization, something which she verbalizes through a reading of a children’s book (which seems to narrative her own life): “So you see, you don’t need to go chasing up some beanstalk. The things that are most important are right here at home.” Molly in The Tree That Saved Christmas also makes a similar point after she returns from New York to her home town of Danbury, Vermont: “You know, I went all the way to New York City to try and find my dream and it was right here where I started.” In A Christmas Melody, mentioned earlier, Kristin returns to her small town of Silver Falls, Ohio. There, she reconnects with a high school friend, Danny (Brennan Elliott), and finds love and happiness and decides to stay. In Christmas on the Bayou, single mom Katherine decides to take her son from New York home to St. Martinville, a small town in Louisiana. By the end of the narrative, and after Katherine finds love, she says, “I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want in my life. Everything I want is right here.” Love links these narratives: small towns look a lot more attractive when something more than just white picket fences is offered. Even in Stealing Christmas, Jack makes a point about life in small towns, commenting, “Sometimes you have to leave so that you can learn how to come back.” Certainly these ideas underscore hometown reunions in numerous narratives. In Christmas Caper, A Christmas Melody and Christmas on the Bayou, women don’t just find love in their hometowns but love with someone from their past. Such examples fuse going home with a reunion, in turn providing another way to underscore the appeal of such a return.94 HOME TOWN REUNIONS In Sunshine Christmas, Sam returns home to small-town Texas for the first time in years. While there, he is reunited romantically with his old high school girlfriend, Cody. While Sam decides to leave again, as he’s riding out of town he has a motorcycle accident and the narrative ends with his father and daughter tending to him: it seems departing wasn’t so easy after all. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997), seemingly part of Michael’s decision to move home again was the opportunity to reconnect with his

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childhood sweetheart, Sarah (Ann Jillian), which, ultimately, he does. In Angel in the Family, ailing patriarch Buddy (Ronny Cox) wants to celebrate Christmas with his daughters in Trinity, a small mountain town were they once lived. While there, daughter Sarah (Tracey Needham) crosses paths with Alex (John Pyper-Ferguson), who always, apparently, had a crush on her. By the end of the narrative, Buddy and Sarah decide to stay in town; Sarah’s decision seems motivated by the possibility of love with Alex. In Just Friends, Chris hasn’t been home to New Jersey in ten years. The narrative ends with him kissing his high school best friend Jamie (Amy Smart) in his old street, alluding to the possibility of a more permanent return home. In The Family Stone, while home for Christmas, Amy (Rachel McAdams) reunites with ex boyfriend Brad. At the end of the narrative, when a year has passed, the Stone family has convened for Christmas once again and Amy and Brad are a couple. In The Christmas Cottage, Thomas goes home to help his mom save the cottage; there he reunites with his first love, Nanette (Tegan Moss), and by the credits he appears committed to stay. In A Christmas Proposal, Rick hasn’t been home in years, seemingly preoccupied with his career. When he returns to Fillmore he reunites with his old flame Lisa (Nicole Eggert). Rick eventually realizes that both his hometown and Lisa still have a hold on him. In Moonlight & Mistletoe, when Holly returns to her small hometown to look after her injured father, she meets his employee Peter (Christopher Wiehl). It turns out that Peter was a boy who, when Holly was a girl and worked in her father’s Santa village, she met and developed a crush on. By the end of the narrative, Holly finds love with Peter and appears set to stay with him. In A Christmas Wedding Date, upon returning home Rebecca is reunited with her ex Chad (Chris Carmack), who ultimately proposes to her. In Matchmaker Santa, Justin (Thad Luckinbill) goes to his family’s lake house for a Christmastime business meeting. There he reunites with an ex-girlfriend, Blaire (Elizabeth Ann Bennett), and the two recouple. In Christmas Bounty, Tory returns to New Jersey to visit her family and reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, Mikey (Mike “The Miz” Mizanin). In Marry Me for Christmas, Marci returns to her hometown for the first time in four years; there she reunites with Blair (Karon Riley) and they declare their love for each other and get engaged. In Wish upon a Christmas, in her hometown Amelia reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Jesse (Aaron Ashmore). By the end of the narrative she is committed to both helping him save his ornaments factory and also to resurrecting their relationship. In Almost Christmas, while home for Christmas, Rachel (Gabrielle Union) reunites with her high school crush, Malachi (Omar Epps). In This Christmas, Kelli goes home for Christmas and romantically reconnects with Gerald (Mekhi Phifer), who she used to go to high school with. In ’Tis the Season for Love (2015), Beth (Sarah Lancaster) goes home

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to the small town of Kern for Christmas. There she is reunited with her school friend Dean (Brendan Penny): by the end of the narrative they get together and she takes a job at the local school. The same thing happens to Georgia in Holiday High School Reunion where she finds love with her high school best friend at the class reunion. Just as in these examples, characters visit their hometowns and fall in love; in others protagonists simply visit small towns and fall in love there and decide to stay.95 First, these narratives each validate the return home, each presenting the simple idea that good things happen there. Equally, in many, a character who has moved from their small town to the big city returns and couples with someone who seemingly never left. In chapter 1 I discussed male characters who are involved with manual labor being presented as more authentic and a better partner; arguably similar issues are at play here: The One in these narratives turns out to be more real and more genuine because they didn’t flit off on any flights of fancy, but stayed home because that’s where the heart is. Equally, the person who stayed helps to provide the constancy Clapp discussed. Another element to these presentations is reunions with first loves. In chapter 5 I discuss the repetition of notions of fate and destiny in Christmas films. Such ideas apply to these narratives whereby a subtle notion of the first love being the most important is presented: that this is who you were meant to be with. In Moonlight & Mistletoe, Holly reunites and couples up with Peter, her childhood crush. In A Boyfriend for Christmas a similar presentation transpires: Holly’s perfect man was the boy she smiled at in a mall years prior. In my book Intimacy on the Internet: Media Representations of Online Connections, I discuss the stranglehold notions of serendipity have in idealized imaginings of meeting a partner.96 Such ideas have similar relevance here. Meeting his fiancé at a work mixer is perceived by David (K. C. Clyde) in 3 Holiday Tails as unsatisfying. The fact that David mentions this to his first love, Lisa—and the fact that the film ends with David proposing to Lisa on the beach—reiterates the enduring romance of first loves. The film also underscores this notion with Lisa stating that her mother had grieved for her husband’s death so severely because he was her first love. A variation on this are “real loves.” In A Christmas Detour this idea was discussed in an exchange between seatmates Paige and Dylan: Dylan: There’s a word that just makes me cringe. Soulmates. Out of billions of people on this planet you believe you’re destined to be with just one? Paige: I do. It’s called true love.

Outside of a fatalistic interpretation (chapter 5) is simply the difficulty of truly letting go of love, particularly that first one. In Merry Matrimony

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(2015) for example, Brie (Jessica Lowndes) is reunited with her college boyfriend, Eddie (Christopher Russell), who she hasn’t seen in seven years. Brie’s mother, Carol (Julie Khaner), prophetically comments, “Old flames can reignite very easily,” a comment applicable to Merry Matrimony, but of course, also to the other narratives discussed in this section where old relationships are restarted. With love such a common theme in Christmas films, it’s no surprise that romantic reunions are common. Other kinds of reunions, however, are also detectable. Non-Romantic Reunions In the British film A Midwinter’s Tale (1995), the narrative centers on actors putting on a Christmas concert. After the concert, several reunions transpire: Terry (John Sessions) reunites with his son and Nina (Julia Sawalha) reunites with her father. In A Holiday for Love, Jacob is sent by his boss to do an audit of a factory in Jacob’s hometown of Athens, Nebraska. There he reunites with his estranged father, Happy (Jack Jessop). In Finding John Christmas (2003), Hank (William Russ) went missing 25 years ago. He is reunited with his sister Kathleen (Valerie Bertinelli) and mother, Eleanor (Patricia Gage), in time for Christmas. Another reunion transpires in the narrative: Hank is reunited with Noah (David Cubitt), a man who—as a child—Hank saved from a burning building: a fire that haunted Hank because so many children had perished. In Tom & Thomas (2002), twins separated in infancy are reunited. In Elf (2003), baby Buddy (Will Ferrell) was taken in by elves. When he is eventually told he is a human, he tracks down his human father, Walter (James Caan), to New York. In The Note, Peyton is reunited with the daughter, Christine (Katie Boland), who she gave up for adoption in the aftermath of her husband’s death. In Christmas in Canaan (2009), after the death of his grandma, Rodney (Jaishon Fisher) was living with Daniel (Billy Ray Cyrus) and his family. In his teens, Rodney’s estranged mom comes to take him back home with her. Years later, as an adult, Rodney (Matt Ward) returns to visit Daniel and his family. In A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, the two estranged title characters, Harold and Kumar (Kal Penn), were former best friends who are reunited because of a misdirected package. In Holiday Spin (2012), Blake (Garrett Clayton) reunites with his estranged father, Ruben (Ralph Macchio), following the death of his mother, Roxy (Erika Eleniak). In Hearts of Christmas (2016), the Christmas party turns into a farewell party for Alice (Sharon Lawrence), the manager of a neo-natal unit: there, she is reunited with many families who she had helped over the years. A key theme in many reunion films—and in Christmas films more broadly—is forgiveness. In When Harry Met Sally . . ., upon returning

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from her comparatively depressing solo tree-shopping trip, her on-againoff-again friend/partner, Harry (Billy Crystal), makes contact. Harry suggests a Christmastime reunion with Sally via a message left on her answering machine: Harry: Hi, it’s me. It’s the holiday season and I thought I’d just remind you that this is the season for charity and forgiveness. And although it’s not widely known, it is also the season of groveling. So if you felt like calling me back, I’d be more than happy to do the traditional Christmas grovel. Give me a call.

The importance of forgiveness in Christmas narratives is articulated widely. In A Christmas Carol, Fred states, “I’ve always looked on Christmas as a good time, a kind, charitable, forgiving, pleasant time.” In The Sons of Mistletoe (2001), in one scene the protagonist, Jimmy (George Newbern), comments, “It’s never too late to forgive someone.” In Baby’s First Christmas Jenna tries to convince her adversary/love interest Kyle: “It’s Christmas, it’s time to forgive. People can change.” In The Christmas Spirit, journalist Charlotte writes an article where she claims that during the season “the world feels, well, more magical. People seem kinder, more forgiving, joyful.” In A Christmas Eve Miracle, the resort manager Kris (William “Bus” Riley) says, “Christmas is a celebration of love, forgiveness.” In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016), young Gracie (Giselle Eisenberg) tells her mother, Jackie (Mena Suvari), “it’s important to forgive,” in reference to Jackie’s relationship with her father. A cynical take on this is presented in A Christmas Horror Story (2015), where Taylor (Jeff Clark) has taken his family to visit his estranged Aunt Edda (Corinne Conley) to ask for money: “Christmas is all about forgiveness and family and tradition, if you just believe, if you let that spirit in, it fills you,” he tells the old woman. Similarly, in Bad Santa 2, Marcus (Tony Cox) pleads a case to Willie that Christmas is a season of forgiveness; Marcus had previously robbed Willie. In other narratives, forgiveness is explicitly depicted. In The Christmas Wish, Lillian was the woman who had killed Will’s parents in an auto accident. Will’s grandpa had regularly visited Lillian prior to his death; at the end of the film, grandma Ruth (Debbie Reynolds) visits her and explicitly verbalizes her forgiveness: “I forgive you too, Lillian.” At the end of Undercover Christmas, Brandi phones her mother—who had neglected her in favor of boyfriends—and says, “I know you tried, Ma.” In Chasing Christmas (2005), Jack (Tom Arnold) eventually thanks his ex-wife Allison (Sarah-Jane Redmond) for the good years of their marriage and forgives her for cheating on him, thus enabling him to move on from his Scroogeish ways. In A Country Christmas Story (2013), Jenny (Megyn Price) forgives her ex-husband Danny (Brian McKnight) for leaving, and by the

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end of the film the two appear intent on giving their relationship another go. In The Spirit of Christmas (2015), ghost Daniel (Thomas Beaudoin) forgives his brother, Harry (Brett Leigh), for murdering him. In this chapter the recurring themes of family and home were explored. While often these themes are associated with happiness, as noted, in some examples there is a link to unhappiness and tension. In chapter 4, these ideas are explored further where the darker side of Christmas is analyzed. NOTES 1. Sheila Whiteley, “Christmas Songs—Sentiments and Subjectivities,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 98–112, 106. 2.  Such an idea is articulated by formerly estranged son, Bud (Gregory Harrison), in The Gathering (1977): “This is my home. We always come home again.” 3.  Daniel Miller, “A Theory of Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 3–37, 11. 4.  James Chapman, “God Bless Us, Every One: Movie Adaptions of A Christmas Carol,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 9–38, 12. 5.  This film was also released as Shelby (2014). 6.  This film was also released as A Merry Christmas Miracle (2014). 7.  A male version of something similar transpires in Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987). Al (Hoyt Axton) conspires to reunite two estranged brothers by sending them on a road trip together. 8.  Child orphans appear in Christmas films including Bright Eyes (1934), All Mine to Give (1957), The Little Drummer Boy (1968; 2001), An American Christmas Carol (1979), Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979), The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (1985) (TV Movie), A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), the animated Santabear’s High Flying Adventure (1987), The Wish That Changed Christmas (1991), Santa with Muscles (1996), Annabelle’s Wish (1997), Buster & Chauncey’s Silent Night (1998), Little Drummer Boy (2001), An American Girl Holiday (2004), Home for the Holidays (2005), A Princess for Christmas (2011), Angel in the House (2011), the animated Christmas Is Here Again (2007), the Finnish Joulutarina (Christmas Story) (2007), The Family Holiday (2007), the animated Bratz Babyz Save Christmas (2008), The Christmas Hope (2009), The Three Gifts (2009), the Finnish animated Maaginen kristalli (The Magic Crystal) (2011), Christmas Oranges (2012), Christmas with Holly (2012), Hercules Saves Christmas (2012) and The Christmas Dragon (2014). 9. Alana Schetzer, “A Guide to an Orphan’s Christmas,” Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2014. Accessed October 24, 2016 from www.smh.com. au/entertainment/a-guide-to-an-orphans-christmas-20141216-128bh5.html; Lily Partland and Diana Hodgets, “Sharing the Cheer, and the Coffee, for Christmas ‘Orphans,’” The Age, December 23, 2014. Accessed October 2, 20–16 from http:// www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/christmas/sharing-the-cheer-and-the-coffee-for -christmas-orphans-20141223-12d1en.html.

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10. Joel Golby, “Things You Only Know When Your Parents Are Dead,” Vice, August 18, 2014. Accessed 18 October, 2016 from http://www.vice.com/ read/things-you-only-know-when-your-parents-are-dead-111 (Emphasis in the original). 11.  Jennifer Huget, “Orphaned at Middle Age,” The Washington Post, November 25, 2003. Accessed October 18, 2016 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/ar chive/lifestyle/wellness/2003/11/25/orphaned-at-middle-age/7f616a06-0b0c -418c-8c64-2905da707665/. 12. As discussed in chapter 5, in a range of other narratives, children make similar family-centered wishes such as reuniting parents or seeing estranged parents return home. 13.  William B. Waits, The Modern Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving (New York: New York University Press, 1993), xv. 14.  A rare example of a Christmas that pre-dates the modern celebration transpires in The Lion in Winter (1968; 2003) set in 1183 and centered on Christmas under the rule of King Henry II. 15.  Even in The Night Before (2015)—which focuses on the tradition of the three male protagonists going on wild benders each Christmas—this is their last one: Isaac (Seth Rogen) is about to become a father and, by the end of the film, their celebrations become more domestic. 16.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 33. 17.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 146. 18. In Christmas under Wraps (2014), Andy (David O’Donnell) speculates, “I thought Christmas was supposed to bring out the kid in all of us.” In Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014), Bill (Gabriel Hogan) actually says, “I love this time of year. It makes me feel like a kid again.” Folklorist Jack Santino discusses this in the context of belief: “For an adult to believe in Santa Claus is in a sense a return to childhood because belief in Santa Claus is the domain of the very young” (Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture [Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996], 145). 19.  This film was also released as Miracle in Manhattan (2010). 20.  The natural link between Christmas and children is why the British horror film The Children (2008) is so scary. Families converge to celebrate Christmas and then the children start to go feral, attacking the adults in brutal, murderous ways, thoroughly disrupting our expectations of the season. 21.  The connection of bars to vice also underscores the inappropriateness of a Christmas spent in such a place rather than at home. 22. Christmas as just another day is articulated widely. In Mrs. Santa Claus (1996), young Nora (Lynsey Bartilson) states that she hates Christmas: “Without my mother here, it’s just another day of the week.” In The Santa Trap (2002), spiritless mom Molly (Shelley Long) comments “Christmas is just another day.” In Chasing Christmas (2005), Jack (Tom Arnold) is a Scrooge boss. His workers ask him whether they can leave early on Christmas Eve, to which he responds, “Today is just like any other day around here. We all work our regular shifts and when we’re done we can go home.” In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), Ted (Sam Page) claims that Christmas is “just a stupid day to go with the other three

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hundred and sixty four horrible days that my year’s made of.” In A Christmas Song (2012), Diana (Natasha Henstridge) says, “Christmas is just a day.” In One Starry Christmas (2014), Adam (Paul Popowich) says, “It’s just a day on the calendar.” In Last Chance for Christmas (2015), Mr. Buckley (Tim Matheson), the Scrooge-ish developer, comments, “To you it’s Christmas Eve, to me it’s Thursday.” In Tangerine (2015), Razmik (Karren Karagulian) claims, “Christmas is for Americans. For us, it’s another workday.” The counter to these sentiments is characters realizing it’s actually not just another day. By the end of Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), Jen (Laura Vandervoort) says to her new love interest, David (Nick Zano), “I used to think that Christmas was just another day. I don’t want to spend another Christmas alone at home. I want to spend it with family. I want to spend it with you.” In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Kris (Edmund Gwenn) comments, “Christmas is not just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” In Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), Kris (William Morgan Sheppard) similarly says, “To me, Christmas is not just a date in the calendar, it’s a feeling. . . .” 23.  Will’s “celebration” can be likened to Jack’s (Tom Arnold) plans for Christmas in Chasing Christmas (2005), where he gets drunk, watches TV and eats frozen burritos: “I’m going to give this night the respect it deserves,” he says. 24.  A variation of this transpires in Operation Christmas (2016). Since her divorce, Olivia (Tricia Helfer) and her children have spent every Christmas away from home. “We haven’t spent a Christmas at home since Dad left. . . . We always spend Christmas somewhere else,” laments daughter Danielle (Megan Charpentier). 25. In The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012), nurse Nora (Connie Britton) mentions volunteering to work over Christmas because she doesn’t have a family. A slightly different presentation transpires in the British film Hector (2015). The title character (Peter Mullan) comments to the chiropodist (Ashley McGuire) that it was good of her to volunteer at the shelter over Christmas, to which she responded, “Yeah, well, you haven’t met my in-laws.” 26.  A rare counter example of this transpires in Love Actually (2003), when on Christmas Day, Billy (Bill Nighy) spends Christmas with just one other person: his best friend and manager, Joe (Gregor Fisher). 27.  While there is not much academic work on Christmas and the sex industry—thus, making it unclear as to whether, in reality, there is actually heightened use of such services during this period—radical feminist Sheila Jeffreys does allude to the connection briefly, identifying, “The use of brothel visits as bonuses in Australia was sufficiently startling to the media in the UK as to prompt a 2001 BBC News feature. . . . It pointed out that some of ‘Australia’s biggest retailers’ were offering ‘sex parties’ at brothels as Christmas bonuses” (Sheila Jeffreys, “The Sex Industry and Business Practice: An Obstacle to Women’s Equality,” Women’s Studies International Forum, 33 [2010]: 274–282, 277). 28.  This film was also released as Oh Christmas Tree! (2013). 29.  Something similar happens in The Family Holiday (2007). Con artist Donald (Dave Coulier) convinces two runaway foster kids to pose as his children, and hires a nanny, Elizabeth (Alexa Fischer), to pretend to be their mother. This faux family is designed to convince Mrs. Pendergast (Christina Pickles), the executor of Donald’s uncle’s will, to bequeath the estate to him now that he has cleaned up his act. By the end of the narrative, Donald and Elizabeth couple up for real and adopt the children.

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30.  This film was also released as Death Dorm (1982) and Pranks (1982). 31.  This film was also released as Expecting Mary (2010). 32. Lauren Rosewarne, “In Celebration of Ragtag Posses,” The Conversation, February 8, 2016. Accessed October 24, 2016 from http://theconversation.com/ in-celebration-of-rag-tag-posses-48585. 33.  This film was also released as The Castaways (1945). 34.  Jeffrey Richards, “Crisis as Christmas: Turkey Time, The Holly and the Ivy, The Cheaters,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 97–113, 111. 35.  This film was also released as Foster (2011). 36.  This film was also released as UFO Café (1990). 37. James A. Clapp, The American City in the Cinema (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013), 65. 38.  Derek W. McKiernan, Cinema and Community (New York: Palgrave, 2008), 4. 39.  Derek W. McKiernan, Cinema and Community (New York: Palgrave, 2008), 45. 40. Bob Welch, 52 Little Lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012), 48. 41.  Matthew Costello, “The Pilgrimage and Progress of George Bailey: Puritanism, It’s a Wonderful Life, and the Language of Community in America,” American Studies, 40, 3 (1999): 31–52, 32. 42. Jeffrey Richards, Films and British National Identity: From Dickens to Dad’s Army (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1997): 336–337. 43.  The same thing transpires in Angels Sing (2013), whereby Michael (Harry Connick Jr.) is disinterested in celebrating the season and his neighbors subtly harass him to put up decorations; eventually the neighbors actually rally together to help Michael put up some lights. 44.  Derek W. McKiernan, Cinema and Community (New York: Palgrave, 2008), 2. 45.  A reference to Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” (1970). 46.  The Romanian film Ho Ho Ho (2009) centers on an eight-year-old boy who gets lost in a mall on the day before Christmas. In Female Trouble (1974), Dawn (Divine) runs away from home on Christmas Day after not getting the gift she had wanted. Being a dark comedy—and one made by the infamous filmmaker John Waters—this film by no means follows conventional lines and thus, this isn’t actually a child-in-peril narrative. 47.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 4. 48.  Carol Siegel, Sex Radical Cinema (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2015), 198. 49.  This film was also released as Icetastrophe (2010). 50.  Nick Schager, “Why Child-in-Peril Movies Work,” Esquire, September 20, 2013. Accessed October 3, 2016 from http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/ movies/a24857/prisoners-kids-in-peril/. 51.  Nick Schager, “Why Child-in-Peril Movies Work,” Esquire, September 20, 2013. Accessed October 3, 2016 from http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/ movies/a24857/prisoners-kids-in-peril/. 52.  A similar point is made in a New York Times article about children-in-peril films, where Caryn James mentions The Flight of the Innocent (1992), commenting

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such a film “merely uses a child as a device to crank up emotion” (Caryn James, “Terrorize a Child, Pull a Crowd,” New York Times, October 21, 1993. Accessed October 3, 2016 from http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/31/movies/film-view -terrorize-a-child-pull-a-crowd.html). 53.  Nick Schager, “Why Child-in-Peril Movies Work,” Esquire, September 20, 2013. Accessed October 3, 2016 from http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/ movies/a24857/prisoners-kids-in-peril/. 54.  The same thing happens in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), with daughter Sidney (Katharine Hepburn) giving up on her own marriage plans to stay home and care for her mentally ill father. 55. A different runaway transpires in the German film Das Mädchen mit den Feuerzeugen (Cripples Go Christmas) (1987) about a group of paraplegics who escape their group home at Christmas. The search for a missing kangaroo is at the center of the Australian animated film Dot and Santa Claus (1981). The French film J’ai rencontre Le Pére Noèl (I Believe in Santa Claus) (1984) turns the tables and focuses on the search for parents who go missing on a trip to Africa. 56. The tussle over where daughter Sadie (Jaeda Lily Miller) should spend Christmas is a theme in A Firehouse Christmas (2016). The fraught nature of custody arrangements at Christmastime is also a theme in Snow Wonder (2005). 57.  David Llewellyn, “Is ‘Carol’ the Christmas Film of 2015?” Iris Prize, December 3, 2015. Accessed December 20, 2016 from www.irisprize.org/blog/is-carol -the-christmas-film-of-2015/. 58.  Worth noting however, the ending of Carol (2015) was still considered controversial: Moze Halperin, “The Brilliant Subversiveness of ‘Carol’s’ Conventional Ending,” Flavorwire, November 23, 2015. Accessed October 29, 2016 from flavorwire.com/548483/the-brilliant-subversiveness-of-carols-conventional-ending; Kate Arthur, “‘Carol’ Offers a Rare Ending for a Lesbian Romance,” BuzzFeed, November 26, 2015. Accessed October 29, 2016 from https://www.buzzfeed.com/kate aurthur/therese-wait-carol-spoilers?utm_term=.lqzwja5jn#.cy1L87n8D. 59.  This film was also released as Four Christmases (2008). 60.  This film was also released as Cooper’s Christmas (2008). 61.  This film was also released as Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story (1995) and Ebbie: A Christmas Story (1995). 62.  Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure (2003) and Christmas in Paradise (2007) provide exceptions whereby Christmas cruises aid in bonding. Something making these examples outlier, however, is that the whole family goes on the cruise. 63.  Jeffrey Richards, “Crisis as Christmas: Turkey Time, The Holly and the Ivy, The Cheaters,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 97–113, 97. 64.  The Christmas Swap (2016) present this idea through a body swap: two brothers—one who had stayed home to care for their elderly mother—swap lives (Christmastime body-swap narratives also transpire in Holiday Wishes [2006] and Christmas Trade [2015]). 65.  Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 157–175, 170.

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66.  This film was also released as The Engagement Clause (2016). 67. Kim Newman, “You Better Watch Out: Christmas in the Horror Film,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 135–142, 141. 68.  While only briefly alluded to, an in-the-closet son is mentioned in Will You Merry Me? (2008). 69.  This film was also released as Christmas Dove (1986). 70.  This film was also released as Smothered (2005). 71.  This film was also released as Me and Luke (2006). 72.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 5. 73. In A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), it turns out that Santa (Richard Riehle) was behind sending the package meant for Harold (John Cho) to Kumar’s (Kal Penn) address, ultimately instigating the narrative: “It was my little way of bringing you boys back together,” Santa reveals. Something similar transpires in Charming Christmas (2015): Nick (David Sutcliffe)—who turns out to be Santa in the end—manages to get colleagues Olivia (Vanessa Matsui) and Jessie (Ashley Leggat) to reconcile and then Jessie to reconcile with her mom. 74.  Sheila Whiteley, “Introduction,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 1–14, 1. 75.  Daniel Miller, “A Theory of Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 3–37, 30. 76.  James Tracy, “Introduction,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 4. Also see Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000). 77.  Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000), xii. 78.  Stephen Nissenbaum, The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996). 79.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 123. 80.  This film was also released as Deadly Desires (1972). 81.  Susan Mackey-Kallis, The Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001), 150. 82. James A. Clapp, The American City in the Cinema (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013), 60. 83.  Lauren Rosewarne, “This Is Where I’m Curious,” The Conversation, September 22, 2014. Accessed November 26, 2016 from https://theconversation.com/ this-is-where-im-curious-31940. 84. H. Mark Glancy, “Dreaming of Christmas: Hollywood and the Second World War,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 59–76, 60. 85.  This is alluded to in Back to Christmas (2014) when Ali (Kelly Overton) decides to stay in Los Angeles rather than go home for Christmas, quipping: “It’s Los Angeles. Where everybody spends Christmas together, just separate.” Here,

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her decision to not return to her small hometown is presented as problematic and needing of reform. 86.  This film was also released as Correcting Christmas (2014). 87.  Audrey (Erin Cahill) in Sleigh Bells Ring (2016) makes a similar comment about Mission City: “It’s a small town. Everybody knows everything.” 88. In A Christmas Proposal (2008), Rick (David O’Donnell) returns to his home town of Fillmore in Connecticut with his girlfriend, Reagan (Sarah Thompson). “You don’t think we’ll ever have to go back there, do you?” Reagan asks, hating the town instantly—declaring at different junctures “everyone’s stupid here” and “it’s like the Middle Ages”—and in turn, serves as the antithesis of the values of Fillmore and, ultimately, proving to be the wrong partner for Rick. This happens in a range of narratives. In The Christmas Card (2006), small town Faith (Alice Evans) is dating city slicker Paul (Ben Weber). When newcomer Cody (John Newton) arrives in town, it is clear that he shares Faith’s values, unlike Paul. The same thing transpires in Correcting Christmas (2014): Ali’s (Kelly Overton) boyfriend, Cameron (Michael Muhney)—with his big city dreams—is contrasted and condemned, in comparison with her old school friend, and, in turn, new love interest, Nick (Jonathan Patrick Moore). 89.  Kenneth MacKinnon, Hollywood’s Small Towns: An Introduction to the American Small-Town Movie (Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1984); Emanuel Levy, Small-Town American in Film: The Decline and Fall of Community (New York: Continuum, 1991). 90. James A. Clapp, The American City in the Cinema (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013), 59. 91. James A. Clapp, The American City in the Cinema (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013), 59. 92. James A. Clapp, The American City in the Cinema (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013), 60. 93.  This film was also released as Christmas Crush (2012). 94.  While rare, the rejection of the small town transpires in Will You Merry Me? (2008), in comments made by Henry (Tommy Lioutas) to his ex-girlfriend, Kristy (Reagan Pasternak), who seemingly expected him to move back home: “Home is a great place, but to visit. I don’t think I could ever live here again.” Equally, in All She Wants for Christmas (2006), Noelle (Monica Keena) is desperate to get out of the small town of Forest City, wanting to be “anywhere that isn’t here.” While she ultimately stays, she does get a job that gives her extensive opportunities to travel, which is presented as a happy compromise. In This Christmas (2007), while Kelli (Sharon Leal) returns home from New York for Christmas and finds love with a former high school friend, she decides to return to New York, albeit inviting her new love to join her. 95.  See for example 12 Men of Christmas (2009), Christmas Cookies (2016), Finding Father Christmas (2016) and A Christmas to Remember (2016). 96.  Lauren Rosewarne, Intimacy on the Internet: Media Representations of Online Connections (New York: Routledge, 2016).

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4 “I hate baubles and I hate tinsel and I hate ticky tacky” Stress, Sadness and Seasonal Depression

I

n one of the most beloved Christmas films, the animated A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), the title character worriedly comments: Charlie: I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I was supposed to feel. I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Flash forward half a century and a similar point is made in White Reindeer (2013) by the protagonist Suzanne (Anna Margaret Hollyman), “I just want it to feel like Christmas. Why doesn’t it feel like Christmas?” For many characters like Charlie and Suzanne, negative sentiments are intimately connected to, and often even caused by, the season. Charlie Brown’s musings are the starting point for this discussion: he doesn’t feel the way he thinks he’s supposed to; conversely, he feels depressed. As discussed throughout this book, most presentations of Christmas focus on the positives: on joy, generosity and feelings of goodwill. Occasionally however, the screen offers a counter presentation. In such films things like stress, relationship turmoil and breakups happen, leading to afflictions like Suzanne’s lack of Christmas spirit, Charlie’s depression, or much less commonly suicide. While bad things can happen at any time of year, having them happen at Christmas makes them seem much worse and notably, makes the unpleasantness exist in sharp contrast to the almost-mandatory holiday happiness. This latter point 251

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relates to another topic addressed in this chapter: the darker side of festive portrayals whereby the assumed pleasantness of the season is shattered by darker forces—sometimes violent—that seem additionally devastating at Christmas. AMPLIFIED AGONY In Mixed Nuts (1994),1 crisis hotline worker, Philip (Steve Martin), counsels a poverty-stricken and suicidal Felix (Anthony LaPaglia): Philip: You’re upset because it’s Christmas. Christmas is a time when you look at your life through a magnifying glass, and whatever you don’t have feels overwhelming. Being alone is so much lonelier at Christmas. Everything sad is so much sadder at Christmas.

Here, Philip introduces amplification: that Christmas exaggerates things, particularly life’s negatives. In Christmas Angel (2009), this idea is discussed. Nick (Bruce Davison) is a wealthy businessman who, after his marriage ended, saw the error of his workaholic and money hungry ways—like Scrooge—and now devotes his energies to helping others. In one scene he discusses the needy, making a similar point to Philip in Mixed Nuts: “During Christmas, things that they don’t have and need are much more on their minds.” In Trading Christmas (2011), amplification is also expressed in an exchange between Charles (Tom Cavanagh) and his accidental houseguest (and future love interest), Faith (Gabrielle Miller): Charles: I just don’t want to be reminded of . . . things, that’s all. Faith: That is the problem with the holidays. The good stuff is always so much better than it really is and the depressing stuff is always worse.

Embattled toy storeowner Ted (Sam Page) also references amplification in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011) when he says, “Christmas makes some people feel like failures at life, love and the pursuit of happiness.” While elsewhere in this volume amplification of the “good stuff” such as sentimentality (chapter 2) and magic (chapter 5) is explored, here the focus is on exacerbation of the negatives: on Christmas putting life—putting pain—through a magnifying glass and exaggerating it. While, of course, negative sentiments provide just another plot hurdle, they also reflect reality and the ability for Christmas to amplify the worst in life. Sociologists Peter Bramham and Stephen Wagg discuss the capacity for the season to amplify a mixed set of emotions:

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The ideology of love and intimate family relationships is amplified at Christmas time, although the reality of travelling home, present giving, meeting up and spending the holiday with family and Christmas dinner are all very likely simply hard work. . . .2

Just as expectations around love, family and happiness are amplified, so to can be the lack of these feelings. Writer A. A. Dowd in an A.V. Club article, for example, discusses amplified ambivalence: And that absence—of happiness, or just of the pure, uncomplicated joy Christmas brought as a kid—is amplified by a culture that insists on demanding that everyone feel unburdened during the final month of the calendar year. Turn on the television or stare into a storefront, and the message is clear: It’s Christmastime, so be happy. Is there anything lonelier than feeling sad when surrounded by constant cheerfulness, artificial or not? The cognitive dissonance is deafening.3

One of the presenters of the British talk show Loose Women (1999– ), Carol McGiffin, discussed this idea using the term enhancer: Carol: Actually, Christmas is a bit like booze, in that it’s an enhancer. So if people are feeling happy, Christmas is great, but if they’re lonely and they don’t spend Christmas with anyone, it highlights their loneliness and causes sadness and depression.4

Amplification, in fact, is addressed in a range of published works. Psychologist Sarah McMahon notes that “Christmas is, for many people, a sad or lonely time, which is amplified by the expectation of happiness.”5 In a Cosmopolitan article, Rosie Mullender discusses this in the context of break-ups, noting, “Being dumped when everyone else is cosily coupled up hurts more than at any other time of year. At least Valentine’s Day is just a single day, not an entire season.”6 Mullender quotes psychologist Gian Gonzaga, who furthers these ideas: Christmas is so family- and relationship-orientated, there are lots more things around reminding you about being together. . . . Plus it’s likely you’ll have made plans which have to be changed, so you suffer a physical loss as well as an emotional one.7

General practitioner Katie Rothwell also addressed amplification in her blog: Holidays can be especially hard for those who are missing a loved one. Their absence is felt more strongly than normal. Celebrating seems repulsive, happy memories and traditions seem empty and strange.8

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While, as discussed throughout this chapter, the evidence is mixed regarding whether Christmas is actually as hard as popular media sometimes implies—and certainly the notion of the link between suicide and Christmas is grossly overstated as explored later in this chapter9—nonetheless in real life, and as portrayed widely on screen, there is a perception that Christmas is emotionally difficult. The screen reasoning is that as a busy, if not stressful season, Christmas inflames existing mental health problems and puts excessive pressure on relationships. THE INHERENTLY DIFFICULT SEASON In Deck the Halls (2006), teen Madison (Alia Shawkat) comments about her younger brother, Carter’s (Dylan Blue), faux seasonal depression: “He does this every year. Starts acting all depressed so people feel bad for him and buy him bigger presents.” Something similar transpires in a brief scene from Fools Rush In (1997). At a workplace Christmas party, Alex (Matthew Perry) and colleague Jeff (Jon Tenney) go into a cupboard to celebrate a secret business venture. The two hug just as their boss enters. To avoid embarrassment (or for the hug to be misconstrued as sexual), the two offer up an alternate explanation: Alex: He just needed a hug, Sir. Jeff: It’s the holidays. They’re just so hard.

In both Deck the Halls and Fools Rush In, Christmas depression is joked about: Carter, Alex and Jeff each attempted to exploit—and mock—the assumption that the season is difficult. While most films discussed in this book do present narratives more closely associated with the positive aspects of the season, the focus of this chapter is when those negative sentiments get a run (even if they are generally overcome by the end of the narrative).10 In Away from Her (2006), the nursing home administrator (Wendy Crewson) explains why her facility doesn’t take new patients in December: “Christmas, you know, too many emotional pitfalls.” In Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), a department store security guard (Philip Williams) observes: “A lot of people have a rough time during the holidays. . . . That’s when we catch most of our shoplifters.” In The Night Before (2015), the drug dealer, Mr. Green (Michael Shannon), explains why he continues trading over Christmas: “A lot of people need me on Christmas. It’s a tough holiday.” Cultural theorist James Tracy similarly observes that “Christmas is experienced by most adults as a time of intensified stress.”11 This rough time of intensified stress is depicted widely.

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Christmas as Stressful Jingle All the Way (1996) and its sequel Jingle All the Way 2 (2014) make much mileage from fathers turning shopping into a combat sport by attempting to track down hard-to-find toys for their children while battling the chaos and crowds of malls at Christmastime.12 This same idea plays out in a scene in Santa Who? (2000). News reporter Peter (Steven Eckholdt) stands outside a mall asking shoppers about their purchases. Kids are fighting, adults are pushing past each other, cabs are being stolen. People are angry and stressed. Peter asks one woman about her experiences: Peter: What’s the best thing you got today? Female shopper: A migraine.

While in these examples, and the many others that present chaos in department stores,13 the stress—notably as related to commerce—is depicted visually. In others it gets verbalized. In A Christmas Kiss II (2014), protagonist Mia (Lola Glaudini) comments, “Christmas is hard enough to come out unscathed.” This view is articulated widely. In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), protagonist Kate (Amy Smart) falls and bumps her head and is rendered unconscious. Like characters in a range of Christmas narratives,14 Kate magically gets the opportunity to keep living her day over and over again until she gets it right. Early into her experience she visits her doctor (Martin Roach), worried that she has a brain tumor. Promptly she is diagnosed with “typical holiday anxiety.” In The Christmas List (1997), the typical nature of such feelings is discussed in an exchange between Melody (Mimi Rogers) and her friend and love interest, David (Rob Stewart), a psychologist: Melody: Christmas just seems to bring out the worst in my family. It’s gotten so bad I look forward to the holidays about as much as a rabbit looks forward to hunting season. Is that normal? David: Well, from a professional standpoint holiday stress is a lot more common than holiday cheer. Overexposure to relatives, unrealistic expectations left unmet, not to mention sugar overload.

Each of these examples presents holiday stress as a truism, a perception effortlessly identifiable in popular media15 and something that gets pathologized in a range of self-help books.16 Among these self-help titles is Allan Pease and Barbara Pease’s Why He’s So Last Minute & She’s Got It All Wrapped Up, where the authors contend that women and men manage Christmas differently.17 Certainly on screen, the notion of a gendered difference is detectable. With unemployment a theme in a range of films

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(see chapter 6), it’s perhaps no surprise that financial stress is frequently portrayed. Equally, with films generally presenting a very conservative depiction of the family—with the father commonly the primary breadwinner—stress about money is something exhibited mostly, although not exclusively,18 by male characters. In The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998), dad Bob (Walter Barret Robinson) is struggling financially and suggests that his family skip Christmas. Similarly, for fathers like James (Richard Thomas) in Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991), Angus (Robert Ulrich) in The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), Wayne (Patrick Swayze) in Christmas in Wonderland (2007), Scott (Colby French) in The Christmas Bunny (2010), Mike (Paul Essiembre) in The Christmas Heart (2012), David (Kevin Sizemore) in A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013) and Hank (Ed Helms) in Love the Coopers, men exhibit similar anxiety about keeping their family financially afloat at Christmas. Worth spotlighting, however, is that while in each of these narratives fathers are stressed at Christmastime, their stress is not actually about Christmas. Their stress is money related and is amplified by the season but seemingly not actually caused by it. Women, conversely, articulate stress specifically centered on the holiday. For the woman with the migraine in Santa Who? for example, she was stressed because the burden of Christmas shopping had, seemingly, fallen to her: something correlating with women’s real-life experiences.19 Women’s seasonal stress—sometimes which morphs into explicit negativity—is depicted widely. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), stressed mom Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) remarks, “I don’t know what to say except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.” In Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014),20 stressed mom Lilly (Natalie Lisinska), derisively comments, “This is what Christmas is all about. Sharing your misery with your family.” In The Christmas Clause (2008), stressed mom Sophie (Lea Thompson)—echoing Melody in The Christmas List—claims that the season “brings out the worst in everyone.” In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), stressed single mom Jennifer (Brooke Burns) laments, “I can’t wait for Christmas to be over.” Almost the same comment is made in Santa Who? by stressed single mom Claire (Robyn Lively): “I’ll be glad when the holidays are over.” In My Santa (2013), stressed single mom Jen (Samaire Armstrong) expresses the same sentiments to her neighbor, Suzie (Julie Brown): Jen: I am so sick of this time of year. I’ve had it. Suzie: Jen, you’re just putting too much pressure on yourself trying to make everyone else happy. Jen: Well yeah. That’s because everyone else is happy happy happy and I’m, I don’t know, I’m lonely.

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In Fanny, Annie & Danny (2010), family matriarch, Edie (Colette Keen), perceives herself as under excessive holiday pressure: “I just want everything to be nice, that’s all I want. Nice for you, nice for the kids. One Goddamn day of the year. Is that too much to ask?” As Edie’s daughter, Annie (Carlye Pollack), delicately observes, Mom “gets nervous on Christmas.” In Holiday Switch (2007), mom Paula’s (Nicole Egger) loathing for Christmas is noted by her daughter, Eleanor (Maya Ritter), “Mom hates Christmas. It always puts her in a bad mood.” Women’s troubles around the holidays are similarly identifiable in Eastern Promises (2007), when Anna (Naomi Watts) asks her mother, “Mom, are you okay?” to which Helen (Sinéad Cusack) responds, “Of course not. It’s Christmas.” In the Australian Christmas film Crackers (1998), stressed single mother Hilary (Susan Lyons) takes this substantially further, claiming simply, “I hate Christmas. I hate it.” The title character (Denise Gough) in the British crime drama Paula (2017) makes the same claim. While these examples each point to the well-established idea of Christmas being stressful, they each notably make the point that it is uniquely stressful for women. As mentioned, women disproportionately do the shopping for the season and in fact, generally do most of the Christmas labor in its entirety, and this can leave them feeling stressed and sometimes even resentful. Gendered Christmas Stress In the opening of Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010),21 Holly (Jewel Staite) suggests to her nephew, Gabe (Quinn Lord), that they go shopping and bake cookies. “Cookies and shopping?” he echoes, “You know I’m a boy right?” This exchange provides a good introduction to the highly gendered nature of Christmas labor whereby women commonly undertake tasks fundamental to the celebration such as baking and decorating. In her book Merry Christmas!, art historian Karal Ann Marling tells a story about former First Lady, Nancy Reagan: Nancy Reagan liked the official White House Christmas card for 1981, a Jamie Wyeth painting of the Executive Mansion on a snowy Christmas Eve with a single light burning on an upper floor. The picture looked, said Mrs. Reagan, as though “everyone else had gone to bed and I was still up in my dressing gown wrapping presents.” Men on the other hand, have generally been assumed to be inept with paper and scissors.22

Men’s ineptness with paper and scissors—as well as baking and other festive preparations—is indeed detectable in film. In Meet the Santas (2005), Nick (Steve Guttenberg), who is the incoming Santa, assumed that his

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fiancé, Beth (Crystal Bernard), would take over the North Pole duties like gift wrapping once they get married: “That will be Beth’s department,” he says, definitively. In the opening scene of Surviving Christmas (2004), a man struggles, unsuccessfully, to wrap gifts, hurling a particularly poorly wrapped present out of the window. In Exit Speed (2008), it’s Christmas Eve and Sam (Desmond Harrington) is on a bus, struggling to wrap a present for his son. In A Firehouse Christmas (2016), even though he had seemingly managed to decorate his entire house for the season, in a brief scene James (Bruce Dawson) tries, unsuccessfully, to wrap a gift for his granddaughter. In The Christmas Heart, with his sick son in hospital and his wife at his son’s bedside, Mike is left at home alone struggling to wrap the presents. These men’s struggles with wrapping paper are examples of a range of scenes where men are shown as seasonally incompetent. In A Christmas Melody (2015), protagonist Kristin (Lacey Chabert) is assisted in trimming her tree by her male schoolfriend, Danny (Brennan Elliott); in one scene he calls tinsel “lint.” In A Perfect Christmas (2016), grandpa Jerry (Neil Crone) challenges grandma Patricia (Erin Gray) to a popcorn-garland threading competition. Patricia wins overwhelmingly: “I just happen to be the fastest needler in my knitting group,” she gloats. In On Strike for Christmas (2010), while mom, Joy (Daphne Zuniga), is on strike for the season, dad Stephen (David Sutcliffe) is left with many of the Christmas chores: cue scenes of him trying—and failing dismally—to bake Christmas cookies. In Meet the Santas, without a Mrs. Claus, Nick/Santa has to do the holiday baking himself: “I was in the kitchen half the night and they’re hard as hockey pucks. Two of the elves broke their teeth!” he complains. In The Santa Clause (1994) such domestic incompetence is taken substantially further. After single dad Scott (Tim Allen) attempts to cook Christmas dinner for him and his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), he makes a terrible mess, including burning the turkey and himself. The two decide to go to Denny’s instead. On arrival, they are ushered to a room where a range of other men—presumably single fathers—sit with their children, each seemingly also having ruined Christmas dinner. “Burn the turkey?” Scott asks one of the men, who responds by raising a bandaged arm. On those rare occasions when men do successfully make Christmas dinner— for example in My Santa or Snow (2004)—Santa uses magic powers. In Christmas with the Kranks (2004), husband Luther (Tim Allen) acquiesces to going into the supermarket to pick up last-minute provisions for his wife, Nora’s (Jamie Lee Curtis), holiday baking. Luther returns having failed to get one of the key ingredients. Luther’s obviousness to the problem posed paints him as foolish and oblivious to the effort that goes into the season. In Meet the Santas, apparently gift selection is also a “Mrs. Claus job,” as explained by head elf, Ernest (Armin Shimerman): “Ever since

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then, all the Mrs. Clauses have picked out a present that suited each individual child perfectly.”23 The gendered nature of Christmas labor is aptly demonstrated with men’s inability to pick appropriate gifts. In Christmas at the Riviera (2007), on Christmas morning, Rita (Barbara Flynn) gives her husband, Maurice (Warren Clarke), a set of engraved cufflinks. He gives her a toaster. In Jingle All the Way, after the credits roll, it is revealed that Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in fact completely forgot to get his wife, Liz (Rita Wilson), a present. In Let It Snow (2013), The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015) and 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015), men’s difficulty in buying presents is portrayed through them outsourcing the seemingly domestic and feminine tasks of Christmas to women. Men getting women to do the labor of Christmas actually happens widely. In The Tree That Saved Christmas, Walter (Jim Thorburn) recruits party planners to decorate his townhouse; in The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013), Tony (Robin Dunne) similarly outsources the trimming of his tree: “I leave things to the professionals,” he says. In One Starry Christmas (2014), Adam (Paul Popowich) buys his tree pre-decorated. These scenes can be interpreted in a range of ways. An obvious undercurrent is that men are portrayed as they are in domestic media such as advertising: as hopeless fools. In previous work I have discussed the recurrent presentation in television commercials of the hapless husband “who can’t empty the bin, can’t plait [his] daughter’s hair” and who doesn’t give a “damn about the small stuff. The domestic stuff.”24 Given the disproportionately female audience for Christmas films as discussed in chapter 1, there is an obvious interpretation for these depictions as pandering to an audience of likely female homemakers.25 Other explanations however, are also possible. Another interpretation is that Christmas simply doesn’t come as easy to men as women, that it isn’t as important to them or that they don’t feel the same burden of it. The opposite, however, is apparently true for women: that they have innate seasonal aptitude. In chapter 2 I discussed the recurrent theme of women’s affinity with Christmas and their supposed natural giftedness at making the season happen: for example, through holiday decorating. Similarly, as noted in 12 Gifts of Christmas and A Gift Wrapped Christmas, women are sometimes portrayed as so naturally talented at tasks like gift buying that they occasionally even do the job professionally. Food preparation is another example where women’s “natural” abilities shine. While women work professionally in the food and hospitality industries in a broad range of narratives,26 they are also the ones who prepare the domestic Christmas feast. The gendered nature of such Christmas labor is discussed in A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1987), when the young Geraint (Jesse McBrearty) narrates the Christmas Day activities of his home:

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Uncles sat in front of the fire, loosened all buttons, put their large moist hands over their watch chains, groaned a little and slept. Mothers, aunts and sisters scuttled to and fro, bearing tureens.

A range of other examples similarly show women doing the work of Christmas. In Meet the Santas, Nick’s mom—the former Mrs. Claus (Marcia Ann Burrs)—tells Beth, Nick’s future wife: “I saw on the back of the pantry door . . . the recipe for Mrs. Claus’s cookies. It’s on the pantry door in the kitchen at the North Pole. Nick can’t see it because he’s not a Mrs. Claus. But you will.” Here, that Mrs. Claus can “see” a recipe that Santa can’t alludes to both the idea of “domestic blindness,”27 but also women’s innate abilities. A different “womanly” Christmas talent is on display in The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010). The premise is that Santa (R. D. Reid) has crashed his sleigh into the backyard of the Fox family and is suffering from amnesia. On Christmas Eve, when it is time for his gift run, Fox family matriarch Angela (Jennifer Beals) tries to help Santa and seems to know instinctively what is needed to jog his memory. Once she starts to “mother” him—fussing over him like Mrs. Claus (Marcia Bennett)—his memory starts to return. When Angela presents him with a framed photo of him and his wife his memory returns completely. Here, Angela’s gendered contribution is relatively subtle—and is an example of women’s participation in emotional work28—but in numerous other films, women’s roles in making Christmas happen is something not only witnessed by others but also spoken of. In The Perfect Holiday (2007), by the end of the narrative, J-Jizzy (Charlie Murphy) finally acknowledges the Christmas contributions of his ex-wife, Nancy (Gabrielle Union), when he tells his son, John-John (Malik Hammond): “You oughta be with your mom. You know, she got this whole holiday thing down to a science. Fact is she always did.” Adam (Brendan Fehr) in A Christmas Kiss (2011) reflects on the Christmases of his childhood and comments, “My grandmother made it pretty special. . . . She always made Christmas so warm and homey. Not exactly an easy feat in this household.” In Catch a Christmas Star (2013), Chris (Steve Byers) also discussed women’s holiday aptitudes in comments about his deceased wife: “I think the holidays are still the hardest. Kate, she just knew how to make them really special.” Grandpa (Bruce Dern) in Pete’s Christmas (2013) makes a similar point to his grandson, Pete (Zachary Gordon): “Your grandma could really make a Christmas.” In each example, the work of Christmas—the success of Christmas—is acknowledged as being women’s work. Whereas I didn’t come across examples where dad is discussed as making Christmas special29—although Clark (Chevy Chase) in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) does indeed try, and fail, to do so—Mom or Grandma achieving this is a standard presentation. Such depictions illustrate well some

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of the ideas discussed by historian William Waits, who documented a progressive “feminization of Christmas” where, since 1880, women have taken on a greater role in Christmas “because they were also beginning to do most of the nation’s regular, year-round shopping.”30 An extension of Waits’s comment is women, more generally, doing a disproportionate amount of domestic work and thus, with Christmas being a distinctly domestic event,31 they are simply connected more closely to the season. In many films it appears that women actually enjoy their role in making Christmas happen—in a range of narratives, for example, they are shown relishing in food preparation like holiday baking32—and in some films their love of the season is verbalized.33 In others the presentation is a little more mixed. In A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), Meg (Alicia Witt) makes a comment, “Christmas is not for the Elves,” implying that the elves’ job is to make Christmas “special for everyone else.” Arguably this is the same situation for mothers and, in turn, hints to why they often feel resentful: that the work of Christmas falls to them. Hilary in Crackers and the title character in Paula pronouncing that they hate it, for example, exists at the extreme end of the spectrum, but other similar-sentiment presentations also transpire. In Pete’s Christmas, mom Pamela (Molly Parker) is the family’s sole breadwinner and, seemingly, the only person doing any of the Christmas work: “Just because I have to work today doesn’t mean I’m not going to try and make this Christmas special,” she says, already sounding fatigued. Women doing double duty—that is, work in the labor market and work at home—or triple duty if the work of Christmas is included—is widely identifiable. In Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), disgruntlement about this burden is voiced. During Christmas dinner, matriarch Anna (Elizabeth Peña) announces that she is divorcing her husband, Edy (Alfred Molina). Within the same pronouncement, she also chides, “Who do you think kept all of this together?” she asks rhetorically, referring, seemingly, to Christmas, “I don’t need this.” While Anna isn’t uninterested in Christmas—in fact, she seemingly reaps great joy from bringing her family together—she doesn’t feel that her contributions have been suitably acknowledged. In Love Always, Santa (2016), after sisters Celia (Marguerite Moreau) and Helen (Sara Marsh) prepare the Thanksgiving meal, the following exchange transpires: Celia: Sixty years of feminism and we’re the ones washing the dishes. Helen: You know what mom used to say: married women don’t hide in the kitchen because we have to but because we want to.

While women doing triple duty is one interpretation of these scenes— reflecting reality and, notably, the likely perceptions of the female audience—another, more controversial reading is women serving as Christmas

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martyrs. In a Sunday Times article, Viv Groskop writes, “’Tis the season, basically, for extreme martyrdom, copious muttering and much cursing under the breath of all persons who are not doing as much as we are.”34 Áilín Quinlan makes a similar point in the Irish Examiner: Everybody else is smiling. Replete with your good food, lazing by your roaring fire, enjoying the post-Christmas somnolence as they read their Christmas books, gobble fistfuls of Roses and watch their Christmas DVD. Everybody’s relaxed. You’re not. . . . You don’t have time to relax. You’re the Mammy. Somebody has to hoover up all the pine needles on the carpet. Somebody has to make stock out of the turkey carcass or else dump the thing. Somebody has to deal with the cold Brussels sprouts, clean out the ashes, set the fire and fill the coal scuttle.35

While Pamela in Pete’s Christmas illustrates the Christmas martyr archetype well—in one scene, exhaustedly commenting, “The Kidder family is going to keep its Christmas traditions or die trying”—it’s also detectable in other narratives. In Make the Yuletide Gay (2009), after the Christmas meal the boys compliment mom, Anya (Kelly Keaton), on dinner, to which she replies: “It was nothing. Just weeks of planning and four hours of hard work this morning. . . .” In Merry Ex-Mas (2014), another example of martyrdom is evident in a brief exchange between the separated couple, Noëlle (Kristy Swanson) and Jessie (Dean Cain): Noëlle: You always left the decorating up to me. Jessie: You told me to stay out of it. Noëlle: Well you didn’t do it right.

A different spin on this is women’s seasonal self-sacrifice, as illustrated in the “Gift of the Magi” segment of O’Henry’s Full House (1953), as well as in Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus. In Full House, to afford Christmas presents for each other, newlyweds Jim (Farley Granger) and Della (Jeanne Crain) make sacrifices: while Jim sells his pocket watch, Della goes so far as to sell all of her hair. In Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, to have enough wool to knit her husband and children presents for Christmas, Evie (Tamsin Kelsey) unpicks the wool from the shawl that her mother had bequeathed her. A somewhat different self-sacrifice transpires when single women are expected to work over Christmas because they don’t have a family. In While You Were Sleeping (1995) for example, protagonist Lucy’s (Sandra Bullock) boss, Jerry (Jason Bernard), asks her to work because she’s single:

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Jerry: Look, Violetta is sick and Celeste can’t switch because she’s got some big family thing. And I promised my kids I’d be there for them this year. Lucy: It stinks, Jerry. Jerry: I know it isn’t fair, and I can’t make you do it. But, Lucy, you’re the only one— Lucy: Without family.

In Secret Santa (2003), the same thing transpires. Rebecca (Jennie Garth) is a newspaper reporter whose boss sends her to a small town to cover a Christmas story. “You assume, as usual, because I’m single I have nothing better to do for the holidays,” Rebecca retorts to her boss, Bob (Victor Raider-Wexler). The same plot is used in Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010). In The Spirit of Christmas (2015), Kate (Jen Lilley) is always handed work over Christmas because “I never have Christmas plans.” In The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012), unpartnered Nora (Connie Britton) volunteers to work over the holidays. In these examples, single women “take one for the team” and work because they don’t have the same demands on their time. A different female self-sacrifice transpires in Little Women (1933; 1949; 1994). On Christmas morning, the March sisters—upon hearing of the plight of their struggling neighbors—pack up their long-awaited Christmas breakfast and deliver it to the Hummels. This scene can be interpreted as charity (akin to similar examples discussed in chapter 1) and also functions as an example of women routinely giving of themselves and going without. The Ref (1994) offers a different Christmastime martyrdom portrayal. Toward the end of the film, frustrated husband, Lloyd (Kevin Spacey), finally has an outburst at his mother, Rose (Glynis John), where part of his accusations center on her being a martyr: Lloyd: You know what, Mom? You know what I’m gonna get you next Christmas? A big wooden cross. So every time you feel unappreciated for all your sacrifices you can climb on up and nail yourself to it.

An additional element to festive martyrdom is gendered perfectionism whereby—as hinted to in the exchange in Merry Ex-Mas—women not only take on all the Christmas tasks but want them done to a certain standard; a topic addressed by historian Gerry Bowler: Martha Stewart has a lot to answer for. . . . The celebrity decorator’s elaborate table settings, menus, centerpieces, and holiday knickknacks seem to have driven many a homemaker to fits of perfectionism that drive the rest of her family to despair.36

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In a range of narratives, the gendered preoccupation with perfecting Christmas—something problematized by psychotherapist Martin Padovani37—is explored. Quoted earlier, for example, was the frustration expressed by Edie in Fanny, Annie & Danny: “I just want everything to be nice, that’s all I want. . . . One Goddamn day of the year.” Nice in this example can center on the menus and tchotchkes discussed by Bowler, but can also hint to holidays being made nice for family members; of women being preoccupied with managing the enjoyment of others; of them, again, doing the emotional work. In The Christmas Cottage (2007), mom Maryanne (Marcia Gay Harden) says, “I just want this Christmas to be really special, memorable.” In Our First Christmas (2008), while both parents Cindy (Julie Warner) and Tom (Steven Eckholdt) juggle the competing demands of their family, it is Cindy who appears to feel the pressure more: “I want everyone to have a great Christmas and for everyone to be happy again.” In Santa Baby (2006), Mary (Jenny McCarthy), daughter of Santa (George Wendt), laments, “I wanted Christmas to be perfect.” Mary, seemingly, put herself under much more pressure than her father ever did; as he responds, “Oh, when is Christmas perfect?” In Will You Merry Me? on discovering her future daughter-in-law is a vegetarian, Marilyn—desperately trying to find something to make that doesn’t contain meat—says, “I really just wanted this to be perfect.” In A Christmas to Remember (2016), protagonist Jennifer (Mira Sorvino) bemoans the “pressure to be perfect” that she feels at Christmas. In One Christmas Eve (2014), Nell (Anne Heche) is a newly divorced, single mom and justifies all the stressed effort she’s putting in for Christmas: “I just want it to be special. I want the kids to have great memories.” In On Strike for Christmas, mom Joy claims, “I want this Christmas to be the best Christmas ever.” In the opening of Love the Coopers, Rags the dog (Steve Martin), narrates “As Charlotte Cooper [Diane Keaton] set out her 37th snow globe, trying to create the perfect Christmas for her family. . . .” Later, Charlotte herself comments, “I want the kids to have the memory of one last perfect Christmas.” In On Strike for Christmas, this preoccupation with perfection is actually at the heart of the narrative. At the start of the film it is established that Joy is sick of doing all the work for Christmas: Joy: I bend over backwards to make Christmas and everything else nice for this family. And none of you seem to care. I don’t think you appreciate how much work goes into this time of year. . . . You seem to love Christmas but you seem to take for granted that it all gets done. And it’s not fair. . . . You should want to pitch in and stop making me the nagging mom and wife.

In one scene Joy visits a neighbor, Sharon (Chelah Horsdal), who shares Joy’s holiday stress, commiserating, “If I don’t do it it doesn’t get done,” she says. Sophie in The Christmas Clause verbalizes similar burdens:

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Sophie: These last few years, Christmas seems like another sugar-coated to-do on my already bloated list. Women everywhere are expected to conjure their inner Marthas and do it all. Mommies slash supermodels. Gourmet chefs.

In Help for the Holidays (2012), mom Sara (Eva LaRue) describes Christmas as “a whole lot of work.” In Home Alone (1990), perfection centers around planning the perfect vacation. When son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left at home during the chaos of his family’s trip to France, it’s his mom, Kate (Catherine O’Hara), who sees the situation as her fault: “What kind of mother am I?” she asks. Kate is the one who elects to spend the night in the Paris airport waiting stand-by for a return flight home while her husband, Peter (John Heard), goes to the hotel. While women are doing the work of Christmas in these narratives, the high standard to which they want it done—and the responsibility they seem to harbor for everyone else’s enjoyment—appears at least partly linked to their martyrdom: that perfection is a female problem, rather than something expected of, or imposed on them; something illustrated particularly well in The Christmas Consultant (2012). The couple at the center of the narrative—Maya (Caroline Rhea) and Jack (Barclay Hope)—are stressed workaholics who hire the titular character, Owen (David Hasselhoff), to organize their Christmas. Interestingly, as the narrative progresses, Maya actually becomes resentful of Owen, eventually accusing him of “grandstanding”: Maya: Thank you for decorating our house so brightly that the airport called to complain that we’re actually distracting planes. Oh, and thank you for playing matchmaker with our daughter because apparently I failed at that too. And thank you for showing me up in front of my son . . . I can’t always be the perfect homemaker and the perfect executive and a mother and a wife. . . .

A similar scene transpires in Help for the Holidays. Christine (Summer Glau) is an elf sent from the North Pole to help as a nanny for the workaholic couple, Sara and Scott (Dan Gauthier). In one scene, Christine and Uncle Dave (John Brotherton) put up the Christmas tree. When mom, Sara, arrives home and sees the already trimmed tree, she reprimands Christine, saying, “I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.” These ideas also play out in Sleigh Bells Ring (2016), when Laurel’s (Erin Cahill) ex-boyfriend, Alex (David Alpay), and her daughter, Scarlett (Dakota Guppy), decorate the tree while Laurel is at work; while unspoken, Laurel seems perturbed to have been left out. In these films, working mothers don’t have time to do all the labor of Christmas themselves and yet, seemingly, have internalized the pressure that they should do everything and in turn feel usurped when other people undertake the toil. Equally,

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even when responsibilities are delegated, often the efforts of others don’t measure up to the standards set by the women. Such self-imposed pressure is discussed in several examples. In Looks Like Christmas (2016) for example, Jill (Samantha Ferris) asks her best friend, Carol (Anne Heche), about her manic Christmas preparations: “Why do you put so much pressure on yourself?” In On Strike for Christmas mom Joy eventually acknowledges the pressure she puts herself under: “I thought Christmas had to be perfect . . . I put a lot of pressure on myself and my family in the process. . . .” Such perfectionism, in turn, leads women to harshly judge the “help” provided by others. As discussed earlier, in Christmas with the Kranks, while Luther might have agreed to do the supermarket run, he failed to do the job to Nora’s standards. In Merry Ex-Mas, apparently Jessie never did the decorating quite “right.” In On Strike for Christmas, once Joy was on strike, the chores of Christmas were left to her husband and son: they bought gifts online, ordered dinner online, got a bakery to make Joy’s cookies (using her recipe) and sent out a digital Christmas card. Joy was severely disappointed; none of it was how she would have done it.38 These films deliver dual messages of, on one hand, women having too high standards and being unable to ask for help, and on the hard, women actually being naturally better at things like cooking, hospitality, organization and caretaking. Caretaking, of course, is another area where holiday martyrdom plays out. In A Bill of Divorcement (1932), it’s Christmastime and patriarch Hilary (John Barrymore) has escaped from the mental asylum where he has resided for decades. During his years of hospitalization, his wife, Margaret (Billie Burke), had divorced him and recoupled. Hilary’s care, therefore, has fallen to his daughter Sidney (Katharine Hepburn). Having gotten engaged only the night before, Sidney abruptly ends her relationship and commits to caring for her father in perpetuity, fearful that she too might have his genetics, thus positioning her as ill equipped for marriage. The same ideas play out in the British film The Holly and the Ivy (1952), where Aunt Bridget (Maureen Delaney) had given up her life to look after her mother; her niece, Jenny (Celia Johnson), feels obligated to do the same for her father. Gendered emotional work related to caretaking is a theme in other films too. In Home for the Holidays (1972), the four Morgan daughters have returned home to tend to their ailing father. The oldest Morgan daughter, Alex (Eleanor Parker), identifies the disproportionate burden she feels: “It’s just it never seems to change. I feel like this whole thing is on my shoulders.” This burden, seemingly, is the explanation for why she murdered family members throughout the film: “I wanted to be free from you all.”39 In Angel in the Family (2004), following her mother’s death, Sarah (Tracey Needham) self-sacrificed and stayed home to look after her father; a source of tension between her and her sister, Beth (Tracey Need-

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ham). Such themes also play out in Christmas for a Dollar (2013) and Holiday Joy (2016) where teen girls take over the duties of a deceased mother. The concept of domestic martyrs has a long history. As early as 1896 in an advertisement for “Vegetable Compound,” the idea was hinted to: Lots of women suffer constantly, and seldom utter complaint. Good men rarely know the pain endured by the women of their own household, or the efforts they make to appear cheerful and happy when they ought to be in bed, their suffering is really so great.40

In scholarly work, the topic is also nodded to. In historian Elizabeth Pleck’s work on Christmas, she references the headline of a 1967 Redbook article by Harriet Van Horne: “The Christmas Syndrome, or, Must We Hang Mother from the Tree.”41 While there is scarce academic research on the domestic martyr, there are nonetheless allusions in research on gender. Psychotherapist Dalma Heyn identifies a series of qualities expected of wives, including them being giving, self-sacrificing and self-denying.42 While these qualities might be idealized—and perhaps even sometimes expected of women—it is important to recognize that they are qualities and standards that also get internalized by women. Writer Manal Omar discusses this concept in an anthology on gender and Islam: As I reflect on my hyphenated life as a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, I realize how many self-imposed struggles I have had to overcome, and also that I have always been my own worst enemy. I imposed upon myself cultural and religious norms that I inherited from my family and community.43

While women being “their own worst enemy” is an accusation often hurled by conservatives,44 nonetheless, certainly in cinema women frequently elect to put pressure on themselves and to expect perfection, and on screen this depiction is generally presented uncritically.45 An extension of this is that just as women put themselves under undue pressure, they put others under pressure too. A Competitive Christmas In chapter 1, I introduced Christmas competitions such as the cooking competition that transpires between colleagues Christie (Erin Krakow) and Penny (Miranda Frigon) in A Cookie Cutter Christmas (2014). While in A Cookie Cutter Christmas a formal competition exists around the traditionally female task of baking, other films present less formal battles around other gendered tasks. In On Strike for Christmas, for example, Joy admits, “You know I like to be the first on the block to have my lights up.” In Holiday Switch, Paula makes a similar comment: “We’re the only house on the

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whole block without any [lights] up.” Here, two moms have internalized judgment about the amount of effort they put into decorating their homes for the Christmas season; that they perceive themselves in a competition. In Make the Yuletide Gay, Anya perceives herself as in such a stoush: “I am determined to find the best Christmas cookie recipe ever and finally show up that uppity Heather Mancuso [Alison Arngrim] next door.” In A Cookie Cutter Christmas, Christie similarly perceives herself in a decorating competition, “I’m pretty sure none of the other houses on the block have as many lights.” In How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Betty Lou (Molly Shannon) is also participating in an internalized competition: “This is the year when everybody asks who has the most spectacular lights in all of greater Whoville. And they’re going to cry out Mrs. Betty Lou Who! . . . Every year Martha May Whovier [Christine Baranski] has the best lights. Well not this year. This year I’m going to beat that prim perfect little prissy.”46 In other examples, judgment is external. In Christmas Caper (2007), Cate (Shannen Doherty) is babysitting her niece and nephew at their home and hasn’t decorated. Neighbor Holly (Stefanie von Pfetten) visits and sarcastically comments, “Looks like the Christmas fairy forgot to pay a visit to the Cooper house.” In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jennifer’s neighbor, Rita (Jennifer Clement), similarly jeers, “You don’t want to be the only dark house on Christmas Eve do you?” This plays out a tad more aggressively in Naughty or Nice (2012), when Krissy (Hilarie Burton) is accused by her neighbor, Debbie (Jessica Tuck), of being “the nightmare before Christmas” for not participating in her street’s Christmas lights tradition. On a cursory level, these narratives can be interpreted as being in sync with the ever popular catfight portrayal, something feminist media theorist Susan Douglas considers as a “a staple of American pop culture.”47 In my book Cyberbullies, Cyberactivists, Cyberpredators: Film, TV, and Internet Stereotypes, I discuss catfights in relation to the recurring depictions of female bullying on screen: [N]arratives where women bully each other [are] simply part of the mediascape where women are depicted as competitive and bitchy, often for the affections of men. . . . While such narratives fit neatly into a Zeitgeist where girl fights are acceptable as entertainment, it is worthwhile acknowledging the politics underpinning this frame. . . . The quickest and cheapest way to discredit a woman is by saying she’s bitter, that she’s jealous, that she’s clawin’ for a catfight. Women know this malarkey. It’s how men dismiss us. It’s how we dismiss each other. . . . The catfight frame, akin to the girls will be girls idea, works to downplay, if not completely dismiss women’s aggression toward one another, and all the while packages it as an entertainment product. . . .48

Women pitted against each other is indeed one way to read the scenes where women judge each other’s ways of doing (or not doing) Christ-

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mas. Of course, given that Christmas films generally try not to be too political49—or, for that matter, too mean—even the most bitchy-seeming women are routinely redeemed by the end; Christmas films, after all, are fixated on rebirth and redemption (chapter 1). Debbie in Naughty or Nice, for example, gets so obsessive about perfecting her holiday decorations that she steals extra ones from her neighbor’s yards. By the end of the narrative, however, she is forgiven and is even thrown a surprise party by her neighbors who thank her for all her community work. Similarly, in Christmas Caper, Holly, who was so obsessed with decorating, had recently been left by her husband for a pilates instructor: her bitchiness was understood—and ultimately forgiven—as externalized pain. Stress is something that individuals respond differently to. While for some it’s part of the excitement and bustle of the season, for others it can compound with other factors to create negative situations. One example is compromised mental health. NOT SO MERRY MENTAL HEALTH In The Christmas Consultant, after Maya lashed out at Owen for taking over her Christmas, her husband, Jack (Barclay Hope), cautioned, “Maya, we have guests and you’re going loco.” Going loco—and the season creating mental health issues—is alluded to in a range of screen presentations. This section begins with Christmas creating insanity, and then examines other ways mental health enter storylines, for example, via the notion of belief in Santa as a hallucination. Holiday-Induced Insanity In A Very Cool Christmas (2004),50 Santa (George Hamilton) comments, “People act funny during the holidays.” This funniness is widely observable. In Fanny, Annie & Danny, matriarch Edie’s future son-in-law, Todd (Nick Frangione), makes some observations about Christmas stress and his own mother’s mental health: Todd: I fucking hate fucking Christmas. I fucking hate it. You know, everyone just loses their minds. My mom like pees herself a month before every Christmas trying to get ready. Because everything’s got to be perfect and lit up and all like Norman Rockwell and shit.

In Anything But Christmas (2012), a similar seasonal madness is presented in an exchange between the Christmas-phobic John (Sergio Di Zio) and his girlfriend, Grace (Elaine Hendrix):

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Grace: You need to get with the spirit of Christmas. Either hush up and suck it up or get out and don’t come back. John: What did you just say? Grace: I knew it. I knew that you didn’t understand what Christmas was about. John: Oh yeah, I do. It’s about usually sensible people turning into complete idiots. It’s about insane extravagance, consumer madness and the mindless pursuit of tasteless garbage. All it does it break up families, spike the suicide rate, give heart attacks to people from stress, and hernias from carrying really big gifts to ungrateful kids who just wind up wailing anyway because they want more. And you know what, I hate Santa Claus and I hate elves and I hate reindeer and I hate Jingle Bells and I hate baubles and I hate tinsel and I hate ticky tacky.

In Crazy for Christmas (2005), the valet, Roger (Joe Flaherty), makes a similar remark, “Holidays. It’s supposed to be this great time and all that but I think it just drives people mental.” In The Night Before, a man dressed as Santa (Jason Jones) comments, “What is with this holiday? It just fucks with people’s heads.” In Angel in the Family, Sarah talks to an old friend, Alex (John Pyper-Ferguson), about her problems with the season and also hints to seasonal madness: Sarah: I think I’m losing my mind. Seriously, I think I’m losing it. Alex: Holidays can be like that sometimes.

On one hand the language of madness—of people being driven mental— is, of course, hyperbole and is indicative of the exaggerated way people sometimes speak. Equally, it’s in line with exaggerated news reports that frequently use the term Christmas madness.51 In a New York Times article for example, Lee Stokes Hilton muses, “My neighbor Anne wrapping each branch with twinkle lights—is the first sign that Christmas madness is really upon us.”52 Claims of Christmas madness are indeed part of the rhetoric of the season, and some of this can be explained by the stress discussed in the previous section. More than mere stress, however, is the extreme foolishness, or chaos, of madness. While quite obviously not a diagnosis in any meaningful sense, nonetheless, seasonal madness reflects Christmas construed as a season where it is common—expected even—to act differently, to act funny. In Susan d’Arcy’s Sunday Times article, she lists “six examples of seasonal insanity” spotlighting seemingly strange customs from around the United Kingdom, including:

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On Twelfth Night in Herefordshire and the West Country, farmers drink a hot cider cocktail from the “wassail” bowl, then head into their orchards to shoot their apple trees, an act that is meant to ensure a good harvest the following year.53

D’Arcy spotlights that while these seasonal rituals look a little mad to onlookers they get normalized under the aegis of the season. Similarly strange-seeming rituals are indeed detected in film: extravagant decorating provides one such an example. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Deck the Halls, Will You Merry Me? and Battle of the Bulbs (2010), men—the sex not usually portrayed as being particularly interested in decorating (chapter 2)—become obsessed to the point of madness with festooning the exteriors of their homes54: in Deck the Halls, Buddy (Danny DeVito), in fact, commits to making his house bright enough to be seen from the moon. In these examples, men who are ordinarily relatively sane steer close to madness because of the holiday. A slightly different madness is portrayed through a collective craziness. While phrases such as catching the Christmas spirit or spreading the joy reference contagion,55 these ideas also play out within narratives. In Ms. Scrooge (1997), after the title character’s (Cicely Tyson) change of heart and her generous suggestion that she turn her office into a temporary shelter for the homeless, her employee, Sam (Ken James), asks, “Are you feeling ill?” In John’s rant in Anything But Christmas, he alludes to a collective Christmas insanity that he sees himself as immune to. A collective crazy is also hinted to in other examples. In Christmas Town (2008), Liz (Nicole de Boer) and her son, Mason (Gig Morton), travel to visit Liz’s father, Jack (Garry Chalk), who recently moved to a town called Hollyville, “America’s Christmas town.” When Liz arrives at Jack’s workplace—the Egg Nog Café—she asks: “Has everyone in here drunk the Kool-aid?” Later, Liz observes that being in Hollyville is as though “I just walked into a very special episode of the Twilight Zone.” Liz, at least initially, believes that something is wrong with her father and that he needs help: that his new preoccupation with Christmas is indicative of a mental illness. In One Magic Christmas (1985), the same idea is referenced in an exchange between Ginny (Mary Steenburgen) and her grandfather-in-law Caleb (Arthur Hill): Caleb: Our family, we’ve always been strong believers in Santa Claus and the Christmas spirit and angels and stuff. We’re dreamers I guess you’d say. Ginny: Yeah, you great dreamers all you Graingers. That’s what’s so wonderful about you, I guess. Caleb: In other words we’re nuts, eh?

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The Night Before the Night Before Christmas also provides a similar articulation of these ideas. The oldest Fox daughter, Hannah (Rebecca Williams), is appalled that the rest of her family seems to believe that the man in her backyard is really Santa: “I’m out of this loony bin,” she says, hinting that her family has had a lapse in sanity. While for Hannah, belief in Santa is construed as a madness, in a range of examples Santa’s own sanity is questioned. Crazy Claus In Miracle on 34th Street (1947), Doris (Maureen O’Hara) speaks of the Macy’s department store Santa, Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn): “He’s insane, I tell you.” This idea is taken further when Kris has to participate in what the newspapers dub a “lunacy hearing.” In the 1994 remake, Alberta (Jane Leeves)—an employer at a rival department store—makes a similar comment about the store Santa (Richard Attenborough): “He’s completely out of his mind.” Similar accusations are hurled in riffs on Miracle such as The Case for Christmas (2011) and Defending Santa (2013). In chapter 1, I discussed the concept of faith and belief: such ideas have relevance to scenes where Santa is construed as a fabrication or hallucination. For characters therefore to claim to be Santa, they’re readily dubbed insane by adults because it sounds so outlandish: as philosopher Carl Elliott discusses in his book The Rules of Insanity, “A belief in Santa Claus is rational for a four-year-old but irrational for an adult.”56 In Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), Santa (David Huddleston) has contact with a young homeless boy, Joe (Christian Fitzpatrick): Santa Claus: Don’t you know who I am? Joe: Sure, you’re a nut.

In a later scene, toymaker B. Z. (John Lithgow) describes one of Santa’s elves, Patch (Dudley Moore), as an “escaped lunatic.” In It Came upon the Midnight Clear (1984), Wiley (William Griffis), an angel sent from heaven, is institutionalized, seemingly for his penchant to dress up as Santa. In Small Town Santa (2014), while seemingly the real Santa is in jail, pre-teen Kara (Mandalynn Carlson) doesn’t believe in him: “He was just a nice old man who was a bit crazy.” In Defending Santa, Scott (Dean Cain) describes the man claiming to be Kris Kringle (Bill Lewis) as “a mentally deranged person, delusional at best.” In Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004)—the precursor to the aforementioned Meet the Santas—Nick (Steve Guttenberg) is the son of Santa. After he explains this to his love interest, Beth (Crystal Bernard), she responds, “Are you a nutball?” In Meet the Santas, Beth’s ex-boyfriend, Mark (Roark Critchlow), refers to Nick as a “fruit-

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cake,” and in a later scene, Beth concedes that “the Clauses are a little bit nutball. That’s what I like about them.” In My Santa, Chris (Matthew Lawrence) is also the son of Santa. When he finally reveals this to his love interest, Jen, she responds: “You’re delusional. You’re a fraud.” Later Jen comments to her neighbor, Suzie, “He’s out of his mind.” In The Santa Clause 2 (2002), when Scott (Tim Allen) tells love interest Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell) that he’s Santa, she rationalizes, “Now you’re acting like a mental patient.” In Merry in Laws (2012), scientist Alex (Kassia Warshawski) introduces her parents to her fiancé, Peter (Lucas Bryant), and his parents, Santa Claus (George Wendt) and Mrs. Claus (Shelley Long). Alex’s father, Steven (Greg Lawson), comments derisively about the Clauses: “These people are light years away from who we are,” implying, seemingly, that he considers the Clauses as intellectually (if not also psychologically) inferior. In Meet the Santas, the same point is made by Beth’s mom, Joanna (Mariette Hartley), about Beth’s future in-laws, the Clauses: “They do not fit into our world.” In Fred Claus (2007), the title character (Vince Vaughn) helps his brother, Santa—Nick (Paul Giamatti)—to deliver the Christmas presents. Afterward, he visits his estranged girlfriend, Wanda (Rachel Weisz), who similarly questions his mental health: Wanda: Freddie, you can’t just show up dressed like Father Christmas and come down somebody else’s chimney, alright? Fred: Actually, I can. I’ve been doing that all night. Wanda: Freddie, do you know what? I’m starting to get a bit worried for you, right now. Because like you’re standing here, in my bedroom, wearing red. And, you know, it’s getting like to be sort of restraining order time.

In The Boy Who Saved Christmas, Santa (Colin McClean) is ejected from the North Pole by his evil brother, Atnas (Douglas Robinson).57 As in The Night Before the Night Before Christmas, Santa ends up in the Fox family’s backyard. Bob sees Santa in his yard and asks his wife (Amy Stromer): “Who’s the loony tune in the red pyjamas? . . . Santa? He could be some escapee, some madman from county lockup.” In Santa Who? Santa (Leslie Nielsen) gets hit by a car and, like Santa in The Night Before the Night Before Christmas, gets amnesia. Despite Santa’s claims about his identity, Peter considers him as “just a confused old man.”58 In Santa’s Summer House (2012), Pop (Christopher Mitchum) and Nanna (Cynthia Rothrock) eventually reveal themselves to be Mary and Santa Claus. To this, one of their houseguests, Bryan (Daniel Bernhardt), remarks, “You are both delusional. That is so sad.” In Get Santa (2014), Santa (Jim Broadbent) crashes his sleigh, his reindeer escape, and he takes refuge in the garage of young Tom (Kit Connor) and his mother. The Battersea Dogs Home locks up Santa’s reindeer, and when Santa tries to free them he gets arrested and is

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sent to jail. Tom coerces his father, Steve (Rafe Spall) to help Santa; Steve conversely considers Santa to be an “old fruitcake.” When Steve eventually visits Santa in jail, the two have the following exchange: Santa: Deep in your heart you know who I am. Steve: Deep in my heart you’re a nutbag.

While in these films it might be completely rational for Santa to be dismissed as crazy—and for his existence to be probed in court cases as plays out in the Miracle of 34th Street films, The Case for Christmas and Defending Santa—in Christmas movies disbelievers are actually commonly proven wrong. In each of the examples discussed in this section, the men claiming to be Santa seemingly turn out to be the real deal and thus, the notion of sane/insane gets blurred; something cultural theorist Margot Henriksen discussed in relation to the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street: In an American society that was becoming increasingly intolerant of unconventional behavior and beliefs, Miracle on 34th Street upheld the right to be different, even a bit crazy. The film also introduced a theme that sporadically appeared in the culture of dissent of the forties and fifties: that the insane were often more “sane” and human than those presumed sane.59

Here, Henriksen highlights that different rules apply in Christmas narratives, and—linking back to the ideas discussed in chapter 1—belief is associated with innocence and generosity of spirit.60 Because many Christmas narratives deal with themes like magic (chapter 5), liberties can be taken and thus, films don’t need to adhere to reality.61 Also worth noting, invariably characters who doubt the veracity of Santa are framed as troubled: that their skepticism, in fact, is attributable to a lack of Christmas spirit (chapter 1), that it bucks the natural order, and is a negative quality needing to be overcome. Reality Breaks While the sequel Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988) is set at Christmastime, Arthur (1981) has almost nothing to do with Christmas. That said, in the first film, at his engagement party, Arthur (Dudley Moore) is asked to play a song on the piano and he chooses a Christmas carol. Alcoholic Arthur’s apparently inappropriate song choice is symptomatic of his silliness and drunken stupidity, and, for the purposes of this discussion, the scene introduces the preoccupation with Christmas as a way to showcase jeopardized sanity. The same idea is hinted to in the Canadian film Breakfast with Scot (2007), where the young title character (Noah Bernett) has a pen-

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chant for singing Christmas carols: something used to frame the character as odd. Trading Places (1983) presents a variation of this. After losing his job, Louis (Dan Aykroyd) dresses up as Santa as part of a plot to get his replacement, Billy Ray (Eddie Murphy), fired. Seeing this display, Louis’s former boss, Randolph (Ralph Bellamy), derisively comments: “And now he’s dressing up as Santa!,” the observation being that Louis, seemingly, has now made a complete decline into insanity. In these examples, too close an affinity with Christmas is presented as indicative of a break with reality, with sanity. While Louis’s behavior could be rationalized as seasonal silliness—Trading Places, after all, was set in December so dressing up in a Santa suit isn’t completely outlandish—Randolph’s comment highlights the idea of being too Christmassy as being crazy, as Liz assumed about her father during her visit in Christmas Town. Certainly for the many films where men who dress as Santa are homicidal psychotics, this idea does have some relevance.62 In Trading Places, Louis isn’t Santa and yet, his apparent close affinity with him creates speculation of insanity, something also apparent in other narratives. While the generosity/ (in)sanity link is made in Christmas Eve (1947; 1986), more common is the Santa/(in)sanity connection. In Farewell Mr. Kringle, Kris Kringle (William Morgan Sheppard) is the long-serving town Santa in Mistletoe. This prompts magazine editor Zoe (Vivica A. Fox) to send one of her reporters, Annabelle (Christine Taylor), to interview him: Zoe: This old guy has been playing Santa every Christmas for fifty years. . . . He changed his pedestrian name from John Wilson to Kris Kringle. Annabelle: Okay, well now he sounds like he needs to be fitted for a straight jacket.

While Kris in Farewell Mr. Kringle isn’t the real Santa, dressing up like him and doing good deeds is viewed by characters like Annabelle as tantamount to madness. Something similar transpires in The Real St. Nick (2012). Kate (Torrey DeVitto), a doctor, is nearly killed by a boulder but is ultimately saved by a man, Nick (Callard Harris), dressed in a Santa Claus suit. Kate’s boss at the hospital, Spaulding (Matt Felker), describes Nick as “a homeless clown.” While, like Kris in Farewell Mr. Kringle, Nick isn’t the real Santa, dressing up like him is considered as a deviation and potentially symptomatic of madness. While in these examples, insanity and madness are just criticisms leveled at relatively normal—albeit eccentric—characters, Christmas-themed horror films present Christmas madness more overtly. In Tales from the Crypt (1972), a lunatic in a Santa Claus suit escapes from an asylum.63 In Whoever Slew Auntie Roo (1972), Mrs. Forrest (Shelley Winters) is a disturbed widow—and enthusiastic Christmas party host—who keeps the

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mummified remains of her daughter in the attic. The horror film Christmas Evil (1980)64 offers a different Santa-themed break with reality. It’s Christmas Eve, 1947, and brothers Philly (Wally Moran) and Harry (Gus Salud) and their mother (Ellen McElduff) sit on the stairs and watch “Santa” eat the snacks they had left out. Santa then leaves them presents. The boys have an argument over whether it was really Santa who they saw or just their father (Brian Hartigan). Later, Harry goes downstairs to check and sees “Santa” at mom’s crotch, stroking her stocking-clad legs. Harry responds by smashing a snow globe and deliberately cutting his hand. Later, in adulthood, Harry (Brandon Maggart) keeps a ledger of good and bad neighborhood children and eventually goes on a killing spree. Harry is presented as seriously insane—and his insanity is explicitly connected to Christmas: in one scene, the adult Harry looks in the mirror and with his Santa beard on, shouts, “It’s me. It’s me!” Adult Harry is of the belief that he is Santa. Later in the film, Harry steals toys from the factory where he works to give to the local children’s hospital in the middle of the night. “What are you, wacko?” a security guard (William Robertson) asks him. After Harry murders several people outside a church, his adult brother, Phillip (Jeffrey DeMunn), diagnoses, “You’re insane. . . . You’re sick.” While Harry is presented as severely mentally ill throughout the film, in the final scene—when he is being chased down by angered local townsfolk—he gets in his van and, magically, his vehicle rises into the sky and flies away like a sleigh. This strange ending conveys the possibility that perhaps Harry was Santa after all (an ending that doesn’t need to make any sense, of course, because it’s fiction).65 It also reiterates—albeit in a highly exaggerated way—that there is a link between Christmas and madness in a way that doesn’t make sense at other times of the year. Quoted earlier was David in The Christmas List speaking of “unrealistic expectations.” In the following sections—and beginning with a discussion of the burden of expectations—a range of negative factors contributing to characters feeling discontented at Christmas are explored. THE BURDEN OF EMOTIONAL EXPECTATIONS In the opening of Love the Coopers, grandpa Bucky (Alan Arkin) has a conversation about the emotional expectations of the season with his waitress friend, Ruby (Amanda Seyfried), and says, “Christmas comes round, someone yells ‘time for comfort and joy it’s Christmas.’ Everyone panics as if you can schedule happiness. Can’t do it.” Here, Bucky identifies both the expectation that Christmas is a season for joy and happiness but that, in reality, such sentiments are difficult to arbitrarily spark. Such burdensome expectations are referenced in a range of examples. In A Christmas Visitor

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(2002), George (William Devane)—the patriarch of the Boyajian family who have, for over a decade, been grieving their soldier son—decides spontaneously to celebrate, seemingly aware suddenly of the expectations of the season: “It’s Christmas and we should be participating,” George says to his family. Here, George references an expectation to participate, something that can be likened to the expectations of bustle discussed in chapter 3 and to the popular sentiment that not celebrating, or not being with other people during the holidays, is somehow socially unacceptable. George’s comment also alludes to emotional expectations: that celebration—that goodwill and enjoyment—is mandatory. Other characters reference similar ideas. In Gremlins (1984), teen Billy (Zach Galligan) says, “I always thought everyone was happy during the holidays. No matter what.” Billy is, seemingly, completely unaware of the possibility of people not feeling that way. In Angel of Christmas (2015), Susan (Jennifer Finnigan) hasn’t had any Christmas spirit since her relationship ended two years ago and feels pressure to enjoy the season which, seemingly, compounds her pain: “I’ve always been kind of funky about the holidays. All that pressure to enjoy yourself. . . . After Steve I went into overdrive.” In chapter 1, I discussed the Christmas spirit. While arguably conventions related to spirit and, notably, to being coupled exist elsewhere,66 notably these are burdens amplified at Christmas, a point made by Michael Atkinson and Laurel Shifrin in their book Flickipedia: Christmas is also the year’s most demanding day (or fortnight, really) in terms of atmosphere, emotional temperature, and point of view. We don’t feel a need to get all colonial or even terribly grateful on Thanksgiving; nobody talks about “getting into the spirit” of Mother’s Day, Veterans Day, or even Independence Day. But for Christmas, there is a pervasive compulsion to summon reserves of tolerance, generosity, congeniality, and childlike optimism, and we go to extraordinary cultural lengths to make it happen.67

In a Washington Post essay, Julius Lester similarly notes, “I never liked Christmas. I resented the emotional expectations imposed on me by Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and chestnuts roasting on an open fire.”68 In his discussion of Christmas music, Mike McInally similarly references the “outsized emotional expectations we have for the holidays.”69 These comments each allude to a cultural imperative to feel something. In Gremlins, such ideas are well illustrated in an exchange between Kate (Phoebe Cates) and Billy: Kate: I don’t celebrate Christmas. Billy: Are you Hindu or something? Kate: No, I just don’t like to.

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Billy: What’s not to like? I mean, it’s a lot of fun. Kate: God! Say you hate Washington’s birthday or Thanksgiving, and nobody cares. But say you hate Christmas, everybody makes you feel like you’re a leper.

The expectations Kate spotlighted are at the heart of Christmas with the Kranks, where Luther and Nora’s decision to “skip Christmas” and go on a cruise is widely viewed as treason. Equally, when a person is unable to turn on feelings of festiveness—like Susan in Angel of Christmas, or George’s wife, Carol (Meredith Baxter), in A Christmas Visitor—feelings of upset or depression can amplify. While the mandate to be cheerful can negatively impact disposition, so too can unmet expectations. When resources (emotional or financial, for example) are channeled into Christmas—under the expectation of the celebration being wonderful—if it ends up as a letdown, the season can be disheartening. This is a point that dad William (Brian Krause) makes in Christmas for a Dollar to his youngest daughter, Ruthie (Ruby Jones), “Sometimes when we get our hearts set on something and it doesn’t turn out the way we want it to it makes the disappointment harder to take.” In Christmas Angel (2012), a variation of this transpires when mom, Melinda (Teri Polo), tells her daughter, Olivia (Izabela Vidovic): “It’s alright to make wishes and say prayers as long as it doesn’t make us unhappy with the life that we’re living. You can’t always have what we want. . . . But we can be content with what we have.” This notion of being let down by Christmas is a theme in several films. The Christmas Letdown In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie vocalized his own letdown: “Instead of feeling happy, I feel sort of letdown.” In The Christmas List, Melody similarly admits, “The holidays are always a letdown for me.” For Melody, part of this, seemingly, centers on the behavior of her family: the store-bought Christmas dinner and her mother’s jibes that Melody’s life isn’t as “full” as her sister’s (discussed further in chapter 3). In Santa Who? Peter harbors similar feelings of a letdown; something he explains to his girlfriend, Claire: Peter: Spending an entire month and all your focus into one day, and putting all your hopes and dreams and expectations into that day. It just sets yourself up for disappoint—. . . I just think Christmas is a crock.

In Anything But Christmas, John has a Christmas phobia that seemingly stems from his parents’ awful relationship (chapter 3). For John’s father,

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Harry (Christopher Lloyd), his Grinch-like attitude also seems connected to a seasonal letdown: Harry: All this cosy, Christmas crap! Christmas is a lie! It builds your hopes up every year. You think maybe this year will be different. But it’s always the same.

In Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005),70 protagonist J. J. (Carly Pope) apparently experiences the season similarly: “Christmas is nothing but high expectation and big disappointment.” In The Santa Switch (2013), Daniel (Ethan Erickson) also speaks of an annual anti-climax. After being fired from his job as a mall Santa, he looks up to the sky and harangues: Daniel: Thank you very much for Christmas. Every year I try my best. And what does Santa give me? He gives me a stocking full of disappointments every time. Hear that Santa? ‘Cause that’s what Christmas is, isn’t it? It’s just one big disappointment every time.

In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the letdown takes a different form. For most of the film protagonist Clark had been waiting for his Christmas bonus check from his employer. When it arrives, rather than a check, he receives a voucher for the “Jelly of the Month” club. Children’s disappointment with presents—notably leading to a loss of Christmas spirit—is explored more closely in chapter 1. In each of the examples discussed in this section, the notion of a letdown is referenced; something also explored in published work such as Padovani’s: The high emotional expectations of what the holidays could have been or should have been; the frantic, harried attempts to make them the “best ever,” are all preparing us for a negative reaction. Christmas can become “the great American set-up.” Disappointments leave us empty, frustrated, disgusted, disillusioned and probably angry, so that January and February, already bleak and dismal in many parts of the continent, appear even more gloomladen than usual.71

A more clinical sounding label—“Post-Christmas traumatic syndrome”—has also been proposed.72 For Charlie in A Charlie Brown Christmas, for Clark in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, for Melody in The Christmas List, Peter in Santa Who? Harry in Anything But Christmas, J. J. in Recipe for a Perfect Christmas and Daniel in The Santa Switch, characters articulate that Christmas fails to live up to the hype: that it’s always a letdown. In light of the commercialization of Christmas (chapter 6), as well as the elongating of the

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season whereby marketing and decorations start ever earlier,73 arguably the reality of Christmas never can meet the months-long expectations,74 thus leading perhaps to predictable feelings of disappointment. Sentiments of letdown are also acknowledged in academic literature. Pleck, for example, notes that Christmastime disappointment has a very long history, and that “the psychological problem of overexpectation followed by disappointment ha[s] been a theme in writing about Christmas since the nineteenth century.”75 This is a point also made by Tracy: It is little wonder, then, that the frenzied activity supposed to culminate in such a Christmas instead delivers disappointment as its denouement . . . Americans are bombarded with a flurry of marketing imagery that leads them on an annual consumerist chase after a chimera.76

While thus far I have discussed letdowns predicated on unmet expectations, both the screen and reality present another kind whereby even if outlandish expectations are met—even if the celebration is wholly wonderful—afterward it feels anticlimactic, something described in a Christmas edition of the self-help book Chicken Soup for the Soul, where a different letdown is articulated: My mother always called the days following Christmas “the letdown.” I had no idea what she meant. Whatever it was, it came after weeks of preparations, when the holiday wound to an end. We’d take the lights and ornaments off the Christmas tree, and Dad carried it outside, a few strands of tinsel still hanging from its branches. In a sad tone, Mom said, “Now the letdown comes.”77

In film, this Christmas anticlimax is well illustrated in A Christmas Memory (1966). Sook (Geraldine Page) and her young cousin and friend, Buddy (Donnie Melvin), bake dozens of Christmas cakes to give away to “people who struck our fancy.” This activity takes much time and resources, and after all their cakes are baked and posted, the two almost instantly deflate: as young Buddy remarks, “The kitchen. It looks so empty. Everything is gone. We’re broke. It’s all over, isn’t it?” For Sook and Buddy they suffer an immediate slump in spirits when all the excitement, and toil, of the season concludes. Similar sentiments are hinted to by protagonist Emma (Viva Bianca) in A Prince for Christmas (2015): “Snow melts, lights come down. It’s all just an illusion.” Christmas as anticlimactic is also discussed in numerous published works. In the Here Come the Girls volume introduced earlier, McGiffin and fellow presenter Jane McDonald discuss this: Carol: Then, when it’s all over, you realise you’ve spent all that money, you’ve eaten all that food and you’ve drunk all that booze, and now what? It’s a total anticlimax. . . .

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Jane: It’s such an anticlimax, isn’t it? It’s another New Year, you’ve got all the debts from Christmas, everybody’s been and gone and you just think, I’ve got three months of grey, cold debt ahead of me. Oh, let’s all just shoot ourselves now!78

The anti-climax is also discussed by Emma Brockes in the Guardian: Then comes the slow, dull glide into evening, with its massive sense of anticlimax—like the worst Sunday-night-before-school feeling, tinged with senses of loss, aging and the terrible, terrible transience of it all.79

In 2015, a range of British newspapers went so far as to predict a precise time that this post-Christmas malaise settles in: Yuletide revellers will face a Christmas comedown as December 28 is set to be the worst day of the festive season. Once the presents have been unwrapped and the Christmas dinner has been devoured, family conflicts and blazing rows will hit peak levels on Bank Holiday Monday at 2.59pm, according to a new survey. This will be when many people will be travelling back from visiting relatives for the festive season and perhaps also preparing to return to work the following day. It has been dubbed Moody Monday by Kwik Fit, which commissioned the poll of 2,000 Britons.80

The time after Christmas being anticlimactic of course makes perfect sense: in chapter 2 I explored time and notably the notion of Christmas as a bonus round. Given the season’s special qualities, it seems relatively natural that a return to normal life would involve some level of disappointment: after all, if the rest of the year didn’t feel so comparatively unremarkable, Christmas wouldn’t have the capacity to feel so special. Another contributor to seasonal disappointment—and one often coupled with the notion of disappointment—is envy: that the lives—and, notably, the Christmases—of everyone else seem comparatively more fabulous. In the following sections I explore the contribution of feelings like envy, comparison and loneliness to Christmas disharmony. CHRISTMASTIME ENVY AND COMPARISON In a scene from Noel (2004), it’s Christmastime and, en route to visit her mother in hospital, middle-aged Rose (Susan Sarandon) bumps into a high school friend, Debbie (Donna Hanover). Debbie talks about her life—her husband, her children—and Susan lies and suggests she too has a family. Susan then assembles a brave face and walks into the hospital, alone, to see her non-compos mother. To her mother, Rose comments,

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“You’ll never guess who I ran into. . . . Just filled with oodles of joy and happiness. I could have smacked her.” Here, Rose’s life feeling smaller than Debbie’s seems notably pronounced. While Rose likely would have felt this way had she bumped into Debbie at any time of year, doing so at Christmas amplifies the sting. Bowler identifies that one cause for the Christmas blues centers on “not being as happy as the ideal family depicted on television”;81 and this is a theme easily identified on screen. In Home Alone, while Kevin has a family, they accidentally left him and went on a trip to France. In one scene he stares, longingly, through a window at another family celebrating. In Holiday Joy (2016), Joy (Bailee Madison) similarly stares through her window yearningly at the “perfect” lives of her neighbors. In A Mom for Christmas (1990), Jessie’s (Juliet Sorci) mom died when she was three. Jessie walks around a department store envying daughters shopping with their moms. In Jack Frost (1998), after the death of his father (Michael Keaton), Charlie (Joseph Cross) enviously watches the children next door build a snowman with their dad. In the Christmas horror film Black Christmas (2006), Billy (Robert Mann) is a serial killer. Shown via flashback, Billy used a telescope to watch other families celebrate Christmas. While in these examples envy centers on family—on watching and envying the family celebrations of others—other kinds of dispiriting comparisons also occur. In All I Want for Christmas (2014) for example, pre-teen Jamie (Mason Douglas) is envious of his spoiled school friend Blake (Juliocesar Chavez): Blake gets to eat whatever he wants and always has plenty of new toys to play with. Jamie’s envy—which his grandma (Sally Kirkland) diagnoses as “want-itis”—exists as a barrier to him enjoying the season. The same thing transpires in The Christmas Clause. Working mom Sophie envies the life of her rich, childless school friend, Marcia (Rachel Hayward): not having all of Marcia’s luxuries seemed to negatively impact on Sophie’s ability to enjoy the season.82 In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Kate (Amy Smart) experiences an intimacythemed version of holiday envy, telling her ex-boyfriend, “I want what you and [new girlfriend] Nancy have.” Something similar plays out in Journey Back to Christmas (2016) when war-widowed Hanna (Candace Cameron Bure) has to congratulate a colleague on her recent engagement while still mourning the loss of her husband. Something similar occurs in A Puppy for Christmas (2016) when protagonist Noelle (Cindy Busby) talks enthusiastically to her colleague, Liam (Greyston Holt), about his fiancé. As soon as Noelle leaves the room however, she bemoans, “I want to be a fiancé.” In Christmas Mail (2010), the same idea is exhibited through protagonist Kristi (Ashley Scott) looking longingly at couples holding hands in the park; or for Drew (Ben Affleck) in Surviving Christmas when he looks enviously at all the couples and families around him.

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Another stream to envy and comparison—and one that relates well to the nostalgia discussed in chapter 2—is comparing one’s present with happier times; something explored in real life by Reverend Bill Crews: “A lot of people find Christmas a nightmare as they have ghosts of Christmas past. . . .”83 Seemingly, those memories of previous happy Christmases jar with the present. Quoted earlier was psychologist Gonzaga who spoke about “plans which have to be changed,”84 something which also works to disrupt tradition, pattern, and thus motivates comparison. For narratives where death or relationship breakdown are a theme—discussed in the following sections—a component of Christmas-specific pain centers on remembering past holidays and being painfully cognizant of the absence of a loved one: as Charles states in Trading Christmas when justifying his lack of decorations: “I just don’t want to be reminded of . . . things, that’s all.” The same point is made more explicitly in Blossoms in the Dust (1941) when Mr. Eldredge (Byron Shores), whose own child recently died, explains his wife’s pain, “This Christmastime is very hard on her. Remembering back to other Christmases when we had him with us.” I’ve discussed elsewhere that comparisons are “the root of all unhappiness,”85 and this, in fact, is addressed in a range of academic literature. Social comparison theory sees individuals determining their own worth based on how they compare to others.86 In the context of Christmas, such comparison can manifest in a downward fashion whereby we feel better about ourselves in contrast to the predicament of others—for example, to the homeless as discussed in chapter 1. Such comparisons, however, can also go in the other direction whereby the material goods of others are envied—as in All I Want for Christmas and The Christmas Clause— alternatively, where the families of others are envied, as in Noel, Home Alone, Jack Frost, Holiday Joy and Surviving Christmas. Film theorist Kim Newman explores this: The celebration of Christmas as decreed by Clement Clarke Moore, Charles Dickens, Norman Rockwell (and the Coca-Cola company) and Walt Disney Enterprises is for many a tyrannical regime, emphasizing the shortfall of their own family lives (or lack thereof).87

For characters like those in the narratives discussed in this section, the distinct awareness of how a Christmas is supposed to be celebrated makes the plight of individuals without access to the bustle of loved ones feel deficient. In the Introduction I discussed the role of film in helping to both depict the celebration of Christmas but also to mirror the season back to us. This latter point suggests that film has a role in normalizing a celebration that is always going to be better than the ones we actually experience, in turn motivating comparison and envy.

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While social comparison might be an inevitable human condition, on screen this is a condition frequently corrected. Akin to most negative emotions, it is the mandate of most Christmas films to ensure that problems like envy are dissipated. In All I Want for Christmas, The Christmas Clause and Holiday Joy for example, envious characters are given the opportunity to try out the much-craved lives of their friends in alternate reality storylines. In each example, however, the characters end up missing the love and authenticity of their less lavish but nonetheless seemingly more real lives with their families. In each film, characters realize that the grass isn’t always greener. In other narratives, a different cure is offered. For Kevin in Home Alone, for example, by the end of the narrative he is reunited with his family, and for Juliet in A Mom for Christmas, she gets gifted the mannequin-come-to-life Amy (Olivia Newton-John) as a mother and partner for her father. Only Jack Frost and Noel present slightly more complicated endings. Charlie in Jack Frost doesn’t get his father back permanently (only temporarily as a snowman), although he does learn how to overcome his grief. In Noel, while Rose doesn’t magically get a family, she indeed makes it through Christmas night and seems somewhat dispositionally transformed—for the positive—by her encounter with the suicidal Charlie (Robin Williams). With envy overcome in most narratives, the subtle message is that want-itis might be inevitable in a capitalist society that heavily pushes Dickens and Rockwell (and Macy’s), but that ultimately envy is a feeling that needs to be tamed because it doesn’t quite match with the positive sentiments demanded by the season. In line with Christmas amplifying negative sentiments, guilt is an emotion that gets distinct attention in holiday film. HOLIDAY GUILT In a range of riffs on A Christmas Carol, ghosts are the haunted person’s conscience: they remind a character about the sins they have committed or, notably, times when they could have helped out but didn’t. Such ghosts make their targets a) feel bad about themselves and b) motivate repentance. It is thus no surprise that in many Christmas films guilt features prominently. In discussing A Perfect Day (2006)—a film that makes vague nods to A Christmas Carol—Laura Fries writes, “Although the film espouses ideas of faith and family, the real message here is about fear. Fear is the new guilt. If we are to believe A Perfect Day, people have to be scared into doing the right thing, because these days, it just doesn’t come naturally.”88 Characters being scared and/or guilt tripped—commonly by ghosts (or, in the case of A Perfect Day, a man [Christopher Lloyd] pretending to be a ghost)—into reforming is a prominent theme.

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In Scrooged (1988), the protagonist Frank (Bill Murray) comes to realize that he had been severely underpaying his Bob Cratchit–like assistant, Grace (Alfre Woodard), who is raising five children alone. Despite her own hardships, however, Grace chipped in and spent her own money to buy Frank’s brother a better gift than Frank wanted to purchase for him. The same thing transpires in A Carol Christmas (2003), when Carol’s (Tori Spelling) financially struggling assistant, Roberta (Nina Siemaszko), spends her own money to buy Carol’s niece and nephew better gifts than Carol had wanted to gift. Frank and Carol—akin to the Scrooges in a range of narratives—are eventually spiritually reborn after they have been shown—and shamed for—their errors and thus elect to repent. A different guilt transpires in the British crime drama In Bruges (2008), where two hitmen are hiding out in Belgium during Christmas. Ray (Colin Farrell) harbors guilt over a young boy who he accidentally killed while assassinating a priest. At the end of the film when Ray’s boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), accidentally kills a child himself, Harry himself is, seemingly, also guilt ridden. Other kinds of accidental deaths also leave characters harboring similar sentiments. In Christmas on Division Street (1991), Cleveland (Hume Cronyn) once had a car accident that killed his son: his penance was alcoholism and homelessness. In Fallen Angel (2006), almost the same situation transpires for Warren (Gordon Pinsent), who had once killed a mother and child in a car accident. In the examples discussed thus far, guilt is rationally based upon prior bad acts (albeit sometimes accidental); in others, it is felt with much less evidence. In Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969), John (Lloyd Bridges) harbors complex guilt. Years prior, he had cheated on his wife, Jennifer (Lynn Carlin). On a family boat trip, John and Jennifer had been arguing about his affair when his daughter fell overboard and drowned. Afterward, Jennifer was never the same and, eventually, was institutionalized. John harbors guilt over his daughter’s death as well as his wife’s mental state. In Ordinary People (1980), as Christmas approaches, teen Conrad’s (Timothy Hutton) guilt is two fold: initially it’s the survivor’s guilt he has regarding his older brother’s boating death; later, it’s the guilt over the suicide of his friend Karen (Dinah Manoff). In Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, journalist Frank (Charles Bronson) blames himself for the death of his wife and daughter, as explained in a conversation with his boss, Edward Mitchell (Edward Asner): Edward: It wasn’t your fault. It was an epidemic. A lot of other wives died. Frank: Sure they did. And they died with their husbands at their side. But not Elizabeth and the baby. You realize, Mitch, that we were married for more than three years and not once did I have Christmas dinner with her. Not once. The first year it was a flood in Pennsylvania, then it was a revolution

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in Asia. And when she was dying from pneumonia, I was in Panama writing about Yellow Fever.

In the Carol-themed Ebbie (1995),89 while the title character (Susan Lucci) was indeed a Scrooge, this state was pathologized as being motivated by the death of her sister, Francine (Molly Parker). Francine was pregnant and unwell but insisted that Ebbie leave her side to go to her workplace Christmas party. While Ebbie was at the party, Francine went into labor and died. Ebbie was left guilt ridden. In Mr. Stink (2012), the title character (Hugh Bonneville) was out playing cards the night that his pregnant wife died in a fire at Christmas. Mr. Stink carries the grief with him, creating a penance for himself by living on the streets. In Hector (2015), the title character (Peter Mullan) blames himself for having had a fight with his wife on Christmas Eve, leading to his wife and daughter leaving the family house and being killed by a drunk driver. Hector’s young friend, Hazel (Natalie Gavin), also harbors guilt, blaming herself for her homeless friend, Dougie’s (Laurie Ventry), death thinking that, because she hadn’t swapped coats with him, she was somehow responsible. In Lost Christmas (2011), the narrative centers on young Richard (Larry Mills) who, on Christmas Eve, hides his father’s car keys to prevent his dad going to work. Mom ends up driving Dad instead: both get killed in a crash. Richard is guilt ridden. Guilt is also part of the subplot of the film: Helen’s (Christine Bottomley) guilt stemmed from not locking her back gate which led to her daughter running out and ultimately drowning. In Christmas at the Riviera, Dennis (Sam Kelly) has much guilt about his wife’s death. His son, Tim (Darren Boyd), assures him, “It’s not anyone’s fault that she got ill. It’s just fate,” but Dennis’s pain, and feelings of responsibility (notably his involvement in his wife’s euthanasia), remain acute. In Three Days (2001), Andrew (Reed Diamond) goes on a work trip just before Christmas and nearly has an affair with his assistant, but, after finding a note in his luggage from his wife, Beth (Kristin Davis), he resists. When Andrew returns home, he and Beth fight—she suspected him of cheating—and she flees the house and ends up being hit by a car. Andrew is guilt ridden. In Angels Sing (2013), the childhood death of his brother sees Michael (Harry Connick Jr.) go into adulthood harboring guilt that enduringly sabotaged his ability to celebrate the season. In So This Is Christmas (2013), Sharon (Vivica A. Fox) is guilt ridden about a car accident that killed her best friend years prior. In Angels in the Snow (2015), Charles (Chris Potter) had thrown himself into work and supressed the Christmas spirit because of his guilt about the death of his baby daughter. In A Gift of Miracles (2015), adult protagonist Darcy’s (Rachel Boston) mother died when she was a child. Decades on, her father, Frank (Andrew Airlie), still harbors guilt that he was somehow responsible. In

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Almost Christmas (2016), Evan (Jessie T. Usher) is guilt ridden about not having been by his mom’s side when she died. In each of these examples, guilt is misguided and yet is felt cripplingly. A variation on these themes is characters not celebrating Christmas—as discussed in chapter 1— because of both grief as well as fears that celebrating would be somehow inappropriate; Rothwell, quoted earlier for example, commented that celebrating while grieving often seems “repulsive.”90 This is a theme in Call Me Mrs. Miracle: department store owner J. R. (Tom Butler) hadn’t celebrated Christmas since the death of his wife years prior. The perceptive title character—store employee, Mrs. Miracle (Doris Roberts)—talks about this to her colleague, J. R.’s son Jake (Eric Johnson): “Your father is wrong to think that celebrating Christmas is disrespectful to your mother. Celebrating anything in her memory honors her.” Mrs. Miracle’s words eventually alter both Jake and J. R.’s attitudes to celebrating. While in many of the narratives discussed in this section guilt was misguided, Three Days and Lost Christmas subvert this. In Three Days, Andrew is given an opportunity to relive the past three days and to prove to Beth that he loves her, to change her fate. In Lost Christmas, the death of Richard’s parents in fact turns out to be a horrible dream, and when he wakes on Christmas Eve morning, Richard elects not to hide his father’s keys. In both examples, the implication is that seemingly meaningless actions can in fact change a person’s fate—for the worst—and that guilt is a useful emotion to encourage good behavior, in turn functioning akin to how an omniscient God/Santa is often used (chapter 1). With guilt such a strong theme in A Christmas Carol, and with Carol inspiring so many films, it’s no surprise that guilt remains a strong theme in holiday narratives. There are, of course, some other less Dickensian rationales for the inclusion of guilt. As noted, guilt is a central component of most organized religions,91 so it makes sense that it has a role in Christmas stories, whereby in a carrots/stick portrayal, bad behavior is punished through the infliction of negative emotions. While there is not much academic research investigating Christmas-specific guilt, it is a topic briefly addressed in self-help literature. In her book Simplify Your Christmas for example, Elaine St. James identifies: One of the biggest challenges many people have in simplifying Christmas is guilt. They feel guilt about not doing enough; they feel guilty about not doing it right. But most often they feel guilty about family.92

The guilt that St. James discusses is at the center of Christmas with the Kranks narrative. Luther and Nora decide that, with their daughter away in the Peace Corps, that they would skip Christmas. Their neighbors and friends try to guilt trip them into participating—as Ed

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Gonzalez writes in his Slant review, “The film’s guilt-tripping brigade includes a woman with cancer and a priest who stares at Nora’s tatas (uncomfortable!)”93—to no avail. It’s only when their daughter, Blair (Julie Gonzalo), spontaneously returns home for Christmas that the duo is compelled to abandon their cruise plans and continue with their usual Christmas traditions: order is restored and they are free from their guilt once they acknowledge—and rectify—their mistake. Like envy, guilt generally only has a place in Christmas narratives if it is overcome, or alternatively, if it works as a motivating force to encourage an appropriately merry celebration of the season. Loneliness is another attribute often played up in Christmas presentations. Holiday Loneliness In Christmas Eve (2015), six elevators across New York get stuck. In one elevator is tycoon Harris (Patrick Stewart): he is in there, on his own, an encapsulation, seemingly, of the consequences of his choices. While we don’t have much information about him, it appears that he is a Scrooge: that he has pushed people away and thus, has found himself—on Christmas—in the worst possible predicament; all on his own and needing help. In chapter 3, the expectation of Christmas bustle was explored. In this section, presentations where characters without bustle and without loved ones are examined. As noted earlier, Christmas amplifies a range of negative emotions: feelings of unwanted solitude is one example. It’s why Jen in My Santa, for example, feels additionally lonely at Christmas: she didn’t just wake up in December and suddenly feel unpartnered; rather, the season amplified her sentiments. Such loneliness is acknowledged widely. In Christmas in Connecticut (1945), magazine tycoon Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet) is disappointed that his daughter and grandchildren are unable to visit: “Not much of a Christmas for me, alone,” he laments. In The Miracle of the Bells (1948), protagonist Bill (Fred MacMurray) is visiting small-town Iowa for work and narrates, “I wasn’t thinking of you that night, I wasn’t thinking about much of anything except what a cold and lonely place a small town can be on Christmas Eve.” In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie articulates his loneliness: Charlie: Nobody sent me a Christmas card today. I almost wish there weren’t a holiday season. I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?

In A Christmas Wedding Date (2012), Shirley (Catherine Hicks) runs a diner that she keeps open at Christmas: “I’ve got to open the diner,”

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she says. “There are people who depend on me. You know, folks with no family. Where would they go if I wasn’t there for them?” The same idea is presented in A Christmas Snow (2010) when restaurateur, Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart), explains why she is staying open: “I will not abandon my regular holiday loners.” Such loneliness is also referenced in Sunshine Christmas (1977) when Cody (Barbara Hershey) talks about leaving her diner open over the holidays: Cody: I can’t imagine people would want to eat out at Christmas, but I guess there’s a lot of people without family and they want to come in a place like this just to be with someone.

While in these examples loneliness is spoken about in the generic, a range of narratives focus on specific kinds: notably centered on being without family or, like Jen in My Santa, being partnerlessness. The Season sans Family In Finding Father Christmas (2016), Blair (Jordana Largy) remarks to the protagonist Miranda (Erin Krakow)—who lost her mother at Christmas twenty years prior—“Being alone for Christmas is hard for anyone. But for you, I can’t imagine how it must feel.” In Christmas Angel (2009), protagonist Ashley (Kari Hawker-Diaz) identifies her own loneliness, “Christmas is a time to spend with your friends and family. When you don’t have that, Christmas isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” Like Ashley, several characters verbalize a loneliness predicated on being without family. In Noel, for example, Rose references her loneliness in comments to her assistant: Rose: It struck me as being funny that, you know, a woman who’s never had a child is editing a children’s book. When maybe it would be more appropriate for me to work on Cooking for One or, you know, How to Survive the Holidays Alone.

In a later scene, Rose meets former priest Charlie who is, seemingly, in a similar lonely position: “It’s Christmas Eve and I’m all alone,” he tells her. “No Catholic family, no personal family.” In A Hobo’s Christmas (1987), the title character, grandpa Chance (Barnard Hughes), visits his friends at the homeless shelter and acknowledges, “For all of us, Christmas is the lonesomest time of the year.” His friend, Harold (William Hickey), has particularly pronounced seasonal sadness: “You all know how I feel about Christmas. I’d rather be in bed.” In 12 Dates of Christmas, Kate’s neighbor, Margine (Jayne Eastwood), justifies her low key Christmas celebrations, “This is my Christmas ritual. No husband, no kids, so I bake.” Margine serves as a testimony to what protagonist Kate doesn’t

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want for her own life; Kate later tells her love interest, Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar): “She’s so alone . . . I don’t want that to be me. Alone on Christmas Eve.” In Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), Jen’s (Laura Vandervoort) mom died when she 17. In one scene her friend Marissa (Paula Brancati) explains Jen’s lack of spirit to a colleague: “The holidays just remind her of what she’s missing.” In All Is Bright (2013),94 when Dennis (Paul Giamatti) is released from prison he goes home to see his wife, Therese (Amy Landecker), and daughter, Michi (Tatyana Richaud). He soon discovers that Therese has recoupled and has told Michi that her father is dead, thus leaving Dennis without a family as Christmas approaches. In An En Vogue Christmas (2014), Kendall (Genelle Williams) talks to her assistant, Jake (Make Topplin), about her upcoming solo trip to the Seychelles over Christmas, “For some of us, those of us without family, Christmas is painful and sad and it’s best spent on a tropical island drinking cocktails with tiny little umbrellas in them.” Later Kendall explains to her estranged uncle Marty (David Alan Grier), “I’ve spent every Christmas flying halfway around the world to get away from the pain of another holiday without family.” In Our First Christmas, while Grandma Evie (Dixie Carter) in fact has a family, she frets about its loss given the death of her son and thus, the assumed weakening ties she will have with her daughter-in-law and her new husband: “If it’s the Christmas season, then why don’t I feel happier? I guess I’m afraid they’ll forget me.” Some narratives center around Christmas loneliness without specifically verbalizing it. In Mr. Krueger’s Christmas (1980), the title character (James Stewart) is a lonely widowed janitor. Nora’s Christmas Gift (1989) similarly centers on a lonely elderly woman (Celeste Holm) who is growing progressively depressed across the season. In My One Christmas Wish (2015), protagonist Jackie (Amber Riley) is also getting anxious about facing a Christmas alone without family. The Merry Gentleman (2008) focuses on the loneliness of a middle-aged hit man Frank (Michael Keaton) and an abused young wife Kate (Kelly Macdonald). As focused on in chapter 3, family is inextricably linked to Christmas: to celebrate the season without blood relations is thus an anomaly. Equally, while family can often cause extensive anguish for individuals, not having family at Christmas is often considered distinctly painful. Loneliness centered on the absence of family has received a moderate amount of commentary. Media theorist Sheila Whiteley for example, spotlights that “for those without families, Christmas is all too often a time of acute loneliness.”95 In social scientists Varadaraj Velamoor, Lakshmi Voruganti and Neelesh Nadkarni’s work, the authors studied psychiatric emergency patients and found that loneliness was the most common stressor followed by being without a family (38.2 percent).96 The loneliness of Christmas is also briefly mentioned in emergency doctor Steven Doherty’s research

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on road deaths at Christmas.97 In therapist Elaine Davies’s work, she addressed Christmastime loneliness, noting that in the UK, 2.5 million people aged between 45 and 64 have no spouse, partner or children living with them, and thus, Christmas can be a notably lonely time.98 In a Lancet article, Ishani Kar-Purkayastha reflected on the loneliness of “unwanted grandparents” spending Christmases in hospital wards rather than with family.99 (This is briefly alluded to in It Came upon the Midnight Clear, where a centenarian is left, unvisited by his relatives in a hospital. The sadness of the departure of visiting relations during the holidays is also shown in Away from Her.)100 The Canadian Nurse journal has also published several articles on this topic.101 Christmas loneliness felt by nurses working abroad—thus away from their families—is discussed in an article by nursing journalist Alison Jenkins,102 and in a Huffington Post article, tips are provided for getting through the season, recognizing, “If you’re one of those people whose families might not be so close this silly season, Christmas Day can be a lonely affair.”103 Another loneliness common on screen is the absence of a partner, be it because of being never married, of alternatively, the death of a loved one. An Unpartnered at Christmas For Jen in My Santa, while she is not totally alone—she has friends and the love of her son—when she admits to being lonely she’s really talking about male company: she is craving intimate, romantic companionship. Such loneliness is widely identifiable. In Holiday Inn (1942), a scene of holiday-based loneliness shows Jim (Bing Crosby) alone at his inn at Thanksgiving. He looks at his turkey dinner and remarks, “You know, you’re better off than I am.” In Silent Night, Lonely Night, John acknowledges his loneliness, commenting, “Christmastime. Thanksgiving. It’s an offense against something or other to be single at those times.”104 Katherine (Shirley Jones), in the same film, articulates similar feelings: “I’m very lonely.” In Mixed Nuts, Catherine (Rita Wilson), a worker at the crisis hotline, takes a phone call from a distressed woman: Caller: I was in the supermarket and everyone was buying big turkeys, and I was standing in the ten-items-and-under line with a chicken breast. I know. I suddenly realized I was going to be in the ten-items-and-under line the rest of my life.

Listening to the woman’s story, Catherine starts to cry, realizing that her own circumstances are near-identical. In Sleepless in Seattle (1993), aware of his widowed father, Sam’s (Tom Hanks), loneliness, young Jonah (Ross Malinger) calls into a radio help show on Christmas Eve.

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“It’s just tough this time of year . . .” Sam explains when he is later interviewed. In Noel, while visiting her mom, Rose has an exchange with her mother’s physician, Doctor Baron (John Doman): Doctor Baron: Feeling okay this morning, I hope. Rose: Oh sure. I mean I know it looks bad, single woman over 40 at Christmastime. But I’ll be fine. Just keep me away from the kitchen knives and open windows for the next few days. You meant my mother, didn’t you?

In His & Her Christmas (2005), in one of Liz’s (Dina Meyer) newspaper columns she notes, “Holiday party invitations arrived the other day. There’s nothing a single woman fears more than opening that envelope and having the RSVP card fall out.” In an early scene in Trading Christmas, unpartnered Faith opens a pile of Christmas cards and gets upset when she sees one with an image of her ex-husband and his pregnant wife. In Holly’s Holiday (2012), Holly (Claire Coffee) admits to her colleague Milo (Jeff Ward): “Maybe I’m a little lonely but what unattached person isn’t this time of year? Happy holidays is in your face everywhere you look.” Holly’s friend, Deena (Gabrielle Dennis), echoes this: “I can’t do another singles Christmas this year.” In Anything But Christmas, John’s ex-girlfriend, Charlene (Heather Doerksen), similarly says, “I don’t want to spend another Christmas alone.” In An En Vogue Christmas, Rick (Christopher Russell), in his attempt to win back Rhona (Rhona Bennett), references loneliness in his pitch, “It’s Christmas time, gets pretty cold and lonely when you don’t have that someone special around.” In Angel of Christmas, protagonist Susan bumps into her friend Hayley (Christie Laing), who speculates, “Oh-oh, here it comes again: the I-hate-Christmas blues,” predicated on Susan’s break-up. The Carol riffs also make a point about loneliness being a worst-case scenario: that it’s what will happen if Scrooge doesn’t change his ways. In A Carol Christmas, the Ghost of Christmas Future (James Cromwell) shows Carol her funeral where only two people are in attendance. This moment is a turning point with Carol realizing that she doesn’t want to die alone. In Christmas Cupid (2010), protagonist Sloan (Christina Milian) is haunted by the ghost of Caitlin (Ashley Benson), one of her former PR clients. Caitlin shows Sloan a future that includes her being alone in a hospital bed: “You still have a chance not to die alone,” Caitlin cautions. The same lonely future is shown to the protagonist in the Irish film Three Wise Women (2010). The dying alone fear is similarly articulated elsewhere. In 12 Dates of Christmas, Kate laments, “I’m gonna to be alone forever.” In Noel, it is Charlie who comments, “I don’t want to be alone when I die.” These presentations are in line with the repeated screen theme of characters wanting to change their life so that they don’t die alone, something I discuss in my book Inti-

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macy on the Internet: Media Representations of Online Connections.105 A screen example that subtly alludes to this in the context of Christmas transpires in In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007), which opens with the following statement (credited to the Los Angeles Gazette): “Between December 25th and January 1st the number of people on Match.com, Craigslist and MySpace increased by three hundred percent.” Worth noting, the loneliness of an unpartnered Christmas can prompt characters to do strange things in pursuit of affection (chapter 3). The screen also offers films whereby loneliness is felt by characters within relationships. While such coupled loneliness is the case for Gretchen (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) in The Christmas Note (2015), whose soldier husband is deployed, and Mary (Mary Thornton) in Midnight Clear (2006), whose husband is brain damaged in hospital, in others it is because the coupling is of the less orthodox variety. In Bowler’s discussion on Christmas, he identifies a specific blues caused by “separation at holiday-times from one’s lover who is married to someone else.”106 This is certainly the underpinning of several sad Christmas portrayals. In The Apartment (1960), Fran (Shirley Maclaine) is the mistress of Jeff (Fred MacMurray), an executive in the building where she works as a lift operator. At Christmas, Jeff elects to spend the holidays with his wife and children, leaving Fran alone and, ultimately, suicidal. In Eve’s Christmas (2004), the title character (Elisa Donovan) is having an affair with her married boss, Neil (Kavan Smith). Neil decides to spend Christmas with his family as opposed to going to Aspen with Eve as he had promised. In the British film Love Actually (2003), Mia (Heike Makatsch) had been enjoying a flirtation with her boss, Harry (Alan Rickman), who she had danced with at the office Christmas party. After the party, Harry goes home with his wife and children and Mia returns to her apartment alone. In The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, after inviting herself to her beau, Johnny’s (Johnny Solo), family celebration, Dottie (Marsha Dietlein) discovers he is married. While the exact nature of Iris’s (Kate Winslet) relationship with Jasper (Rufus Sewell) in The Holiday (2006) is unknown, he flirts with her at the office Christmas party, at the very same event his engagement to someone else is announced. Later, via voiceover, Iris reflects on the relationship: Iris: I have willingly loved that man for over three miserable years. The absolute worst years of my life. The worst Christmases, the worst birthdays. New Years Eves brought in by tears and Valium. These years I’ve been in love have been the darkest days of my life.

In Love the Coopers, Eleanor (Olivia Wilde) is having an affair with a married doctor (Jon Tenney) who is unable to spend Christmas with her. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island Adventure (2003),

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Audrey (Dana Barron) is bereft after having just discovered that her boyfriend was married. In my book Cheating on the Sisterhood: Infidelity and Feminism, I discussed some of the emotional consequences of single women in affairs with married men, and I specifically addressed Christmas: While there are advantages to not having to undertake the less savory aspects of a committed relationship, conversely there are joys and benefits to be found in a committed relationship that are completely unavailable to the [mistress]. Christmas, birthdays, being physically present for each other during crises, and so on: these are all ordinary, real-life events that have no place in the bonus round of an affair.107

For the mistresses discussed in this section, their loneliness is amplified by them being acutely aware—at Christmastime—that their male partner has decided to spend the season with his wife and thus, their subordinated role is made depressingly apparent. In chapter 3, I discussed the expectation that Christmas is spent in the company of loved ones. Such ideas underpin anxiety felt about being partnerless at Christmas: it is widely considered an unacceptable way to celebrate the season. An Ebony article on the “Christmas Blues” notes that seasonal depression “may strike single, elderly and divorced individuals— people for whom the holiday is a painful reminder of their loneliness.”108 For the individuals discussed in this section, being without—or away from—loved ones at Christmastime creates seasonal upset. Holiday loneliness, of course, is not a theme exclusive to film. In her discussion of holiday music, Whiteley also discussed the ubiquitousness of this theme: While [Joni] Mitchell’s sentiments are less extreme than those of [Shane] MacGowan, they nevertheless share a common association with the season’s emphasis on being with the one you love, the potential for extremes of loneliness and “drowning” your sorrows in drink.109

Cultural theorist B. Lee Cooper identifies a turning point in Christmas music in the 1950s with “an increased emphasis on depictions of holiday loneliness,”110 observing that “a more common refrain, especially among lonely male singers, is the malaise experienced by those who have been abandoned by loved ones just before Christmas Day.”111 A Very Murray Christmas (2015) fuses these ideas, whereby protagonist Bill Murray is seemingly depressed at Christmastime, channeling his energies into singing—or watching others sing—some of the season’s saddest songs. As hinted to by the side-lined mistresses discussed earlier, Christmas is often a time for relationship conflict if not also dissolution.

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CHRISTMAS CONFLICT When Mia in A Christmas Kiss II comments that “Christmas is hard enough to come out unscathed,” and when Melody in The Christmas List remarks that Christmas “brings out the worst” in everybody, both narratives hint to conflict. While conflict within families is discussed in chapter 3, in this section I focus on conflict within romantic dyads. In The Bishop’s Wife (1947), bishop Henry (David Niven) and Julia’s (Loretta Young) marriage is on the rocks, at Christmastime, due to the amount of time he spends at work. In Period of Adjustment (1962), it’s Christmastime: Ralph (Anthony Franciosa) and his wife, Dorothea’s (Lois Nettleton), relationship is strained; newlyweds Isabel (Jane Fonda) and George (Jim Hutton)—married on the 23rd of December—are also fighting. In A Very Brady Christmas (1988), it is revealed that Jan (Eve Plumb) is planning on separating from her husband, Philip (Ron Kuhlman). In the same narrative, Sam (Lewis Arquette) has left his wife, Alice (Ann B. Davis), for another woman. In Mixed Nuts, Philip calls his girlfriend Susan for a loan; she discloses that she has been cheating on him for four months and wants to break up. In Three Days, Andrew and Beth fight about his suspected infidelity. In Noel, Nina (Penelope Cruz) and her boyfriend, Mike (Paul Walker), are fighting because, according to Nina, he’s a “jealous psychopath.” In Nothing Like the Holidays, Anna announces at the Christmas dinner that she is divorcing Edy, suspecting him of having an affair. In A Very Married Christmas (2004), it is Christmas when Frank (Joe Mantegna) finds out his wife, Jean (Ellen Griffin), is having an affair. In Love the Coopers, long-time married couple Sam (John Goodman) and Charlotte have decided to split up. In Angels in the Snow, Judith and Charles’s relationships is on the rocks due to his workaholism; Judith implies that she wants a divorce. In An Accidental Christmas (2007), Victoria (Cynthia Gibb) and Jason (David Millbern) have separated, something partly attributable to their respective work schedules. The Ref (1994) opens at Christmastime: Carolina (Judy Davis) and Lloyd (Kevin Spacey) are in marriage counseling. In Gift of the Magi (2010), in their struggle to buy expensive presents for each other, Jim (Mark Webber) and his new wife, Della (Marla Sokoloff), take on extra employment and their schedules drive them apart. In Christmas Miracle (2012), each of the married couples in the narrative are stressed and fighting. In Anything But Christmas, Grace and John are fighting due to his Christmas phobia. In the same narrative, John’s parents appear to have been fighting since he was born. In Will You Merry Me? as a result of the stress caused by their respective in-laws, the newly engaged couple Rebecca (Vikki Krinsky) and Henry (Tommy Lioutas) spend the holiday fighting. In Christmas Twister (2012), Addison (Victoria Pratt) and her husband, Ethan (Casper Van Dien), aren’t getting along. In Christmas

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in Palm Springs (2014), Joe (Patrick Muldoon) is a workaholic playwright, and he and his wife, Jess (Dina Meyer), have separated. Tangerine (2015) centers on a Christmas Eve night of relationship upheavals when Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) realizes her boyfriend had cheated on her. In the British film A Gert Lush Christmas (2015), Dan (Russell Howard) takes his girlfriend, Lisa (Hannah Britland), home to meet his family. Dan’s uncle, Tony (Greg Davies), drugs him to loosen him up and, while under the influence Dan kisses his ex, leading to a break-up with Lisa. In A Very Cool Christmas, Santa speaks of experiencing the “700-year itch” with his wife. In Finding Mrs. Claus (2012), Santa Claus (Will Sasso) and Mrs. Claus, Jessica (Mira Sorvino), are going through a tough patch as they approach their 500th wedding anniversary: Jessica: You know, there was a time that he couldn’t stay away from my dumplings. And now he barely touches them.

While the stresses of Christmas can play havoc on relationship harmony, other explanations, however, also exist. While there is very little academic literature that addresses Christmastime relationship stress, it is certainly something speculated on in mainstream media. In Pleck’s work on Christmas for example, she references a 1967 New York Times Magazine article by Edwin Diamond which suggested that “Christmas might even cause tension in otherwise placid marriages.”112 In 2015, Relationships Australia found that of the 1,900 respondents in their study, a high proportion reported that their relationships were negatively affected at Christmas with close to a third being impacted by increased conflict.113 Similar findings were disclosed in a Guardian article.114 The eHarmony dating website also addresses this issue, contending that “despite the fact that Christmas is meant to be a season of peace and goodwill to all it is a time of potential conflict for many people.”115 In Petra Boynton’s Telegraph column, she too spotlights (in line with amplification discussed at the beginning of this chapter) that, “If you’re experiencing problems in your relationship, being together over the holidays may exacerbate issues.”116 In chapter 1, I discussed the scarce films that explore romantic marriages, many of the relationships discussed in this section are put under strain purely for purposes of plot. Outside of Mixed Nuts, each of the couples discussed in this section actually reconcile by the credits: their relationships might have been stressed by the season but it was also, likely, a factor in their reconciliation, in turn highlighting that Christmas is a season for love, for forgiveness, for rebirth, and that conflict is just a hurdle. While Christmas is a source of friction for the couples discussed in this section, it is unsurprising that for some couples, like Philip and Su-

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san in Mixed Nuts, the holiday friction is too much and they do actually break up—and stay broken up—at Christmastime. A CHRISTMAS BREAK UP In chapter 2 I discussed the notion of time, with Christmas often serving as narrative punctuation. In numerous films Christmas serves as a full-stop to a relationship. In Olivia Katrandjian’s ABC News article, she spotlights that Christmas is the year’s second highest break-up time (second only to spring break). Reasons offered include not wanting to go into the new year with your current partner, not wanting to introduce your partner to family and that staying together through the season connotes a level of commitment that some people aren’t ready for.117 Lucy Moore’s Female First article names Christmas as the number one most popular break-up time, with twice as many relationships breaking down as at any other time of year. Moore quotes psychologist Rachel MacLynn, who explains this phenomenon: As the year draws to an end, people tend to reflect on what they have and what they want for the following year—this includes looking at their relationship and wondering if they would prefer to clear the space in their lives for something new. Add huge expectations, tight budgets and the strain of spending too much, or too little, time with your partner—and a relationship can really take its toll.118

An Australian news article documents a rise in demand for counseling services at Christmas,119 and a Daily News article suggests that “Match.com—that online mistletoe—says its peak surfing season starts on Dec. 25, just as the breakups of breakup season are sinking in.”120 Certainly such breakups transpire widely on screen. In We’re No Angels (1955), the escaped prisoner Jules (Peter Ustinov) tells a story of how he ended up in jail. “I came home unexpectedly one Christmas and found my wife giving a friend of mine a present.” A Christmastime break-up as part of a backstory is also a theme in Ebbie, A Christmas Wish, Trading Christmas, My Santa, Love the Coopers, On the Second Day of Christmas (1997), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Santa Jr. (2002), Karroll’s Christmas (2004), The Christmas Blessing (2005), How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015), Last Chance for Christmas (2015), Operation Christmas (2016), The Mistletoe Promise (2016) and The Rooftop Christmas Tree (2016). In Angels and Ornaments (2014), Harold (Sergio Di Zio) comments to colleague Corrine (Jessalyn Gilsig) about her recent break-up, noting

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that she’s “not alone. It’s a common syndrome especially at the holidays. . . .” A range of films like Angels and Ornaments begin with characters nursing freshly broken hearts, for example National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island Adventure, Angel in the Family, Christmas Caper, A Christmas Kiss II, A Perfect Christmas, Comfort and Joy (1984), Christmas in Boston (2005), How About You . . . (2007), The Christmas Choir (2008), Lucky Christmas (2011), A Star for Christmas (2012), A Wonderful Christmas Time (2014), Christmas, Again (2014), Happy Christmas (2014), Dashing through the Snow (2015) and The Christmas Gift (2015). While in these narratives, break-ups happen before the narrative begins, others showcase a split early into the film. In Christmas Holiday (1944), Lt. Charles Mason (Dean Harens) is about to go home for Christmas to see his girlfriend when he receives a “Dear John” letter. In the opening scene of the first episode of the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2012), Phoebe (Sarah Hampson) breaks up with protagonist Dan (Ian Meadows). In Secret Santa (2003), Rebecca (Jennie Garth) thinks her boyfriend, Ryan (Josh Randall), is going to propose; in fact, he tells her that he’s in love with someone else. The exact same thing happens in Holiday Engagement (2011), Finding Christmas (2013), Holiday Road Trip (2013) and Christmas under Wraps (2014). Other break-ups transpire early into the stories in Recipe for a Perfect Christmas, Fir Crazy, An En Vogue Christmas, A Prince for Christmas, A Puppy for Christmas, Christmas Lodge (2011), A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015), The Flight Before Christmas (2015), The Spirit of Christmas (2015) and My Christmas Love (2016). Cheating-related break-ups also happen early on in The Holiday, Christmas at the Riviera, Holly’s Holiday, Bernard and the Genie (1991), Home By Christmas (2006), 12 Men of Christmas (2009), 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011), All About Christmas Eve (2012), The Christmas Parade (2014) and Merry Kissmas (2015). Rarer, but sometimes permanent, break-ups also happen in the middle of the film. In Alice (1990), it’s at an office Christmas party where the title character (Mia Farrow) discovers that her husband, Doug (William Hurt), has been cheating on her with a colleague; by the end of the narrative their marriage is over. Annie Hall (1977) centers on Alvy (Woody Allen) and Annie’s (Diane Keaton) relationship. In one part the couple go to Los Angeles for Christmas; they break up shortly after the trip. Their New York apartment is still seasonally decorated as they divide up their possessions.121 In Christmas with Holly (2012), in the lead up to Christmas, Mark (Sean Faris) breaks up with his girlfriend, Shelby (Alex PaxtonBeesley). In The Bridge (2015), Ryan (Wyatt Nash) and his first love, Kristin (Andrea Brooks), break up just before the holidays. The British film 9 Songs (2004) centers on Matt (Kieran O’Brien) and Lisa’s (Margo Stilley) short relationship, which ends at Christmastime.

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Given the paucity of academic research on Christmas breakups, it’s difficult to determine whether all these Christmas break-up depictions actually reflect reality: the situation could, of course, be akin to the overstated Christmas-suicide issue (discussed later in this chapter). That said, Rob (Joey Lawrence) in Hitched for the Holidays (2012)—who breaks up with his girlfriend in the lead-up to Thanksgiving—provides one explanation, in line with psychologist MacLynn’s comments quoted earlier, that appear to justify the many holiday break-ups on screen: Rob: Maybe it’s all the expectations and pressures around the holidays to be happy. . . . These women I’ve been seeing, it’s like they take one look at a turkey leg or a Christmas tree and they want to start shopping for wedding rings.

The pre-Christmas break-up is also a theme in My One Christmas Wish, whereby Kate (Priscilla Faia) has a habit of breaking up with boyfriends prior to the holidays so she doesn’t have to “meet the family.” A stark theme in many of the films discussed in this section is infidelity. While such presentations are in line with the ubiquitousness of such a theme in popular culture—as I have argued elsewhere, “Without infidelity there would be no soap operas. Likely there would be no cinema, literature, or music either”122—it also serves another purpose. Christmas films aren’t commonly complicated narratives: plots are simple, predictable and characters are generally good or bad. For a character who gets cheated on, therefore, the crude takeaway for audiences is that the cheater is the villain and the betrayed character is not only worthy of sympathy but a fresh, romantic start. In chapter 1 I discussed the deluge of single parent narratives. A key underpinning of such a relationship status is to free characters up to recouple. For the many examples discussed in this section, break-ups transpire as part of a character’s backstory; alternatively, they occur at the start of the narrative. A break-up—while a depressing event for many characters—is generally a catalyst for a new romance. In most films mentioned in the section, characters who exit broken relationships enter another dyad. Regardless of whether such narratives mirror reality, they undoubtedly serve the seasonal film imperative of romance. While less common than a break-up narrative, nonetheless, another contribution to seasonal disharmony on screen is weather. WEATHER WOES In Lamiat Sabin’s Independent article, an observation is made about Christmastime loneliness in the United Kingdom:

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A huge 2.2 million of pensioners said they are not looking forward to Christmas as they are worried about being housebound and not being able to travel or walk outside because of potential severe winter weather conditions and shorter daylight hours.123

Here, Sabin makes an interesting point. In a range of Christmas narratives, weather is presented as playing nostalgic (chapter 2), destiny-related (chapter 5) and aesthetic roles (chapter 6). It is, however, important to acknowledge that weather can also contribute to unhappiness. Sabin identifies cold weather and shorter daylight as negatively impacting older people’s social participation. Such ideas hint more broadly to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as the winter blues.124 Film theorist Mark Connelly discusses this in his brief history of Christmas: In a world devoid of electric light, afflicted by pestilence and diseases, winter was an extremely frightening, depressing and trying time. The harsh weather of northern Europe and in some of the colonies of the New World ensured a festival designed to uplift the spirits and drive away gloom retained an inherent popularity.125

On screen, while cold weather could potentially be connected to the negative dispositions of the characters discussed in this chapter by amplifying their disharmony; in fact, more common is unChristmas-like weather dampening spirits. In A Child’s Christmas in Wales for example, young Thomas (Mathonwy Reeves) stares, forlornly, out the window: it’s raining and he’s seemingly not getting the snowy Christmas he wanted. Something similar transpires in The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997), when Betty (Kathleen Doyle) miserably comments, “Two days before Christmas and there’s still no sign of snow.” Later, when she is crying, she rationalizes, “It’s the heat. It’s got me all out of sorts.” In The Santa Trap (2002), Molly (Shelley Long) has lost her Christmas spirit and is finding the entire season a downer. In one scene she reflects on the West Coast weather and comments, “It doesn’t feel like Christmas. I need snow and cold weather and Jack Frost nipping at my nose.” For Molly, the lack of some of the trappings of the season appear to negatively impact her disposition. Such examples can be likened to the portrayal of other kinds of Christmas negativity: that characters like Thomas and Molly are sad because Christmas isn’t turning out the way it’s supposed to: that expectations aren’t met. While not a common presentation, unseasonal Christmas weather can also lead to outcomes substantially worse than mere disappointment. In D.O.A. (1988) and A Cadaver Christmas (2011), for example, both narratives center on unseasonally hot Christmases and the committing of crimes against a festive backdrop. The undercurrent is that the warmth has something to do with the crimes; that there is a cost to things being

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unChristmassy. As Hal (Daniel Stern) in D.O.A. comments, “This heat. Makes a guy do all sorts of insane things.” Mentioned earlier was the notion of comparison whereby this Christmas is contrasted to ones past. Common motivations for such reflections are memories centered on a departed loved one. A REMINDER OF LOSS Anthropologist Adam Kuper notes that Christmas “is a period for remembering the dead, but including them; and ghosts walk on Christmas too. On Christmas Eve the orphan Pip visited his parents’ grave, in Great Expectations. . . .”126 In chapter 1 I discussed numerous characters whose Christmas spirit was depleted because of loss, and in chapter 5 I discuss the actual presence of ghosts. In this section, narratives are explored where Christmas is a distinct and painful reminder of absent loved ones. In some narratives, the amplified pain of loss is shown. In All That Heaven Allows (1955), caroling children, for example, remind Cary (Jane Wyman) of her estranged lover, Ron (Rock Hudson). In Journey Back to Christmas, while unspoken, widowed Hanna only makes it to the doorway of her workplace Christmas party: as soon as she sees the joy of the attendees she departs seemingly acutely aware of her loneliness. In these examples, the reminder of loss is subtle, is unspoken, and in others it’s more explicit. In A Bill of Divorcement, it is Christmas Day and Hester (Elizabeth Patterson) sadly holds a photo of her brother, Hilary, who has been institutionalized for over a decade. “I couldn’t help thinking of Hilary. This day of all days. No one to greet him or wish him happiness.” In The Christmas Gift (1986), George (John Denver) is a single father; it’s his first Christmas as a widower. His boss, Thomas (Edward Winter), gives voice to Goerge’s pain: “It’s the worse time of the year to deal with the loss of a loved one.” In You’ve Got Mail (1998), while Kathleen (Meg Ryan) is decorating her tree alone, via narration she reveals that she is “missing my mother so much I almost couldn’t breathe. I always miss my mother at Christmas, but somehow it’s worse this year. . . .” In Merry Christmas, Baby (2016), Blair (Karon Riley) reveals, “I just miss my family, you know? Even more so during the holidays.” In The Christmas Cottage, Butch (Geoffrey Lewis) is mourning the death of his son in Vietnam nine years prior: “It hurts the same year after year. Why doesn’t it get easier?” In What I Did for Love (2006), widower Karl (James Gammon) has stopped celebrating Christmas, noting, “[I’ve] got nothing left except memories, each one like a dagger. ” The Christmas zombie film, A Cadaver Christmas, opens on a bar scene. The bartender, Eddie (Ben Hopkins), is flicking channels. He stops at a hippopotamus Christmas special, “I love those Goddamn hippos, Bobby did too,” Sam

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says, and gets teary. Bobby is not discussed again, but presumably his absence is worth crying over. In A Princess for Christmas (2011), the duke of Castlebury (Roger Moore) is still mourning the death of his son and daughter-in-law: “Christmas makes me think of Charles. And so do those children,” he says, referring to his surviving grandchildren. In A Puppy for Christmas, Grandpa (Derek McGrath) speaks of his deceased wife: “Not a day goes by I don’t think of her. Especially over the holidays.” In Magic Stocking (2015), Hannah (Imogen Tear) says, “My mom always gets sad this time of year.” In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016), Jackie (Mena Suvari) admits, “I miss my mom. Especially this time of year.” In Anything But Christmas, Grace has an exchange with John and references her own grief: Grace: For you, Christmas is about arguments and bitterness. For me it’s about grief and despair. You escape it, deny it. And I am desperate to celebrate every moment, make everything okay so that maybe Zach won’t miss his dad so much.

In The Christmas Heart, Bob (Blake Taylor) is the neighborhood Grinch. He wants to cancel the yearly luminaria display because of neighbor, Matt (Ty Wood), being in hospital. Bob says he knows how distressing it feels to come home from the hospital and to see all the luminaries and to be reminded of loss; he experienced this when his wife died. In Elf-Man (2012), widowed father Eric (Mackenzie Astin) comments, “This time of year is always a little tough.” In Catch a Christmas Star, Chris is a single, widowed father to Sophie (Julia Lalonde) and Jackson (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf). In one scene, young Sophie comments, “Grandpa says holidays are particularly difficult for people coping with long term grief.” In A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), Matt (Mark Wiebe) reveals to Alice (Alicia Witt) how his fiancé left him to go to Paris: Alice: Still hurts a little, huh? Matt: Just a little around the holidays.

A similar exchange transpires in Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014), between Oliver (Eric Mabius) and his colleague, Jordan (Rob Estes), about his own break-up. Oliver: That first Christmas was hard. This second Christmas makes it . . . Jordan: Real.

In Mr. Miracle (2014), Sharon (Sarah-Jane Redmond) acknowledges: “Holidays are a hard time to miss somebody.”

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The idea of Christmas as a reminder of loss is noted in numerous published works. In Helen Fitzgerald’s work on mourning, she identifies a range of Christmastime triggers: There may be times when, shopping in a store, you catch yourself off guard spotting a “perfect gift” for your loved one and then realizing you will never buy a gift for that person again.127

Numerous mainstream media articles similarly spotlight this same idea.128 Qualities like loneliness, weather and envy are each factors that can negatively impact on disposition. Such factors can contribute to depression and, in extreme circumstances, to tragic outcomes like suicide. SEASONAL DEPRESSION In her New Yorker article, Elif Batuman makes the case that Ebenezer Scrooge, in fact, was most likely a depressed character: Scrooge takes no joy in anything. His London is a dystopian hellscape riddled by sickness, injustice, cold, and want. Money is the only protection— frail and inadequate—against these horrors, and Scrooge’s only thought is to work as hard as he can, every day, to store up as much money as possible. Christmas, in such a mental state, makes no sense.129

Whether or not Scrooge was actually depressed, certainly presentations of characters’ feeling as such at Christmas are widespread. In the “Dear Sis” episode of the sitcom M*A*S*H (1972–1983), Hawkeye (Alan Alda) comments, “This place really manages to capture that oldfashioned Christmas depression.” The notion of a Christmas tradition of depression—while seemingly antithetical—is widely articulated. In The Holly and the Ivy, David (John Gregson) and his future brother-in-law Michael (Denholm Elliott) discuss this as they decorate the house: David: It’s a strange thing, but I find all these Christmas decorations peculiarly depressing. Michael: Yes, it is depressing. I can’t bear Christmas. I used to like it as a child but now it’s well, as you say, it’s depressing.

In the beginning of Christmas with the Kranks, Luther and Nora debate how to spend their first Christmas without their daughter and allude to the same ideas:

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Nora: It’ll be so different this Christmas. . . . The first time in twenty-three years Blair won’t be here. Luther: Might even get depressing. Lot of depression at Christmas, you know.

In Christmas Angel, Ashley explicitly pronounces Christmas as “the most depressing time of the year.” In The Santa Suit (2010), Nancy (Jodie Dowdall) makes a similar themed comment, noting, “The holidays can be a painful time for people.” In Dashing through the Snow, protagonist Ashley’s mom observes, “There’s nothing worse than being sad at Christmas.” In All I Want for Christmas (1991), teen Ethan’s (Ethan Embry) friend Stephanie (Amy Oberer) comments, “See, I wasn’t expecting an adventure this Christmas. I was just expecting to be depressed.” While for Stephanie she in fact got a Christmas adventure that she hadn’t anticipated, her expectation of depression is in sync with a range of Christmas narratives whereby the season is simply assumed as emotionally difficult. In A Midwinter’s Tale (1995),130 the narrative opens with Joe’s (Michael Maloney) declaration: Joe: It was late November, I think. And I was thinking about the whole Christmas thing: the birth of Christ, the Wizard of Oz, family murders, and quite frankly I was depressed.

In The Santa Con (2014), Paul (Jaleel White), an inmate in the same prison as the protagonist, Nick (Barry Watson), confesses, “I always get depressed around the holidays.” In The Santa Trap, mom Molly diagnoses herself: “I guess I’m just depressed.” In Ordinary People, after the death of his older brother, Conrad is depressed at Christmas, having been recently released from time spent in a hospital. In Christmas on Mars (2008), each of the astronauts are, in varying degrees, depressed about their situation, presumably linked to their isolation. For Dennis in All Is Bright and Noel (Kentucker Audley) in Christmas, Again, the two not only seem saddened by their situation but depressed. In Noel, both Rose and Charlie also appear depressed. “Combat fatigue” or “shellshock” is also referenced in Christmas films. In A Bill of Divorcement, Hilary has been in a mental asylum since before his daughter, Sidney, was born, and escapes on Christmas Day. While never discussed in great detail, his mental illness seems connected to his time in the military. In I’ll Be Seeing You (1944), returned soldier, Zach (Joseph Cotten), is similarly suffering from combat fatigue/PTSD. A different mental illness transpires in Home for the Holidays (1972)131: nearly a decade on and Frederica (Jessica Walter) is still severely disturbed about the death of her mother. Christmas films aren’t often the place where formal diagnoses are made,132 and thus oftentimes distinguishing between a lack of Christmas

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spirit, Christmas blues or clinical depression is almost impossible. Expectedly therefore, seasonal depression is presented in most examples uncritically in the manner of the popular press; something that psychiatrist Laura Hirshbein spotlights has a decades-long history: Popular commentators who described depression around holidays—particularly the Christmas blues—emphasized that it was common for people to feel low around the rush and bustle of the holidays.133

Pleck contends that psychologists first “diagnosed a new form of seasonal mental illness, the holiday blues”134 in the 1960s, although she draws on psychology journal articles from as early as the 1940s which first hinted to a problem. Bowler notes that the Swiss even have a specific word for it: Weihnachtscholer,135 and spotlights that it is certainly nothing new: It must not be thought that this ailment affects only jaded moderns. An American woman’s diary from 1858 notes, “As these days come round our hearts are made Sad; we miss our loved Mother, now gone onto rest.”136

Depression, akin to suicide discussed in the next section, are both topics addressed widely in Christmas films. THE CHRISTMASTIME SUICIDE In film theorist Jonathan Munby’s work on screen adaptations of A Christmas Carol, he reminds us, “Christmas movies often have a dark side: Consider George Bailey’s awful day that nearly ends with his suicide in It’s a Wonderful Life [1946].”137 Far broader than just It’s a Wonderful Life, the darkness of Christmas as something that might end in suicide is a surprisingly common theme. In Christmas with the Kranks, while Luther tries to erect his Frosty the Snowman decoration up on the roof, he slips. When his wife, Nora, arrives home to find him dangling from the roof, they have the following exchange: Nora: What on earth are you doing? Are you okay? Luther: Actually, it was a suicide attempt. Apparently, I misread the instructions.

In this example, and several others, holiday suicides are referenced humorously. In Will You Merry Me? feuding mothers Marilyn and Suzie

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(Wendie Malick) have a brief exchange after Suzie accidentally runs down a reindeer: Suzie: Maybe he was, I don’t know, looking for a way out. Marilyn: Are you implying that Rudolph—a beloved friend of this town and a bringer of miracles—was committing suicide when you thoughtlessly ran him down? Suzie: Well, why else would he hurl himself into the middle of the road?

In Season’s Greetings (2016), after being fired Bryan (Viv Leacock) is out on the building ledge. His colleague, Darcy (Laura Bell Bundy), follows him in an attempt to save him: Darcy: I know you lost your job, and I know it’s an awful thing, but it is not worth dying for. Bryan: Whoa. I lost my job? Darcy: Then why else would you be trying to kill yourself? Bryan: I’m not trying to kill myself. I’m trying to rescue [dog] Santa Paws.

Similar suicide-themed sarcasm transpires in Noel, when Rose made the “just keep me away from the kitchen knives and open windows for the next few days” comment to her mother’s doctor. While Rose was trying to be funny, in fact, as later depicted, Rose actually was suicidal. Such scenes are funny because Christmas and suicide as coupled is very well established. In the sections that follow, the scope of suicide presentations on screen are examined, ranging from the often discussed truism of the Christmas/suicide link through to the much rarer successfully executed deaths. The Life-Taking Truism Mixed Nuts centers on the employees at a crisis hotline over Christmas. At one point, Catherine—musing about the low number of calls she has taken—comments, “It’s so quiet suddenly. You’d expect everyone to be thinking of jumping out of windows . . . or slitting their wrists on Christmas Eve, wouldn’t you?” Akin to Rose’s barb in Noel, Catherine frames the holiday suicide as a universal truth. This assumption is articulated widely. In the Anything But Christmas scene referenced earlier, John spoke of spikes in the suicide rate at Christmastime. In Gremlins, the following exchange transpires between teenagers Billy and Kate, after Kate’s encounter with lonely neighbor Mr. Futterman (Dick Miller):

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Kate: He’s been like that ever since he lost his job. He’s like a lot of people around here, he just wants somebody to listen. Especially on the holidays. Billy: Why is that? Kate: Because that’s when a lot of people get really depressed. Billy: That’s funny. Because I always thought everyone was happy during the holidays. No matter what. Kate: Most people are, but some aren’t. While everybody else is opening up their presents they’re opening up their wrists. Billy: Cheery thought. Kate: It’s true. The suicide rate’s always the highest around the holidays.

In When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989), Sally (Meg Ryan) and Harry (Billy Crystal) discuss the stress of the season and also reference suicide: Harry: Boy the holidays are rough. Every year I just try to get from the day before Thanksgiving to the day after New Year’s. Sally: A lot of suicides.

In D.O.A., following the apparent suicide of a student, Hal comments, “Time of year, isn’t it? Holiday depression and all that.” In The Family Man (2000), Jack’s (Nicolas Cage) best friend, Arnie (Jeremy Piven), remarks, “I read somewhere that the suicide rate doubles during the holiday.” In Santa Who? Peter asks his boss whether he could do a “different kind of Christmas story,” and proposes, “Something on the holiday suicide rate: Red, green and blues.” In Comfort and Joy (2003), Jane’s (Nancy McKeon) assistant, Renee (Lindsay Leese), remarks: “Katie Couric did a report on how Christmas is the most stressful time of the year. The suicide rate goes up, I mean way up, like triples or something. There’s a big relapse rate among alcoholics. . . .”138 In Undercover Christmas (2003), the Christmas-suicide link is made in an exchange between cocktail waitresses Brandi (Jami Gertz) and Zelda (Diana Chaplin), who are serving some rowdy businessmen: Zelda: I hate Christmas. They’ve all been to office parties already; they’re drunk before they come in. Brandi: Think of yourself as suicide prevention.

The same idea is alluded to in Powder Blue (2009), when strip club manager Velvet Larry (Patrick Swayze) comments: “On Christmas Eve

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I’m going to have a lot of very lonely people out in my club. Some even thinking about killing themselves.” Approached from a different angle, media coverage of the holidaysuicide story is at the center of Meet John Doe (1941). Columnist Ann (Barbara Stanwyck)—in a last-ditch attempt to keep her job—fabricates a story about a man threating to commit suicide at Christmas in protest of the ills of the world: the story, as predicted, captures the nation. Real-life high-profile Christmas suicide stories have similarly garnered attention.139 In Hank Stuever’s book Tinsel: A Search for America’s Christmas Present, he briefly mentions “the urban myth about suicide rates increasing at the end of the year.”140 Olga Khazan’s Atlantic titled “No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays” takes this much further: A common type of Internet story this time of year, other than the ones about how to bake holiday cookies and how to avoid gaining weight from said holiday cookies, is the one about how to handle holiday stress. You know, the existential crises brought on by solitude, or forced closeness, or whatever personal demons snow+presents+relatives+red cups summon. A common kicker for these studies of seasonal bleakness? “No wonder suicides spike around the holidays.”141

Khazan notes that while “November and December are the months with the fewest suicides,” but the Christmas suicide myth perpetuates, something she suggests might even be attributable to cinema: It’s not clear how this myth got started, but one possibility is the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, which basic-cable networks put on heavy rotation as Christmas nears. The film’s main character, George Bailey, contemplates killing himself around the holidays, but he ultimately opts not to. Somehow, that key takeaway gets overlooked.142

The cumulative effect of the many showings of It’s a Wonderful Life—as well as the repeated delivery of suicide “facts” in other narratives—helps normalize this untruth. Khazan’s point about George not going through with his suicide is actually the pattern for most narratives whereby suicide is thought about—and sometimes even attempted—more commonly than it’s successfully undertaken. Suicidal Ideation, Suicidal Attempts While knowing about a characters’ suicidal thoughts is difficult in a visual medium like film, nonetheless, scenes of characters toying with suicide are relatively common. In A Cadaver Christmas, during a phone conversation, Eddie the bartender comments, “Tom’s [Hanlon Smith-

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Dorsey] annual suicide attempt isn’t for a couple more hours yet.” While in this narrative suicide isn’t discussed further, in a variety of others, the notion of a possible Christmas suicide becomes a substantial plot point. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island, at the least end of the seriousness spectrum, Audrey mentions suicide while discussing her recent breakup: Audrey: I’m going to kill myself. Merry Christmas . . . Daniel and I, we broke up. It’s over. The great love of my life and it’s over. I will never find true love again. I’m thinking about killing myself. Or eating large amounts of ice cream. . . . Could you imagine something that terrible happening right before Christmas?

In Ordinary People mentioned earlier, a suicide attempt was part of Conrad’s backstory. Similarly, as discussed earlier, in It’s a Wonderful Life, George—under the belief that his family would be better off dead due to his life insurance policy—positions himself to jump off a bridge on Christmas Eve. The same thing happens in the remake It Happened One Christmas (1977) for Mary (Marlo Thomas). While Meet John Doe starts with a journalist fabricating a story of a Christmas suicide, by the end of the narrative, the title character, John (Gary Cooper), actually stands atop a building poised to jump. In Silent Night, Lonely Night, it’s Christmastime when John receives a phone call about his institionalized wife; her doctor (Woodrow Parfrey) is calling to advise that she made another attempt on her life. In Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, while the S-word is never mentioned, when Edward visits the depressed alcoholic reporter, Frank, he asks, “You won’t try to . . .” implying that perhaps Frank is suicidal. In Mixed Nuts, Felix is broke and his girlfriend is pregnant, and in one scene, he makes his way to the roof of a building and threatens to jump. In The Apartment, after her married boyfriend leaves to spend Christmas with his family, Fran takes a deliberate overdose of sleeping pills. In Better Off Dead (1985), as the title suggests, Lane (John Cusack) believes that he would be better off dead: he engages in several (comic) attempts at suicide including a poorly timed jump off a bridge that lands him in the back of a garbage truck. In Lethal Weapon (1987), on Christmas Eve Martin (Mel Gibson) is alone at home—Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol (1979) plays on the television—and he loads a bullet into a gun and holds it to his forehead and then puts it in his mouth. In another scene, he jumps off a building with a suicidal man; both get saved. In The Merry Gentleman, Frank sits in his car and holds his gun to his chin. In Noel, on Christmas Eve, Rose finds herself on a building ledge contemplating suicide. There, she meets Charlie, who is also seemingly contemplating the same thing. In the opening scene of Crackers, schoolboy Joey

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(Daniel Kellie) hurls himself off the roof of a school building to the chants of “jump, jump, jump” from his schoolmates. In Bad Santa (2003), Willie (Billy Bob Thornton), the alcoholic mall Santa thief, positions himself to breathe in vehicle fumes. In the sequel, Bad Santa 2 (2016), Willie again attempts suicide: sticking his head in the oven, then attempts to hang himself. In the opening scene of Surviving Christmas, an old woman puts her head in the oven. In The Holiday, after Jasper announces his engagement, Iris goes home and tries, briefly, to breathe in gas from the stovetop. In Powder Blue, Charlie (Forest Whitaker) wants to commit suicide by proxy, asking several characters to shoot him. Midnight Clear centers on a range of characters dealing not only with depression but with suicidal ideation. Lefty (Stephen Baldwin), for example, is homeless, depressed, and purchases a gun which he holds under his chin in one scene. Eva (K. Callan), in the same film, is lonely, elderly, with early stage dementia, and is also intent on ending her life with a cocktail of prescription medication.143 In Lovely Still (2008), elderly Robert (Martin Landau) gift wraps himself a gun for Christmas; something only discovered when his new partner, Mary (Ellen Burstyn), accidentally opens it. In In Bruges, Ray sits in the park with a gun to his head. In Khazan’s article, she makes several important points about suicide: The overwhelming majority of people who kill themselves are mentally ill. For people who otherwise feel fine year-round, feeling mildly down in December is simply not enough to prompt suicide.144

For the characters discussed in this section, outside of John’s wife in Silent Night, Lonely Night and Conrad in Ordinary People, none of the characters are actually diagnosed as mentally ill. Even George in It’s a Wonderful Life—Christmas cinema’s most famous suicidal—was almost certainly not depressed: his motivation, in fact, was bank manager Mr. Potter’s (Lionel Barrymore) insurance policy remark to him: “You’re worth more dead than alive.” It is important to note that in each of the examples discussed in this section, suicides were unsuccessful. In It’s a Wonderful Life, the angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), throws himself into the water so that George has a distraction. The same things happens It Happened One Christmas when Clara (Cloris Leachman) interrupts Mary’s attempt. In Meet John Doe, Joe is begged down from the building ledge by love interest Ann. In Better Off Dead, Lane’s attempts are consistently poorly executed. In Lethal Weapon, Martin can’t pull the trigger, and in Bad Santa, Bad Santa 2, Midnight Clear and In Bruges, characters are interrupted before they can end their lives. In Noel, Rose and Charlie agree to support each other through the night instead of jumping. In Crackers, while Joey does jump, he is uninjured. Such scenes, therefore, function on several

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levels. In each example, suicide attempts are, unsurprisingly, a severe low point for the characters—the proverbial darkness before the dawn—and thus, the lives of characters improve afterward, with the suicide attempt serving as both a demonstration of as-bad-as-it-gets but also a watershed for change (chapter 1). Returning to Khazan’s point about “that key takeaway gets overlooked,”145 it is also worth briefly examining why so few characters do actually kill themselves at Christmas. Partly this is explainable by the nature of the films discussed: even though they represent a variety of different genres, there are still films with significant Christmas scenes— some, like It’s a Wonderful Life, are known as Christmas films—and the inclusion of a successful suicide would add a level of seriousness, and permanence, that such narratives aren’t normally associated with. Another explanation lies in the healing, hopeful, redemptive power of Christmas: that a more common presentation is hearts and minds being changed by the season. While It’s a Wonderful Life and It Happened One Night replace suicidal thoughts with a lesson about why life—and Christmas—is great, the crime drama The Bone Collector (1999) provides an interesting fusion of these ideas. Lincoln (Denzel Washington) is a quadriplegic criminalist considering making a “final transition” and committing suicide. The film ends however, at a Christmas party: Lincoln has hope again and the possibility of love with a colleague, Amelia (Angelina Jolie); as film theorist Philippa Gates identifies in her discussion of the film: “Amelia and Lincoln have healed each other.”146 It appears no accident that this healing happens at Christmas. While rare, however, some characters are actually successful in their Christmastime suicide attempts. Suicide Success Stories In Home for the Holidays, part of the backstory of the Morgan family is Mom’s supposed suicide. In Babycakes (1989), as part of Grace’s (Ricki Lake) backstory, her mother had also committed suicide. In Silent Night (2002), part of Elisabeth’s (Linda Hamilton) backstory was that her war veteran father killed himself when she was twelve. In other examples, the suicides happen within the film. In Christmas on Division Street, after giving up the hotel room that his social worker had provided him, Cleveland goes out onto the street and sits down, in the snow, and freezes to death.147 In Powder Blue, after Lexus (Alejandro Romero) convinces Charlie not to take his own life, she turns the gun on herself and successfully kills herself. Mentioned earlier was Ray in In Bruges, holding a gun to his head. While Ray’s suicide attempt was interrupted, the film offers two other successful Christmas suicides. After being shot, Ken (Brendan Gleeson) ends up

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jumping off the top of a tower. Ken and Ray’s boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes), also ends up shooting himself after stating, “You’ve got to stick to your principles.” In Fanny, Annie & Danny, following his discovery that his wife, Edie, had thrown out all his Vietnam War mementos, Ronnie (George Killingsworth) goes into the garage and shoots himself. In Christmas on Mars, one of the astronauts, Deuteronilus (Michael Ivins)—cast to play Santa in the Christmas pageant—commits suicide while dressed as Santa Claus. The Christmas on Mars suicide centers on an underdeveloped character with apparent mental health problems and is thus closer aligned with reality than the others. In Fanny, Annie & Danny, the suicide is a bit more complex. While all the characters in the film are variously damaged and while Ronnie is, perhaps, the least developed of the characters, it is impossible for the audience to determine whether he was actually depressed. His reaction to Edie’s behavior, while seemingly hyperbolic, therefore seems in line with the darkness of the narrative as a whole, even if out of sync with the motivations behind real-life suicides. The suicides in In Bruges are even more unrealistic. Film theorist Michele Aaron discusses different types of suicide on film, notably the honorable suicide whereby suicide is conducted out of “national, social, religious duty and it is, invariably associated with men.”148 Aaron classifies the suicides in In Bruges with this type: [In Bruges] makes climactic use of honourable suicide while also exploiting it for its comic, existential and even intertextual resonance. When Harry (Ralph Fiennes) realises he has accidentally shot a little boy while trying to kill one of his hit men as punishment for accidentally killing a child, he turns the gun on himself. . . . The abiding theme of this type is personal integrity.149

While Western culture doesn’t actually have a strong history of honorable suicide, the idea of it serving on screen as a climax certainly makes (fictional) sense. Stress, depression and suicide are the obvious candidates for inclusion in films that explore darker territory, although such ideas are explored through other storylines too. OTHER DARKNESSES As referenced earlier, Munby notes that “Christmas movies often have a dark side.”150 While this is something that may manifest in depression or suicide, considering the range of Christmas-themed horror films, it’s no surprise that other darknesses enter narratives. Newman in fact spotlights the long history of darkness in Christmas stories:

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Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol . . . is as much concerned with the excluded, the miserable, the emotionally poverty-stricken and the dead as it is with merry-makers, puddings and parties.151

Newman, seemingly referencing all the comparison and envy and anticlimaxes of Christmases, notes that one of the appeals of the seasonal horror film is “that this illusion is shredded.”152 The following sections examine a range of dark Christmas presentations, from seasonal scams through to violence. Seasonal Scams As briefly alluded in chapter 2, sometimes the Christmas spirit and feelings of sentimentality and nostalgia are exploited via seasonal scams. In this section, a disregard for the season of goodwill is exhibited through cons. In Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008), the street urchin Ryan (Alexander Conti) comments that Christmas is “the best time of year. There’s some serious coin to be made.” In A Mom for Christmas, Sergeant Morelli (Carmen Argenziano) is investigating a missing mannequin and is in store to keep track of “all the punks who come out of the woodwork at Christmas.” Christmas as a time for scamming is widely portrayed. In Family for Christmas (2015), Hannah (Lacey Chabert) reports on a Christmastime story of the embezzlement of charitable donations. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, a man knocks on Jennifer’s door offering to put up her Christmas lights for a fee and then attempts to rob her. In The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), Sidney (Bob Hope) is a con artist who puts on a Santa costume and sets up a “Save a life” sign and bucket to collect money. So successful was his endeavor, he assembled a team of Santas to expand the operation. In Fred Claus and Bad Santa 2, protagonists engage in this same scam. In We’re No Angels, three prison escapees had planned to murder and rob a shopkeeper, although they end up being befriended. In Larceny, Inc. (1942), while the thieves attempt their heist, Jug (Broderick Crawford) is out on the street, dressed as Santa, to create a distraction. In Fitzwilly (1967), during the bustle of Christmas Eve shopping, the title character, butler Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), executes a heist on a department store. Christmastime store heists also transpire in Stealing Christmas (2003), the British film The Greatest Store in the World (1999) and Bad Santa. In the sequel, Bad Santa 2, the heist target is a children’s charity. In a similar vein, in Christmas in Wonderland, Leonard (Chris Kattan) attempts to pull off a scam with counterfeit money at a mall. In On the Second Day of Christmas, Aunt Trish (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her niece, a little girl named Patsy (Lauren Pratt), take advantage of crowded department stores to rob shoppers. In Home Alone and It’s Christmas (2007),

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robbers target homes vacant over Christmas. In Christmas Caper, smalltime crook, Cate, organizes a heist during a neighborhood Christmas party. In Twas the Night (2001), Uncle Nick (Bryan Cranston) sent a virus to a loan shark’s computer; it ended up short-circuiting Santa’s travel plans and Santa crashed into Nick’s brother’s home. Nick and nephew Danny (Josh Zuckerman) end up taking over Santa’s delivery duties, and Nick uses the deliveries as an opportunity to sneak into homes and steal from the rich. In All Is Bright, a Christmas tree stall is robbed; later a piano is stolen from an apartment. The Silent Partner (1978) is about a bank robbery with a perpetrator dressed as Santa Claus. In the Italian film La banda dei Babbi Natale (The Santa Claus Gang) (2010), three men, dressed as Santa Claus, attempt a robbery. In The Christmas Star (1986), Horace (Edward Asner) is a counterfeiter who escapes prison dressed as Santa. Friday After Next (2002) opens with a robbery by a man (Rickey Smiley) dressed as Santa. A slightly different spin on a seasonal scam transpires in Santa Claus: The Movie and Reindeer Games (2000): in both, having a second Christmas each year exclusively for financial gain is proposed. On one level, these narratives simply offer fictionalized versions of the much discussed “holiday scams” reported on annually by the media in the lead-up to Christmas.153 Of course, in most of these narratives, rather than lives being ruined, in fact, seasonal scams are presented as a source of comedy and the crimes portrayed as largely victimless; something discussed in an exchange between Fitzwilliam and his colleague—and future love interest—Juliet (Barbara Feldon) in Fitzwilly: Juliet: The others are still out thieving. . . . No, I’m not going to the police. Fitzwilliam: Well, that wasn’t the question. But why not? Juliet: Well, Albert [John McGiver] swears you haven’t taken a dime from Miss Vicki [Edith Evans]. Fitzwilliam: She hasn’t had a dime since I started all this. What about the people I have clipped? Juliet: Albert says it’s mostly insurance companies who get hurt. Fitzwilliam: And you don’t think that’s stealing?

In such examples, characters are frequently framed as less egregious thieves and more so as charming Robin Hoods. In other examples, Christmas crimes are executed out of desperation. In Less Than Zero (1987), drug addict Julian (Robert Downey Jr.) breaks into his father’s house at Christmastime to steal; after being thrown out he ends up stealing from his friend’s mother. Holiday Heart (2000) offers a similar storyline: Niki’s (Jesika Reynolds) estranged mother, Wanda

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(Alfre Woodard), turns up at Christmas. Niki’s caregiver, Holiday (Ving Rhames), had bought Niki a bike for Christmas; Holiday gives it to Wanda to give to Niki: it ends up being stolen by one of Wanda’s drug dealers. In All Is Bright, the piano Dennis and Rene steal was for daughter Michi. These examples present dual themes of Christmas heightening desperation, but also of characters dabbling in seasonal gestures such as trying to reconnect with loved ones as in Holiday Heart or giving a muchcraved gift in spite of poverty as in All Is Bright. Christmastime Calamities While death is a common feature in Christmas narratives (discussed in the next section), also common are brushes with it. While cinema riffs on A Christmas Carol do this with characters provided a glimpse of their own poorly attended funeral or untended graves, in other narratives the idea is presented through non-death encounters with accident or illness. In Almost Christmas, Evan is badly injured in a car accident. In A Christmas Visitor, the adult Boyajian daughter, Jean (Reagan Pasternak), has a cancer scare. In Angel in the Family, in the lead up to Christmas, patriarch Buddy (Ronny Cox) has a stroke. In A Christmas without Snow (1980), protagonist Zoe’s (Michael Learned) choir instructor, Ephraim (John Houseman), has a stroke. In Love the Coopers, grandpa Bucky also has a stroke during Christmas dinner. In Home by Christmas, Max (Campbell Lane) is taken to the hospital with a heart condition. The same thing happens in Finding Father Christmas to Andrew (Michael Kopsa), and in I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997) to Bob (Jack Palace). In Santa Baby, Santa has a heart attack, in turn motivating his daughter, Mary, to return home to the North Pole. In A Grandpa for Christmas (2007), grandpa Bert (Ernest Borgnine) has a heart attack shortly after agreeing to direct the school concert. In Holiday Baggage (2008),154 estranged husband and father Pete (Barry Bostwick) has a heart attack. Teen Matt (Ty Wood) has his own heart attack in The Christmas Heart. In A Moody Christmas, Kevin (Danny Adcock) has a heart attack. (A dog even has a heart attack in A Gert Lush Christmas.) In A Christmas Story (1983), Ralphie’s (Peter Billingsley) mother doesn’t want to get him an air rifle because she is worried he will injure himself. Ralphie gets the rifle and immediately injures himself. In The Christmas Bunny, Billy’s (Derek Brandon) gift of a similar rifle results in him shooting and injuring the titular bunny. While these characters each survive, the narratives nonetheless underscore the importance of family and the fragility of life. Brushes with death invariably motivate characters to establish closer ties with loved ones and to recognize what’s important in life. In other narratives— notably in Christmas-themed disaster films—a more over-the-top presentation is apparent. Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. (1977) centers on a

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coal mine that caves in on Christmas Eve in 1951. The biopic The Impossible (2012) centers on a tsunami that hits Thailand on the day after Christmas. While The Impossible and Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. are based on real life events, in most narratives, the plots are a lot more fantastical. Terror on the 40th Floor (1974)155 is a Christmas-set, made-for-television version of The Towering Inferno (1974). Gau fo ying hung (As the Light Goes Out) (2014) is a Hong Kong take on the Christmas Eve inferno storyline. In Christmas Twister, the titular weather event creates chaos in Dublin, Texas, at Christmastime. In Ice Quake (2010), a family is out cutting a fresh tree when an earthquake causes an avalanche. In Snowmaggedon (2011), a Christmas-wrapped snow globe (encasing a replica of their small town of Normal, Alaska) appears on a family’s doorstep and, when shaken, creates deadly weather events around the world.156 In 12 Disasters (2012),157 a dark star appears on Christmas Eve, ushering in earthquakes and natural disasters. In Christmas Icetastrophe (2014),158 a meteorite brings freezing temperatures, threating the lives of residents in small-town Montana. The crime drama Turbulence (1997) eschews a weather event and focuses on a Christmas Eve plane hijacking. Such a narrative can be likened to action films such as Lethal Weapon, Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990), where the crime dramas unfold over Christmas. There is much research about disaster films, identifying that they are “a way of containing and controlling our cultural anxieties”159 and a means to “make our own problems seem trivial. Disaster films heighten awareness of the fragility of life, rendering our own existences more precious.”160 The backdrop of Christmas stirs in sentimentality and provides a jarring juxtaposition in an otherwise overtly genre film. This notion of a juxtaposition is discussed by theologian Max Myers in the context of suicide in It’s a Wonderful Life, although his comments work as an explanation for any un-Christmassy presentation: The plot becomes more poignant by being played out on Christmas Eve, with the contrast drawn between the supposed merriment of the season and the subjective despair of the main character.161

Darren Ritson also discusses this idea in his work on Christmas ghost stories: Christmas is supposed to be a time when, if only for a few days, we enjoy “peace on earth and good will to all men.” Nothing is supposed to go wrong at Christmas or disturb or sensibilities. A Christmas ghost disturbs us all the more, then, for it is set in a misleading context. Film makers are well aware of the shock value of putting something evil in a benign setting, for it emphasises the bad all the more.162

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While some characters die in the disaster films discussed in this section, those are bulk deaths of the kind that happen commonly in films of this genre: audiences have rarely formed attachments to such characters, and thus deaths aren’t framed as individual tragedies. In other narratives, however, deaths are personal and thus presented more somberly. A Christmas Death In Babycakes, Grace works at a funeral parlor. She requests time off for the holidays, but her unnamed boss (Paul Benedict) denies her request, “It’s our busy time of year. People drop dead during the holidays,” and later, “life is fleeting, it’s the busy season, the holidays. People are dying all over the place.” On screen, Christmas indeed seems a popular time for characters to die. In A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), Harold’s (John Cho) father-in-law, Mr. Perez (Danny Trejo), explains the importance of Christmas trees to him and, in the process, divulges a Christmas death: Mr. Perez: Growing up in Medellín my family was too poor to celebrate Christmas properly. Every year I would pray to God: “Please, let me wake up and find a big, beautiful Christmas tree.” And every Christmas I was heartbroken. When my mother finally moved me to America she promised me we would have a Christmas tree every Christmas from then on. But one week before that first Christmas, while walking home from work, she was violently attacked by a gang of Korean punks. They stabbed her multiple times. She bled to death. So I guess you could say, yes, a Christmas tree is a big deal.

While it is unclear whether Mr. Perez’s story is true—and, the fact that it is located in a comedy and told by a character who is aggressive and hyperbolic, it’s indeed plausible that it’s a lie—nonetheless, it’s also a story in sync with a range of narratives whereby deaths do transpire at Christmastime. In the Australian film Dead Calm (1989), it’s Christmastime and navy officer, John (Sam Neill), has just returned home and is expecting to be met by his family. Instead, he is met by two police officers informing him that there has been a car accident: his son is dead and his wife, Rae (Nicole Kidman), is injured. In The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), Reggie (Trent Cameron) is about to be adopted by Tony (Michael Warren) and Lynette (Vanessa Williams). In the lead up to Christmas, Lynette is killed in a car accident. In Bright Eyes (1934), Shirley’s (Shirley Temple) mom, Mary (Lois Wilson), is a maid working for a rich family. On Christmas Eve she is run down and killed by a passing car. Almost the same thing happens in The Christmas Hope (2009) to Traci (Devon Weigel).

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In Unlikely Angel (1996), Ruby (Dolly Parton) is killed in a car crash on her way home from work. In Holiday Spin (2012), a car accident kills Roxy (Erika Eleniak). In Lost Christmas, on Christmas Eve Richard’s parents are killed in a car crash. In Less Than Zero, Julian dies during Christmas of a drug overdose. In Some Girls (1988), ailing Granny (Lila Kedrova) finally dies at Christmas. In A Moody Christmas, grandma (Robina Beard) dies on Christmas Day. In Crackers, great-grandpa Albert (Warren Mitchell) dies shortly after Christmas. In Blossoms in the Dust, the protagonist Edna’s (Greer Garson) toddler son, Sammy (Richard Nichols), dies on Christmas day. In Holiday Heart, Wanda is killed in a freak accident at Christmas. In The Christmas Cottage, the ailing artist Glen (Peter O’Toole) dies at Christmas. In the earliest scenes in It Came upon the Midnight Clear, grandpa Mike (Mickey Rooney) dies of a heart attack while putting up Christmas lights. In A Very Mary Christmas (2010),163 Horace (Elliot Gould) has a heart attack and dies while watching Christmas-attired showgirls at a casino. In Jack Frost, the title character (Michael Keaton) is killed in a car crash. In the opening of Must Be Santa (1999), Santa (Gerard Parkes) dies. In All Mine to Give (1957), Jo (Glynis Johns) dies of typhoid fever and is buried on Christmas Eve. In Beloved Infidel (1959), Scott (Gregory Peck) dies at Christmastime. In Eyes Wide Shut (1999), it’s Christmastime and protagonist Bill (Tom Cruise) is advised that one of his patients had died. In White Reindeer, Suzanne goes out to buy a tree. While doing so her home is broken into and her husband is murdered. While in these narratives deaths occur within the space of the narrative, in others they play a part in a tragic backstory. In White Reindeer, Suzanne’s new friend, Fantasia (Laura Lemar-Goldsborough), reveals that her dad died at Christmas when she was seven. In Christmas Angel, Stan (Michael W. Lee) lost his son in an accident at Christmas. In Gremlins, Kate’s reasons for hating Christmas center on her father’s body being found in the family’s chimney: he had gotten stuck climbing down on Christmas Eve when he slipped and broke his neck. In The Color of Rain (2014), the narrative opens with Gina (Lacey Chabert) revealing that her husband died on Christmas day. In On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (2015), Mitch’s (Robin Dunne) mom died at Christmas. In The Christmas Gift, George is a widowed single father. His wife died at Christmas the year prior. In the lead up to Christmas in The Night Before, as part of Ethan’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) backstory, his parents were killed at Christmas. In the British film Hector, Hector’s wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver on Christmas Eve. In Farewell Mr. Kringle, two characters had horrible things happen to them on Christmases past: the title character’s (William Morgan Sheppard) wife, Betty, was killed in a car crash at Christmas Eve in 1960. For protagonist Annabelle (Christine Taylor), her husband died on Christmas Eve three years prior. In Call Me Mrs. Miracle, J. R.’s wife died at Christmas twenty

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years ago in a car crash. In A Holiday for Love (1996), Emma’s (Melissa Gilbert) husband was killed in a car accident in the lead up to Christmas. In A Prince for Christmas, three years prior, Emma’s parents were out buying a Christmas tree when they were killed in a car crash. Something similar happened in Magic Stocking: Lindsey’s (Bridget Regan) husband was killed when he was out to buy a puppy for their daughter. In Finding Father Christmas, protagonist Miranda’s mother died on stage during a production of A Christmas Carol. In Christmas Magic (2011), Scott’s (Paul McGillion) wife was killed by a car on Christmas Eve five years prior. In Call Me Claus (2001), after a childhood visit to Santa, Lucy’s (Tinashe Kachingwe) family finds out her father had been killed in war. In A Christmas Wish, Trudy’s (Tess Harper) husband died at Christmas: “He was the love of my life . . . I’m still pretty upset at God for taking him from me.” In Baby’s First Christmas (2012), Sal (Peter Gallagher), the security guard, reveals that his wife died in hospital at Christmas. In Noel, Nina takes her new friend, Rose, to a bar where patrons are invited on stage to explain why they hate Christmas. Rose tells the story of her baby being born at Christmas and dying moments after birth. In Angels Sing, in the lead up to Christmas a car accident kills Michael’s father (Kris Kristofferson) and injures his son, David (Chandler Canterbury). In The Christmas Wish (1998), Will’s (Neil Patrick Harris) parents were killed in a car crash when he was a child. In An American Girl Holiday (2004)164 Samantha’s (AnnaSophia Robb) parents were killed in an accident on the river. In A Christmas Visitor, John (Aaron Ashmore) was killed in the Iraq war. In A Princess for Christmas, Jules (Katie McGrath) is the caretaker for her niece and nephew: Jules’s sister and brother-in-law were killed the Christmas prior. In A Christmas Tree Miracle, Henry’s (Terry Kiser) daughter, Lucy, died when she was a child. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Charlie’s (Logan Lerman) aunt had been killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve. In Once upon a Holiday (2015), Katie’s (Briana Evigan) parents were both killed in a plane crash. As discussed in chapter 1, Christmastime anniversaries can negatively impact on Christmas spirit. They can also revictimize the individuals involved with each subsequent holiday. Other explanations for all these deaths also exist, giving adversity to characters for them to triumph over and also reflecting reality. Noted above was Doherty’s research on road deaths at Christmas.165 Other research also reports a more general natural causes “death rise” at Christmastime.166 The Christmas-set disaster films discussed earlier highlight that Christmas depictions can be found across all genres, and thus, just as there are Christmas themed pornographic films like The Passions of Carol (1975), or the deluge of Christmas-themed romances and comedies discussed through this book, Christmas is also part of the backdrop in notably violent films.

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Festive Violence While in the Icelandic film 101 Reykjavík (2000), protagonist Hlynur (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) merely daydreams about murdering his family over Christmas dinner, in a variety of other Christmas presentations, such violence actually does transpire. In Christmas on Division Street, in the lead up to Christmas, Cleveland is beaten within an inch of his life by two muggers. In The Christmas Heart, Jimmy (Adam Hurtig) is beaten to death by men he owes money to. In Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue, it is an act of violence that puts Angus in jail. In the Italian film Profundo Rosso (Deep Red) (1975), a murder is committed in front of a Christmas tree. In D.O.A., Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) is murdered with a Christmas ornament. The horror film Satan Claus (1996) centers on a serial killer (Robert Cummins) dressed up as Santa Claus; serial killer Santas also appear in Silent Night (2012) and the Norwegian film O’Hellige Jul! (Christmas Cruelty) (2013). Santa’s Slay (2005) opens with Santa coming down the chimney and murdering a family. In L.A. Confidential (1997), a newspaper is headlined “Bloody Christmas,” detailing police brutally beating up several prisoners. The British horror film The Children (2008) sees two families converging to celebrate Christmas, and focuses on the children going feral and violently attacking the adults. The horror film Deadly Little Christmas (2009) opens with the Christmas murder of Dad (Douglas Myers) and the family nanny Inga (Noa Geller). A range of other narratives play with the theme of jarring juxtapositions. Deck the Halls (2011) opens with Luke (David Selby) and his driver, Rosita (Luciana Carro), being kidnapped by a man dressed as Santa Claus. In Die Hard, Sargent Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) is happily singing “Let It Snow” just seconds prior to his car being shot at. In a brief scene in Enemy of the State (1998), Thomas (Jon Voigt) comments, “I hate doing this at Christmas,” referring to committing an assassination. In A Christmas Horror Story (2015), two school students are murdered on Christmas Eve. In Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015), Larry (Kirby Morrow), the owner of the Christmas tree lot, is murdered. In the Australian horror film Hounds of Love (2016), the deeds of the serial killer couple are first revealed when Evelyn (Emma Booth) appears to clean up a crime scene—disposing of bloodied tissues and soiled sex toys—while in the background Libera’s recording of “Carol of the Bells” (2011) plays. In Frank Thompson’s discussion about Christmas horror, he notes: On the surface, nothing seems more antithetical to the idea of Christmas than the horror film. There’s something disturbingly incongruous about mad slashers and serial killers leaving a gory trail at the most festive season.167

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Here, Thompson hints to one explanation for this recurrent presentation: that when Christmas—a holiday associated with family and love and warmth—gets juxtaposed with something horrible, the effect is notably jarring. In other narratives, characters are punished for deviating from the expectations of the season. In Black Christmas (1974)168, a range of characters have to remain on campus over the break due to their families having made other plans for the season. Resultantly, this unorthodox situation sees a serial killer murdering those who stay on campus. The same plot transpires in the 2006 remake. Such themes also occur in To All a Goodnight (1980) and The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982).169 By not celebrating Christmas “properly”—at home, with family—characters are subjected to punishment. This chapter has examined the darker side of Christmas presentations, be it dark as related to mood and spirit or dark in the context of themes. In chapter 5, the discussion focuses on the supernatural. While ghosts are discussed, so too is the range of manifestations of holiday magic. NOTES 1.  Mixed Nuts (1994) is a remake of the French film Le Père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus Is a Stinker) (1982). 2.  Peter Bramham and Stephen Wagg, An Introduction to Leisure Studies: Principles and Practice (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2014), 125. 3.  A. A. Dowd, “How Do You Have a Happy Christmas When Your Life Has Gone to Shit?” A.V. Club, December 20, 2013. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http:// www.avclub.com/article/how-do-you-have-a-happy-christmas-when-your-life -h-200687. 4.  Loose Women, Here Come the Girls (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2009). Accessed September 12, 2016 from Google Books. 5.  In Donna Duggan, “Make Your Christmas a Happy One,” My Body + Soul, December 19, 2010. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://www.bodyandsoul .com.au/mind-body/wellbeing/make-your-christmas-a-happy-one/news-story /256a37fd4bc4dfa4ca177d839a69923f. 6.  Rosie Mullender, “Suddenly Single at Christmas?” Cosmopolitan, December 6, 2013. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/ love-sex/relationships/a24390/single-at-christmas/. 7.  In Rosie Mullender, “Suddenly Single at Christmas?” Cosmopolitan, December 6, 2013. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/ love-sex/relationships/a24390/single-at-christmas/. 8.  Katie Rothwell, “Good Grief! Is It Christmas Again?” December 16, 2015. Accessed September 11, 2016 from www.midlandnaturopath.ca/blog/good-grief-it -is-christmas-again-a-personal-note-on-loss-and-the-holidays.

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9. Olga Khazan, “No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays,” The Atlantic, December 9, 2015. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://www .theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/no-suicides-dont-rise-during-the-hol idays/419436/. 10. Film theorist Frank Thompson notes, “The darkness at the heart of the Christmas season is very real and has been explored on film many times, from the ghostly visions of Ebenezer Scrooge to the near suicidal angst of George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life [1946]. But these movies—though filled with the terrors of the night—always lead to a bright, shining Christmas morning of forgiveness, hope, and happiness” (Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies [Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998], 186). 11.  James Tracy, “Introduction,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001): 1–8, 1. 12.  The premise of such films can be likened to those discussed in chapter 2 where men, of their own volition, decorate: seemingly this is only something of interest when there is a competition and thus the opportunity to exert dominance. 13.  See for example, Holiday Affair (1949) and Fitzwilly (1967). 14.  The Christmas do-over narrative transpires in other films including Christmas Every Day (1996), The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004), Christmas Do-Over (2006), Pete’s Christmas (2013) and Dear Secret Santa (2013). 15. “Want to Reduce Stress and Increase Fun & Fitness This Christmas?” Llanelli Star, December 9, 2015, 68; “Top 10 Christmas Hotels to Take the Stress Out of That Perfect Festive Getaway,” Daily Mirror, December 5, 2015. Accessed September 23, 2016 from Lexis Nexis; “Coping with Christmas Stress,” Good Health, December (2015), 62–64. 16.  Jo Robinson and Jean C. Staeheli, Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Warmth Back into the Season (New York: Quill, 1991); Elaine St. James, Simplify Your Christmas: 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays (Kansas City, MO: Andrews McNeel Publishing, 1998); Mel Ann Coley, The Day Miss Grouch Melted: A Low-Stress Christmas Program (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Company, 2000); Allan Pease and Barbara Pease, Why He’s So Last Minute & She’s Got It All Wrapped Up (London: Orion, 2007); James Ramsden, Do-Ahead Christmas: Stress-Free Cooking for the Festive Season (London: Pavilion, 2014). 17.  Allan Pease and Barbara Pease, Why He’s So Last Minute & She’s Got It All Wrapped Up (London: Orion, 2007). 18.  While generally men are shown suffering from financial stress, there are some examples of women feeling similarly. In chapter 1 I discussed the financial hardships of single mothers in A Christmas Romance (1994), The Greatest Store in the World (1999), Home by Christmas (2006), A Christmas Wish (2011), The Christmas Secret (2014), and Paper Angels (2014): in such examples, women have no option but to take full responsibility for their family’s finances. 19.  Eileen Fischer and Stephen J. Arnold. “More Than a Labor of Love: Gender Roles and Christmas Gift Shopping,” Journal of Consumer Research, 17 (1990): 333–345; William Waits, The Modern Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving (New York: New York University Press, 1993).

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20.  This film was also released as Shelby (2014). 21.  This film was also released as Miracle in Manhattan (2010). 22.  Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000), 2. 23.  To this list of tasks, Nick adds that the work of Mrs. Claus also includes “And all the little touches that make Christmas Christmas.” 24.  Lauren Rosewarne, “Sweating the (Really) Small Stuff?” The Conversation, April 4, 2013. Accessed September 12, 2016 from https://theconversation.com/ sweating-the-really-small-stuff-12730. 25. Discussing magazine articles from the 1960s, historian Elizabeth Pleck observes, “Articles in women’s magazines described the exhaustion caused by preparing Christmas for a family. . . . Female labor at holidays, such articles argued, was a specific form of the more general problem of housework—unpaid labor, wrongly defined as a labor of love, which deprived women of the necessary leisure. . . . Long before the women’s movement began, women writers had been publishing articles about the seasonal burdens of mothers. The initial listing of complaints—tired shoppers and exhausted bakers of cookies—appeared as early as the first decade of the twentieth century” (Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey [Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001], 19–38, 31). 26. Women work professionally with food in narratives including Sunshine Christmas (1977), Christmas Snow (1986), The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), Finding John Christmas (2003), Snowglobe (2007), Lucky Christmas (2011), A Star for Christmas (2012), Christmas Angel (2012), Elf-Man (2012), Matchmaker Santa (2012), Christmas in the City (2013), Holidaze (2013), The Christmas Ornament (2013), Paper Angels (2014), The Christmas Secret (2014), A Christmas Reunion (2015), Christmas in the Smokies (2015), Love the Coopers (2015), ’Tis the Season for Love (2015) and Love Always, Santa (2016). 27. In her novel The Unremarkable Heart, Karin Slaughter explains this: “He had a sort of domestic blindness which prevented him from seeing dust on the furniture, carpets that needed to be vacuumed, dishes that needed to be cleaned” (Karin Slaughter, The Unremarkable Heart [Sydney: Cornerstone Digital, 2011]. Accessed October 6, 2016 from books.google.com). 28.  Social researcher Niall Hanlon defines emotional work as “the social interaction work required to produce positive or negative emotional states in others such as fear, gratitude, happiness, and pleasure” (Niall Hanlon, Masculinities, Care and Equality: Identity and Nurture in Men’s Lives [Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012], 32). Feminist theorists Sue Jackson and Penny Burke discuss the gendered nature of this: “Emotional work is gendered and it tends to be women rather than men who carry it out. Women teachers are often identified as particularly ‘talented’ at this work and therefore get appointed as the person responsible for supporting learners’ emotional well-being because they are seen to have the right ‘skills’ to perform such work. This is tied in with constructions of femininity, where women are seen as more naturally orientated to such work, which is believed to require intuitive knowledge” (Sue Jackson and Penny Jane Burke, Reconceptualising Lifelong Learning: Feminist Interventions [New York: Routledge,

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2007], 130). See also Carol Gillian, In a Different Voice (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982). 29. There are, however, examples where men obtain special gifts for their children, thus achieving a similar effect. In All Is Bright (2013) for example, Dennis (Paul Giamatti) and Rene (Paul Rudd) steal a piano for their daughter/step daughter, Michi (Tatyana Richaud). 30.  William B. Waits, The Modern Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving (New York: New York University, 1993), 81. 31.  Theologian Kathleen Sands observes, “Christmas thus came to be not only a fantasy, but also a distinctly domestic fantasy” (Kathleen M. Sands, “Still Dreaming: War, Memory, and Nostalgia in the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey [Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001], 55–83, 56). 32. In A Christmas Memory (1966; 1997), Sook (Geraldine Page; Patty Duke), with the assistance of her young cousin, Buddy (Donnie Melvin; Eric Lloyd), take great pleasure in baking Christmas cakes to give away as gifts. In other narratives, women turn food preparation into something social. Women bond over food preparation in Remember the Night (1940), Undercover Christmas (2003), 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Christmas Magic (2011), The Christmas Pageant (2011), Matchmaker Santa (2012), Merry In-Laws (2012), Let It Snow (2013), A Perfect Christmas List (2014), The Christmas Parade (2014), The Christmas Note (2015). In other examples, women bond with men or boys while doing so, for example, in Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe (2009), The Three Gifts (2009), Christmas Mail (2010), Black Nativity (2013), A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), Snow Bride (2013), The Christmas Spirit (2013), Mr. Miracle (2014), A Christmas Reunion (2015), Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015), Merry Kissmas (2015) and ’Tis the Season for Love (2015). 33.  Deceased women’s love of the season is often mentioned by other characters. In Christmas Town (2008), grandpa (Garry Chalk) mentions to his daughter, Liz (Nicole de Boer), “I’d almost forgotten how much your mother loved the holidays.” In Merry Ex-Mas (2014), Ed (Ernie Hudson) reflects on his deceased wife: “She loved Christmas.” In A Christmas in Vermont (2016), Nick (Howard Hesseman) similarly reflects on his deceased wife: “Christmas was a very important time for her. . . . To see Miriam at Christmas was like looking at a little kid. She was so full of anticipation and excitement.” In A Firehouse Christmas (2016), James (Bruce Dawson) reflects that Christmas was “your mother’s favourite time of year.” Women also occasionally mention their own love of the season. In Marry Me For Christmas (2013), the Chandler women’s love of Christmas is discussed repeatedly. A variation transpires in How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015): young Mason (Caleel Harris) tells his mom’s boyfriend, Jordan (Derek Theler), “My mom’s kind of a Christmas freak.” In Looks Like Christmas (2016), Carol (Anne Heche) mentions how much she loves Christmas. 34.  Viv Groskop, “Don’t Be a Christmas martyr,” The Sunday Times, November 15, 2015. Accessed September 6, 2016 from http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/ sto/style/living/Wellbeing/article1630935.ece. 35.  Áilín Quinlan, “A Martyr to the Claus,” Irish Examiner, December 28, 2011. Accessed September 6, 2016 from http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/ analysis/a-martyr-to-the-claus-178349.html.

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36.  Gerry Bowler, Christmas in the Crosshairs: Two Thousand Years of Denouncing and Defending the World’s Most Celebrated Holiday (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 190. 37. Psychotherapist Martin Padovani problematizes festive perfectionism: “Negative thinking is also fuelled by perfectionism, which is always unrealistic and destructive . . .” (Martin H. Padovani, Healing Wounded Emotions: Overcoming Life’s Hurts [Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1987], 58). 38.  Two types of gendered perfectionism transpire in Snowglobe (2007) and Holly’s Holiday (2012). In Snowglobe, Angela (Christina Milian) wants the perfect Christmas: she gets transported inside a snowglobe and what initially looks perfect is soon exposed as fake. The same plot transpires in Holly’s Holiday: Holly’s (Claire Coffee) obsession with perfection sees her wanting a perfect man and the perfect love. This leads to her finding herself in a relationship with a mannequin-come-to-life and in the process realizing that a real, warts-and-all relationship is preferable. 39.  Here, while gender is part of her complaint, of course, birth order is undoubtedly also a factor. 40.  “Domestic Martyrs,” Cambridge Chronicle, August 29, 1896. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://cambridge.dlconsulting.com/cgi-bin/cambridge?a= d&d=Chronicle18960829-01.2.27&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------#. 41.  Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 19–38. 42.  Dalma Heyn, The Erotic Silence of the Married Woman (London: Bloomsbury, 1992), 54. 43.  Manal Oman, “My Own Worst Enemy,” in Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak, ed. Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2005): 55–66, 55. 44.  Susan Faludi, Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women (New York: Crown, 1991). 45.  A Norman Rockwell painting titled “Shop Early Campaign” (1906) showed a different kind of women’s work: an exhausted shop assistant, near collapse. 46.  Some less-gendered examples of this same pressure transpire in Christmas with the Kranks (2004) and Angels Sing (2013), where male and female neighbors put pressure on households who elect not to decorate their homes. 47.  Susan J. Douglas, Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media (New York: Times Books, 1994), 221. 48.  Lauren Rosewarne, Cyberbullies, Cyberactivists, Cyberpredators: Film, TV, and Internet Stereotypes (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2016), 108. 49.  The two Frank Capra films discussed in this book, Meet John Doe (1941) and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), have both been subjected to extensive analysis as political works: Phillip L. Gianos, Politics and Politicians in American Film (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998); Eugene J. Dionne, Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2008); Ian Scott, American Politics in Hollywood Film (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011). Politics is also an overt theme in Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991). 50.  This film was also released as Too Cool for Christmas (2004).

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51. Ariel Cheung, “Christmas Madness Premature, Extreme,” News Record, November 25, 2008. Accessed September 22, 2016 from NewsBank; “Escape the Christmas Madness This Winter with City Breaks to Iceland,” IceNews, November 29, 2012; Accessed September 22, 2016 from http://www.icenews .is/2012/11/29/escape-the-christmas-madness-this-winter-with-city-breaks-to -iceland/#axzz4KxdwNXUS; Cheryl Critchley, “Say Buy Buy to Bargains in Christmas Madness,” Herald Sun, December 22, 2012. Accessed September 22 from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/say-buy-buy-to-bargains -in-christmas-madness/story-e6frfhqf-1226542073377. 52. Lee Stokes Hilton, “Heads Up! Holiday Project Alert!,” New York Times, December 9, 2007. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://www.nytimes .com/2007/12/09/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/09Rhome.html?_r=0. 53.  Susan d’Arcy, “Crackers at Christmas: Six Examples of Seasonal Insanity,” Sunday Times, December 3, 2009. Accessed September 11, 2016 from ProQuest. 54.  It is worthwhile noting that while women generally do the domestic labor of Christmas, men in films often put up Christmas lights on the exterior of homes, in line with the gendered division of labor whereby women tend to the interior while men do the yard work. Historian Elizabeth Pleck in her work on Christmas observes that it was in the 1960s when feminists “decried women’s burden as chief arrangers of the holidays” (Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey [Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001]: 19–38, 21). 55.  One verbalization of this transpires in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), when the title character (Maria Thayer) says, “It only takes one family and the Christmas spirit is infectious.” 56. Carl Elliott, The Rules of Insanity: Moral Responsibility and the Mentally Ill (New York: State University of New York Press, 1996), 111. 57.  This notion can also be said to reference a point made by historian Stephen Nissenbaum: “As certain Christians point out, the mere reversal of two letters turns Santa into Satan” (Stephen Nissenbaum, “Joining the Manger to the Sleigh,” in Christmas Philosophy for Everyone, ed. Scott C. Lowe [Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, 2010]: x-xii, x). The Santa/Satan link is a theme in the Mexican film Santa Claus (1959), a narrative centered on Satan’s plans to destroy Santa Claus. 58. Amnesia is a theme of the Christmas narratives While You Were Sleeping (1995), Santa with Muscles (1996), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Comfort and Joy (2003), Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008), Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey (2014) and A Christmas to Remember (2016). 59.  Margot A. Henriksen, Dr. Strangelove’s America: Society and Culture in the Atomic Age (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997), 118. 60.  Such ideas are also at play in Christmas Eve (1947; 1986), where generous, if eccentric, women are taken to court in attempts to prove them mentally incompetent to manage their finances. Something similar transpires in Collateral Beauty (2016) where attempts are made to prove Howard (Will Smith) an incompetent shareholder. 61. A good verbalization of this transpires in The Case for Christmas (2011), when Lauren (Rachel Blanchard) comments to friend and love interest, Michael

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(Dean Cain), “Until you realize that logic and reason and science don’t define everything in this world, you’re gonna be living half a life.” 62. For example, Tales from the Crypt (1972), Christmas Evil (1980), To All a Goodnight (1980), Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987), Santa Claws (1996), Satan Claus (1996), Psycho Santa (2003), Santa’s Slay (2005), Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô—Purezento (Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: Present) (2005), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010), Yule Die (2010), Slaughter Claus (2011), Silent Night (2012), O’Hellige Jul! (Christmas Cruelty) (2013), All through the House (2015), Christmas Slay (2015) and Good Tidings (2016). 63.  Something similar transpired in Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974) where it is Christmastime and an escaped asylum inmate is on the loose. An escapee from an asylum is also a theme in A Bill of Divorcement (1932)—set at Christmastime—although it is not from the horror genre. 64.  This film was also released as You Better Watch Out (1980). 65.  The necessity for suspending disbelief is noted in the context of numerous Christmas films. The historian Gerry Bowler mentions this specifically as related to Holiday Inn (1942): “If you can suspend your disbelief about anyone investing in a country inn that only opens on national holidays to stage holiday-relayed song-and-dance numbers . . .” (Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas [Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000], 105). Alonso Duralde makes a similar point in his discussion of the horror film Jack Frost (1997): “OK, yes, the premise of a homicidal snowman is ridiculous. . . . Oddly enough [though], this film manages to be less disturbing than the sappy Michael Keaton film of the same name [1998], in which a dead dad remains in his kid’s life by reincarnating himself as a snowman” (Alonso Duralde, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas [New York: Limelight Editions, 2010], 131). 66. Lauren Rosewarne, “Choose Your Own (Miss) Adventure: Single Ladyhood in 2016,” Meanjin, 75, 3 (2016): 32–40. 67.  Michael Atkinson and Laurel Shifrin, Flickipedia: Perfect Films for Every Occasion, Holiday, Mood, Ordeal, and Whim (Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 2008), 2. 68.  Julius Lester, “Holiday Blues,” The Washington Post, December 20, 1998, X11. 69. Mike McInally, “Think Too Much: Time to Pull Out the Holiday Music,” Corvallis Gazette-Times, November 29, 2015. Accessed September 12, 2016 from http://www.gazettetimes.com/albany/news/opinion/editorial/think -too-much-time-to-pull-out-the-holiday-music/article_b9e8796d-81b7-5c8b-b5be -6b589549973f.html. 70.  This film was also released as Smothered (2005). 71. Martin H. Padovani, Healing Wounded Emotions: Overcoming Life’s Hurts (Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 1987), 58. 72. Peter Kandela, “Post-Christmas Traumatic Syndrome,” The Lancet, 353, 9149 (1999): 336. 73.  This lengthening of the Christmas season is noted in several films. In The Christmas Box (1995), Mary Parkin (Maureen O’Hara) comments, “When I was young, these decorations went up a couple of weeks before Christmas. Then they started putting them up just after Thanksgiving. And now, we don’t even get to enjoy Thanksgiving. They’re so busy selling Christmas.” In His & Her Christmas

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(2005), newspaper columnist Tom (David Sutcliffe) makes a similar point: “Each year it seems this ridiculous season starts earlier and earlier. I’m convinced that if this trend continues we’ll be seeing ads for those Christmas compilation CDs right after Labor Day.” 74.  Theologian Kathleen Sands observes, “Christmas can command the center stage of American culture for eight or more weeks a year” (Kathleen M. Sands, “Still Dreaming: War, Memory, and Nostalgia in the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey {Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001]: 55–83, 58). 75.  Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 19–38, 28–29. 76.  James Tracy, “Introduction,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 1–8, 1. 77.  Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Amy Newmark, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Gift of Christmas (Cos Cob, CT: Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, 2012), 171. 78.  Loose Women, Here Come the Girls (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2009). Accessed September 12, 2016 from Google Books. 79.  Emma Brockes, “Christmas Day Is Supposed to Be Dull. Enjoy the Novelty of Utter Boredom,” Guardian, December 25, 2014. Accessed September 12, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/emma-brockes-column/2014/dec/25/christmas-day-boring-dos-and-donts. 80. “Why 2.59pm Today Is the Worst Day of the Festive Season,” Telegraph, December 28, 2015. Accessed September 12, 2016 from http://www.telegraph .co.uk/news/uknews/12070963/Christmas-comedown-as-Moody-Monday-hits -UK.html. 81.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 25. 82.  A canine version of such envy transpires in Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014). In the opening of the film Shelby is in the pound. She and her fellow dogs hate Christmas because they are on their own: “I hate Christmas. Worst holiday ever,” Shelby says. 83. In Dennis Mazalin, “Facing Christmas Alone Is a Health Risk Affecting More People,” The Australian, December 7, 2015. Accessed September 9, 2016 from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/health-wellbeing/facing -christmas-alone-is-a-health-risk-affecting-more-people/news-story/a21dc d13dc77e00e252525b9064345b4. 84.  In Rosie Mullender, “Suddenly Single at Christmas?” Cosmopolitan, December 6, 2013. Accessed September 11, 2016 from http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/ love-sex/relationships/a24390/single-at-christmas/. 85.  Lauren Rosewarne, “Happiness and Things That Go Meh in the Night,” The Conversation, September 20, 2012. Accessed September 9, 2016 from https://the conversation.com/happiness-and-things-that-go-meh-in-the-night-9704. 86.  Leon Festinger, “A Theory of Social Comparison Processes,” Human Relations, 2 (1954): 117–140.

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87. Kim Newman, “You Better Watch Out: Christmas in the Horror Film,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 135–142, 141. 88.  Laura Fries, “Review: ‘A Perfect Day,’” Variety, December 17, 2006. Accessed August 7, 2015 from variety.com/2006/scene/markets-festivals/a-perfect -day-2-1200511482/. 89.  This film was also released as Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story (1995) and Ebbie: A Christmas Story (1995). 90.  Katie Rothwell, “Good Grief! Is It Christmas Again?” December 16, 2015. Accessed September 11, 2016 from www.midlandnaturopath.ca/blog/good -grief-it-is-christmas-again-a-personal-note-on-loss-and-the-holidays. 91.  David Rudolph Belgum, Guilt: Where Religion and Psychology Meet (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1963); Ralph W. Hood Jr., “Sin and Guilt in Faith Traditions: Issues for Self-Esteem,” in Religion and Mental Health, ed. John F. Schumaker (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), 110–121. 92.  Elaine St. James, Simplify Your Christmas: 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays (Kansas City, MO: Andrews McNeel Publishing, 1998), 48. 93.  Ed Gonzalez, “Christmas with the Kranks,” Slant, November 20, 2004. Accessed September 12, 2016 from http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/ christmas-with-the-kranks. 94.  This film was also released as Almost Christmas (2013). 95.  Sheila Whiteley, “Introduction,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 1–14, 2. 96. Varadaraj Velamoor, Lakshmi Voruganti and Neelesh Nadkarni, “Feelings about Christmas, as Reported by Psychiatric Emergency Patients,” Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 27, 3 (1999): 303–308. 97.  Steven R. Doherty, “So This Is Christmas,” Medical Journal of Australasia, 175, 11 (2001): 585–586. 98. Elaine Davies, “Being Alone at Christmas,” Healthcare Counselling & Psychotherapy Journal, 15, 1 (2015). Accessed September 13, 2016 from Expanded Academic. 99. Ishani Kar-Purkayastha, “An Epidemic of Loneliness,” The Lancet, 376, 9756 (2010): 2114–2115, 2115. 100.  A similar plot was used in a 2015 German television commercial for the Edeker supermarket. An old man listens to phone messages of apology from family members, telling him that they are too busy with their lives to visit for Christmas. The old man decides to rectify the situation, and (seemingly anonymously) he contacts each of his family members, advising them of his death. Each family member, grief stricken, converges on his home, only to find that he’s laid the table for Christmas dinner (Ross Logan, “Is This the Most Heartbreaking Christmas Advert Ever? German Supermarket’s Festive Campaign Will Leave You in Tears,” Mirror, December 2, 2015. Accessed September 24, 2016 from http://www.mirror .co.uk/news/world-news/most-heartbreaking-christmas-advert-ever-6922612). 101. B. Wilson and E. Pathak, “Operation: Happy Holidays,” The Canadian Nurse, 89, 11 (1993): 49–50; Karen Snow, “The Gift of Compassion,” The Canadian Nurse, 91, 11 (1995): 45.

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102.  Alison Jenkins, “Rethink Christmas,” Nursing Standard, 20, 14–15 (2005): 70–71. 103. Bella Westaway, “Alone at Christmas: How to Spend the Day If You Don’t Have Family Around,” Huffington Post, December 22, 2015. Accessed September 9, 2016 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/12/22/alone-at -christmas-how-to-spend-the-day-if-you-dont-have-famil/. 104.  A variation on this was a theme In When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989). Following Sally’s (Meg Ryan) break-up, her friend Marie (Carrie Fisher) says, “[But] you had a date on national holidays.” 105.  Lauren Rosewarne, Intimacy on the Internet: Media Representations of Online Connections (New York: Routledge, 2016). 106.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 25. 107.  Lauren Rosewarne, Cheating on the Sisterhood: Infidelity and Feminism (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2009), 92. 108. Marchel’le Renise Barber, “How To beat the Christmas Blues,” Ebony, December (1990): 34–38, 36. 109. Sheila Whiteley, “Christmas Songs—Sentiments and Subjectivities,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 98–112, 107. 110.  B. Lee Cooper, “Christmas Music, Contemporary” in Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture, v. 1, ed. Jacqueline Edmondson (Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013), 215–217, 215. 111.  B. Lee Cooper, “Christmas Music, Contemporary” in Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture, v. 1, ed. Jacqueline Edmondson (Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013), 215–217, 215. 112.  Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001): 19–38, 29. 113. “December 2015: Christmas Stress,” Relationships Australia, December, 2015. Accessed September 13, 2016 from http://www.relationships.org.au/what -we-do/research/online-survey/december-2015-christmas-stress. 114. Luisa Dillner, “Relationships: Why We Should Make the Most of Our Families at Christmas,” Guardian, December 19, 2009. Accessed September 16, 2016 from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/19/family -relationships-christmas. 115.  “How to Avoid Christmas Arguments,” eHarmony, undated. Accessed September 16, 2016 from http://www.eharmony.com.au/dating-advice/start-with -you/how-to-avoid-christmas-arguments#.V9pXEWXRtBw. 116.  Petra Boynton, “Sex and Relationships Advice: Do You Dread Christmas?” Telegraph, December 14, 2012. Accessed September 15, 2016 from http://www .telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/9742188/Sex-and-relationships-advice-Do-you -dread-Christmas.html. 117.  Olivia Katrandjian, “’Tis the Season to Become Single: Pre-Holiday Break­ Ups,” ABC News, December 6, 2010. Accessed September 16, 2016 from http:// abcnews.go.com/Technology/christmas-breakups-romantic-relationships-end -holidays/story?id=12307305.

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118.  Lucy Moore, “Surviving the Christmas Relationship Curse,” Female First, December 7, 2015. Accessed September 16, 2016 from http://www.femalefirst .co.uk/relationships/surviving-the-christmas-curse21-391899.html. 119. Charlotte Hamlyn, “Relationship Stress Soars as Christmas Looms,” ABC News, December 12, 2012. Accessed September 16, 2016 from http://www .abc.net.au/news/2012-12-17/stress-increases-for-relationships-as-christmas -looms/4432750. 120.  Nicole Lyn Pesce, “Christmas Is Often NOT the Most Wonderful Time of the Year for Relationships,” Daily News, December 23, 2013. Accessed September 16, 2016 from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/holiday-breakups-article -1.1554370. 121.  Annie Hall (1977) is actually mentioned in Powder Blue (2009), set at Christmas, when Rose-Johnny (Jessica Biel) uses it as part of her (unsuccessful) efforts to seduce a date. 122.  Lauren Rosewarne, Cheating on the Sisterhood: Infidelity and Feminism (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2009), 11. 123. Lamiat Sabin, “Millions to Feel Isolated over Christmas with 400,000 Pensioners Dreading Being Alone,” Independent, December 15, 2014. Accessed September 9, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ millions-to-feel-isolated-over-christmas-with-400000-pensioners-dreading-being -alone-9923679.html. 124.  Timo Partonen and S. R. Pandi-Perumal, Seasonal Affective Disorder: Practice and Research (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010); Norman E. Rosenthal, Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder (New York: The Guilford Press, 2013). 125.  Mark Connelly, “Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 1–9, 2. 126. Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 157–175, 169. 127.  Helen Fitzgerald, The Mourning Handbook (New York: Fireside, 1994), 108. 128. Steve Vogel, “A Yuletide Reminder of Loss,” The Washington Post, December 21, 1999. Accessed September 27, 2016 from https://www.washington post.com/archive/local/1999/12/21/a-yuletide-reminder-of-loss/b1a01a7b -7a5d-4992-9d9e-41bfceb28ca2/; Virginia Black, “Christmas Commandos Spread (Stealthy) Cheer,” South Bend Tribune, December 23, 2013. Accessed September 27, 2016 from http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/christmas-commandos-spread-stealthy-cheer/article_48548fde-6ce4-11e3-ba09-001a4bcf6878.html; Dawn Q. Landau, “When the ‘Merry’ Isn’t In Christmas,” The Huffington Post, December 24, 2014. Accessed September 27, 2016 from http://www.huffington post.com/dawn-q-landau/holiday-blues_b_6361778.html. 129.  Elif Batuman, “The Ghosts of Christmas: Was Scrooge the First Psychotherapy Patient?” The New Yorker, December 24, 2015. Accessed November 16, 2016 from http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-ghosts -of-christmas-was-scrooge-the-first-psychotherapy-patient. 130.  This film was also released as The Bleak Midwinter (1995).

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131.  This film was also released as Deadly Desires (1972). 132.  A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969), Ordinary People (1980) and Hector (2015) provide rare examples where characters are formally diagnosed with—and hospitalized for—mental illness. It’s also a theme in films where soldiers return with shellshock, for example I’ll Be Seeing You (1944). The Spanish Christmas film La senda (The Path) (2012) hints to the idea that the protagonist, Raúl (Gustavo Salmerón), is schizophrenic. 133.  Laura D. Hirshbein, American Melancholy: Constructions of Depression in the Twentieth Century (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2009), 122. 134.  Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 19–38, 21. 135.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 25. 136.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 25. 137.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 186. 138. Christmas narratives with substance abuse (both drugs and alcohol) as a theme include It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Christmas Eve (1947), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), The Holly and the Ivy (1952), Home for the Holidays (1972), It Happened One Christmas (1977), The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), Christmas Eve (1986), Less Than Zero (1987), Christmas on Division Street (1991), Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991), One Christmas (1994), One Special Night (1999), A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), Holiday Heart (2000), Bad Santa (2003), Angel in the Family (2004), Midnight Clear (2006), A Christmas Too Many (2007), Christmas at the Riviera (2007), The Christmas Choir (2008), Powder Blue (2009), Christmas in the Clouds (2011), Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), A Moody Christmas (2012), Christmas with Tucker (2012), The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012), Defending Santa (2013), So This Is Christmas (2013), A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014), Paper Angels (2014), Small Town Santa (2014), The Santa Con (2014), Love the Coopers (2015), My One Christmas Wish (2015), Uncle Nick (2015), Almost Christmas (2016) and Bad Santa 2 (2016). 139.  The documentary A Christmas Family Tragedy (2006) focuses on a high-profile 1929 North Carolina case whereby, on Christmas Day, a tobacco farmer, Charlie Lawson, murdered his wife and six of his children before committing suicide. 140.  Hank Stuever, Tinsel: A Search for America’s Christmas Present (Boston, MA: Marriner Books, 2009), 109. 141. Olga Khazan, “No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays,” The Atlantic, December 9, 2015. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www .theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/no-suicides-dont-rise-during-the-hol idays/419436/. 142. Olga Khazan, “No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays,” The Atlantic, December 9, 2015. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www .theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/no-suicides-dont-rise-during-the-hol idays/419436/. 143.  Similar themes are identifiable in Nora’s Christmas Gift (1989), centered on a depressed elderly woman (Celeste Holm), who is facing deafness and blindness.

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144. Olga Khazan, “No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays,” The Atlantic, December 9, 2015. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www .theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/no-suicides-dont-rise-during-the-hol idays/419436/. 145. Olga Khazan, “No, Suicides Don’t Rise During the Holidays,” The Atlantic, December 9, 2015. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www .theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/no-suicides-dont-rise-during-the-hol idays/419436/. 146.  Philippa Gates, Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2011), 281. 147.  Jack (Ray Liotta) dies in the same fashion in Powder Blue (2009), although not seemingly through suicide. 148.  Michele Aaron, Death and the Moving Image: Ideology, Iconography and I (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014), 44. 149.  Michele Aaron, Death and the Moving Image: Ideology, Iconography and I (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014), 44. 150.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 186. 151. Kim Newman, “You Better Watch Out: Christmas in the Horror Film,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 135–142, 136. 152. Kim Newman, “You Better Watch Out: Christmas in the Horror Film,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 135–142, 142. 153.  Rowena Ryan, “ACCC Warns of Holiday Scams,” News.com.au, October 17, 2014. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel -updates/accc-warns-of-holiday-scams/news-story/15fcfd2161ba43471c394525cb1 c377e; Uta Mihm, “Avoid Silly Season Scams,” Choice, December 2, 2015. Accessed September 20, 2016 from https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/shopping-for -special-occasions/christmas-birthdays-and-gifts/articles/the-five-scams-of-christ mas; Adam Levin, “Beware This Year’s Scams of Christmas,” ABC News, December 24, 2015. Accessed September 16, 2016 from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/be ware-years-scams-christmas/story?id=35940133; Adam Turner, “The Twelve Scams of Christmas,” The Sydney Morning Herald, September 13, 2016. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/blog/gadgets-on -the-go/the-twelve-scams-of-christmas-20101130-18fur.html. 154.  This film was also released as Baggage (2008). 155.  This film was also released as The Blazing Tower (1974). 156. Similar themes are at the heart of The Box (2009). It’s the week before Christmas and a small box arrives on the doorstep of a couple leading to a series of deaths. 157.  This film was also released as The 12 Disasters of Christmas (2012). 158.  This film was also released as Icetastrophe (2010). 159.  Dora Apel, Beautiful Terrible Ruins: Detroit and the Anxiety of Decline (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2015), 133. 160.  Spencer A. Rathus, Psychology (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1987), 256.

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161.  Max A. Myers, “Christmas on Celluloid: Hollywood Helps Construct the American Christmas,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 39–54, 49. 162.  Darren W. Ritson, Ghosts at Christmas (Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2010), 28. 163.  This film was also released as Expecting Mary (2010). 164.  This film was also released as Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004). 165.  Steven R. Doherty, “So This Is Christmas,” Medical Journal of Australasia, 175, 11 (2001): 585–586. 166.  Bryan D. Byers and Richard A. Zeller, “Christmas and Mortality: Death Dip, No; Death Rise, Yes,” Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 18, 4 (1987): 394–396. 167.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 69. 168.  This film was also released as Silent Night, Evil Night (1974) and Stranger in the House (1974). 169.  This film was also released as Death Dorm (1982) and Pranks (1982).

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5 “Now is the time of year for the impossible to become possible” The Supernatural in the Christmas Narrative

T

he link between Christmas and the supernatural—defined as happenings existing without scientific explanation—is not hard to comprehend. Whether our entry point is the Virgin birth or Jesus Christ, the accomplishments of Santa Claus or the capacity for the season to “resurrect spirits,” the specter of the supernatural in holiday films is widespread. The word supernatural immediately conjures thoughts of ghosts and, of course, these do have a strong presence. Supernatural in this discussion, however, extends to other entities like angels and spirit guides too.1 Also explored in this chapter are the infrastructure and rhetoric surrounding the Christmastime paranormal and the magical thinking underpinning such presentations. IF THE FATES ALLOW While wishes, ghosts and angels play important roles in Christmas films, a concept overarching these presentations is fate and the notion of a grand plan. Such a plan might involve encounters with supernatural entities who steer destiny (explored later in this chapter), but more so it is the premise that the life course is predetermined—that crossed paths or encounters with ghosts or gremlins are predestined—a thinking addressed by philosopher Ronald Aronson: This expresses a complex contemporary mood: that life is filled with connections beneath the surface, that no one knows what these are or how they 335

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operate, and that they can only be thought about in a quasi-religious way. A higher intelligence, fate, or some other force beyond us is really running things on earth. We hear the phrase at every turn: spouses telling why they met or why they broke up, one baseball player explaining why he didn’t make the team, another explaining why he made the team, anyone reflecting on a coincidence, a student softening the blow of a failing grade, a cancer patient coming to grips with her illness. Good happenings or bad, personal tragedies or disasters, matters of chance or striking coincidences, enormous disappointments or the wholly unexpected—all become part of a larger plan.2

Presentations of such thinking are easily found. In The Miracle of the Bells (1948), years after first meeting at a rehearsal, protagonist Bill (Fred MacMurray) is reunited with Olga (Alida Valli) on Christmas Eve in Iowa: he’s there for business, she’s performing in a play. The two eat dinner at the only place open, a Chinese restaurant, where the proprietor, Ming Gow (Philip Ahn), sees their reunion as fated: “These things are all written,” he tells them. Ming’s articulation of a grand plan is a reasoning widely verbalized. In The Christmas Card (2006), the Spelman family patriarch, Luke (Edward Asner), comments to the new-in-town soldier—and his daughter’s eventual love interest—Cody (John Newton): “It’s like fate bought you here.” In the British film Christmas at the Riviera (2007), Tim (Darren Boyd) reassures his grieving father, Dennis (Sam Kelly), that he wasn’t to blame for Mom’s death: “It’s not anyone’s fault that she got ill. It’s just fate.” In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), Santa (Peter Jason) tells his daughter, Annie (Maria Thayer), “Fate always knows what it’s doing.” Annie’s mom, Martha (Vicki Lawrence), makes a similar point: “Sometimes an adventure takes you on a roundabout course to your destination, but fate always get you there.” Dean (Ryan Bittle) in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town uses this to manipulate Annie’s affections: “This really must be fate,” he says of their paths crossing.3 In Dear Santa (2011), the protagonist, Crystal (Amy Acker), finds a letter on the pavement addressed to Santa that had fallen out of a nearby mailbox: it’s from young Olivia (Emma Duke) asking for a wife for her widowed father. Crystal discloses her discovery to her friend, Pete (Patrick Creery), who reasons, “It’s fate. Why else would it have come to you?” In All About Christmas Eve (2012), after missing her plane, losing her job and then catching her boyfriend cheating on her, protagonist Eve (Haylie Duff) visits a bar. There, a drag queen (Nick Endres) tells her, “Fate can be a powerful drug, Baby Girl.” In One Christmas Eve (2014), following a set of misadventures, the single mom protagonist Nell (Anne Heche) and her children Alden (Griffin Kane) and Emma (Ali Skovbye)—along with a ragtag crew of other disparate characters (chapter 3)—spend the night together in a police station. “Fate brought us together,” Nell says. In A Christmas De-

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tour (2015), idealistic romantic, Paige (Candace Cameron Bure), tells her seatmate, Dylan (Paul Greene), “I happen to believe fate plays a big hand. You just have to keep your eyes open to see it happen.” While Dylan initially finds Paige’s reasoning idiotic, at the end of the narrative—after the two fall in love—he changes his mind. In A Gift of Miracles (2015), Nathan (Jesse Moss) is also apparently a devotee of this thinking: Nathan: It’s interesting how fate plays out in our lives, right? Everything has a reason we just don’t know why until later. And then we look back at it and it all makes sense

While in these narratives the word fate is specifically used to make sense of—and to give meaning to—good happenings or bad, the same notions are sometimes expressed using other language. In Call Me Claus (2001), Nick (Nigel Hawthorne) wants to pass on his Santa duties to a reluctant Lucy (Whoopi Goldberg) but acknowledges the difficulty, “I can’t force her to accept her destiny.” In Three Days (2001), the angel, Lionel (Tim Meadows), tells Andrew (Reed Diamond) that the death of his wife was foretold: “That’s her destiny, Andrew. It’s beyond your control.” In All About Christmas Eve mentioned earlier, Eve’s new love interest, Aidan (Chris Carmack), admits that he’s “a believer in pure destiny.” In A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), at the film’s end, protagonist Alice (Alicia Witt) says to her new love interest, Matt (Mark Wiebe), “You are my destiny.” Meant-to-be-ness is another way these ideas are expressed. The animated The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) ends with the central couple, Jack and Sally, singing a song that concludes with the line “We’re simply meant to be.” In Will You Merry Me? (2008), Henry (Tommy Lioutas) views his relationship with girlfriend, Rebecca (Vikki Krinsky), similarly: “If there’s one person that’s meant for you, if there is such a thing as a soul mate, she’s mine.” In Serendipity (2001)—a film where, as the title hints, fate plays a central role—Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) meet at Christmastime and, as their time together draws to a close, she says to him, “If we’re meant to meet again then we’ll meet again. It’s just not the right time now.” Almost the same comment is made in A Christmas Kiss (2011). Wendy (Laura Breckenridge) gets stuck in an elevator and shares a kiss with a random stranger. Later recounting this story to her friends, Wendy rationalizes, “If we’re meant to be together, he’ll find me again.” Such thinking is also articulated in 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), when Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) tells his future love interest, Kate (Amy Smart)—who is pining for her ex—“If you were meant to be together you would be.” In the Australian series A Moody Christmas (2015), Dan (Ian Meadows)—referencing his failed relationship with Cora (Jane Harber)—says defeatedly, “It’s not

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meant to be, I guess.” In Operation Christmas (2016), Scott (Marc Blucas) tells love interest Olivia (Tricia Helfer) that their relationship “feels so meant to be.” In Love You Like Christmas (2016), sensing chemistry between Maddie (Bonnie Somerville) and Kevin (Brennan Elliott), innkeeper Pam (Precious Chong) comments, “If it’s meant to happen, it will.” Later, when Maddie is tracing her finger on a map to explain how she ended up in Christmas Valley, Ohio, she says, “There’s the fork in the road. If I hadn’t veered right I might not even be here.” To this Pam remarks, “Maybe it was meant to be.” While Maddie initially claims not to believe in fate, after leaving Ohio and returning home to New York, she eventually has an epiphany: “What if I had gone the other way? It really makes you think it was meant to be.” In Falling for Christmas (2016),4 Lou (Lochlyn Munro) says to his friend, Luke (Niall Matter), about the latter’s new relationship, “If you ask me, you two are meant for each other.” The hotel concierge, Gabe (Bill Cobbs), gives this advice in Christmas in Palm Springs (2014): “When two people are meant to be together it doesn’t matter what the universe throws at them. What’s meant to be is meant to be.” A non-romantic version of this is spoken in A Christmas Snow (2010). Sam (Muse Watson) is the mysterious stranger who protagonist, Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart), allows to stay for Christmas and who, seemingly, turns out to be the ghost of her father. At the end of the visit, Sam says, “This was just meant to be.” In A December Bride (2016), Jessica (Pauline Egan) suggests, “Maybe all this is how it’s meant to be,” referring to her marrying her cousin, Layla’s (Jessica Lowndes), boyfriend, and Layla finding a new love. Fate and destiny are also presented through the everything happens for a reason adage. In Will You Merry Me? a blizzard stops Suzie (Wendie Malick) and her husband, Marvin (David Eisner), from going home to Los Angeles. With the local inn fully booked, they are forced to stay in the home of their daughter’s future in-laws, the Kringles. “Everything for a reason, right?” Marvin says. In Christmas Magic (2011), Carey’s (Lindy Booth) spirit guide, Henry (Derek McGrath), tells her the same thing: “Everything happens for a reason.” In Holiday Spin (2012), Roxy (Erika Eleniak) tells her son, “Everything happens for a reason,” shortly before being killed in a car accident. In A Very Merry Mix-Up, when Alice meets her fiancé Will’s (Scott Gibson) family for the first time, his mother, Judith (Mimi Kuzyk), remarks, “There are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.” In Christmas Ranch (2016), with her property about to be foreclosed on, Mary (Francine Locke) says, “All things happen for a reason.” In A Nutcracker Christmas (2016), explaining her decision to give up ballet, Lily (Amy Acker) says, “Everything happens for a reason.” In A Christmas Wedding Date (2012), during a wedding service, the minister (David DeLuise) presents his own take on this:

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Minister: Every journey begins with a plan. Whether we know it or not. All we need to do is trust in His wisdom. There is always a destination at the end of the road. . . . This is one of life’s many miracles. And another miracle is that we don’t have to embark on this journey alone.

While in each of these examples the idea is verbalized, in others it plays out as part of a plot, commonly through a chain of happenings leading a character to a “right” or serendipitous destination. Characters who crossed paths as children, for example—as in A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004), A Christmas Reunion (2015) and An Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015)—meet up again in adulthood and fall in love because, seemingly, it was foretold. In The Christmas Secret (2014), on her way to work, Christine (Bethany Joy Lenz) stops to help a woman—Judy (Susan Hogan)— who had collapsed behind the wheel of her car. Stopping would mean that Christine would likely lose her job because it would make her late one too many times. She does stop though—revealing much about her character (chapter 1)—and Christine indeed gets fired. Christine then goes into a bakery and meets the proprietor, Betty (Nicola Cavendish), who offers her a new job. This was, of course, truly meant to be: by the end of the narrative it is uncovered—initially unbeknownst to both of them—that Betty is actually Christine’s grandmother. Given the inextricable link between Christmas and religious faith, it’s no surprise that a plan—be it explicitly God’s or, more vaguely, the “universe’s”—enters narratives: it proposes a teleologic or “bigger picture” to events, particularly horrible ones, and allows characters the solace of believing that an omnipotent entity has a blueprint for their lives: the minister in A Christmas Wedding Date explicitly links this to Christ; another faith-based version was articulated by Paul (Jeff Schroeder), the pastor in Wish for Christmas (2016): “Everything God gives you has a purpose.” While the role of fate is an under-researched area,5 it is nonetheless something that some scholars have tussled with. In psychologist Adam Galinsky and colleagues’ work on counterfactual thinking, for example, the role of fate in everyday thinking is explored: The friend of one of the authors lost her brother when he fell out of a loose window of a skyscraper, dying on impact, while touring through Thailand. Although “if only” thoughts were the inevitable consequence of such a painful and shocking tragedy, such counterfactuals did little to help in terms of understanding why his death occurred, for nothing could have predicted such a random event. However, constructing the millions of ways that this tragedy might not have happened—how truly unlikely it was that it did, in fact, occur—left his sister only to conclude that his death was meant to be, that her brother’s time had come.6

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Highlighted here is how notions of fate help to make meaning out of the seemingly meaningless: something especially relevant in films where bad things like job losses (discussed further in chapter 6) or death (chapter 4) transpire. Certainly such ideas reflect real-life thinking: 38 percent of Americans apparently believe that natural disasters are signs from God, and 40 percent believe that they are His way of testing faith.7 Similar ideas about fate are also apparent in a study conducted by management theorist Simone Tang and colleagues about voter behavior: “Belief in fate may ease the psychological burden of a difficult decision.”8 Certainly within Christmas films, fate is often a balm for pain9 as well as, more commonly, a justification for inaction or postponed decisions. It is her belief in fate, for example, that enables Wendy in A Christmas Kiss to not actively search for the man she kissed in the elevator, but rather, sees her operate on the assumption that if the two were destined, then they would find each other. Equally, it’s what enables Sara in Serendipity to not do the hard work of extricating herself from her current relationship to be with Jonathan, and instead defer the possibility to the universe. Serendipity in fact shows what a waste of time it is attempting to mess with fate: Jonathan spends years looking for the copy of Love in the Time of Cholera that Sara had written her name and phone number in; the fact that Jonathan’s fiancé, Halley (Bridget Moynahan), ends up giving him that very copy—on the day of their wedding rehearsal dinner—highlights that fate and destiny run on their own schedule. This idea is actually verbalized by Dan (Kevin McNulty) in A Christmas to Remember (2016): “Everything happens in it’s own good time.” In most films where fate is a theme, the narrative centers on romance whereby a relationship is construed as preordained. A Heavenly Christmas (2016) provides an example of this. Protagonist Eve (Kristin Davis) slips on the pavement, falls and seemingly dies. Returning to earth in angel form, she meets and finds love with Max (Eric McCormack). At the end of the film—and after Eve learns lessons on the errors of her workaholism— her spirit guide, Pearl (Shirley MacLaine), gives her a second chance at life. (Incidentally, almost the same plot is used in Christmas Magic.) All the romance that transpired while Eve was an angel, however, is erased, and only the changed spirits of she and Max remain. Shortly after returning to life as a mortal, Eve meets Max at a concert. Not only do the two feel like they already know each other—reflecting popular sentiments about feeling instantly known by a love match—but the film presents their love as written, as in the stars: that they are two souls meant to find each other. Such a storyline presents a very specific romanticism whereby a union is framed as extra special because it was meant to be. Certainly this is at the heart of Love Affair (1939), as well as its remakes An Affair to Remember (1957) and Love Affair (1994). In each film, a man and woman meet and

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fall in love: on a cruise ship in the first two films and in a plane in the 1994 film. Each character is already partnered with someone else. The characters schedule a meeting months into the future, giving them time to sort out their respective personal and professional entanglements. On the day of their scheduled reunion, the female protagonist is involved in a road accident and doesn’t make the meeting due to her injuries. Months later, on Christmas Day, the man unexpectedly visits the woman’s home where she is still convalescing. These couples were meant to be, so despite the horrible accident and all the months and misunderstandings that had past, the undercurrent was that the coupling was destined and that they would find each other again. Such ideas also transpire through unique paths crossing, in turn conjuring romantic destiny (this is, after all, the heart of the Hollywood meet cute). In One Special Night (1999), for example, Catherine (Julie Andrews) still visits the hospice where her husband died. While there, inclement weather transpires and a fellow visitor, Robert (James Garner), is unable to get home for Thanksgiving dinner. Catherine offers him a lift and the two get stuck in a snowstorm. While this begins as a Thanksgiving narrative,10 the duo reunite at Christmastime and seemingly couple. Picking Up and Dropping Off (2003) opens at Christmastime at Denver Airport. For several years, the airport is the backdrop for Will (Scott Wolf) and Jane (Amanda Detmer) briefly crossing paths while either dropping off or picking up their children who are traveling to the homes of their other parent. Will and Amanda end up together at the end of the film. In All She Wants for Christmas (2006), Noelle (Monica Keena) accidentally releases a giant inflatable Christmas display. It blows away and Justin (Tobias Mehler) crashes his car into it. Noelle and Justin decide to go out to dinner and eventually couple. In The Road to Christmas (2006), Claire (Jennifer Grey) is trying to get to Aspen; meanwhile Tom (Clark Gregg) and his teen daughter, Hilly (Megan Park), are driving to Grandma’s. Claire ends up getting a ride with Tom and Hilly and she and Tom fall in love. In A Very Merry Mix-Up, Alice carpools from the airport with Matt who she (wrongly) assumes is the brother of her fiancé, Will (Scott Gibson). Alice and Matt have instant chemistry, and by the end of the narrative they are coupled. In One Starry Christmas (2014), with her boyfriend in Chicago for work, Holly (Sarah Carter) takes a bus to surprise him. On the bus, she meets Luke (Damon Runyan), a cowboy. The bus breaks down, the two bond and end up in love. In Dashing through the Snow (2015), Ashley (Meghan Ory) is trying to get home to Seattle for Christmas but is late to the airport and isn’t permitted to board. There is only one rental car available: Ashley and a stranger, Dash (Andrew W. Walker), end up carpooling and falling in love. These paths were seemingly meant to cross so that the characters’ romantic destiny could be fulfilled.

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Destiny in the context of love is discussed by sociologist Eva Illousz, who identifies, “Fate can be the only way to explain love, because it accounts for feelings without explaining them.”11 Similar ideas are apparent in literature scholar Blair Hoxby’s work on tragedy, where he briefly quotes from the romantic poet and philosopher Novalis: Insofar as I render a higher meaning to what is ordinary, a mysterious appearance to what is customary, an infinite look to what is finite, I am romanticizing. . . . Nothing is more Romantic than what we customarily call the world and Fate.12

Given the popularity of fate as an explanation in romantic storylines— and more so, given that such ideas are seldom discussed or debated in any detail—the concept simply exists in a narrative to (albeit often hamfistedly) bolster the romance of a liaison and to flag to the audience that, despite challenges thrown, a couple will be together at the end. While fate, destiny, meant-to-be-ness and the notion of everything happening for a reason are themes in a range of films, a variation on this—and something which intersects with other themes examined in this chapter, is the notions best summarized by the Rolling Stones song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (1969), whereby “if you try sometimes / well you might find / you get what you need.” Such a notion offers a way to think about the universe seemingly denying a character’s desires, but—in line with a preordained plan—ultimately gives them what they really need. GETTING WHAT YOU NEED In While You Were Sleeping (1995), protagonist Lucy (Sandra Bullock) has long been in love with Peter (Peter Gallagher) from afar and, at Christmastime, gets an opportunity to get closer to him while he is in a coma following an accident. By the end of the film, however, Lucy actually partners with Peter’s brother, Jack (Bill Pullman): “Life doesn’t always turn out the way you plan,” Lucy says at the end. Here, Lucy—from the vantage point of having gotten her happy ending—is able to identify that while things didn’t go to plan and that she didn’t get what she thought she wanted, ultimately she still ended up content. The reasoning, seemingly, is that an entity grander than our selves knows that true destiny is bigger than individual fickle wants. Oftentimes, this thinking is explicitly verbalized. In An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010) for example, Lady Shannon (Marion O’Dwyer) quips, “The heroine rarely gets what she wants but she gets what she needs.” In A Very Mary Christmas (2010),13 Darnella (Linda Gray) tells the pregnant teen protagonist, Mary (Olesya

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Rulin), “Sometimes things don’t turn out the way we planned. But then sometimes the very same things turn out to be blessings.” In Holiday High School Reunion (2012),14 Georgia (Rachel Boston) visits her hometown for a high school reunion, intent on reconnecting with her high school boyfriend, Craig (Jon Prescott). While there, instead of repartnering with Craig, Georgia reconnects with her high school best friend, Ben (Jonathan Bennett), who helps her to rethink her plans. “Things just don’t turn out how you plan, that’s all,” he tells her. In The Mistle-Tones (2012), by the end of the narrative, Nick (Jonathan Patrick Moore) reaches the realization that “sometimes the opportunities that we want don’t always come exactly when we want them to.” In The Real St. Nick (2012), Nick (Callard Harris) remarks, “Christmas also reminds us that sometimes we have to wait for the right time to get what we need the most.” In What She Wants for Christmas (2012), Sebastien (Christian Keyes) similarly reasons: “You know what, the funny thing about life is that we don’t always get what we ask for but sometimes what we do get is exactly what we need.” In ’Tis the Season for Love (2015), Nicole (Anna Van Hooft) tells her best friend, protagonist Beth (Sarah Lancaster), “Life is never how it’s supposed to be. You’ve got to learn how to roll with it, Beth, because maybe it will be even better.” In Ice Sculpture Christmas, Chef Gloria (Brenda Strong) recounts to her employee, Callie (Rachel Boston), a quote from her grandma: “Things come to us not when we want them but when we’re ready.” A slightly different version of this is spoken in The Christmas Parade (2014), when Beck (Jefferson Brown) tells love interest, Hailee (AnnaLynne McCord): “Sometimes the broken roads lead to the best destinations.” In practice, such sentiments are well illustrated in Christmas under Wraps (2014). Protagonist Lauren (Candace Cameron Bure) seems to think that her boyfriend is about to propose. Instead he breaks up with her. Lauren also thinks she’s a shoo-in for a fellowship at a hospital in Boston. Instead she misses out. These circumstances lead her to take a job at a hospital in the small town of Garland, Alaska. Lauren’s mom, Maggie (Joyce Cohen), tries to put her daughter’s disappointment into perspective, and her words ultimately prove prophetic when Lauren finds love, career fulfillment and happiness in Garland: Maggie: Maybe missing out on this fellowship will open you up to some new interesting possibilities. Perhaps you’ve planned things a little too much? . . . There are other things in life and how will you ever discover them if you’re unwilling to look outside your original plan?

Getting what she needed was also protagonist Paige’s realization at the end of A Christmas Detour: “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And yet, somehow, this feels completely right.” Similar themes

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are identifiable in films including A Christmas Wedding Date, The 12 Men of Christmas (2009), and Fir Crazy (2013)15 whereby workaholic women lose their jobs but find happiness—and love—in ways totally unexpected, as well as in those films where yearned-for marriage proposals don’t arrive and yet the character still finds romance, as occurred for Lauren in Christmas under Wraps, as well as characters in Secret Santa (2003), Surviving Christmas (2004), 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011), Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012), Holiday Road Trip (2013), Merry Matrimony (2015), A Puppy for Christmas (2016), A Husband for Christmas (2016) and Girlfriends of Christmas Past (2016). On the surface, these narratives can each be understood as being about fate: that ultimately there was a bigger plan and that an omnipotent entity ultimately knew what was best:—these are each cinematic illustrations of the Woody Allen quote: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”16 The same thinking is articulated in an exchange between protagonist Riley (Abigail Hawk) and her sage older colleague Nick (Howard Hesseman) in A Christmas in Vermont (2016): Riley: I like to be in complete control of everything that is happening to me. Nick: Sure you do, everyone does. But, fate does have a way of sticking out its foot and tripping you from time to time.

This point is also made by Bill (Jim Byrnes) in Paper Angels (2014): “Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out life comes along and throws you a curve.” Explanations for such presentations outside of fate, however, are also worth exploring. In each of these films, characters dispense arguably glib platitudes that are intended to provide solace to loved ones going through difficult times. Part of this is simply about being nice—about encouraging a person to think about better times ahead; another reflects the ubiquitousness of pop- or pseudopsychology in life (and also, evidently in scripts); something discussed by psychologists Ronald Cormer and Elizabeth Gould: Pseudopsychology, or pop psychology, has no basis in the scientific method, yet it takes on the trappings of science, often with the goal of promoting certain moral or religious values. . . . A fundamental difference between pseudopsychology and psychology is that psychology does not claim to address all human issues, where pseudoscientists argue that psychological principles can provide the answers to all of life’s major questions.17

For the same reason that teleological thinking of the “everything happens for a reason” variety is appealing—particularly when no other explanations exist—pseudopsychology gives a (albeit spurious) response

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to life’s unanswerable questions. These ideas also relate well to Illousz’s comments earlier about fate “explaining” love without really doing so.18 Certainly this is the romantic rationalization at the heart of Angel of Christmas (2015). Susan (Jennifer Finnigan) and Brady (Jonathan Scarfe) find love. Along the way, they discover that each had a grandparent who knew the other; something Brady applies a teleological reasoning to at the end. “The real reason our grandparents didn’t get together is so we could.” Brady’s explanation—illogical and supported by nothing more than that sentence—attempts to give order to the notoriously messy happenings of love. Equally, the promotion of “certain moral or religious values” is undoubtedly an underpinning to the advice dispensed in these narratives where, even without an overt religious storyline, God still manages to enter a Christmas-themed storyline.19 While God might move in mysterious ways on screen, one common way is through weather, whereby the hand of fate takes the form of a lifealtering event like a snowstorm. WEATHER-RELATED DESTINY In several chapters in this book the importance of weather has been discussed. While weather can be linked to miracles—in A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007), for example, the angel, Bob (Godfrey), makes it snow for the first time in 30 years; Lucy makes the same thing happen in Call Me Claus—in this section, weather is the force by which destiny is facilitated. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), en route to visit his niece, Jennifer (Brooke Burns), Uncle Ralph (Henry Winker) meets a man, Morgan (Warren Christie), at the airport and brings him home for Christmas. Inclement weather keeps Morgan grounded in Jennifer’s home overnight and—detecting the burgeoning chemistry between the duo—Ralph, playing cupid, elongates the weather event by replaying a recorded weather report advising of an airport closure, thus keeping Morgan grounded. In this example, Ralph in fact fabricates a situation whereby characters are thrust together because of bad weather; in other narratives the same thing happens more organically. In One Special Night mentioned earlier, Catherine attempted to drive Robert home in the storm but the two got bogged and were forced to seek refuge in an empty cottage. This weather event led to them falling in love. In A Chance of Snow (1998), in the days before Christmas, Maddie (JoBeth Williams) and Matt (Michael Ontkean) had just signed their divorce papers. Shortly after, they went to the airport to fly out in different directions for the holidays but a blizzard grounded their flights, keeping them together and forcing them to reconsider their relationship. In An Accidental Christmas (2007), a rainstorm prevents Victoria

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(Cynthia Gibb) from going to her business appointment as planned, so she is forced to stay and play board games with her family, including with her estranged husband, Jason (David Millbern). While, as discussed in chapter 3, being cooped up with relatives can sometimes be a source of stress, in this example, it functions positively: Victoria and Jason reassess their feelings in a bonus round atmosphere of fun and levity. In A Christmas Detour, inclement weather grounds their planet so Paige and Dylan get rerouted, thus thrusting them together for a road trip and giving them time to fall in love. The exact same thing happens in The Flight Before Christmas (2015). Weather leads to the formation of a couple in a slightly different way in I’m Not Ready for Christmas (2015). Just as protagonist Holly’s (Alicia Witt) love interest, Drew (George Stults), is about to board a flight for a job interstate, a “once in a hundred year” snowstorm keeps him grounded, giving him and Holly more time to reconcile their feelings. Outside of romantic storylines, weather-related fate also has a role. In Will You Merry Me? mentioned earlier, while being cooped up with her daughter’s future in-laws initially causes stress and conflict, eventually Suzie concedes, “You know, I’m glad the airport was closed. It gave us a chance to get to know the Kringles better.” In A Christmas Snow, Kathleen ends up being snowed in with stranger, Sam, and Lucy (Cameron Ten Napel), the young daughter of her boyfriend. Their time together not only helps them bond but ultimately reforms Kathleen’s curmudgeonly attitude to the holiday. Similarly, the premise of Santa’s Summer House (2012) centers on characters who, because of a “weird fog,” are rerouted from a resort to Santa’s summer house. Santa (Christopher Mitchum) tells one of the characters, Dean (Gary Daniels), “Take it as a sign.” Santa’s houseguests are each given an opportunity to bond with their family and to reassess their priorities. A similar idea is at the center of Christmas Miracle (2012), where a snowstorm forces several couples off the road, into a church for shelter, and ultimately to introspection. In Christmas in Clouds (2011), while a weather event causes a car accident that nearly kills hotel critic Stu (M. Emmet Walsh), the crash also leads to Stu’s estranged daughter rushing to his side in the aftermath, in turn prompting their reconciliation. Given the routine thinking of God as “the man upstairs”20—as well as the standard framing of weather events as “acts of God”21—climate impacting on fate makes sense within a narrative: that while God might not always be able to alter free will, that He, apparently, can manipulate individuals through events bigger than themselves. While weather plays a part in many films—not exclusively those pertaining to Christmas22—the holiday does create a specific logic for it to play a major role. With characters often traveling for the season, there is simply a greater likelihood of them being in airports and thus being impacted by scheduling disrup-

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tions. Equally, with Christmas happening in wintertime, a snowstorm is obviously more than plausible. In the explicitly religious film Wish for Christmas introduced earlier, the hand of God is understood as guiding fate. The premise of the film, however, actually sees the protagonist, Anna (Anna Fricks), wish for her parents to lose their religious conviction. This notion of wishes not only being made at Christmastime but being especially important and, ultimately, powerful, during the season is explored in the next section. CHRISTMAS WISHES If a word cloud was produced for Christmas, or, more simply, if the sentiments of holiday greeting cards were collated, wishes would feature prominently: it’s a season about making wishes and wishing others well. Films like 12 Wishes of Christmas, Wish for Christmas, The Wish That Changed Christmas (1991), Annabelle’s Wish (1997), Ri¢hie Ri¢h’s Christmas Wish (1998), The Christmas Wish (1998), A Christmas Wish (2011), The Wishing Tree (2012), Wishin’ and Hopin’ (2014), My One Christmas Wish (2015), Wish upon a Christmas (2015) and A Wish for Christmas (2016) each frame wishes as so important that they are thrust not merely to the heart of the narrative, but to the center of the title. While of course magical thinking has people wishing year round—birthday candles and coins in fountains and the snapping of wishbones each highlight this—in the popular imaginary and certainly in film, Christmas seemingly creates an environment particularly conducive to wishing. On one level this relates to the importance of Jesus and to the holy figure of Santa Claus whereby wishes and prayers are commonly directed at these men, at Christmastime (chapter 1).23 Another aspect relates to the perception of Christmas as distinctly magical (explored in the next section) and thus a time when such wishes are simply more likely to come true. In several films, the link between the season and the act of wishing is explicitly stated. In the animated Annabelle’s Wish for example, the protagonist Billy narrates that “Christmas Eve is a night tailor made for wishes. . . . A night made for believers of all ages.” In Elf-Man (2012), Gramma (Marty Terry) makes a similar point, “Christmas is about hope. About wishes coming true.”24 In Love Always, Santa (2016), mom Celia (Marguerite Moreau) states, “It is Christmastime and it is the time for silly wishes.” Akin to prayers having life-changing consequences in films like It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), its remake It Happened One Christmas (1977), and The Bishop’s Wife (1947) (each discussed in chapter 1), in this section I focus

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on wishes made at Christmastime, not to Jesus or Santa Claus specifically, but more generally to the universe. In Dear Secret Santa (2013) for example, Jennifer (Tatyana Ali) is at home visiting her ailing father, and uses her backyard wishing well to ask for true love. Because it’s Christmas, of course, Jennifer gets her wish. The same thing transpires in Angels and Ornaments (2014) when, in an early scene, Corrine (Jessalyn Gilsig)— nursing a broken heart—says, “I wish I could find my one true love.” She makes her wish while holding an apparently magical ornament. It comes true. While Christmas wishes are incredibly common on screen, in the following sections, the popular frame of the necessity to be very careful with them is explored. A Warning on Wishing In Family for Christmas (2015), Santa (Keith MacKechnie) cautions protagonist Hannah (Lacey Chabert), “A Christmas wish can be a very powerful thing.” In other examples, the warnings are a little more explicit. In The Santa Incident (2010), Santa (James Cosmo) warns, “We have to be careful what we wish for, especially around Christmastime. We might just get it.” This adage is articulated widely. In 12 Wishes of Christmas, Laura (Elisa Donovan) says to her friend, Faith (Sarah Thompson), “I wish someone could just come in and fix my whole life.” Her “wish” puts Laura in contact with Noel (Chonda Pierce), a supposed life coach/angel, who grants her 12 wishes. Noel, however, cautions, “Be careful what you wish for.” In All I Want for Christmas (2014), Jamie (Mason Douglas) says he’d “give anything” for the life of his spoiled school friend Blake (Juliocesar Chavez). “Be careful what you wish for,” cautions his mom, Brenda (Shannen Doherty). In A Dream of Christmas (2016), shortly after protagonist Penny (Nikki Deloach) articulates wishing that she had never gotten married, an older woman, Jayne (Cindy Williams), in line behind her at the department store, says, “Be careful what you wish for.” Be careful what you wish for is, in fact, a warning subtly apparent in a range of narratives whereby getting what you think you want is presented as fraught. All I Want for Christmas centers on Jamie getting his wish for a life just like Blake’s. Versions of this alternate reality storyline play out widely— in It’s a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Christmas, All About Christmas Eve, Family for Christmas, A Dream of Christmas, Ri¢hie Ri¢h’s Christmas Wish, The Family Man (2000), Comfort and Joy (2003), Holiday Switch (2007), Snowglobe (2007), The Christmas Clause (2008), Holly’s Holiday (2012), A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), Holidaze (2013), Just in Time for Christmas (2015), Holiday Joy (2016), The Christmas Swap (2016) and Wish for Christmas— and protagonists each get the opportunity to live out a different life.

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While life in an alternate universe provides characters varying degrees of consternation, the theme in each is that there are consequences: consequences to wishing (and, more specifically, to articulating those wishes), to tempting fate and to coveting. With envy oftentimes considered a sin, a warning against doing so can be construed as yet another way to insert religion into an otherwise secular-seeming narrative. One element of the be careful what you wish for warning is the notion that our wishes can never be as specific as we might hope; a concept I have problematized previously: The handful of times I’ve desperately crossed-my-fingers wanted something, when I got it was, often, horrible. I write this not merely as support for the be careful what you wish for adage, but more broadly because I don’t think it’s possible to wish with sufficient accuracy or specificity. How do you type up wanting love, wanting to be needed, wanting copious amounts of affection but also manage to accurately identify all those onmy-terms and in-palatable-doses-only caveats?25

A Christmas Tail (1999)26 provides a good illustration of the problem of imprecise wishes. Young Tim (Clayton Taylor) wants a dog. He makes a wish on a Christmas star that turns him into a dog.27 In this example, the lesson about the necessity for extreme specificity is literal; more commonly the idea is presented through characters neglecting to also wish to control externalities. In The Christmas List (1997), Melody (Mimi Rogers) has been encouraged by her colleague, Naomi (Enuka Okuma), to write a Christmas list. Once finished and once the list is deposited in Santa’s mailbox, Melody actually starts to receive her wished-for items: Melody: Suddenly I’m getting everything that I ever wanted but it all turns out wrong. . . . It’s one thing to want all this stuff, but it’s something else to get it.

The problematic consequences of wishes coming true are portrayed in a range of narratives. In 12 Wishes of Christmas for example, Laura wishes for Faith to have a winning idea at work. Faith gets her idea but, alas, it’s stolen by her colleague; an outcome Laura hadn’t anticipated. In the same narrative, Laura successfully wishes for her boyfriend, Morgan’s (Michael Bergin), novel to be published. The externality, however, is that Morgan ends up having an affair with Nadine (Ariana Brown), his publisher. In Wish for Christmas, Anna wishes for her parents to stop believing in God. This eventuates but it leads to Anna’s boyfriend, Colton’s (Ryan Boudreau), family home being foreclosed on because her parents—now operating, apparently, without a moral compass—were unwilling to help the family negotiate with the bank. In A Christmas

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Melody (2015), after her mom, Kristin (Lacey Chabert), advises Emily (Fina Strazza) , “You’re never too old to believe in Christmas wishes,” Emily writes to Santa: “I want you to find Mom a way to get us back to LA.” By the end of the narrative—and after Emily and Kristin both find happiness in small-town Ohio—Emily pleads to Santa to undo her wish. The same yen for wish retraction transpires in ’Tis the Season for Love. Protagonist Beth uses her Christmas wish to get a role in a play. Her wish comes true, but she decides, in fact, that she no longer wants it: she wants to stay in her hometown of Kern rather than return to New York. This theme of a much desired promotion no longer being wanted—as transpires, for example, in A Christmas Reunion, The MistleTones and Christmas on the Bayou (2013)—is common in films where a character’s true fate, seemingly, lies in love, and oftentimes, in staying in their hometown, or at least, a small town, where their heart apparently is (chapter 3). While not spoken, these narratives each provide cautionary notes on the downside of tinkering with fate (and, in turn, attempting to circumvent “God’s plan”), and alternatively problematizes pining for things that are difficult to obtain or which a character was never “meant” to have. This was certainly the epiphany reached by Hanna (Candace Cameron Bure) in Journey Back to Christmas (2016) when she states: “I’m going to find happiness, I’m going to find some way to be useful, and stop wishing things would be different.” Hanna is ultimately rewarded for leaving things to God, because she eventually gets transported—in this time-travel narrative—home from 2016 back to the 1940s, where she is reunited with her very-much-alive soldier husband who she thought was killed in battle. In the examples discussed above, wishes are articulated at Christmas— and oftentimes come to fruition during the season—because of a concept articulated widely in film: the Christmas miracle. THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE In Die Hard (1988), in one scene the terrorist, Hans (Alan Rickman), comments to a colleague, Theo (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), “It’s Christmas, Theo, it’s the time of miracles. So be of good cheer.” In Christmas Cupid (2010), Sloan (Christina Milian) visits her friend, Jenny (Ashley Johnson), at her restaurant. Jenny’s boyfriend, Ed (Justin Smith), quips, “Sloan Spencer makes a rare appearance. It’s a Christmas miracle!” In both of these examples, the “Christmas miracle” is referenced facetiously. More commonly, however, miracles—like wishes—are framed as something made possible because of the special properties of the season.

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In His & Her Christmas (2005), in one of Liz’s (Dina Meyer) newspaper columns she dubs the holiday as “the season for miracles.” In The Christmas Blessing (2005), Nathan (Neil Patrick Harris) is dating a woman with Hepatitis B, Meghan (Rebecca Gayheart), who is in desperate need of a transplant: Nathan: Well, my mom always said Christmas was the time for miracles. Meghan: Sometimes it’s tough waiting for a miracle.

In Gift of the Magi (2010), Della (Marla Sokoloff) says, “Christmas is coming up. That’s when miracles happen.” In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, the title character tries to reassure failing toy storeowner, Ted (Sam Page), by saying, “Miracles always happen at Christmas.” In Baby’s First Christmas (2012), adversaries—and eventual love interests— Jenna (Rachel Wilson) and Kyle (Casper Van Dien), discuss the season, and, in turn, miracles: Kyle: Why do you love Christmas so much? Jenna: Because Christmas is the only time of year when the world collectively gives hope. The energy becomes magical and it feels like any kind of miracle is going to happen.

Hercules Saves Christmas (2012)28 opens with Max (Anthony Robinson), an orphan, being returned to the orphanage by a dissatisfied couple. Sister Augustus (Kathy Garver) assures him that he will eventually find a forever home: “Christmas is a time for miracles,” she says. In The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014), Zach (Brandon Routh) pronounces, “It’s Christmas Eve, a time for miracles.” At the end of What She Wants for Christmas, Santa (David Atwood) opines, “Christmas miracles do happen, you just have to believe in them.” In Christmas Incorporated (2015), Riley (Shenae Grimes-Beech) describes Christmas as “the season of miracles.” In Magic Stocking (2015), the Gilford mayor, Fred Barnes (Fred Henderson), declares, “This is the season of miracles.” In Broadcasting Christmas (2016), speculating on a possible reunion with his ex-girlfriend, Charlie (Dean Cain) comments, “Well it’s Christmastime. Miracles have been known to happen.” In A Husband for Christmas, Santa (Johnny Whitaker) rhetorically asks, “Isn’t Christmas the time for miracles?” While in each example, the notion of a Christmas miracle is presented as a vague, nebulous entity, it is also common for such films to actually depict a miracle that’s attributable to the season. Mentioned earlier was The Christmas Blessing: in the end, Meghan gets her transplant. A transplant miracle was also at the center of The Christmas Heart (2012), when

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ne’er do well Jimmy (Adam Hurtig) is murdered, thus freeing up his heart for dying teen Matt (Ty Wood). The same miracle occurs in the Australian film Force of Destiny (2015): protagonist Robert (David Wenham) is notified on Christmas Day about the availability of a transplant liver. The wait for a transplant is also a theme in The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997). Outside of transplants, other kinds of health miracles are also detected. In the many riffs on A Christmas Carol (1843), Tiny Tim experiences a range of “miraculous” recoveries—in Scrooged (1998), for example, Calvin (Nicholas Phillips), mute from grief over his father’s death, speaks again. In Blossoms in the Dust (1941), young Tony (Pat Barker) walks on his own, without a brace, for the first time on Christmas Eve.29 In Hats off to Christmas! (2013), Mia’s (Haylie Duff) son, Scott (Sean Michael Kyer)—who had been badly injured in the car accident that had killed his father—walks again for the first time at Christmas. Health-related miracles are taken further in narratives with resurrections. In Frozen River (2008), on Christmas Eve, a baby that had been in a suitcase, and was assumed to be dead inexplicably starts breathing again. In The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002), Frank (Ari Cohen) miraculously returns home to his family on Christmas Day, years after they’d been notified of his death. In One Magic Christmas (1985), patriarch Jack (Gary Basaraba) is killed during a bank robbery, but with the help of an angel—and Santa—he is given a second chance at life. Similarly, in the aforementioned Three Days, when Andrew has the opportunity to re-do the past three days, he is able to prevent his wife’s (Kristin Davis) death. This storyline is also used in Christmas Magic and A Heavenly Christmas, both mentioned earlier, where women—dead and destined for heaven—get second chances at mortality. Even in Christmas narratives that seemingly eschew religion, it is hard to ignore the recurrent motif of rebirth and the nod toward Jesus’s resurrection (chapter 1). A range of less magical miracles also play out, which, while not as astounding as resurrecting the dead, nonetheless positively change the lives of those affected. In 29th Street (1991), it is Christmas Eve when Frank (Anthony LaPaglia) wins the lottery. A financial windfall constitutes a miracle in To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992), when Eddie (J. Eddie Peck) wins a jackpot enabling him to give his struggling single mom love interest, Rhonda (Cynthia Geary), and her two daughters an extra special Christmas. Lottery wins also occur in 12 Wishes of Christmas and Lucky Christmas (2011), when struggling single mom Holly (Elizabeth Berkley) wins the lottery. Sacks filled with cash are uncovered in A Puppy for Christmas, miraculously saving the family’s tree farm. Money arriving (seemingly) from nowhere is also a theme in The Great Rupert (1950),30 when a squirrel brings cash to a near-destitute couple at Christmastime. In Almost Christmas (2016), Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) gives her sister, Rachel (Gabrielle Union), a check to cover her law school costs so that she doesn’t

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have to drop out. In Powder Blue (2009), before his death, estranged father Jack (Ray Liotta) secretly paid off his daughter, Johnny-Rose’s (Jessica Biel), hospital bills. In Mixed Nuts (1994), pregnant Grace (Juliette Lewis) accidentally kills Stanley (Garry Shandling), who turned out to be the Seaside Strangler serial killer. Grace gets a cash reward large enough to save her and her suicidal, poverty-striken beau, Felix (Anthony LaPaglia), as well as the beleaguered LifeSavers hotline. Early into the The Santa Trap (2002), mom Molly (Shelley Long) states, “I don’t believe in miracles.” When it snows at the end of the film, Molly pronounces, “It’s a miracle.” In Finding John Christmas (2003), Kathleen (Valerie Bertinelli) had smashed the pocket watch that her brother, Hank (William Russ), had given her before he left home 25 years prior. At the end of the narrative, her love interest, Noah (David Cubitt), gives her a box: inside is Hank’s pocket watch, perfectly intact: Kathleen: How? Noah: It’s Christmas.31

In Hearts of Christmas (2016), after he forces several hospital employees into early retirement, hospital chief finance officer Matt (Kristoffer Polaha) finds a way to give them their jobs back. At the end of Office Christmas Party (2016), Tracey (Olivia Munn) perfects a new technology lucrative enough to save her company and all its employees. Characters could have gotten their transplant or come back from the dead or had a win at work at any time of year: these films, however, stage such happenings at Christmas because the season is imagined as having special, and sometimes even supernatural, properties. Such films, therefore, can be construed as reflecting a belief that omnipotent entities like God and Santa take a heightened interest in the life of mortals at Christmastime, and that magic at this time of year abounds.32 CHRISTMAS MAGIC In One Starry Christmas, Holly comments on the Rockefeller plaza tree: “It helps people remember anything is possible at Christmas.” Of the range of fortunate possibilities offered by Christmas, one is magic: that the season can help the impossible seem possible because the season is distinctly special. Film titles like Christmas Magic, One Magic Christmas, Magic Christmas Tree (1964), The Magic of Christmas (1987), the Hungarian film Karácsonyi varázslat (Christmas Magic) (2000), Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001), The Magic of Christmas II (2010), the Finnish

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animation Maaginen kristalli (The Magic Crystal) (2011) and A Magic Christmas (2014) put the idea of Christmas as a magical season at the center of the plot and the title. In a range of films, such magic is verbalized as a foregone conclusion. In A Boyfriend for Christmas, for example, colleagues—and future couple—Holly (Kelli Williams) and Ryan (Patrick Muldoon) have the following exchange: Holly: I’m not really into Christmas. Ryan: Oh, that’s too bad. It can be a magical time of year.

In Mixed Nuts, Philip tells Felix, “There’s magic at Christmas.” In A Christmas Wedding Date, protagonist Rebecca (Marla Sokoloff) is asked by her taxi driver (George Wendt) at Christmas, “Don’t you believe in magic?” before giving her an opportunity for a do-over. In Finding Mrs. Claus (2012), the title character, Jessica (Mira Sorvino), tells single mom Noelle (Laura Vandervoort) that “Christmas is a magical time.” In Christmas Incorporated, Riley says, “I think [Christmas is] a magical time when anything is possible. Decorating is a must because it’s part of the magic.” In Just in Time for Christmas, mom Shannon (Laura Soltis) comments, “Now is the time of year for the impossible to become possible. It’s Christmas: magic is in the air!” In Christmas Mail (2010), protagonist Kristi (Ashley Scott) says, “Christmas is the magical time of the year.” In The Christmas Note (2015), Melissa (Leah Gibson) claims, “Magical things happen at Christmas.” In The Night Before (2015), Mrs. Roberts (Lorraine Toussaint) says, “There’s magic in the air at Christmas.” In Wish upon a Christmas, Mr. Tomte (Kevin McNulty) says, “This time of year anything is possible.” In A Wish for Christmas, Sara (Lacey Chabert) asks, “What other time of the year is as magical as this?33 Each of these examples present versions of the same idea: that the season has special properties. Such scenes—while functioning as a prelude to mystical happenings within the narrative—also work to reveal something about the characters: there are characters who have faith and belief, and then there are disbelievers like Holly in A Boyfriend for Christmas, Rebecca in A Christmas Wedding Date and Kyle in Baby’s First Christmas, whose attitudes alert that they likely need to go through a dispositional overhaul. The undercurrent, therefore, is that believing in magic—akin to having faith (chapter 1)—is the ideal, the correct state. A subtle allusion to this is spoken in One Magic Christmas when mom, Ginny (Mary Steenburgen), has an exchange with Caleb (Arthur Hill), her grandfather-in-law: she considers his belief as “wonderful,” despite not sharing in it: Caleb: Our family, we’ve always been strong believers in Santa Claus and the Christmas spirit and angels and stuff. We’re dreamers I guess you’d say.

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Ginny: Yeah, you’re great dreamers all you Graingers. That’s what’s so wonderful about you, I guess. Caleb: In other words we’re nuts, eh?

This same idealization is presented in A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014).34 Boyd (Joel McHale) asks his wife, Luann (Lauren Graham), “How many years do you think Bug has left where he walks into the living room Christmas morning, he sees the tree, the presents, and his stomach just drops. Because holy crap, Santa came. Can you imagine still having that kind of belief in magic?” Both One Magic Christmas and A Merry Friggin’ Christmas present a belief in magic as something to be envied. While Christmas magic is often spoken about, it’s also frequently shown. In A Boyfriend for Christmas, the Santa (Charles Durning) who Holly met as a teenager in the mall turns up—over a decade later—and grants her wish for a boyfriend. The do-over granted to Rebecca in A Christmas Wedding Date is a magic shared with Lindsay (Eloise Mumford) in Just in Time for Christmas and Ali (Kelly Overton) in Back to Christmas (2014),35 and well as to each of the characters in the other festive do-over films.36 Similarly, every narrative that shows Santa flying through the sky or delivering gifts or helping animals talk or turning clocks back or forward, of course, presents magic as a truth. As explored through the films discussed thus far, the season is framed as facilitating magic. Worth noting, however, are those films where a more earthly explanation is provided; that a wonderful event still transpires, but that it’s not necessarily as a result of the machinations of a merciful God or a bountiful Santa. Earthly Magic In Dear Secret Santa, Jennifer’s father, Ted (Bill Cobbs), says, “I believe miracles happen every day. People just have to stop and notice.” In Merry In-Laws (2012), Santa Claus (George Wendt) makes a similar point: “Everyone’s lost touch. Too busy to realize that every day is magic. Everyday is a gift.” In Christmas Town (2008), these ideas are also referenced in an exchange between Kevin (Patrick Muldoon) and single mom Liz (Nicole de Boer): Kevin: The real magic is being thankful for what you have and hoping that something even better is coming. Liz: Sounds like a whole lot of wishful thinking. Kevin: Well that’s the best kind. Because you never know what’s waiting around the corner.

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In these three examples, magic is presented as more of an idea, a feeling, rather than something literal; that the Christmas spirit, that holiday magic, are made possible by collective energy and goodwill in turn, creating magical possibilities.37 Christmas with Holly (2012) offers an example of this. Young Holly (Josie Gallina) hasn’t spoken since the death of her mother. When her guardian, Uncle Mark (Sean Faris), starts dating Maggie (Eloise Mumford), Holly speaks again. While it’s a miracle for Holly’s family—given that she hasn’t spoken in so long—nonetheless, her silence was selective, and thus her speaking again is less actual magic and more so indicative of a happy ending for her. This same reasoning can be applied to range of Christmas narratives—such as Scrooged mentioned earlier, as well as Annabelle’s Wish, The Christmas Tree (1996), An American Girl Holiday (2004), A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011), Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012), The Christmas Candle (2013) and My One Christmas Wish—where traumatized characters who don’t speak for most of the narrative recover by the end. While again, such happenings are certainly good news, they can usually be explained as separate from the divine. Such earthly reasoning can be extended to the recoveries in Blossoms in the Dust and Hats Off to Christmas! mentioned earlier, as well as all the Carol adaptations whereby magic, God, Santa or the spirit of Christmas is likely less relevant than the miracle of modern medicine. An extension of earthly magic is the notion of a grand gesture whereby “magic” transpires through acts—of kindness, of generosity, of charity— accomplished by other characters. In the next section I use the concept of the grand gesture to discuss a secular magic whereby something wonderful happens because of an act of generosity. HOLIDAY GRAND GESTURES Discussed in chapter 4 was the (mostly) positive framing of community. In It’s a Wonderful Life, for example, the Savings and Loan gets saved because the Bedford Falls community bands together. In A Snow Globe Christmas the town chips in to buy the forest to save it from developers. Such ideas are at the center of narratives whereby Christmas magic is achieved through the efforts—often collective—of mortals. The Christmas Candle presents a particularly strong example of this. In the town of Gladbury, the candlemaker loses the special once-in-a-generation “blessed” candle among all his others. He and his wife decide to just give a candle to everyone who had asked for one, rationalizing that one of them must be blessed. The townsfolk, meanwhile—aware that there is only one special candle but many families in need—band together to help grant each other’s wishes. In this example the focus is on community, and the message is

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that wishes can come true—that Christmas magic can happen—if people are kind and generous. Christmas Angel (2012) provides a variation on this theme. School children spontaneously start making wishes on a dilapidated house. The wishes are then “magically” granted, anonymously, by the home’s occupant, Elsie (Della Reese). Elsie is trying to redeem herself in light of her past as an abusive wife and mother. This notion of anonymous wish-granting is also at the heart of Secret Santa. Journalist Rebecca (Jennie Garth) is visiting Hamden, Indiana, to report on an anonymous man doing secret good deeds. The Secret Santa turns out to be Russell (Charles Robinson), who works at the local nursing home. Residents had been bequeathing money to him, but Russell didn’t feel right about keeping it so he used it to fund charitable works: “Everybody needs a little help now and then. So I invented Secret Santa,” he explains. In Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), the acts of generosity are less anonymous, but no less special. Kris (William Morgan Sheppard), who has been playing Santa in the town of Mistletoe for 50 years, has been very generous with the locals. Kris helped Harley (John Kapelos) get the down payment for his diner, and he once counseled the mayor, Phil Green (Shashawnee Hall), and his wife through their marriage problems. When waitress Zelda’s (Lin Shaye) mom was dying, Kris read to her, and was with her when she died: “Kris Kringle has touched every life in this town,” Zelda says. Paper Angels in fact centers on the concept of Secret Santas, whereby anonymous benefactors buy gifts for those in need. Similarly a version of the “wishing tree” is mentioned in Every Christmas Has a Story (2016). In the following sections I explore a range of specific types of “grand gestures.” While grand gestures are often commonly thought of as romantic gestures38—for example, in the British Love Actually (2003), when Mark (Andrew Lincoln) elaborately declares his love for Juliet (Keira Knightly) through a series of handmade signs—in fact, these take a range of forms: they can indeed involve a declaration of love,39 but they often also take the form of individuals committing to making Christmas special for someone else. This discussion begins with the importance of the perfect gift. Perfect Present Purchases In The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), workaholic Gil (Bert Convy) tries to convince his cab driver (Fred Astaire) to go into a store and buy several hundred dollars worth of suitable presents for Gil’s son; Gil planned to stay in the car and work. In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jennifer’s boyfriend, Richard (Woody Jeffreys), had planned to give Jennifer’s son a $500 toy store voucher. In both examples, men are seemingly both generous and also completely unfeeling: no thought has gone

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into the gifts; rather, children are seemingly just being bought off by men who don’t actually have time for them. While Gil and Richard are framed as thoughtless, in others gift selection is used to present a character as outright mean. At an extreme level is the Grinch (Jim Carrey) in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), who hands two little children a saw as a Christmas present. A less violent version plays out in A Carol Christmas (2003). The Scrooge protagonist (Tori Spelling) is asked by her assistant Roberta (Nina Siemaszko) what she is giving her staff for Christmas. Carol’s answer is soap. In these examples, a bad choice of gift is revealing about a character; conversely so too can a perfect gift selection. Anna (Katrina Law), the professional shopper in 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015), sees gift choice as incredibly important, something she explains to her sister (Melanie Nelson): Anna: I’m just wondering, as a present, what does this say? . . . Now this is your husband we’re talking about and I just think whatever this present is it should speak volumes.

Personal shopper, Gwen (Meredith Hagner), in A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015), makes the same point: “I firmly believe that every present that someone gets should make them feel really special and appreciated.” In The Santa Suit (2010), Marge’s (Rosemary Dunsmore) plea to her Grinch boss, Drake (Kevin Sorbo), also spotlights the importance of a well-chosen gift: Marge: Christmas is about being over the top. You sing songs you don’t the rest of the year. . . . You fight crowds, you stand in long lines to get that special gift for someone you love. . . . It’s about giving and it feels pretty damn good. . . .

Anna and Gwen’s points about selection, and Marge’s mentioning of standing in long lines, highlights the primacy of effort: that for a person to put effort into a gift is testimony to sentiment. It’s why in Jingle All the Way (1996), dad Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) might be an unreliable workaholic, but the fact that he goes to such extreme efforts to procure a Turbo Man toy for his son gives insight into his true character. Gift choice provides similar insight in other films. In The Gathering (1977), for the first time in a long while, Adam (Ed Asner) is at home for Christmas with his estranged wife, Kate (Maureen Stapleton). Kate gives her ex-husband a telescope: Adam had apparently always wanted to learn about astronomy. Adam gives Kate an album of family photos that he had retrieved from the attic and sorted. The fact that the duo were able to pick perfect gifts for one another highlights the depth of their union—the existence of their true love—despite their estrangement. Something similar

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plays out in A Firehouse Christmas (2016). Tom (Marcus Rosner) gives his ex-wife, Mary (Anita Brown), the doll she had always wanted as a child: the gesture frames him as kind and gracious even in spite of their divorce. A variation of this theme transpires in the “Gift of the Magi” segment of O. Henry’s Full House (1952). Newlyweds Jim (Farley Granger) and Della (Jeanne Crain) are seeking the perfect gift for each other. While neither have much money, their love sees them go to dramatic ends to procure a present. Della knows that the perfect gift for Jim would be a fob chain for the watch he inherited from his grandfather. To pay for it, Della sells the only asset she has: her long, beautiful hair. Jim, meanwhile, knows that the perfect gift for Della would be a fancy comb to adorn her hair. To pay for it, Jim sells his grandfather’s watch. The same self-sacrifice plot transpires in the 2010 film Gift of the Magi, whereby Jim (Mark Webber) pawns his car to pay for the perfect present for Della: a new lens for her camera. Della meanwhile has pawned her camera to pay for a new steering wheel for Jim’s car. In both films, husband and wife are left with useless gifts, but they are nonetheless perfect gifts because they are testimony to just how much they are loved.40 In other narratives, the procurement of perfect gifts is a little less dramatic. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016), Jack (James Brolin) gives his adult daughter, Jackie (Mena Suvari), the doll’s house she had wanted since she was a child: the gift signifies that Jack had, albeit belatedly, become a better father. In Borrowed Hearts (1997), Kathleen (Roma Downey) is pretending to be the wife of her boss, Sam (Eric McCormack), over Christmas to impress a business associate. As they get to know each other—as they begin to fall in love—they are able to exchange perfect gifts: Kathleen gives Sam a baseball glove that fits perfectly, unlike the one he was given as a child which his father used to mock him about. Sam, meanwhile, buys Kathleen a fancy art set to help “with that dream of yours.” Their ability to pick perfect presents is tantamount to them being perfect for one another; that buying the right present is about really knowing the other person. In 24 Nights (1999), it is Keith’s (Stephen Mailer) gift to Jonathan (Kevin Isola)—a video of Jonathan and his mom visiting Santa as a child—that proves that the duo are a perfect match and that Keith really gets how important Christmas is to Jonathan. In The Christmas List, on their way back from dinner, Melody complains her feet are cold. David (Rob Stewart) stops at a Chinese grocer and buys her pink fuzzy slippers: a perfect and endearing gift that quickly elevates their relationship. Something similar transpires in The Christmas Ornament (2013): Tim (Cameron Mathison) makes Kathy (Kellie Martin) a wreath of mittens because she is always losing hers; the two aren’t together at that point, but the thoughtful gift hints that they soon will be. In A Christmas to Remember, Jennifer (Mira Sorvino) sends John and his family a bespoke gingerbread house

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that includes sugared figurines of each of them. It’s a sign that the two will soon be coupled. In Christmas at the Riviera, curmudgeonly Maurice (Warren Clarke) gives his wife, Rita (Barbara Flynn), a toaster. She gives him a set of engraved cufflinks. While initially the gifts give insight into their troubled marriage, by the end of the film—and after Maurice learns the error of his ways—he redeems himself and pays for Rita to have a massage and pedicure; a sign that he has acquired a heightened appreciation for her. In My Santa (2013), when Chris (Matthew Lawrence) gives Jen (Samaire Armstrong) a replacement for the ornament that her ex-partner had broken, it is a subtle way of framing him as The One and demonstrating that he has helped Jen resurrect her Christmas spirit back through an object that had once signified its destruction. In Christmas List (2016), Jamie (Gabriel Hogan) gives Isobel (Alicia Witt) a bracelet with each of the items on her Christmas list represented in charm form. “This is the most thoughtful, perfect gift,” she exclaims, equally positioning him as The One. In Hearts of Christmas, Bob’s (Bruce Dawson) wife of thirty years gives him the electric train set he had secretly wanted since he was a child but had never received. In The Santa Clause 2 (2002), Santa (Tim Allen) gifts all the teachers—including the principal, his love interest Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell)—the games they had desired from their childhood. In On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (2015), Maggie (Brooke Nevin) gives her love interest, Mitch (Robin Dunne), the bicycle he had desperately wanted but hadn’t received as child. In The Night Before, Isaac’s (Seth Rogen) pregnant wife gifts him a box full of recreational drugs: perfect, even if unorthodox. In Christmas in Canaan (2009), the perfect present idea plays out twice. After his grandmother died, young Rodney (Jaishon Fisher) is taken in by Daniel (Billy Ray Cyrus), a single father with three children. One Christmas, when Daniel couldn’t afford presents, he cut pictures from catalogs—imagining the perfect gift for everyone—and then put them into gift boxes. Years later, adult Rodney (Matt Ward)—now a successful writer—returns to Canaan and gives the family the presents that had been in Daniel’s cut-outs. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), a scene of gift exchange illustrates just how well the teen friends knew each other. The gifts Charlie (Logan Lerman) gave Patrick (Ezra Miller) were so well chosen that Patrick comments, “This collection of presents is so gay, I think I must have given them to myself.” Charlie gives stoner Bob (Adam Hagenbuch) a small container of detergent for blowing bubbles, to which Bob responds, “He knows me. He really knows me.” Sam (Emma Watson), meanwhile, gives aspiring writer, Charlie, the perfect present: the nostalgic gift of an old typewriter. While in these examples, grand gestures take the form of well-chosen gifts, in others they take the form of acts of kindness and generosity.

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Love Gestures Arguably all grand gestures are motivated by objectives beyond pure altruism,41 and in the context of gifts for loved ones, a character is often trying to secure, or invest, in a relationship; oftentimes a romantic one, although not exclusively. In My Christmas Love (2016), Cynthia (Meredith Hagner) actually uses the term “grand gesture” to describe the twelve anonymous Christmas gifts that arrive at her family home—ultimately for her father—throughout the season. Such grand gestures of love have a strong place in Christmas cinema. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998), Jake (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) gives his girlfriend, Allie (Jessica Biel), a “white Christmas” by taking a box of polystyrene balls and blowing them at her dorm window to mimic snow.42 In One Special Night, Robert goes searching—in the snow—for the necklace that Catherine has lost at Thanksgiving. He gives it back to her as a Christmas gift. Later in the film, an even bigger gesture transpires: Robert buys the seemingly abandoned cabin that he and Catherine had spent Thanksgiving in and even fakes a second bogging so that they could “relive” chancing upon it. In A Wonderful Christmas Time (2014), Noel (Dylan Edwards) writes and records a song for love interest Cheri (Laura Haddock) as a Christmas gift. In Angels and Ornaments, Dave (Graham Abbey) negotiates for his employee—and love interest—Corrine to sing the solo at the Christmas concert. Something similar plays out in A Heavenly Christmas, where Eve arranges for Max to sing at a Christmas concert. In The Christmas Pageant (2011), Vera (Melissa Gilbert) is a Broadway director who gets fired from directing a play. The only replacement job her agent could find for her was directing a pageant in Ashton Falls in upstate New York. The job, in fact, was created by Vera’s ex-fiancé, Jack (Robert Mailhouse). Jack had paid for Vera’s salary himself to lure her back to town. In a later scene, Vera puts together her own grand gesture for Jack. The duo had broken up years prior because she had bailed on their Paris trip to direct a play. Vera puts together a Parisian picnic for him. Another grand gesture occurs at the end of the film: after Vera leaves Ashton Falls, after securing a new off-Broadway job, Jack and the players from the Ashton Falls pageant travel to Manhattan to try to convince her to return. In Christmas Caper (2007), protagonist Cate (Shannen Doherty) is home in Comfort, Connecticut, for the first time in years. Hank (Ty Olsson), Cate’s former high school boyfriend, creates an intimate version of their prom—which he hadn’t taken Cate to in high school—so that she could finally attend. Almost the same thing happens in Almost Christmas: after failing to take her to their prom in high school, years on Malachi (Omar Epps) recreates a prom for adult Rachel during her visit home for Christmas. In Christmas in Conway (2013), Suzy (Mary-Louise Parker) has a terminal illness. After

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reminiscing with her husband, Duncan (Andy Garcia), about his marriage proposal at a fairground, they decide to travel to Myrtle Beach to revisit it. En route, Suzy gets sick and they never make it, so Duncan decides to buy, and erect, a ferris wheel in their backyard to give her one last ride. Mentioned earlier was Holly’s surprise bus trip to visit her boyfriend in One Starry Christmas. A surprise Christmas visit, in fact, plays out in several films. In Christmas in the Clouds, Tina Littlehawk (Mariana Tosca) arrives, unannounced at Christmastime, at the resort where her pen pal resides. In Once upon a Holiday (2015), after their brief time together in the United States, Jack (Paul Campbell) surprises the princess, Katie (Briana Evigan), by making a visit to her kingdom. In Angel of Christmas, after Susan finally realizes she loves Brady she heads to Murphysburg, Pennsylvania, to try to find his cabin to declare her love. Outside of surprise visits, a range of other love gestures are also identifiable. In Merry Ex-Mas (2014), Jessie (Dean Cain) brings his ex, Noëlle (Kristy Swanson), a piece of cherry pie from her favorite diner to stop her from marrying someone else. In Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005),43 J. J. (Carly Pope) recruits friends and colleagues to help save her friend—and love interest—Alex’s (Bobby Cannavale) struggling restaurant. In Three Days, at the town’s tree lighting ceremony, Andrew sings “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” for Beth as a demonstration of love. In Christmas in Palm Springs, Joe (Patrick Muldoon)—in an attempt to win back his wife— dresses up as Santa and plays a song during the town’s Christmas parade. In The Nine Lives of Christmas, Zach makes a grand gesture of love by driving his fire truck to see Marilee (Kimberly Sustad) at the pet shelter event on Christmas Day. In The Night Before, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) takes the stage with singer Miley Cyrus to propose to his ex-girlfriend, Diana (Lizzy Caplan). In chapter 2 I discussed some of the rare screen reasons that men decorate for the season: one centers on seduction; for example, in Holiday Affair, when Tim and suitor Carl (Wendell Corey) decorate the tree to surprise Connie. Grand gestures centered on Christmas decorations transpire in several examples. In Holiday in Handcuffs (2007), Trudie (Melissa Joan Hart) had told David (Mario Lopez) that her favorite Christmas memory was skating in her Christmas-decorated backyard. David secretly decorates the yard and invites adult Trudie to do her skate routine. In Surviving Christmas, Alicia (Christina Applegate) had told protagonist Drew (Ben Affleck) that her favorite memory was a frozen tree in the park that she saw as a child. Drew recreates this for her. In Annie Claus Is Coming to Town, Ted surprises Annie by decorating the motel she is residing with hundreds of Christmas lights. In Lucky Christmas, Mike (Jason GrayStanford) decorates Holly’s home similarly, and Alex (David Alpay) does the same thing to Laurel’s (Erin Cahill) home in Sleigh Bells Ring (2016).

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In each of these examples, characters take a step beyond just making a purchase to show their affection. Rather, in each example, characters orchestrate something elaborate, something memorable, and something cinematic, with Christmas providing an excellent, sentimental reason for a romantic grand gesture. The screen also offers a range of grand gestures, which, while still serving as testimony to love, highlight that such kindnesses can also be extended to people that characters aren’t in love with. Familial and Platonic Love Gestures Mentioned earlier were surprise visits home. The examples mentioned previously center on romantic love, but even more frequently these involve familial affections. In Christmas in Paradise (2007), estranged mom Madeleine (Marta Martin) turns up unannounced to visit her family in Puerto Rico. In A Nanny for Christmas (2010), workaholic father Carl (John Burke) returns home for Christmas with a puppy. In The March Sisters at Christmas (2012), Mom (Paula Plum) and Dad (Robert Walsh) make a surprise trip home from Afghanistan to be with their daughters. In This Christmas (2007), Quentin (Idris Elba), who hasn’t been home in four years, makes a surprise visit home. In Come Dance with Me (2012),44 protagonist Jack’s (Andrew McCarthy) mom, Jessica (Mary Long), makes an unscheduled Christmas visit from Kansas to see him in New York. In One Christmas Eve, Cesar’s (Carlos Gómez) daughter, Maritzia (Kiana Madeira)—who had been stationed in Afghanistan—surprises her father by making it home in time for Christmas. In Bad Santa 2 (2016), Thurman (Brett Kelly) takes a cross-country bus trip so that he could track down his friend, Willie (Billy Bob Thornton), and spend Christmas with him. Outside of surprise visits, other grand gestures have a distinct place on screen. In Little Women (1933; 1949; 1994), it’s Christmas morning and, upon hearing of the poverty of their neighbors, the March sisters pack up their breakfast and take it to their neighbor, the Hummels. Such non-romantic grand gestures play out widely. In Christmas Every Day (1996), Henry (Robert Hays) owns a local store. An old lady, who once was a good customer can, now only afford to buy cat food which she is eating herself. Knowing this, Henry secretly sends her tuna relabelled as cat food.45 In Holiday Affair (1949), despite being out of work, Steve (Robert Mitchum) buys Connie’s son, Tim, an expensive train set. In White Christmas (1954), Bob (Bing Crosby) and Phil (Danny Kaye) band together to help save their former captain, Thomas Waverly’s (Dean Jagger), Vermont Inn by performing there. In Christmas in Wonderland (2007), adult Wayne (Patrick Swayze) discovers his father’s grand gesture: secretly taking two jobs to afford to buy young Wayne a pony. In The Santa

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Suit, adult Drake is taken back to his childhood home. There, he finds out that the year he had desperately wanted a bike his dad was broke and sold the sterling silver frame that held his wedding picture to afford it. In All Is Bright (2013),46 ne’er-do-wells Rene (Paul Rudd) and Dennis (Paul Giamatti) steal a piano for their daughter, Michi (Tatyana Richaud): while neither could afford to buy her a gift, they knew where they could steal the instrument. In Christmas for a Dollar (2013), on Christmas Day, dad William (Brian Krause) gives his oldest daughter, Verna (Danielle Chuchran), an application for junior college: this is a notable gesture because—being the stand-in mom for her family—it seemed like college wasn’t an option for Verna. In the same narrative, the family’s rich neighbor, Mrs. Rathbone (Nancy Stafford), gives young Norman (Jacob Buster) the gift of being able to ride her horse whenever he wants. In Paper Angels, mom Lynn (Jossie Bissett) put her two children, Thomas (Rustin Gresiuk) and Sara (Farryn VanHumbeck), into the Paper Angels program so that they could get gifts. Thomas uses his Paper Angels opportunity to request presents for his mom, sister, schoolyard enemy Vic (Burkely Duffield) and estranged father, Daryl (Russell Porter). In A Merry Friggin’ Christmas, Boyd undertakes an eight-hour round trip to go home and pick up his son’s presents that had accidentally been left behind. In Hearts of Christmas, Jenny (Emilie Ullerup) organizes a farewell Christmas party for her manager, Alice (Sharon Lawrence), assembling a reunion of the families who Alice had helped in the neo-natal unit over the decades. In Battle of the Bulbs (2010), after spending the narrative engaged in a bitter Christmas lights competition, neighbors Bob (Daniel Stern) and Stu (Matt Frewer) realize the error of their ways and pool their resources to decorate the home of their neighbor, Mrs. McKane (Maxine Miller). Mrs. McKane wins and with her prize money is able to pay back the back taxes on her home, in turn avoiding foreclosure. Back taxes, incidentally, are also paid back as a gift at Christmastime in Nobody’s Fool (1994), when Miss Beryl (Jessica Tandy) does this for her former student and friend Sully (Paul Newman). In Christmas with the Kranks (2004), Luther (Tim Allen) gives his cruise tickets to his neighbors Walt (M. Emmet Walsh) and Bev (Elizabeth Franz), the latter who is dying of cancer. In A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015), protagonist Luce (Lexi Giovagnoli) gives the money she had been paid for her dogwalking services to her love interest Dean (Jonathan Bennett) so that he can spend Christmas with his family. In The Christmas Hope (2009), pilot Mark (James Remar) gives the travel vouchers that he had earned to a neighbor, Justin (Daniel Boiteau), so that Justin could visit his grandpa. In Christmas Angel, Olivia (Izabela Vidovic) uses her “impossible Christmas wish” to wish for classmate, Ricky (William D. Wells) to get the bike he desperately wanted. In Cancel Christmas (2010), Steve (Connor Price) runs a bake sale and sells his drums to buy

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a special wheelchair for his disabled classmate Adam (John Fleming). In the same narrative, Farley (Sante Scaletta) gives Adam his beloved dog Kip. The boys are also involved in building a ramp for Adam so that he can get in and out of his home with greater ease. In Finding John Christmas, a newspaper had offered a $50,000 reward to find “John Christmas.” John Christmas turns out to be Hank who had left town 25 years prior. After receiving the reward, Hank donates the money to save his sister, Kathleen’s, emergency unit at the local hospital. In 12 Wishes of Christmas, Laura donates her lottery win to the animal shelter. In Dear Santa, thirtyyear-old Crystal had been given a deadline that unless she finds a job or a man by Christmas, that her wealthy parents would stop paying her an allowance. Her parents give her a $10,000 check as a final gift, which she gives to love interest Derek (David Haydn-Jones) to help him save the homeless shelter. In Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), David (Nick Zano) revives a woman who had collapsed in the Santa’s Village where he works. David stays by her bedside all night. In Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014), Jordan (Rob Estes)—who turns out to be an angel—tells a story of a fourth wise man who was late because he kept stopping to help people en route to the manger. Such stopping—despite the personal cost—transpires in several narratives. As mentioned earlier, in The Christmas Secret, Christine stopped on her way to work help a woman who had collapsed at the wheel of her car. The personal cost for Christine was losing her job. In Stubby Pringle’s Christmas (1978), the title character (Beau Bridges) is riding a horse to a Christmas dance. En route, he stops to help a struggling farmer (Julie Harris): Stubby’s kindnesses included cutting down a tree, helping the farmer to decorate it and also making Christmas presents for her children. Stopping to help delays Stubby’s attendance at the dance, and when he finally arrives, the dance is all over. Something similar transpired in A Christmas Wedding (2006). Emily (Sarah Paulson) was en route home from a business trip to her Christmas wedding. On the way, she does several good but time-consuming deeds such as taking a lost boy to security and driving an elderly woman to hospital. In 12 Dates of Christmas, as part of her Christmas Eve do-overs, protagonist Kate spends time with her lonely neighbor, Margine (Jayne Eastwood), including baking cookies with her and going to church. In The Christmas Parade, reporter Hailee uses her Christmas broadcast to secure donations to save a struggling youth center. In Crown for Christmas (2015), Allie (Danica McKellar) does paintings for all the house staff as well as for her love interest, Max (Rupert Penry-Jones). At the end of 12 Gifts for Christmas, Anna paints a family portrait for her love interest, Marc (Aaron O’Connell). In The Flight Before Christmas, Michael gives up his first-class seat to elderly Noel (Brian Doyle-Murray). In The Christmas Note (2015), Melissa (Leah Gibson) finds her neighbor’s son’s letter to Santa and

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arranges to bring his father back home from a German military hospital. Such generosity is taken further in A Very Mary Christmas: teen mom Mary gives her newborn baby to another couple in the hospital whose own child was stillborn. In Holiday Baggage (2008),47 Pete (Barry Bostwick) and Sarah’s (Cheryl Ladd) daughter Holly (Leah Wagner) is pregnant. Holly is serving as a surrogate for her sister Lisa (Julia Sobaski). Mentioned earlier was the bequests Russell received in Secret Santa. In a range of films, fortunes are changed at Christmastime by such inheritances. The Christmas Bequest As discussed throughout this book—and notably in chapter 4—death is a popular theme in Christmas narratives whereby it can be part of a tragic backstory, prompt reconciliation or force characters to count their blessings. A death can also proffer a financial or emotional windfall. In A Christmas Reunion, Linda (Catherine Hicks) bequeaths her bakery to her niece Amy (Denise Richards) and Amy’s childhood friend, Jack (Paul Muldoon), on the condition that they re-open it for a day. The two end up keeping it open permanently, leading Amy to commit to Jack and to relocate from New York. In The Christmas Box (1995), Mrs. Parkin (Maureen O’Hara) dies and bequeaths Richard (Richard Thomas) and his family her home. This gives Richard the opportunity to stop working so much and devote more energy to his family. In Christmas Angel (2009), Nick (Bruce Davison) leaves his fortune to Ashley (Kari Hawker-Diaz) so she can continue to do his Secret Santa works. In The Sons of Mistletoe (2001), a struggling boy’s home is bequeathed the family home of a wealthy department store heiress, Helen (Roma Downey). In The Christmas Blessing, Rob (Rob Lowe) purchases a property for a struggling childcare center. In The Christmas Cottage (2007), painter Glen (Peter O’Toole) bequeaths his last painting—“The Last Glen Westman”—to Thomas (Jared Padalecki) to sell so that he can save his family’s dilapidating cottage. In A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013), Henry (Terry Kiser) bequeaths his Christmas tree farm to the homeless George family. In Christmas Land (2015), the narrative opens with Jules (Nikki Deloach) inheriting Christmas Land. While Jules initially intends to sell it, it ends up transforming her life and she decides to stay. Discussed in chapter 1 is the importance of charity at Christmastime: arguably bequests are just another example of this. Other interpretations for their inclusion, however, are also viable. Self-sacrifice is a theme in a range of narratives: while none of the benefactors mentioned in this section actually commit suicide to make their donation possible—which was the motivation behind George’s (James Stewart) suicidal ideation in It’s a Wonderful Life where, because of his insurance policy, he assumed he was

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worth more dead than alive—but, less loftily, knowing that they are going to die, characters are motivated to be generous. In this function these mortals have a role in shaping the destiny of others. In White Christmas, Judy (Vera-Ellen)—as part of her matchmaking efforts—comments, “Fate needs a little push.” Judy’s push relates to matchmaking where little pushes toward love transpire widely. COMMON AND CELESTIAL CUPIDS Mentioned earlier was Uncle Ralph in The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, conspiring to help his niece Jennifer and Morgan find love. Such scheming in fact transpires widely, in varying degrees of subtlety. Christmas Cupid provides an obvious example, as made explicit by the title. One of Sloan’s clients is Caitlin (Ashley Benson), a tempestuous singer in constant trouble with the police. Caitlin dies after choking on a martini olive and, in death, haunts Sloan. Caitlin gives Sloan a Christmas deadline to repair things with her ex-boyfriend, Patrick (Chad Michael Murray), or else die alone. Beyond Tomorrow (1940) centers on three engineers who hold a party. Guests progressively send messages of apology, so one of the engineers, Michael (Charles Winninger), gets an idea: he will throw a wallet containing a small amount of money and a business card out into the street and invite in whoever returns it. Two people return the wallets: James (Richard Carlson) and Jean (Jean Parker); the duo end up as a couple. The engineers not only brought James and Jean together, but later look after them as guardian angels after the three die in a plane crash. In It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), Aloysius (Victor Moore) is squatting in the home of a wealthy industrialist, Michael O’Connor (Charles Ruggles). Aloysius brings a range of guests to stay with him in the home. The home—under the stewardship of Aloysius—seemingly helps Jim (Don DeFore) and Trudy (Gale Storm) couple, as well as reunites the home’s owner, Michael (Charles Ruggles), with his ex-wife, Mary (Ann Harding). In The Christmas Consultant (2012), at the end of the narrative mom, Maya (Caroline Rhea), sets up the secretly lonely widowed title character (David Hasselhoff) with her cousin Yolanda (Pauline Egan). In The Christmas Card, one of Cody’s colleagues at the mill, Richard (Peter Jason), plays cupid by separating Faith and her boyfriend, Paul (Ben Weber), on the dance floor so that Cody and Faith can dance. In A Christmas Proposal (2008), the local mechanic Andy (David DeLuise) performs similarly: he sabotages friend Rick’s (David O’Donnell) efforts to leave town in the hope that by doing so Rick will stay and reconcile with his ex-girlfriend Lisa (Nicole Eggert). In A Christmas Kiss, stagehand Charlie (Mark Joy) and Tressa (Jerrika Hinton) plot to get protagonist Wendy and Adam

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(Brendan Fehr) back together. In Merry Ex-Mas, pastor Ed (Ernie Hudson) is instrumental in getting the estranged couple, Noëlle and Jessie, back together. In Farewell Mr. Kringle, Kris, who normally doesn’t host people at his home, invites visiting journalist Annabelle (Christine Taylor) and neighbor Mark (Christopher Wiehl) for dinner, helping them get together. In Christmas in Vermont, Nick plays cupid to his feuding colleagues Riley and Wyatt (David O’Donnell). In Hitched for Christmas (2012), Rob’s (Joey Lawrence) ailing grandma, Theresa (Paula Shaw), wants him to “finally settle down” and insists that all she wants for Christmas is for him to get married. This motivates Rob to respond to Julie’s (Emily Hampshire) classified ad for a partner for the season; the two end up coupling for real. While Santa plays cupid in numerous narratives,48 angels also function similarly. Discussed earlier were the title characters playing cupid in Mrs. Miracle (2009) and Call Me Mrs. Miracle. This angel-sent-to-earthto-matchmake narrative plays out widely. In Mr. Miracle (2014), Harry (Rob Morrow) is an angel charged with getting Addie’s (Britt Irvin) life back on track. In Angels and Ornaments, Harold (Sergio Di Zio) is an angel assigned to Corrine: he has until Christmas Eve to help her find love. In Borrowed Hearts, the narrative centers on Sam recruiting Kathleen and her daughter, Zoey (Sarah Rosen Fruitman), to pose as his family while he hosts businessman, Javier (Hector Elizondo), for dinner. Javier in fact is less interested in business and more so in bringing Sam and Kathleen together; he is seemingly an angel. In Angel in the Family (2004), during her time back with her family in ghost form, Lorraine (Meredith Baxter) asks her daughter, Sarah (Tracey Needham), to return a very late library book; this errand puts Sarah in the path of Alex (John Pyper-Ferguson), who apparently always had a crush on her. Lorraine also encourages her husband, Buddy (Ronny Cox), to go to the church Christmas service knowing that he would cross paths with a new love interest, Nelly (Tess Harper). In Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014), while the angel Harry (Wallace Shawn) is initially helpful to Nicky (Alicia Witt) in securing a job, in fact, his task is ultimately to help her meet and fall in love with Bill (Gabriel Hogan). A different cupid-play transpires in A Christmas Reunion. As noted, Linda had bequeathed her bakery to Amy and Jack. Part of the conditions of the inheritance was that the duo needed to reopen the bakery for Christmas: seemingly Linda knew that the act would work to bond the duo and help reunite them romantically. “Cupid” takes the form of an object in Angel of Christmas where characters seem to believe that an angel tree ornament from the 1920s functions as a love charm. Children also, on occasions, play cupid in films, as they do widely in art. In chapter 3 I discussed their frequent disappearances resulting in parents reconciling during a search. Children also facilitate reconciliation and romance by writing to Santa and requesting it on behalf of a parent.

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In Christmas Angel (2012), Olivia wishes for a husband for her mom, Melinda (Teri Polo). In Christmas in Homestead (2016), Sophie (Brooklyn Rae Silzer) uses her wish for love for her father, Matt (Michael Rady). In other examples, children’s matchmaking is more hands-on. In All I Want for Christmas (1991), a brother and sister engage in a series of The Parent Trap (1961; 1998)–like antics to reunite their mother and father. In The Christmas Pageant, Jack’s daughter, Kirstin (Lennon Wynn), prepares a tea party for Jack and Vera. In Catch a Christmas Star (2013), Sophie (Julia Lalonde) and Jackson (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) plot to reunite their single widowed father, Chris (Steve Byers), with his first love, Nikki (Shannon Elizabeth), who is now a famous pop star. In Stealing Christmas (2013), teen Noelle (Angela Goethals) plots to get her mom, Sarah (Lea Thompson), and her employee, Jack (Tony Danza), together. Adult daughters Kate (Carly McKillip) and Melanie (Britt McKillip) also play cupid to their estranged parents in Come Home for Christmas (2013); adult children do the same in Royal Family Christmas (2015). Animals also occasionally take on the role of cupid. In A Christmas Wedding Tail, Susan (Jennie Garth) meets Jake (Brad Rowe) while the two are walking their dogs. In 3 Holiday Tails (2011), Lisa’s (Julie Gonzalo) puppies conspire to get Lisa and her first love, David (K. C. Clyde), back together. In The Christmas Shepherd (2014), Sally’s (Teri Polo) runaway dog helps to bring Sally and Mark (Martin Cummins) together. In Holiday Road Trip, it’s while they are taking pet food company mascot, Scoot, on a goodwill road trip that colleagues Maya (Ashley Scott) and Patrick (Patrick Muldoon) fall in love. In Love You Like Christmas, when it comes time for Maddie to leave Christmas Valley, as she is driving out of town, she has to swerve to miss a reindeer and ends up crashing her car; this keeps her in town and, ultimately, with Kevin (Brennan Elliott).49 A variation on this theme is when animals help weed out inappropriate love interests. I’ve written elsewhere about how allergies are commonly used to frame characters—particularly men—as variously emasculated and undesirable;50 something similar occurs in some Christmas storylines. In A Puppy for Christmas, Todd’s (Christopher Russell) allergies provide a clue that he won’t last as dog lover Noelle’s (Cindy Busby) boyfriend. Conversely, Noelle’s colleague, Liam’s (Greyston Holt), love of dogs frames him as The One. In I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016), Rand’s (Jacob Blair) allergy to his girlfriend’s father’s dog similarly foretells that his status as boyfriend won’t last. Animals serve other destiny-related purposes too.51 In Christmas on the Bayou, protagonist Katherine (Hilarie Burton) talks of a stray cat that she had growing up: it only stayed with her until she made some friends and then it disappeared. In J.T. (1969), the title character’s (Kevin Hooks) life is changed while he nurses an injured cat back to health in the days before Christmas. Something similar

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occurs in Christmas Ranch (2016), whereby training her grandma’s horse helps sullen teen Lizzy (Taylor Lyons) transform her spirit. Discussed throughout this book is the often very conservative nature of Christmas films: it is thus unsurprising that narratives frequently center on finding love and establishing a nuclear family. The insertion of cupids adds an element of festive meant-to-be-ness. When these cupids are friends or family, a love match being “chosen” by loved ones underscores their suitability. In the sections that follow, ghosts, angels and spirit guides are discussed. In Must Be Santa (1999), Natalie (Deanna Milligan) offers a distinction between ghosts and angels: “Ghosts are cold and troubled spirits. Angels are filled with warmth and love.” Kate (Kelly Macdonald) in The Merry Gentleman (2008) also attempt a distinction in an exchange with her new friend Frank (Michael Keaton): Kate: Knock, knock. Frank: Who’s there? Kate: It’s the ghost of Christmas Present. Frank: Wow. I’d say more of an angel than a ghost. Kate: What do you suppose the difference is? I mean, they’re sort of the same thing, aren’t they? I’d say, a ghost is haunted whereas an angel is blessed.

In fact, on screen such a distinction is difficult to make. Given that in most narratives such characters won’t label themselves as a ghost, an angel or a spirit guide52—and also that on screen there is much blurring between these categories—it is essential that I articulate how I use the terms. I label ghosts as characters who enter narratives akin to those in A Christmas Carol: as an ethereal, otherworldly figure. That said, outside of the Carol riffs—or the animated Casper’s Haunted Christmas (2000)—ghosts on screen rarely look this way, and thus another kind needs to be added to this category. In this discussion, I also consider as ghosts characters who are apparitions of dead people. While angels and spiritual guides are also generally types of resurrections, the distinction I make is that I consider as ghosts characters who are known to the people they haunt. Reunions are a key component of Christmas narratives (chapter 3) and therefore, while such ghosts can deliver messages or lessons, their primary function is to provide mortals an opportunity to have another brief visit with a deceased loved one. For the purposes of this discussion, angels and spirit guides therefore exist primarily as messengers. These are not incarnations of dead friends or relatives, but rather serve a specific task: that they have been sent from “above”—that is, by God or Santa—to complete a job. Of course, as hinted to by Kate in The Merry Gentleman, there is much over-

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lap: in Angel in the Family, for example, matriarch Lorraine is dead and returns to help her family celebrate Christmas and rebuild broken relationships. While the film title uses angel rather than ghost, because Lorraine is known to the family, and because reunion is every bit as important to the narrative than any lessons delivered, I consider her a ghost here. A CHRISTMAS GHOST Folklorist Jack Santino identifies, “Christmas certainly has its share of supernatural beliefs associated with it—the miraculous is fundamental to accounts of the holiday. . . .”53 Anthropologist Adam Kuper makes a similar point: Christmas is a period for remembering the dead, but including them; and ghosts walk on Christmas too. On Christmas Eve the orphan Pip visited his parents’ grave, in Great Expectations. . . .54

Mark Connelly also discusses Christmas ghosts in film: “Christmas has always been connected with supernatural visitations and [Charles] Dickens built upon that connection.”55 A Christmas Carol provides the best-known seasonal ghost story whereby ghosts visit the protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge’s ghosts—of his business partner Marley as well as those of Past, Present and Yet to Come (sometimes known as Future)—have been widely reimagined: those that are obvious tributes to the Dickens novel, as well as other less traditional riffs. A key function of the ghosts in Carol—and of many of the ghosts in Christmas movies more broadly—is to educate Scrooge: to teach him about the capacity for love, to remind him of past fun, to teach him of the consequences of rejecting people and that money can’t buy happiness, and also to provide insight into what the future might look like if his bad behavior continues. While the many Carol riffs provide variations on these lessons (chapter 1)—in A Carol Christmas, for example, the Scrooge protagonist Carol is visited by the ghost of her favorite aunt, Marla (Dinah Manoff), and in Chasing Christmas (2005) Jack (Tom Arnold) is visited by the ghost of a friend who had died in a freak accident—other narratives reference ghosts a little differently. The most popular manifestation of the Christmastime ghost is through the reappearance of a loved one. While, as noted, such supernatural entities can also be interpreted as angels (a concept discussed later in this chapter), the notion of a deceased loved one returning, of being temporarily resurrected—notably in scenes where such characters aren’t immediately flagged as angels—complies with the definition offered by the Oxford

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English Dictionary: “soul of a deceased person, spoken of as appearing in a visible form, or otherwise manifesting its presence, to the living.” The Reappearance of Loved Ones In chapter 3 I discussed the importance of family and the recurrence of reunion and reconciliation. If a family member has died, however, then a reunion is only possible if the supernatural is somehow involved. In Under the Mistletoe (2006), Susan (Jaime Ray Newman) is in an antiques store when a fellow customer comments, “The dead miss us even more than we miss them. Especially at Christmas.” This comment hints that not only is a reunion desired by the living, but also, perhaps, by the dead too. The films discussed in this section differ from those examined in chapter 4 where characters simply mourn their dead loved ones; in these examples, seemingly feelings are mirrored so much so that the dead feel motivated to return. In a brief scene in About a Boy (2002), Will (Hugh Grant) think he sees his deceased father in the supermarket. At the end of A Nutcracker Christmas, when Lily finally dances in The Nutcracker, she briefly thinks she sees her dead sister, Beth (Katherine Barrell), in the audience. While these presentations are, seemingly, gentle hallucinations, in other examples the supernatural have a more significant role. In Under the Mistletoe, a car crash kills Susan’s husband, Tom (Conan Graham). Tom returns, in ghost form, to visit son, Jonathan (Burkely Duffield). Tom’s visit primarily centers on helping Jonathan adjust to life without him. The same plot transpires in the British film Last Christmas (1999), when Frankie’s (Philip Dowling) deceased father (Ray Winstone) returns to help him—in ghost form—adjust to life without him. This idea is also at play in Jack Frost (1998), whereby dad, Jack (Michael Keaton), is killed in a car accident and returns to visit his son, Charlie (Joseph Cross)—albeit in snowman form—to help Charlie adjust to life without him. As mentioned earlier, in Angel in the Family, mom Lorraine returns for Christmas. As was the case in A Christmas Carol—and as is the case in most narratives where deceased characters return—Lorraine is not just home for a casual chat or one last cuddle, but also to impart wisdom: she returns to help her ailing husband and estranged daughters Beth (Natasha Gregson Wagner) and Sarah celebrate the season. While Lorraine’s appearance is at the center of the story, in other narratives reunions with dead loved ones often play a smaller role. In Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), for example, it is Christmas in New York, and alcoholic Arthur’s (Dudley Moore) deceased butler, Hobson (John Gielgud), briefly visits him—in ghost form—to tell him to stop drinking. In Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008), Nick’s (Tom Cavanagh) deceased parents, Marilyn

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(Rebecca Toolan) and Chris (David LeReaney), briefly visit at Christmas as ghosts to meet Nick’s fiancé, Sandy (Ashley Williams), and, notably, to encourage Nick—in his new role of Santa—to not lose track of what’s important to the season: love. (This can be likened to the Christmastime appearance of the title character’s [Daniel Radcliffe] deceased parents in the mirror in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone [2001]). In The Wishing Tree (2012), while it’s not clear whether it is happening via dream or whether she is in fact a ghost, nonetheless, Elizabeth (Erica Carroll), Evan’s (Jason Gedrick) deceased wife, visits him several times. In her last visit she tells him “you don’t need me anymore” and that he needs “to live in the real world.” Elizabeth also gives Evan the okay to be with love interest Clarissa (Erica Cerra). A version of this transpires in The Christmas Ornament, when protagonist Kathy receives a butterfly tree ornament in the mail that her deceased husband, Scott, had organized to be delivered before he died. Kathy’s new love interest, Tim, also gave her a butterfly ornament: Kathy thus construes Scott’s ornament as a from-the-grave message that he is accepting of her moving on. Gifts from the grave also transpire in My Christmas Love mentioned earlier, whereby the 12 gifts that were delivered to Tom (Gregory Harrison) had been organized by his wife prior to her death. As noted earlier, it’s often difficult to distinguish between ghosts and angels on screen, notably on those frequent occasions when the supernatural entity is not labeled. A particularly good illustration of this transpires in A Christmas Visitor (2002). Patriarch George (William Devane) meets a hitchhiker, Matthew (Dean McDermott), and invites him home for Christmas. Matthew is full of wisdom, telling George things such as: Matthew: When we lose someone we love it doesn’t mean they’re not with you anymore. You just need to find them in a different way. John’s spirit is here. It’s everywhere. It’s in this house. It’s in your heart. So don’t push him away. Embrace him. You’ll always have that.

Later, it appears that Matthew in fact is George’s dead son, John (Aaron Ashmore), who had been killed in Iraq; his return, seemingly, was to help the Boyajians move forward without him, after twelve years of grieving, and to celebrate Christmas once again: George: You know, I don’t know why you came to us. John: Because you were right. It was time. Merry Christmas, Dad.

Matthew borrows attributes from both the ghost and angel categories: he is partly a resurrected loved one (albeit in a different body)—akin to Jack’s return in snowman form in Jack Frost or when fathers embody

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trees as in The Christmas Tree and The Tree (2010)—but he is also, seemingly, an angel, because for most of the narrative he is unknown to the family and is seemingly just a messenger visiting to impart information and solace. Something similar transpires in A Christmas Snow. Kathleen ends up allowing an old man, Sam, who saved her from some hoodlums to stay at her home after he misses the last bus. Kathleen, Sam, and the daughter of Kathleen’s boyfriend, Lucy, then end up being snowed in. The film ends by implying that Sam was actually the ghost of Kathleen’s deceased father, who left her family when she was a child. In Angels Sing (2013), Nick (Willie Nelson) sells his home to Michael (Harry Connick Jr.) for a ridiculously low price. Buying the house delivers Michael and his family a community—notably of people who value Christmas—and enables Michael to get his spirit back. In this function, Nick serves as an angel: an idea bolstered by the angel wings that are painted on the back of his leather jacket. In a later scene—when Michael is watching old family videos—Nick is actually in them: it seems that Nick is actually the ghost of Michael’s great grandpa. A similar ghost/angel hybrid transpires in Angels and Ornaments. The apparent angel, Harold, who brought Corrine and Dave together is, at the end of the narrative, revealed to be the ghost of Corrine’s grandfather. A variation on the Christmas ghost storyline transpires in The Spirit of Christmas (2015). Kate (Jen Lilley) is tasked by her boss with selling a deceased estate before the new year. If she does a good job she will promoted. The task, however, is made almost impossible due to the house being haunted.56 Daniel (Thomas Beaudoin), the inn’s former owner, is a ghost who gets to live again as a mortal during the Christmas period but goes back to being a ghost on Christmas Eve. Across the course of the narrative Daniel falls in love, and love, apparently, is enough to allow him to stay mortal. In his book Ghosts at Christmas, Darren Ritson argues that the connection between ghosts and Christmastime dates back to the fusion of the pagan festivals of ancient Rome and the birth of Christ: One cannot really partake of Christmas without enjoying oneself, and neither can one truly revel in Christmas festivities without at least acknowledging that there is a deeply spiritual platform underpinning everything. The Christmas ghost story provides both aspects perfectly. . . . [B]ecause Christmas draws up, consciously or unwittingly, closer to the spiritual world than we might get at other times of the year, ghosts, spectres and phantasms inevitably intrude into the picture. There is something perfectly natural about seeing a ghost at Christmas time, or at least reading about one.57

Several other authors echo this position, referencing the distinctly Victorian era tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmastime.58 With

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Victorian era popular culture on one hand and the resurrection themes of Christianity on the other, it makes sense that an afterlife has a place in these films (in spite of the fact that normally ghosts are associated with a season like Halloween). As flagged, the distinction between ghosts and angels is often impossible to make. In the following section, characters who are framed, more explicitly, as angels are examined. ANGELS AND SPIRIT GUIDES Historian Gerry Bowler discusses angels in his work on Christmas: Literally “messengers,” these emissaries of God play an important role in the Nativity and subsequent Christmas celebrations through the ages. . . . Since the Nativity and its narratives, Angels have been prominent in the art and music of Christmas. . . . They also abound in Christmas movies, less as heralds than as interveners in the lives of the spiritually needy.59

Certainly judging by the presence of angels in Christmas film titles— Angel in the Family, Angels Sing, Angels and Ornaments, Paper Angels, Angel of Christmas, Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), We’re No Angels (1955), The Littlest Angel (1969), Angels in the Annexe (1984), Billy’s Christmas Angels (1988), An Angel for Christmas (1996), Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), Unlikely Angel (1996), The Angel Doll (2002), Fallen Angel (2003), Little Angels: The Brightest Christmas (2004), When Angels Come to Town (2004), Christmas Angel (2009), Angel in the House (2011),60 My Angel (2011), Christmas Angel (2012), Angels in the Snow (2015)—along with the images on cards and presence in infinite seasonal stories, angels play a pivotal role in Christmas narratives. This “messenger” definition is alluded to explicitly in several films. In The Christmas Box, workaholic Richard has recurring dreams about angels; his daughter, Jenna (Kelsey Mulrooney), eventually has them too. Richard goes to a bookstore to buy a book on the subject and there reads aloud a definition: “Angels. Heavenly spirits with wings. Which signify travel between heaven and earth. From the Greek angelos: messenger.” In Christmas Angel (2012), when Melinda explains angels she provides a similar definition: “They’re messengers. In the Bible, whenever God’s about to do something special, something out of the ordinary, the angels come and tell people not to be afraid.” In Christmas narratives angels function in a range of ways: to deliver messages, to tinker with destiny, to guide fate, and also sometimes to even play cupid. In Winter’s Tale (2014)—a film set in New York in winter with many themes and an aesthetic common to Christmas films, although not actually

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a film that mentions the holiday—the Indian (Paul Vincent Rapisarda) describes a mystical phenomenon to protagonist Peter (Colin Farrell): Indian: The universe sends us spirit guides. Sometimes they speak to us through small children, they often appear as animals. . . . Sometimes appears as a white horse.

While occasionally angels do take the form of children (as in Angel in the House) or animals as noted, more commonly spirit guides are sent in adult form. The pastor, Paul, in Wish for Christmas, discusses this in a church service: “God uses His ordinary people, doing ordinary things in ordinary places, with ordinary family and friends to manifest the extraordinary by bringing heaven to earth.” In A Christmas Wish, protagonist Martha’s (Kristy Swanson) co-worker at the diner makes a similar point, “God sends his angels but they don’t always come from the sky. Some are already here.” Mark in The Christmas Hope, meanwhile, rhetorically asks, “Where in the Bible does it say that angels have to have wings?” The Aword is also used by characters to praise those who do good works. In A Boyfriend for Christmas, for example, when all of Holly’s pro bono work is disclosed to him, Ryan comments: “She’s a real angel, huh?” sounding impressed. In Silver Bells (2005), by the end of the narrative, Christy (Tate Donovan) says to Catherine (Anne Heche): “I realize you were sent into my life for a reason. What I really needed was an angel.” In Christmas with Tucker (2013), George (Danny Deakin) reflects, “Grandma [Cora] was the closest thing to an angel as I ever knew.” Certainly in A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), Lorna’s (Dolly Parton) arrival was construed as angelic by the seven orphans she stumbles upon, with one of them saying that they always knew “an angel would come down from heaven to take care of us,” and another commenting, “I know who she is. She’s The Angel.” While Lorraine in Angel in the Family was only named as such in the title, other examples indeed label returned-from-the-dead loved ones with the A-word. In It Came upon the Midnight Clear (1984), for example, grandpa Mike (Mickey Rooney) dies of a heart attack but gets the opportunity to return to spend Christmas with his grandson, Robbie (Scott Grimes): while Mike appears to his family as flesh and blood, he’s actually an angel sent back briefly on a mission. In Millions (2004), both young sons, Damian (Alex Etel) and Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), briefly see an incarnation of their deceased mother (Jane Hogarth) as an angel. Whereas Mike in It Came upon the Midnight Clear had a task that was disconnected from his loved ones, in Millions, Mom returns to impart information to her sons: she tells Damian, notably, to use conditioner on his hair, to stop worrying about her and to watch out for his older brother, Anthony. Both films present the return of deceased loved ones, akin to the ghost

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narratives, albeit explicitly identifying that these entities are actually angels. In most narratives, however, angels aren’t resurrected loved ones; rather, they are supernatural entities who need to help a stranger, and oftentimes—like Mike in It Came upon the Midnight Clear—complete an assigned task so that they can earn their wings. In the sections that follow, the various framing of angels in Christmas depictions are explored. This discussion begins with verbalized speculation about their existence. Belief in Angels Akin to conjecture about the existence of Santa and Jesus (chapter 1), the same debate exists as related to angels. In The Christmas Box, for example, a conversation transpires between Jenna and her father, Richard: Jenna: Dad, do you believe in angels? Richard: Well, I’ve never seen one. Not a real one, anyway. Jenna: Does that mean anything you don’t see isn’t real? Richard: No. That’s what faith is. Jenna: What? Richard: Well faith. Believing in something you can’t really see.

A similar exchange transpires in Borrowed Hearts, between young Zoey and her neighbor, Bridget (Barbara Gordon): Zoey: If angels are invisible, how do you know one’s really there? Bridget: When you hear music when there isn’t any, an angel’s there. Zoey: But it they’re invisible how can I see them? Bridget: Well you have to look really hard because on earth they wear their wings on the inside so they can look just like you and me.

In chapter 1 I discussed the notion of children as natural believers in Jesus and Santa. On screen children are similarly also more inclined to believe in, and also to see, angels. In Borrowed Hearts, Zoey believes in angels, whereas her mother, Kathleen, doesn’t. It is thus no surprise that Zoey is the first to recognize that Javier—the man who Sam is trying to do a business deal with—is actually an angel. In The Preacher’s Wife (1996), after Julia (Whitney Houston) and her husband, Reverend Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance), forget all about the angel, Dudley (Denzel Washington), who came to repair their marriage, the only person who still

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remembers him—even years later—is their son, Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund). In Christmas Magic, young Abby (Kiara Glasco) appears to recognize immediately that Carey is an angel. The same thing transpires in A Heavenly Christmas: in one scene, young Lauren (Jaeda Lily Miller) realizes, before anyone else, the true identity of the protagonist, Eve: “You really are an angel. . . . Look, you have a halo. Your secret’s safe with me.” In Christmas at Cartwright’s, young Becky (T. J. McGibbon) finds a strange coin—with an elf face on it—and insists that her mom, Nicky, hold onto it for luck in finding a job. Later the man who helps Nicky get employment at Cartwright’s department store is the man whose face was on the coin: Harry. Becky believed in angels all along; Nicky took some convincing. Such a situation has parallels with Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1975) where only children can—telepathically—hear Santa calling for help after his sleigh gets stuck in the sand. Noted already is the notion of angels delivering messages. In the following section, this messenger frame is explored. Angels as Messengers Traditionally angels are viewed as messengers; to convey news such as the birth of Christ, but more commonly, communiqués for mortals in spiritual need. In Angel in the House, Zooey (Toni Collette) and Alec (Ioan Gruffudd)—who lost one child and who have been unsuccessful in conceiving another—meet a (seemingly) homeless man, Mr. Potts (Richard E. Grant), who they invite to Christmas dinner. Later, Zooey and Alec’s kindness to Mr. Potts is seemingly repaid when Eli turns up on their doorstep.61 Eli is, by all accounts, an angel sent to help the couple find their joy again, to enable them to move on from the death of their son, and to ultimately conceive again. In Angels in the Snow, the Montgomery family are staying in a cabin in the mountains for the holidays. Things are tense on arrival; youngest daughter, Emily (Jaeda Lily Miller), for example, says a prayer for her parents not to divorce. The following morning, a family of strangers, the Tuckers, knock on the door: they got stuck in the storm and need shelter. The two families bond and the Tuckers teach the Montgomerys how to bond. It is later discovered, after the Tuckers depart, that they were actually angels: the family had died in an accident. Their purpose—their message—was the importance of love and family, which they imparted on the Montgomerys before their departure. In Noel (2004), Rose (Susan Sarandon) regularly visits her mother in the hospital. On a night when she goes out to seemingly commit suicide, she meets Charlie (Robin Williams). While Charlie isn’t labeled as an angel, at one point he says to Rose, “That’s why your mother wants you to let go and live your life.” Given

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that Rose’s mother is non-compos—and given that, seemingly, Charlie was actually also non-compos in the next hospital bed throughout their encounter—the audience is left to interpret that the man Rose met was an angel destined to save her from suicide (akin to the angels in It’s a Wonderful Life and It Happened One Christmas).62 In Angels in the Snow the angelic nature of the messengers was explicitly disclosed. This is not the case in most narratives, although clues are sometimes provided: one reveal, for example, is suggested via the wink. Javier in Borrowed Hearts, Harry in Christmas at Cartwright’s, Gwen (Sally Kirkland) in All I Want for Christmas (2014), Brother James (Peter Williams) in Eve’s Christmas (2004), the title character (Doris Roberts) in Call Me Mrs. Miracle and the woman at the Christmas stall (Maxine Miller) in Magic Stocking each wink knowingly at children (and the audience) to quietly announce their magical secret (Santa often does something similar by gently touching his nose).63 Noted earlier was Paul’s comments in Wish for Christmas about God using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. In other narratives, the messages imparted or the gifts bestowed are indeed provided by characters who are strangers, who are often mysterious, but who aren’t actually labeled as angels and thus, it’s up to the audience to speculate on their status. In the following sections, a range of everyday angels are explored: the elderly, the help, the homeless and ethnic minorities. MAGICAL ELDERS In A Heavenly Christmas, Eve’s angel guide is the elderly Pearl. While Pearl is an angel, she is also representative of old people used in Christmas films as conduits of life-changing insight or wisdom. While such characters, like Pearl, might actually have special powers, in others their power—their wisdom—comes simply from age.64 In All I Want for Christmas (2014), discussed earlier, seemingly it is Jamie’s grandma, Gwen, who helps him live out his alternate reality. In Pete’s Christmas (2013), similarly, it appears that it is Grandpa (Bruce Dern) who gives the title character (Zachary Gordon) his do-over chance. A hint to Grandpa’s involvement transpires in a scene where the two make snow angels. In another scene, Grandpa tries to help Pete understand the “gift” he has received: Grandpa: Is that a curse? It sounds to me like a gift. Pete: A gift? Repeating the same day over and over? Grandpa: Well you live consequence-free. Wake up with a clean slate every morning. Even though the night before you punched some turd in the nose.

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In A Dream of Christmas, Jayne is the elderly woman who gives protagonist Penny the chance to live an alternate reality as “wealthy, single, successful.” In Call Me Mrs. Miracle mentioned earlier, the title character is an elderly woman who plays cupid to several characters. The same character serves the same function in Mrs. Miracle. In other narratives, elderly women—who aren’t named as angels—similarly guide fate. In A Mom for Christmas (1990), Jessie’s (Juliet Sorci) mom died when she was three. While visiting a department store, Jessie is gifted “One Free Wish” by an older woman named Philomena (Doris Roberts), who seemingly works in the store. Philomena brings a mannequin to life to serve as Jessie’s mother over Christmas. In The Christmas Parade, Joe (Frank Moore) is the elderly Carver Bend judge who sentences Hailey— without a trial—to community service in town. In While You Were Sleeping, Saul (Jack Warden) is an elderly friend of Peter’s family who helps guide Lucy—to convince her, for example, to continue with the ruse of being Peter’s partner—telling her, “They need you, Lucy. Just like you need them.” In The Christmas Spirit (2013), elderly Gwen (Olympia Dukakis) is quite literally a spirit guide: she is the only one able to see the spirits of Charlotte (Nicollette Sheridan) and Daniel (Bart Johnson)—following their car accident—and is thus able to help them find a way back to their physical bodies. In Magic Stocking, Lindsey (Bridget Regan) and her daughter Hannah (Imogen Tear) go to a church-run Christmas sale. One of the stallholders is an older woman who gives Hannah an old stocking. The stocking turns out to be the titular magic stocking. In The Christmas Box, the elderly Mrs. Parkin helps Richard learn the error of his workaholic ways; while she doesn’t do anything particularly magical, the repeated discussions of angels throughout the film, along with her generous bequest, makes it unavoidable to think of Mrs. Parkin as such. In Collateral Beauty (2016), elderly Brigitte (Helen Mirren) is key in helping Simon (Michael Peña) come to terms with his impending death, and Madeline (Naomie Harris) to deal with the death of her daughter. As noted, a range of older characters—like Kris in Farewell Mr. Kringle and Nick in Christmas in Vermont—also play cupid in numerous films, thus bestowing them with angelic qualities. The notion of overtly mystical elders not only appears in Christmas films—in the form of The Ancient One, Chochem (Carl Don) in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), or Ancient Elf (Burgess Meredith) in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)—but has much deeper roots: the notion of wise elders, for example, appears in a range of cultures; premised on wisdom coming with age. Santa Claus himself is not accidentally an old man, but rather appears as such because there are connotations associated with and assumptions made about older people—about grandparents—that

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Santa is assumed to embody. Equally so, God is always presented as an old man; something historian Herbert Covey observes: God is always male, and always old; never is God portrayed as female or young. Over the centuries, these two assumptions have never wavered. God is, by Christian definition, the Father and is hence an old man.65

A different magical elder transpires in narratives where old people are presented as having special insight, for example, something that often takes the form of them seeing future relationships that the characters don’t even see themselves yet. In The Christmas Pageant, for example, Ethel (Candice Azzara), one of the elderly owners of the B&B, comments about Vera and Jack, “They make such a snazzy couple.” At that stage, Vera and Jack aren’t together, but they couple by the end. In A Christmas Kiss, the older male carriage driver (Mark DeAngelis) who takes Adam and Wendy on a ride comments afterward, “True love gets me everytime.” At that point, Adam and Wendy aren’t together, but of course, they eventually couple. In I’m Not Ready for Christmas, Holly and Drew visit a Christmas tree lot. While there, an old lady (Annette Wright) comments, “Beautiful young couple in love.” Holly and Drew hadn’t coupled yet but eventually do so. In each example, the elderly characters seemingly see the future. A variation of this transpires in A Christmas Snow, when at one point Sam comments to Kathleen about her relationship with Lucy: “You two are just alike.” While Lucy isn’t Kathleen’s daughter, she becomes so by the end of the narrative.66 Such older characters are framed as intuitive, if not also omnipotent. While elderly characters are oftentimes presented as mystical, there are other trends in the portrayals of these angel-like characters. One example is support staff—of people who are commonly expected to fade into the background—being framed as mystical. THE HEAVENLY HELP In Cancel Christmas, Santa (Judd Nelson) gets a job as a custodian at a boys’ school to secretly work his magic to bring the Christmas spirit to three boys. While it makes sense that Santa would enter a job where he can easily keep an eye on his charges, the notion of Santa taking a role as a custodian—rather, say, than a teacher—frames the role as a silent one, whereby he becomes a character who is seen but not heard and who is expected to disappear into the background and, in the process, reap insight. This idea is also at the heart of The Man in the Santa Claus Suit, where Fred

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Astaire goes in disguise as several “background” type characters—the proprietor of a costume shop, a cab driver, a jeweler, a policeman, for example—where he quietly conspires to help change the lives of others. The role of the background sage is also identifiable elsewhere. In A Christmas Melody, in an early scene, Kristin gives money to a homeless man (Kevin Chamberlin). Later, that same man turns up as a custodian at Kristin’s daughter’s school and later as Santa. While he could actually be Santa (as transpired in Cancel Christmas), it’s also possible that he’s an angel. Either way, it’s noteworthy that one of the character’s guises was a custodian whereby he could quietly do good works unnoticed. (Mr. Krueger’s Christmas [1980], in fact, puts the quiet, lonely custodian at the center of the narrative.) In Holiday Switch, Paula (Nicole Egger) ends up living an alternate reality. In it, her housekeeper Martina (Patricia Mayen-Salazar) is the voice of insight, making comments like, “Because life without love is not worth anything” and “You never know when a door will open.” As a housekeeper, like a custodian, Martina is expected to fade into the background, but seemingly has much insight that is useful for Paula’s journey. In Christmas in Palm Springs, the Palms Springs concierge, Gabe, also functions in this role: he is the insightful support staff character who says wise things and who, in one scene, appeared to Joe (Patrick Muldoon) inside his snow globe. The same reading can be extended to angels who are taxi drivers (as in The Man in the Santa Claus Suit and The Christmas Wedding Date) and carriage drivers (as in Just in Time for Christmas). In cultural theorist Sarah Nilsen’s discussion of “magical negroes”— a concept discussed later in this chapter—the notion of these characters being included to ease white guilt is proposed.67 A similar interpretation for these background sages is possible. In chapter 1 I discussed middle-class guilt manifesting at Christmastime. It could be argued that making custodians and maids “magical” is a way to ease guilt about the underclass. Homeless characters are another type of socially invisible character framed as magical with Christmas narratives. THE HEAVENLY HOMELESS Mentioned earlier, in the context of Angel in the House, was Mr. Potts, a seemingly homeless man encountered in the park by Zooey and Alex who later turns out to be angel. Homeless characters presented as somewhat divine—or at least, uniquely insightful—appear in other narratives too. In A Christmas Tail, it is Thadeus (Gordon Jump), a homeless man, who encourages Tim to make a wish on a Christmas star that turns him into a

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dog. The same scenario plays out in Eve’s Christmas whereby the (seemingly) homeless man, Brother James, encourages the title character (Elisa Donovan) to wish on a star (and get an opportunity for a do-over). In The Santa Trap, mom Molly is miserable after her family moves to the desert. In one scene she has a brief encounter with a homeless woman (Adrienne Barbeau), who tells her, “It’s Christmas, you can’t be down about that.” This brief exchange seems to alter Molly’s thinking. In How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015), in one scene deceased Sarah (Lindsey Gort) uses the body of a homeless man, Max (Charles Robinson), as a mouthpiece for her to talk to her ex-boyfriend, Jordan (Derek Theler) (who she can’t otherwise talk to because of her invisible form). In Christmas on Division Street (1991), teenager Trevor’s (Fred Savage) relationship with the homeless Cleveland (Hume Cronyn) can be likened to the ghosts in films like Under the Mistletoe and Jack Frost: Trevor’s grandfather had recently died and his family had moved to a new town where he was having difficulty making friends; Cleveland exists over the Christmas period (chapter 2) to help Trevor adjust to his new circumstances. This reading can be extended to Wish for Christmas, when selfish teen, Anna (Anna Fricks), strikes up an unlikely friendship with a homeless man (Bill Engvall) who ends up transforming her life and offering her “perspective.” The homeless are a perfect illustration of an outsider, both in real life and on screen: these are outcast characters who have experienced marginalization and thus are positioned as having special or at least unique insight. Like the maids and custodians who are expected to fade into the background, the homeless function similarly. Giving them magical qualities can equally be interpreted as a way to ease our guilt over their plight. Referenced earlier was the notion of the “magical negro.” Mystical minorities are another angel outsider on screen, whereby non-White characters are presented as somehow uniquely astute. MAGICAL MINORITIES In Eve’s Christmas, Brother James is a black man. In Christmas in Palm Springs, the hotel concierge, Gabe, is also black. In Angels in the Snow, the Tucker family were black. A mystical black character is, in fact, a recurrent presence in Christmas narratives. In The Family Man, it is the black Cash (Don Cheadle) who gives Jack (Nicolas Cage) the opportunity to live an alternate reality. In Three Days, it is black Lionel who gives Andrew the chance at a do-over. In A Dennis the Menace Christmas, Mr. Wilson is visited by a black angel, Bob, who imparts special insight. In Merry Ex-Mas, the pastor Ed—who helps Noëlle and Jessie reconcile—is black.

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In The Santa Con (2014), the black pastor, Ruth (Wendy Williams)—who helps the protagonist Nick (Barry Watson) find his way—turns out to be an angel. In the Irish film Kisses (2008), a random black woman kisses the runaway, Dylan (Shane Curry), and says, “I give you luck.” In A Snow Globe Christmas, Sal (Christina Milian) is protagonist Meg’s black guardian angel, guiding her through her alternate reality inside the snow globe. A variation on this—and akin to the “insightful elderly” discussed earlier—transpires in Angels and Ornaments: a black woman (Marium Carvell) visits the music store and asks Corrine whether she and Dave had any plans for Christmas. The two hadn’t coupled at that point but the black woman was framed as being able to predict their futures. In Christmas Angel (2012), discussed earlier, it is black Elsie granting wishes anonymously; in Secret Santa it’s black Russell doing the same. In Collateral Beauty, Raffi (Jacob Latimore) is one of the three spirit guides sent to help Claire (Kate Winslet) and Howard (Will Smith). The “magical negro”—also termed “Magical African American Friend”68 or “ebony saint”69—is a film archetype used to aid a white character. These controversial characters70 generally possess a unique vision or have special powers; something Christopher Farley discussed in a Time article about films including What Dreams May Come (1998), The Green Mile (1999) and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000): [B]ecause most Hollywood screenwriters don’t know much about black people other than what they hear on records by white hip-hop star Eminem. So instead of getting life histories or love interests, black characters get magical powers.71

Social researcher Matthew Hughey also discusses this recurring presentation: The Magical Negro has become a stock character that often appears as a lower class, uneducated black person who possesses supernatural or magical powers. The powers are used to save and transform dishevelled, uncultured, lost, or broken whites (almost exclusively white men). . . .72

Hughey’s analysis, of course, describes each of the narratives discussed in this section where black angels alter the lives of variously lost or compromised white characters.73 Lionel in Three Days and Brother James in Eve’s Christmas were black characters who gave white characters the opportunity for a Christmas do-over; Cash in The Family Man doled out the same opportunity via an alternate reality. These are examples of angels serving to offer characters second chances; second chances being a key theme in Christmas films.

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SECOND CHANCE OFFERERS In Christmas Magic, spirit guide Henry tells Carey, “Everyone goes through a regret stage when they first pass over.” Toward the end of A Heavenly Christmas—after Eve falls in love and suddenly realizes that she had wasted her life as a workaholic—she has an exchange with her spirit guide, Pearl: Eve: I would just do it all so differently if I had a second chance. Pearl: I hear that a lot.

In both films, while regret is tabled, both Carey and Eve get a second chance at life courtesy of their angels. At the heart of A Christmas Carol is Scrooge being offered a second chance: to reform and resurrect his Christmas spirit. It is therefore unsurprising that the same themes are at play in the adaptations. In A Carol Christmas, the possibility of a second chance is the key message of Aunt Marla’s ghost: Marla: Look, sure, we had some good times. . . . We did it at the expense of friends, of family, of love. Well it’s too late for me, Carol, but it’s not too late for you. You still have time to change your ways. To save yourself. To redeem your life. Be nice.

In the It’s a Wonderful Life remake, It Happened One Christmas, Mary (Marlo Thomas) is visited by the angel, Clara (Cloris Leachman). In The Bishop’s Wife, the angel Dudley (Cary Grant) turns up to help Henry (David Niven) the workaholic bishop and Julia (Loretta Young) save their marriage in time. The same thing transpires in the remake, The Preacher’s Wife, whereby the angel Dudley aids Julia and Henry. In The Family Man, after protagonist Jack’s chance encounter in a bodega with Cash, he goes from being a wealthy single executive to being married with two children, a wife and a dog. In Three Days, Lionel tells Andrew, “I’m not really a locksmith . . . I’m the answer. . . . You wanted another chance.” Lionel gives Andrew the opportunity to do over the last three days and to prove his love for his wife, Beth, who had just been killed following an argument. In Eve’s Christmas, after her encounter with Brother James, Eve says, “I wish I had a chance to go back and make things turn out different.” The next morning she wakes up in her old bedroom in Oregon. Eve has gone back in time to redo a pivotal life moment. The same narrative plays out in Back to Christmas, where, after an encounter in a diner with Ginny (Jennifer Elise Cox), who turns out to be an angel, Ali has the opportunity to travel back to the Christmas prior for a do-over. In A Christmas

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Wedding Date, Rebecca’s angel is her taxi driver, who gives her a chance to do over her attendance at her friend’s Christmas wedding. The same second-chance themes are also apparent in If You Believe (1999), the Irish film Three Wise Women (2010) and the British film Lost Christmas (2011), whereby characters are, seemingly, visited by versions of themselves—a past self in If You Believe and Three Wise Women and, seemingly, a future self for young Richard (Larry Mills) in Lost Christmas—to help get their lives back on track. While in these examples angels dole out the second chances, in Family for Christmas, Santa serves in this role. Santa (Keith MacKechnie) gifts protagonist, Hannah, an opportunity to live an alternate reality; to see what would have happened if she had married her college boyfriend. Santa serves similarly in Charming Christmas (2015). At one point Nick (David Sutcliffe)—who turns out to be Santa—says, “Sometimes people just need a nudge in the right direction,” in turn alluding to the capacity for Santa to take on a divine intervention role akin to Jesus (chapter 1). In A Christmas Eve Miracle (2015), it is Kris Kringle (William “Bus” Riley) who does this, having granted protagonist Sharon (Olivia d’Abo) an alternate reality without her children; after Sharon learns her lesson, Kris disappears; ditto what happens in The Christmas Clause for Sophie (Lea Thompson). In Cancel Christmas it is Santa who has been given a 30-day deadline to instill the spirit of Christmas into three boys or the Santa Board will fire him. Equally, in Small Town Santa (2014), Santa (Paul Hopper) functions similarly, helping protagonist Rick (Dean Cain) find his lost Christmas spirit. In perhaps the most famous of Christmas films, It’s a Wonderful Life, the angel Clarence (Henry Travers) comes to earth to give the suicidal protagonist, George, a chance to see what life would have been like in Bedford Falls had he not been born. The angel functions to give George sufficient alternate reality insight to help him regain his Christmas spirit. Angels helping a character to get another chance at life transpires widely, notably in the form of spirit resurrection. SPIRIT SAVIORS In many of the films where angels assist mortals—for example It’s a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Christmas, Unlikely Angel, Mr. Miracle—they are doing so to get their wings: that once they prove themselves, they will ascend to heaven. While good deeds might center on helping a mortal find romance, or offering them a second chance or the opportunity for spirit resurrection, in others, the focus is on a character becoming a better person in death than they were in life. In both Christmas Magic and A Heavenly Christmas, workaholic women have to learn to let love into their

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lives. In How Sarah Got Her Wings, Sarah is killed by a bus. Before she can go to heaven, she is in purgatory and has to do a good deed by Christmas. In Beverly Hills Christmas (2015), Angelina (Donna Spangler) was a Scrooge who was killed in a car crash. To ascend to heaven, the angel Gabriel (Dean Cain) encourages her to “fix something you broke.” While much of Angelina’s work centers on helping her awful daughter, Ravin (Ravin Spangler), be less horrible, ultimately Angelina’s good deed involves saving the life of the homeless teen Jerry (Brandon Tyler Russell). In The Christmas Clause, Sophie has the opportunity for a Christmas doover. In one scene she meets with Santa (Doug Abrahams) and remarks, “So you’re dead and you need me to help you get to heaven? Could this be any more clichéd?” Her quip is amusing because this storyline does indeed transpire widely. For Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life and Clara in It Happened One Christmas, while they are angels that provide characters a second chance at life, they can also be interpreted as helping characters find the spirit of Christmas, a plot that occurs widely. In The Bishop’s Wife, while Dudley’s central mission centers on helping Henry and Julia reconnect as a couple, he also manages to help the professor (Monty Woolley) finish the book he had been procrastinating on: “Nothing less than an angel could have put me to work,” the professor admits. In Unlikely Angel, to get her wings, Ruby (Dolly Parton) is sent to help the Bartlison family, headed by patriarch Ben (Brian Kerwin). The family are still grieving their deceased mother: Ruby: There is not a sign of Christmas in this house. Not a tree, nothing at all. Ben: Well we don’t celebrate Christmas around here anymore.

Ruby of course brings Christmas back to the family and even helps Ben find love with a colleague. In Christmas Magic, Carey is sent to help a widowed father, Scott (Paul McGillion), find his Christmas spirit once again. In A Heavenly Christmas, seemingly to get her wings, Eve is sent to help Max, who has lost his passion for music. In chapter 2 I discussed the repetition of the theme of women bringing men the spirit of Christmas: in these examples, women do this as angels. Literature scholar Sandra Gorgievski discussed angels in art and film, identifying how when “in the first half of the 20th century, the cinema tended to portray male angels exclusively,” in films between 1945 and 2008, almost equal numbers of male and female angels exist.74 The angels in It’s a Wonderful Life, Angels and Ornaments, Angels Sing, Christmas at Cartwright, One Magic Christmas, Finding John Christmas, It Came upon a Midnight Clear, Mr. Miracle, Three Wise Women, The Night Before, The Bishop’s Wife and The Preacher’s Wife are each men,75 contrasting the images of feminine angels that are more familiar in art.

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In this chapter I examined the presence of supernatural themes and characters in Christmas narratives. In chapter 6, I move the discussion to the market, examining the presence of commercialism and capitalism in holiday films. NOTES 1.  While this chapter focuses on supernatural characters common in Christmas narratives (i.e., ghosts and angels), it’s worth noting a small number of outliers. Devils, for example, feature in horror-themed films including in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), One Hell of a Christmas (2002), Krampus: The Christmas Devil (2013), A Christmas Horror Story (2015), Krampus (2015), Krampus: The Reckoning (2015), Krampus: The Devil Returns (2016) and Krampus Unleashed (2016)—as well as the Russian films Noch pered Rozhdestvom (Christmas Eve) (1913) and Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (A Night Before Christmas) (1961; 2001), the Mexican Santa Claus (1959) and the Spanish film El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast) (1995). Zombies also make appearances in Trancers (1984), Two Front Teeth (2006), 12–24 (2008), Silent Night, Zombie Night (2009), Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas (2010), Santa Claus versus the Zombies (2010), A Cadaver Christmas (2011), Christmas with the Dead (2012) and A Christmas Horror Story (2015). In A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986) there is a murderous witch character (Anita Morris). Witches also appear in the Christmas-themed Bell Book and Candle (1958), Magic Christmas Tree (1964), the animated The GLO Friends Save Christmas (1985), The Good Witch’s Gift (2010) and the Russian films Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (A Night Before Christmas) (1961; 2001). Whoever Slew Auntie Roo (1972) is also sometimes considered a riff on Hansel and Gretel with Mrs. Forrest (Shelley Winters)—a disturbed widow and Christmas party host—framed as the witch. Psychics also have a Christmastime role in Beyond Tomorrow (1940), Blood Beat (1983), 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012), in the Danish film Noget i luften (Something in the Air) (2011) and in the British film Shadows of a Stranger (2014). Telepathy is also a brief theme in Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1975): when Santa’s (Jay Clark) sleigh gets stuck, local children telepathically hear him calling for help. Aliens also make appearances in Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas? (1990) and Christmas with Cookie (2016). 2.  Ronald Aronson, “The Reason ‘Everything Happens for a Reason,’” Humanist, May 1 (2009): 37–48, 37. 3.  Paths crossing fatalistically, notably in a big city like Manhattan, is central to the plots of Falling in Love (1984), His & Hers Christmas (2005), Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010), Christmas with Holly (2012), The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013) and Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014). Outside of romantic narratives, a fatalistic crossing of paths transpires in The Family Man (2000), when, in the New Jersey version of his life, Jack (Nicolas Cage) crosses paths with his boss from his New York life, thus hinting to the fact that Jack’s two realities might converge. 4.  This film was also released as A Snow Capped Christmas (2016). 5.  Simone Tang, Steven Shepherd and Aaron C. Kay, “Do Difficult Decisions Motivate Belief in Fate? A Test in the Context of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election,” Psychological Science, 25, 4 (2014): 1046–1048, 1048.

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6.  Adam D. Galinsky, Katie A. Lijenquist, Laura J. Kray and Neal J. Roese, “Finding Meaning from Mutability: Making Sense and Deriving Significance through Counterfactual Thinking,” in The Psychology of Counterfactual Thinking, eds. David R. Mandel, Denis J. Hilton and Patrizia Catellani (New York: Routledge, 2005), 110–126, 119. 7.  “Few Americans See Earthquakes, Floods, and Other Natural Disasters a Sign from God,” Public Religion Research, March 24 (2011). Accessed November 29, 2016 from http://www.publicreligion.org/research/2011/03/few-americans -see-earthquakes-floods-and-other-natural-disasters-a-sign-from-god-2/. 8.  Simone Tang, Steven Shepherd and Aaron C. Kay, “Do Difficult Decisions Motivate Belief in Fate? A Test in the Context of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election,” Psychological Science, 25, 4 (2014): 1046–1048, 1048. 9. Paul Broks, “The Power of Magical Thinking,” The Times, December 15 (2008), 9. 10.  Unlike Christmas, Thanksgiving has a much smaller role on screen. That said, in some movies it features prominently, for example The Thanksgiving Treasure (1972), A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Thanksgiving Day (1990), Dutch (1991), Son in Law (1993), Home for the Holidays (1995), The Myth of Fingerprints (1997), Big Eden (2000), Pieces of April (2003), Thanksgiving Family Reunion (2003), American Son (2008), An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008) and A Family Thanksgiving (2010). 11.  Eva Illouz, Why Love Hurts: A Sociological Explanation (Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2012), 189. 12.  Blair Hoxby, What Was Tragedy? Theory and the Early Modern Canon (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 17 n.71. 13.  This film was also released as Expecting Mary (2010). 14.  This film was also released as Christmas Crush (2012). 15.  This film was also released as Oh Christmas Tree! (2013). 16.  Ma’Dere (Loretta Devine) in This Christmas (2007) quotes a version of this. 17.  Ronald Comer and Elizabeth Gould, Psychology Around Us (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2011), 37. 18.  Eva Illouz, Why Love Hurts: A Sociological Explanation (Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2012), 189. 19.  While fate is a common theme in Christmas films, The Christmas List (1997) provides a rare (if mild) challenge to this idea when protagonist Melody (Mimi Rogers) comments, “You can’t wait for life to happen to you, you have to go after it.” 20.  A reference to this transpires in Christmas in Compton (2012) when, after his heart scare, Big Earl (Keith David) comments, “At the end of the day, it’s really the big man upstairs who decides how many Christmases any one of us have left.” 21.  This is briefly alluded to in Office Christmas Party (2016), when disgruntled traveler, Carol (Jennifer Aniston), demands to know who she can talk to to get her flight to depart. The airline concierge (Vince Pisani) responds, “That would be God, ma’am.” 22.  Kristi McKim, Cinema as Weather: Stylistic Screens and Atmospheric Change (New York: Routledge, 2013). 23. In The Preacher’s Wife (1996), hope being inextricably linked to prayer is articulated by Reverend Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance) during his visit to see

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Billy (William James Stiggers Jr.), the son of one of his parishioners: “When you play basketball, don’t you hope that when you shoot the ball that the ball goes into the net? . . . Well, that’s all prayer is. Hope.” 24.  Wishing is phrased slightly differently in Lucky Christmas (2011), when Holly’s (Elizabeth Berkley) landlord, Rose (Megan MacArton), comments, “Christmas is the time for dreaming.” 25.  Lauren Rosewarne, “Ruby Sparks, Magical Thinking and Being Very Careful What You Wish For,” The Conversation, September 23, 2012. Accessed November 20, 2016 from http://theconversation.com/ruby-sparks-magical-thinking-and -being-very-careful-what-you-wish-for-9728. 26.  This film was also released as A Dog’s Tale (1999). 27.  This is similarly presented in A Bulldog for Christmas (2013), where a teenage girl uninterested in Christmas, Sally (Marylee Osborne), is turned into a dog: she is condemned to stay that way until she learns to appreciate Christmas. 28.  This film was also released as Santa’s Dog (2012). 29.  The film offers another miracle when the protagonist, Edna (Greer Garson), is notified—on Christmas Eve—of the success of the Birth Certificate Bill that she had championed. 30.  This film was also released as A Christmas Wish (1950). 31.  This can be likened to a scene in One Magic Christmas (1985) when the angel, Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton), unbreaks a snowglobe. 32.  Less loftily, such films can simply be construed as positive, happy-ending Christmas narratives: audiences expect uplifting, characters-overcoming-adversity films, and because of the mythology surrounding the season, no scientific explanations for miraculous happenings is necessary. 33.  While the examples discussed in this section refer to Christmas as magical, in others the season is dubbed as “wonderful,” which quite possibly means something similar to the characters. In Lucky Christmas (2011) for example, Holly’s (Elizabeth Berkley) landlord Rose (Megan MacArton) tells her, “It’s Christmas for heaven’s sake, Holly. Wonderful things can happen this time of year if you let them.” The same point is made in Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008), when Nick (Tom Arnold) remarks: “Wonderful things can happen at Christmas.” 34.  This film was also released as A Merry Christmas Miracle (2014). 35.  This film was also released as Correcting Christmas (2014). 36.  Other Christmas do-over narratives include Christmas Every Day (1996), The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004), Christmas Do-Over (2006), 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Pete’s Christmas (2013), Dear Secret Santa (2013) and Back to Christmas (2014). 37. Of course, at the end of the narrative, the film leaves the audience with mixed messages about magic. Liz and Kevin walk off to dance after they watched Santa fly off into the sky: seemingly the magic was, in fact, a little more than just an idea. 38.  Erica Gordon, “7 Grand Romantic Gestures Women Want to Experience,” The Bolde, undated. Accessed November 20, 2016 from www.thebolde.com/ 7-grand-romantic-gestures-women-want-experience/; Stacia L. Brown, “The Art of the Grand Gesture,” Clutch, December 34, 2012. Accessed November 20, 2016 from www.clutchmagonline.com/2011/12/the-art-of-the-grand-gesture/; Andrea Greb, “The Grand Gesture Is Actually Just Creepy,” Hello Giggles, June

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19, 2013. Accessed November 20, 2016 from hellogiggles.com/the-grand-gesture -is-actually-just-creepy/. 39.  A Christmastime declaration of love also transpires in Christmas Eve (2015), when Walter (David Bamber) finally confesses his love to colleague Dawn (Cheryl Hines) while they are stuck in an elevator. 40. This self-sacrifice narrative is also used in the “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” episode of The Honeymooners (1955–1956), when Ralph (Jackie Gleeson) sells his bowling ball to buy his wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows), a gift. The animated Jingle Bells (1999), offers a similar synopsis: “As the holiday season draws near, an underprivileged family begins to worry because they don’t have enough money to buy each other presents. The father sells the one thing the rest of the family cares most about in order to buy them gifts from the store, and holiday suddenly seems like the most unhappiest time of the year” (“Jingle Bells (1999).” Accessed August 8, 2017 from www.imdb.com/title/tt0228459/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt). 41.  Stephen Law, The Xmas Files: The Philosophy of Christmas (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003). 42.  The gift of a synthetic white Christmas also plays out in Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987), when Al (Hoyt Axton) is gifted a snow machine. Jack (Dean Cain) uses one to give the orphans a white Christmas in The Three Gifts (2009). 43.  This film was also released as Smothered (2005). 44.  This film was also released as Keep on Dancing (2012). 45.  Such reluctance is also articulated in The Christmas Cottage (2007). Maryanne (Marcia Gay Harden) is in financial jeopardy due to money she had loaned neighbors. Asked why she hadn’t sought help, Maryanne articulated: “Maryanne Kinkaid does not ask for charity. I couldn’t endure the shame. The humiliation. I will suffer this alone. The last thing that I have that is mine is my pride.” The same idea plays out in Christmas Ranch (2016): Mary’s (Francine Locke) farm is being foreclosed on because she lent all her money to her neighbors to help them save their farms. 46.  This film was also released as Almost Christmas (2013). 47.  This film was also released as Baggage (2008). 48. In The Santa Incident (2010), Santa (James Cosmo) gives a present of mistletoe to friends Joanna (Ione Skye) and Hank (Jonathan Kerrigan): it’s a gift designed to bring them together romantically. In Matchmaker Santa (2012), Santa (Donovan Scott)—ringing a bell for charity—spies Melanie and Dean’s rapport. He touches his nose while looking at them and seemingly casts a love spell. In Sleigh Bells Ring (2016), seemingly Mr. Winter (Donovan Scott)—who is also the town Santa—casts a love spell on Laurel (Erin Cahill) and Alex (David Alpay). In The Flight Before Christmas (2015), Noel (Brian Doyle-Murray) works in “distribution.” He conspires to bring Stephanie (Mayim Bialik) and Michael (Ryan McPartlin) together, all the while his name (and appearance) hints that he might be Santa Claus. In Wish upon a Christmas (2015), Mr. Tomte (Kevin McNulty)—who seems like he might be Santa too—also plays a cupid role, conspiring to bring Jesse (Aaron Ashmore) and Amelia (Larisa Oleynik) back together through the ruse of a lost bauble. 49.  A variation on this is when people attempt to use animals to tinker with fate. In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), for example, Kate (Amy Smart) tries to use her dog, Max, as an excuse to call her ex-boyfriend Jack (Benjamin Ayres).

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50.  Lauren Rosewarne, Cyberbullies, Cyberactivists, Cyberpredators: Film, TV, and Internet Stereotypes (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2016). 51.  Allergies are also used to demonize a character in A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015). Charlie’s (Travis Milne) girlfriend, Victoria’s (Anna Van Hooft), allergy to pine (i.e., from Christmas trees) bolsters her unlikability. 52. A rare exception transpires in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) when Clarence (Henry Travers) tells George (James Stewart) that he is his “guardian angel.” 53.  Jack Santino, New Old-Fashioned Ways: Holidays and Popular Culture (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1996), 122. 54. Adam Kuper, “The English Christmas and the Family: Time Out and Alternative Realities,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 157–175, 169. On screen, Christmastime graveyard visits also transpire in Powder Blue, Lethal Weapon (1987), Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991), The Christmas Shoes (2002), Marry Me for Christmas (2013), Hector (2015) and A Cinderella Christmas (2016). 55.  Mark Connelly, “Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000), 1–9, 5. 56. While The Spirit of Christmas (2015) is not actually scary, the British films Dead of Night (1945), The Ghost of Greville Lodge (2000) and Shadows of a Stranger (2014) are more overt examples of creepy Christmas ghost stories. 57.  Darren W. Ritson, Ghosts at Christmas (Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2010), 23–24. 58.  Kira Cochrane, “Ghost Stories: Why the Victorians Were So Spookily Good at Them,” Guardian, December 23, 2013. Accessed November 16, 2016 from https:// www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/23/ghost-stories-victorians-spookily -good; Derek Johnston, “Why Ghosts Haunt England at Christmas But Steer Clear of America,” The Conversation, December 15, 2014. Accessed November 16, 2016 from http://theconversation.com/why-ghosts-haunt-england-at-christmas-but -steer-clear-of-america-34629; Keith Lee Morris, “Christmas ghost stories: A history of seasonal spine-chillers,” Independent, December 22, 2015. Accessed November 16, 2016 from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/ christmas-ghost-stories-a-history-of-seasonal-spine-chillers-a6782186.html. 59.  Gerry Bowler, The World Encyclopedia of Christmas (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2000), 7. 60.  This film was also released as Foster (2011). 61. A similar reward for kindnesses shown to (seemingly) homeless people transpires in A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013). David (Kevin Sizemore) buys a coffee for a man, Henry (Terry Kiser), who he believes to be homeless. Later, their paths cross again: Henry owns a Christmas tree farm that he eventually bequeaths to David and his family. This same idea is used in Beverly Hills Christmas (2015). Angelina (Donna Spangler) has died: to get her wings, she needs to do a good deed. After her time runs out, she saves the life of a homeless teen (Brandon Tyler Russell), and because the very act was no longer going to benefit her it actually ends up being the act of selflessness that gives her her wings. 62.  The notion of angels as lifesavers is alluded to in other films. In A Town without Christmas (2001), a little boy’s life was saved by a mysterious lumberjack

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(Peter Falk), who appears in other guises throughout the film and who is assumed to be an angel. In the sequel, Finding John Christmas (2003), a young boy is saved from a burning building by the same mysterious man (Peter Falk) who also appears in other guises. 63. In Christmas Evil (1980), after his son, Harry (Gus Salud), sees him dressed up as Santa, Dad (Brian Hartigan) touches his nose to indicate that it’s a secret that needs to be kept between the two of them. Similarly, in Matchmaker Santa (2012), after spying Melanie (Lacey Chabert) and Dean’s (Adam Mayfield) rapport, the bell-ringing Santa (Donovan Scott) touches his nose to cast a love spell. Mr. Winter (Donovan Scott) touches his nose while looking at Laurel (Erin Cahill) in Sleigh Bells Ring (2016). This gesture is likely a reference to the “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (1843) poem by Clement Clarke Moore which includes the line “And laying his finger aside of his nose / And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.” 64. In chapter 1 I explored the theory of young people as natural believers because they have been near God most recently. A similar interpretation could apply to older people who are potentially close to being near God again. 65.  Herbert C. Covey, Images of Older People in Western Art and Society (New York: Praeger, 1991), 44. 66.  A variation on this transpires in The Road to Christmas (2006), when Tom (Clark Gregg) gives a lift to a Native American woman (Tantoo Cardinal) with car troubles. The woman mistakes Hilly (Megan Park) for Claire’s (Jennifer Grey) daughter: “That’s funny, I’m sure she was yours.” While at this stage, Tom and Claire had just met, but by the end of the narrative, the two couple and Claire does indeed become Hilly’s mother; the woman could, seemingly, see the future. 67. Sarah Nilsen, “White Soul: The ‘Magical Negro’ in the Films of Stephen King,” in The Films of Stephen King: From Carrie to The Mist, ed. Tony Magistrale (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), 131–142. 68. Christopher John Farley, “That Old Black Magic,” Time, November 27 (2000), 14. 69. Ryan J. Weaver and Nichole K. Kathol, “Guess Who’s Coming to Get Her: Stereotypes, Mythification, and White Redemption,” in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained: The Continuation of Metacinema, ed. Oliver C. Speck (New York: Bloomsbury, 2014), 243–268, 251. 70.  Heather J. Hicks, “Hoodoo Economics: White Men’s Work and Black Men’s Magic in Contemporary American Film,” Camera Obscura, 18, 2 (2003): 27–55. 71. Christopher John Farley, “That Old Black Magic,” Time, November 27 (2000), 14. 72.  Matthew Hughey, “Cinethetic Racism: White Redemption and Black Stereotypes in ‘Magical Negro’ Films,” Social Problems, 56, 3 (2009): 543–577, 544. 73.  While the “magical negro” is the more common presentation, other minorities are also presented as especially mysterious or insightful. In A Christmas Memory (1966) and A Christmas Memory (1997), for example, the character Haha (Josip Elic; Jimmie F. Skaggs) is a foreboding-looking Native American with few words who gives Sook the brandy she needs for her baking without charge, in exchange for one of her cakes. In The Road to Christmas (2007), the Native American woman (Tantoo Cardinal) is seemingly able to see the future of Hilly (Megan Park) becoming Claire’s (Jennifer Grey) stepdaughter. Sage Asian figures also regularly

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appear. In The Miracle of the Bells (1948), this role is occupied by the restaurant proprietor, Ming Gow (Philip Ahn), who talks to the lead couple about fate. In An Accidental Christmas (2007) something similar is alluded to: Rico (James Hong) is the Asian property caretaker who, in fact, seems to own many properties on the island. He is also presented as wise, doling out marital advice to estranged husband, Jason (David Millbern), such as “Women aren’t so difficult. All the need is a little respect, kindness, and a whole lot of love” and “The girl you fell in love with, she may be gone. But the girl you share a life, ah, she may be even better.” In Dear Secret Santa (2013), it is one of Jennifer’s (Tatyana Ali) Asian business clients (Ping Wu) who gives her the advice, “In life it’s better to be flexible than stubborn.” 74.  Sandra Gorgievski, Face to Face with Angels: Images in Medieval Art and in Film (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2010), 114. 75. In Christmas Mountain (1981), ex-con Gabe Sweet (Mark Miller) is spiritually aided in his journey by a cowboy angel (Slim Pickens).

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6 “Sell sell celebration”1

Christmas, Commerce and Consumption

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t’s impossible to think about Christmas without connecting it to the commercial trappings: from gift exchange, elaborate feasts and mall Santas through to the holiday music and, notably, the holiday films discussed throughout this book. This chapter focuses on the way commercialism2—and the market in the broadest sense—is featured in Christmas narratives, serving in central roles as an antagonist, background roles as a seasonal setting or in catalyst roles to instigate a narrative. Consumerism is impossible to avoid in Christmas films. Even the widely panned, albeit commercially successful Saving Christmas (2014)3 is verbally critical of the supposed “war on Christmas”4—belaboring the point that Jesus is the “reason for the season”5—and yet ultimately ends by advocating consumption; something encapsulated in a declaration made by protagonist (and Evangelist producer), Kirk Cameron: Kirk: And don’t buy into the complaint about materialism during Christmas. Sure, don’t max out your credit cards or use presents to buy friends, but remember, this is a celebration of the eternal God taking on a material body, so it’s right that our holiday is marked with material things. Things we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands and look upon. Ribbons, decorations, hot chocolate, lights, presents, giant hams, stuffing, fudge, Christmas cards. . . .6

Numerous commentators have critiqued Saving Christmas’s paradoxical message. Psychologist David Johnson, for example, noted the conflict between the film and more standard interpretations of Christianity: 395

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Despite the fact that Jesus owned nothing, and expressly called on his disciples to sell everything they own and give it to the poor, it’s [apparently] completely appropriate for Christians to revel in the materialistic capitalist excess of the holidays—in honor of Jesus—because Kirk Cameron can equivocate on the word “material.”7

Kelly Faircloth writing for Jezebel made similar observations: Don’t mind me, I’m just choking to death on some gingerbread cookies, watching Kirk Cameron defend materialism in the name of one of the world historical figures most famous for renouncing it.8

While Johnson and Faircloth highlight the incongruity, in fact, Saving Christmas’s consumerist endorsement only seems so strange—and garnered so much attention9—because it transpired in an overtly religious film: in most other Christmas portrayals, the same consumerism message is there, just spoken a little less loud (and appearing slightly less hypocritical). This chapter begins with a discussion of Christmas as a secular holiday: while Jesus may be the “reason for the season,”10 screen presentations are more likely to focus on the way the holiday gets celebrated—often involving the business, as well as busyness, of the season—as opposed to the religious rationale. This is unsurprising of course: a Christmas-themed romantic-comedy about a workaholic discovering that the true meaning of Christmas is love (chapter 1) has likely much broader, Hallmark Channel11 appeal than another retelling of the Nativity.12 Following a discussion of the secular and sacred, I examine a series of motifs used to insert consumerist messages—be it an endorsement or a challenge to it—such as the recurring presence of big cities and department stores and the distinct presence of the advertising industry. A SECULAR HOLIDAY For over half a century a story has circulated about the events unfolding after the Japanese were first introduced to Christmas during the American occupation. Apparently the Japanese somehow “came to understand that the fat man from the North Pole had something to do with the birth of Jesus.”13 Ever since, a belief exists that the Japanese crucified Santa in a department store window display.14 While Tim Willis, discussing the story in the British newspaper the Independent, in fact debunked the “Japanese Passion of Santa Claus” tale as an urban legend,15 nonetheless, its repetition is likely motivated by its theatrical encapsulation of the modern Christmas: as one where Jesus has taken a backseat to Santa and which

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exploits—perhaps even crassly16—concerns about consumerism and commercialism. While the “Japanese Passion” makes a stark visual statement, concerns about a watering down of the sacred aspects is nothing new. Encapsulated in Tammy Wynette’s musical plea in the 1970 song “Let’s Put Christ Back into Christmas,” or in conservative writings like Sarah Palin’s 2013 book Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas, the lament about a hijacked season has a long history: historian Callum Brown traces such sentiments back to the second world war;17 historian Stephen Nissenbaum contends that there has been such concern since 1820;18 historian Joe Perry discusses instances of worry in writings from the late nineteenth century,19 and Jane Struthers in The Book of Christmas dates the angst back to the thirteenth century.20 On screen, Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn), in the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street—a film widely observed as contributing to the normalization, if not also internationalization, of a commercial Christmas21—delivered an early celluloid lament: Kris: For the past fifty years or more I’ve been getting more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we’re all so busy trying to beat the other fellow, in making things go faster, look shinier, and cost less that Christmas and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle.

As early as 1947, concerns about Christmas were seemingly sufficiently familiar to the film’s writers to present them through such an iconic mouthpiece like Santa. Today, statements about Christmas losing its meaning and becoming too commercial are standard holiday movie refrains.22 On one hand—and as discussed later in this chapter—it has become a trope in Christmas films to question the meaning of the season, notably in relation to the challenges posed by the market and, more broadly, by modernity. On the other hand, in some films the repeated call to put “Christ back into Christmas” has become clichéd and the debate is frequently comic fodder. A quip made by Bart in the “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace” episode of The Simpsons (1989– ), for example, illustrates this well: “Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of this day . . . the birth of Santa?” While Christmas traditionalists lament the loss of meaning—as wryly observed in the novelty book Keep Calm at Christmas, such purists apparently “take secret joy in spotting its ever-earlier arrival, probably plotting the dates on a spreadsheet and exploring the correlations between the premature arrival of tinsel in the shops and the lack of backbone in the nation’s youth”23—scholars have noted that Christmas, in fact, has always been a hodgepodge celebration24 and that concerns about the loss of meaning and the loss of heart overlook that there is no original festivity, that the celebration has always been substantially secular, and

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that Christian, Pagan, Scandinavian, Victorian and distinctly American traditions have long had roles, something Fiona MacDonald spotlights in Christmas, A Very Peculiar History: Christmas is a lot of things, all jumbled together. It’s a blend of pagan feasting and dancing, Christian faith and hope (rather limited) community sharing and giving, licensed misbehaviour, sport and sacred music, family togetherness (and quarrels), sweet sentiment, hypocrisy and simply childlike joy—all mixed with modern marketing and crass consumerism.25

Anthropologist Daniel Miller makes a similar point: A consensus appears to be emerging around the interpretation of the contemporary Anglo-American Christmas which would place this festival within the more general category of phenomenon termed “the invention of tradition.”26

While most seasonal films portray this hodgepodge by mixing church attendance and Santa in the one storyline, some narratives actually discuss this hybrid holiday. In Merry In-Laws (2012) for example, Max’s (Jacob Thurmeier) step father suggests that they go and buy a Christmas tree, to which young Max questions, “A fir tree of pagan origins?” In The Christmas Consultant (2012), the cynical teen daughter, Anna (Jessica McLeod), derisively dubs the holiday as “a crass commercialization of a former pagan Winter festival” and, sarcastically says, “I’m thrilled to participate in this hollow charade of unbridled consumerism.” In the horror film Black Christmas (2006), college student Lauren (Crystal Lowe) expresses similar views: Lauren: Christmas is more about warding off evil spirits than Halloween. What Christmas shit in the room resembles anything Christian, huh? It’s all neo-pagan magic. Christmas tree. A magical rite ensuring the return of the crops. The mistletoe is nothing more than a conception charm. . . . And fucking Santa Claus? This fat voyeur that watches you all year long to make sure you live up to his standards of decency before breaking into your house?

Christian (Darren Doane) in Saving Christmas also briefly references Pagan as well as Druid rites. While, as discussed in chapter 1, some explicitly religious Christmas films of course exist, cinema is largely fixated with the secular celebration.27 Faith and hope and charity, for example, are widely identifiable, and indeed while these values can be connected to Christianity, they also exist completely separately. On the flipside, many films that aren’t overtly religious will often incorporate nods to faith to make even the most secular narratives seem seasonal (chapter 1). The fusion of the secular and the sacred is identifiable throughout Christ-

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mas popular culture. In his work on Christmas music, historian William Studwell discusses this hodgepodge: The typical Christmas tree, a key secular manifestation, is decorated with sacred symbols like angels and stars as well as secular symbols like snowmen and reindeer. Santas and manger scenes are often adjacent or intermixed. . . . And perhaps the strangest bedfellows are the various sacred and secular holiday songs which are routinely grouped together on recordings, on radio and television, and in carol singing. It is not rare to have “Jingle Bells” and “Joy to the World,” for example, performed on the same occasion.28

Studwell’s observations play out in Lady in the Lake (1947): the film opens with a medley of Christmas songs including “Jingle Bells,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “The First Noel” and “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly”: the religious songs sit right alongside the secular ones. While the absence of religion in screen depictions can be viewed as part of the aforementioned liberal “war on Christmas”29—a “war” often coupled with other troubling accusations such as “the Jews run Hollywood”30—a simpler explanation is grounded in economics: overtly religious films tend not to do well at the box office (chapter 1). Today, films about Christmas are marked by the sentiments (see Introduction), and most notably the aesthetics. The Christmassy trappings—the elves and the tinsel and the wreaths—are what commonly mark a film as visually seasonal. While this aesthetic can be achieved via scenes of holiday decorations, elaborate light displays, snow and characters wearing Christmas sweaters, such visual cues are identifiable in almost every film discussed in this book. This is not an unimportant point: quite obviously films look a certain way because audiences respond positively. Some of the less obvious tropes, however, that connect the season to the market are explored in this chapter. I begin with the common commercial motif of the big city. THE BIG CITY CHRISTMAS While small towns have a strong presence in Christmas films (chapter 3), big cities—particularly New York City—play a significant role. Love Affair (1939), Beyond Tomorrow (1940), Remember the Night (1940), Going My Way (1944), The Cheaters (1945),31 Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), Fitzwilly (1967), Falling in Love (1984), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944),32 Christmas Eve (1947), It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), The Bishop’s Wife (1947), Miracle on 34th Street (1947; 1959; 1973; 1994), Holiday Affair (1949), The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), Desk Set (1957), Bell Book and Candle (1958), The

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French Connection (1971), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), Six Weeks (1982), It Came upon the Midnight Clear (1984), Christmas Eve (1986),33 The Christmas Gift (1986), Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), Scrooged (1988), Babycakes (1989), Metropolitan (1990), 29th Street (1991), Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Money Train (1995), Mrs. Santa Claus (1996), The Christmas Tree (1996), Fools Rush In (1997), If You Believe (1999), A Diva’s Christmas Carol (2000), Bless the Child (2000), The Family Man (2000), Serendipity (2001), Elf (2003), Eloise at Christmastime (2003), Eve’s Christmas (2004), Noel (2004), Crazy for Christmas (2005), King Kong (2005), Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005),34 Rent (2005), Silver Bells (2005), A Christmas Wedding (2006), All She Wants for Christmas (2006), Will You Merry Me? (2008), 12 Men of Christmas (2009), Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010),35 A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), Christmas Magic (2011), The Christmas Pageant (2011), Dear Santa (2011), Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), All About Christmas Eve (2012), A Christmas Wedding Date (2012), Baby’s First Christmas (2012), Come Dance with Me (2012),36 Hitched for the Holidays (2012), Holly’s Holiday (2012), Black Nativity (2013), All Is Bright (2013),37 Catch a Christmas Star (2013), Christmas Bounty (2013), Christmas, Again (2014), Christmas in the City (2013), Christmas on the Bayou (2013), Fir Crazy (2013),38 The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013), Window Wonderland (2013), Best Christmas Party Ever (2014), Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), One Starry Christmas (2014), Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey (2014), The Christmas Parade (2014), The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), A Christmas Reunion (2015), Angel of Christmas (2015), Christmas Eve (2015), Christmas Incorporated (2015), Christmas Land (2015), Crown for Christmas (2015), Merry Matrimony (2015), Once upon a Holiday (2015), Sleeping with Other People (2015), The Night Before (2015), ’Tis the Season for Love (2015), A Christmas to Remember (2016), Broadcasting Christmas (2016), Collateral Beauty (2016), Deadpool (2016), How to Be Single (2016), Love You Like Christmas (2016) and A New York Christmas (2016) are just a small number of many films where a New York Christmas is depicted, and alternatively, where New York plays a key narrative role.39 First, the inclusion of New York as a geographic site, if not also as a character,40 is not entirely surprising: the city has a unique and dominant place in film history, as documented by Scott Harris in his book World Film Locations: New York: [New York] is perhaps the most storied, photographed—and of course— filmed [city] on earth. A capital of culture, finance, politics and business, an entry point for immigrants, an empire for crime lords and, subsequently, the setting for a multitude of movies, New York is a uniquely cinematic city.41

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Jack (Nicolas Cage) in The Family Man references these ideas in his attempt to coerce his family to move to Manhattan: “This is the center of the universe. If I were living in Roman times, I would live in Rome. Where else? And today America is the Roman Empire, and New York is Rome itself.” It is, therefore, predictable that just as the city is the backdrop for innumerable movies and television shows—as David Finkle writes, “Look at any film genre and New York City . . . is a repeated character”42—it also features prominently in Christmas portrayals. There are some very specific reasons for this: the first centers simply on weather. While the importance of snow in film is addressed further in chapter 2, the idea that a white Christmas is more festive—that snow makes a landscape look more Christmassy (if not also being romantic43 and even curative)44—is apparent in a range of narratives: films like All She Wants for Christmas, Call Me Mrs. Miracle, It Came upon the Midnight Clear, White Christmas (1954), A Christmas Story (1983), A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1987), Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987),45 All I Want for Christmas (1991), One Christmas (1994), The Christmas Box (1995), The Elf Who Didn’t Believe (1997), The Greatest Store in the World (1999), Secret of Giving (1999), Call Me Claus (2001), Sons of Mistletoe (2001), A Christmas Visitor (2002), Santa Jr. (2002), The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002), The Santa Trap (2002), Finding John Christmas (2003), Secret Santa (2003), Undercover Christmas (2003), Christmas in Boston (2005), A Dennis the Menace Christmas (2007), Christmas Caper (2007), Christmas in Wonderland (2007), A Christmas Proposal (2008), Deck the Halls (2011), Desperately Seeking Santa (2011), Cancel Christmas (2010), November Christmas (2010), Lucky Christmas (2011), Chilly Christmas (2012), Christmas Angel (2012), Matchmaker Santa (2012), Naughty or Nice (2012), The Wishing Tree (2012), Finding Mrs. Claus (2012), Christmas in Conway (2013), My Santa (2013), Holly’s Holiday, A Merry Friggin’ Christmas (2014),46 A Royal Christmas (2014), A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015), Almost Christmas (2016) and A Firehouse Christmas (2016) and many others, each end with it finally snowing.47 While not all of these snow-ending films are set in New York— in Call Me Claus, for example, the backdrop is Los Angeles where the city experiences a surprise snowfall48; in The Santa Trap, a freak snowfall hits in La Quinta; in Chilly Christmas the snow falls on Sunshine Beach; in Santa Jr. it’s snowing in San Diego, and in Cancel Christmas there’s a white Christmas in Atlanta—Christmas is nonetheless portrayed as ideal and as extra special when snow is present. While places like Los Angeles are unlikely to experience snow for Christmas, in New York it is much more common, in turn positioning the city as a place that can offer the expected Christmas imaginary. New York is also one of America’s oldest cities and thus, the weather, combined with the architecture, subtly links New York to Christmases in places like England and Europe—to the old world—and

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thus to more established Christmas traditions and aesthetics, something particularly important is films where conjuring nostalgia is important (chapter 2).49 Within Christmas narratives, New York functions as the archetype big city, if not also in fact, the archetypal American city. New York as “the quintessential American city”50 is a point widely made: Annie HauckLawson and Jonathan Deutsch in their book Gastropolis: Food and New York City, for example, note that “New York has come to represent the American urban experience, at least as it is depicted in movies. . . .”51 This is an idea likely fueled by the same reasons that the city more generally is a popular screen inclusion: New York outshines many others in the areas of culture, finance, politics and business. Film theorist Mark Glancy relates this to New York’s role in the 1947 and 1994 versions of Miracle on 34th Street: Both versions of the Miracle appropriate these British Santas into American life by making them residents of New York. The New York settings and the trappings of the season are undoubtedly American.52

In a brief quip from An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010)—set in Ireland in 1870—the estate heir, Cameron (Leon Ockenden), sarcastically asks his American visitor, Tilly (Catherine Steadman): “Tell us, what’s an American Christmas like? Full of gaudy tinsel and senseless gifts?”53 While predictably less common in American films, nonetheless, there are indeed examples where the notion of an American Christmas as inextricably linked to commerce is articulated; something evident in a scene from The Man Who Saved Christmas set during World War I. The toy maker A. C. Gilbert (Jason Alexander) goes to Washington to plead his case to reinstate Christmas, a holiday that had been cancelled due to the war effort: A. C.: I want us to give our children more than bonds for Christmas this year. I want to give them toys that remind us of better times. That help us begin to imagine a brighter future. This holiday, and how we celebrate it is part of our American lives. These toys, given by parents with love to their children, are treasures. They last a lifetime. They make better children. Then they grow up to make a better world.54

While the supposed Americanization of Christmas is a concept that has received extensive academic attention55—and, often in fact, functions as a euphemistic lament about consumerism—nonetheless, the use of New York in a Christmas film can function as shorthand to connote The American Christmas. While America of course is no single entity, nonetheless, to many—particularly those outside of the country—its defining quality is its status as the bastion of capitalism. The repeated use of New York as a

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metonym for America and, also for consumerism, helps to frame Christmas as a holiday not merely bound to America but to the market.56 New York is about business and shopping as well as things that link culture to commerce like the arts. It’s the reason why, in Silver Bells, son-of-a-Christmas-tree-farmer Danny (Michael Mitchell) is able to “find himself” in New York City as a photographer: “I can be me here,” he says, bucking the Christmas narrative cliché of solace being found in small towns (chapter 3). Through familiar New York holiday imagery like the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a festively decorated Macy’s, elaborate Saks Fifth Avenue window displays and a bedazzled Rockefeller Plaza tree, first, a set of images feed our collective imagining of what looks Christmassy. New York as the Christmas city is widely verbalized. In One Starry Christmas, Ken (Neil Crone) dubs New York “the Christmas capital,” and in Eloise at Christmastime, the title character (Sofia Vassilieva) asks, “Is there anything more wonderful than Christmas in New York?” In The Man in the Santa Claus Suit, the cab driver (Fred Astaire) comments, “Nothing like New York on Christmas Eve. The real Christmas spirit.” A similar point is made in It Came upon the Midnight Clear, when Mike (Mickey Rooney) declares, “New York is the only place to be during the Christmas season,” and later contrasts the city with Los Angeles: “Out on the West coast they’ve got pink Christmas trees. They don’t know anything about Christmas.” In The Christmas Tree, Richard (Andrew McCarthy) terms the Rockefeller Center tree as the “International symbol of Christmas.” In Mrs. Santa Claus and Mistletoe over Manhattan, it is New York City that Mrs. Claus (Angela Lansbury and Tedde Moore respectively) visit seeking Christmas spirit. Second, and more politically, these images help to frame consumerism as not merely palatable but traditional: that rather than big city decorations being construed as just a colorful means to lure in customers, instead, the act of shopping gets framed as another way to experience Christmas and to celebrate it; something discussed by marketing theorist Russell Belk: By encouraging consumers to join the festivities by buying luxurious gifts for family and friends, it is hoped that normal caution will be throw to the wind and the exuberance of the season will lead to spending with abandon.57

The commercial excess of Christmas is widely explored on screen. As early as 1940 in Beyond Tomorrow, George (Harry Carey) dismissed Christmas as “nothing but a merchant’s holiday.” In the animated A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), Lucy comments, “We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate, you know.” In Elves (1989), Kirsten (Julie Austin) is a member of the “sisters of anti-Christmas”: “We bemoan Christmas as a petty, over-

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commercialized media event.” In A Christmas Song (2012), Amy (Brittan Adams) admits, “We don’t really celebrate Christmas at my house. . . . My mom thinks consumerism has corrupted the message.” In The Real St. Nick (2012), a child (Tanner Buchanan) reveals, “My brother says that Christmas is just invented by corporations to sell us stuff we don’t even need.” In Hercules Saves Christmas (2012),58 Rick (Danny Arroyo)—a man described by Santa (George Maguire) as “in desperate need of the Christmas spirit”—cynically remarks, “Christmas is just another profitable holiday. Like Valentine’s Day. Or Mother’s Day. Or anything else that doesn’t matter . . . Christmas is all about money. Nothing else.” In Angels Sing (2013), Michael (Harry Connick Jr.) complains, “Christmas has become so completely overcommercialized.” Single mom Jen (Samaire Armstrong) says the same thing in My Santa, “Christmas has just become so commercialized.” In Let It Snow (2013), Ted (Alan Thicke) comments, “Christmas is a marketing festival for the toy makers. An excuse for the toy stores to have a gigantic monster sale.” In Small Town Santa (2014), Rick (Dean Cain) considers it as “just a fabricated holiday so they can sell a bunch of garbage to people who don’t really need it.” In Santa Claws (2014), Julia (Nicola Lambo) tells her son, “Christmas is just something marketed by companies to sell toys. . . .” In A Christmas in Vermont (2016), David (Zack Ward) describes Christmas as “just a commercialized holiday designed to separate you from your wallet.” In Recipe for a Perfect Christmas, J.J. (Carly Pope) declares, “I’m not really into Christmas. . . . You waste money you don’t have and spend time with people you don’t like.” In Christmas in Wonderland this point is made by Leonard (Chris Kattan): “Poor suckers. Spending money they don’t have on junk they don’t need. Just so they can pretend to be happy one lousy day out of the year. Christmas. What a racket!” In Christmas Angel (2009), Ashley (Kari Hawker-Diaz) describes Christmas as a “soulless commercial endeavour that encourages overspending and overeating. . . .” In Anything But Christmas (2012), John (Sergio Di Zio) describes Christmas as being “about insane extravagance, consumer madness and the mindless pursuit of tasteless garbage.” In A Diva’s Christmas, Ebony Scrooge (Vanessa Williams) opines that “Christmas exists for one reason only. To sell crap to the masses.” In The Santa Suit (2010), Drake (Kevin Sorbo) asks, “Who’s the greatest toy salesman in the history of the world? Santa Claus!” In A Dennis the Menace Christmas, Mr. Wilson (Robert Wagner) condemns Christmas as “shameless Capitalism at its worst.” In Wish upon a Christmas (2015), Amelia (Larisa Oleynik) is a corporate downsizer, and in one scene she provides her take on the season: Amelia: An old stingy man finds true Christmas happiness by spending heaps of money with reckless abandon on toys and turkeys and a grand

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celebration of capitalism. If A Christmas Carol teaches us anything it’s that shopping is good.

In My Christmas Dream (2016), department store manager Christina (Danica McKellar) makes the same point: “Christmas is business. Good business. That’s why they call it the most wonderful time of the year.” A slight variation on these ideas is apparent in Christmas Magic when protagonist Carey (Lindy Booth) itemizes all her problems with Christmas, including fruitcake and Secret Santa, “where you’re supposed to spend money you don’t have on people you don’t like. . . .” A variation of these presentations occurs in films where a Christmas with less consumerism is idealized. Such ideas are explored in chapter 2 where I discuss characters fondly recalling times when they were poor but happy. While holiday excesses are sometimes verbalized, they notably constitute important plot points in films set around the business of Christmas. In Window Wonderland for example, this idea is hinted to when Fitch (Matty Finochio) tells his window dressers: “You’re here to create the desire to shop.” Store executive Meredith (Julie Benz), in Charming Christmas (2015), makes the same point: “Our holiday decorations, especially in our Santaville, are always highly anticipated by our shoppers and drive sales.” While New York does this Christmas seduction on a grand scale, department stores—and more broadly malls—are intrinsic to the modern Christmas experience59 and to the modern Christmas depiction,60 and are discussed later in this chapter. Another explanation for New York’s key role61 is that it serves as a metonym for big city values. While, as discussed in chapter 3, the small town has a very strong presence on screen, the big city Christmas as explored in this chapter also has a distinct, albeit often challenged role. In chapter 3, I discussed James Clapp’s book in The American City in Cinema, where he identifies that: [T]he small town acts as somewhat of a haven for these values by insulating its inhabitants from the “pollution” of big city values, modernism, and liberal political norms.62

The idealization of the small town and, as relevant for this chapter, the perception that the big city is somehow polluted—by crime, deviance and materialism—are identifiable throughout cinema and certainly not restricted to films discussed in this volume. Film theorist Susan Mackey-Kallis, for example, discussed the recurrent image in American cinema of “big cities as impersonal places where the hero loses her soul and her goal.” Mackey-Kallis uses The Wizard of Oz (1939), Gone with the Wind (1939) and also the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) to

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illustrate this point.63 While a big city character going home for the holidays is a trope (chapter 3), most relevant to this chapter is the values found in the big city being framed as dissimilar to those found elsewhere and that navigating this conflict is somehow a very Christmas story. To claim that there are values that are held exclusively by those residing in big cities and a whole other set observed by those in small towns is undoubtedly hyperbolic,64 nonetheless on screen it is the big city that is routinely associated with values like glitz and glamor (and, less flatteringly, falsity and artifice) and opportunity (but also, ruthlessness and materialism). In the following sections these contraditions are examined. Big City Artifice In Mackey-Kallis’s discussion of The Wizard of Oz, she provides insight into the big city values of glitz and glamor and also, inadvertently, the flipside of it all being “smoke and mirrors”: The Emerald City, however, rather than providing the goals of all of their quests, turns out to offer a world of false promises. A typical “modern” big city, the Emerald City (read “money” or “precious jewel”) is all glitz and glamour. Dazzling to the eye, it only offers surface modifications—a new hairdo for Dorothy, a buff and a shine for the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, a new stuffing of straw for the Scarecrow—rather than transformations of the heart and mind. Like the Wizard of Oz himself, the Emerald City is all smoke and mirrors.65

The link between artifice, Christmas and the big city is identifiable within storylines in several key ways. In ’Tis the Season for Love for example, Beth (Sarah Lancaster) lives in New York and hasn’t been home for Christmas in six years. After receiving a ticket home as a gift from her best friend, Beth tells her mom (Gwynyth Walsh), “I wanted to have a real, hometown Christmas. Like we used to have, you know?” Later in the narrative, her mom says to her, “It’s far too long since you’re had a real Christmas.” The undercurrent of both comments is that Beth’s Christmases in New York haven’t been real; that the real Christmas is spent at home (chapter 3). A very literal presentation of this plays out in Holidaze (2013). Workaholic Melody (Jennie Garth) loves her big-city life in Chicago. After bumping her head, however, she gets the opportunity to live an alternate reality in her hometown of Streetsville. Upon regaining consciousness and finding herself back in Chicago, Melody is in a trendy bar with friends and pining for Streetsville: the small town is where she realizes she was meant to be. A Christmas Reunion offers something similar. Amy (Denise Richards) is up for a promotion with a Madison Avenue ad-

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vertising agency. It is only after the death of her aunt, her inheritance of a small-town bakery and her hometown reunion with her childhood sweetheart that Amy realizes that promotion isn’t what brings her fulfillment: Amy decides to stay in her hometown and run the bakery. In Christmas Land, Jules (Nikki Deloach) returns from New York to “Christmas Land,” a place where, as a child, she used to visit her Grandma Glinda (Maureen McCormick). There, she meets small-town lawyer Tucker (Luke Macfarlane) and he tells her, “There comes a time in your life where you . . . have to decide where you want to call home.” By the end of the narrative, Jules realizes New York isn’t her home, “This is.” The same themes play out in narratives like Christmas Lodge (2011), A Christmas Wedding Date, A Christmas Proposal and Hats Off to Christmas! (2013) where in each film, corporate characters depart from their big city lives to visit their hometowns and end up staying permanently; that the big city apparently didn’t have the same authenticity or proffer the same soul satisfaction as the tiny town. While the idea of a sea or tree change is not exclusively a Christmas story,66 the holidays present characters with a distinct reason to go home, thus sparking the narrative and framing their journey as seasonal. Artifice, the big city and Christmas are a cluster of ideas presented via portrayals of characters working in professions like advertising, marketing and, as in 12 Men of Christmas, the public relations industries. Films like Christmas Land, Eve’s Christmas, A Christmas Reunion, The Santa Trap, The Christmas Consultant, Mistletoe over Manhattan, Hitched for the Holidays, Christmas Magic, Holly’s Holiday, Naughty or Nice, The Wishing Tree, Desperately Seeking Santa, Fir Crazy, Christmas on the Bayou, Christmas in Palm Springs, Love You Like Christmas, Collateral Beauty, Weihnachten now (Single Bells) (1998), Comfort and Joy (2003), Angel in the Family (2004), Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004), Surviving Christmas (2004), Deck the Halls (2005), The Holiday (2006), The National Tree (2009), Christmas Cupid (2010), A Nanny for Christmas (2010), 3 Holiday Tails (2011), All I Want for Christmas (2013), Finding Christmas (2013), Holiday Road Trip (2013), Marry Me for Christmas (2013), The Santa Switch (2013), Pete’s Christmas (2013), Paper Angels (2014), 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015), A Baby for Christmas (2015), A Christmas Eve Miracle (2015), Family for Christmas (2015), I’m Not Ready for Christmas (2015), Magic Stocking (2015), The Flight Before Christmas (2015), A Husband for Christmas (2016), A Dream of Christmas (2016), A Wish for Christmas (2016) and Holiday Joy (2016) all have central characters working in advertising, public relations or marketing. The overrepresentation of these professions, of course, is unsurprising: film theorist Jack Boozer analyzed the disproportionate number of films centered on these industries as compared to others.67 In Christmas narratives, however, such industries aren’t

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just part of a character’s backstory, but often become crucial to the narrative as a way to subtly insert big city values: New York is considered as “the birthplace of advertising,”68 and the shill is a big city idea and an example of a value inherently at odds with the supposed honesty and morality of the small town; in turn these industries are frequently an antagonist. Akin to the supposed smoke and mirrors of the big city, advertising itself is often considered as an industry premised on false promises, on artifice, something discussed in literature scholar Michael Bérubé’s work on the advertising-industry themed television series Mad Men (2007–2015): For decades, Madison Avenue has been understood to be not merely the vehicle but the very symbol of commercial culture, and advertising has been portrayed as the emptiest and most superficial of endeavors in a deeply superficial society.69

In several Christmas films, criticisms of the advertising industry are verbalized. In Pete’s Christmas, Grandpa (Bruce Dern) has a dig at his son, Ronald (Rick Roberts), who worked in marketing: “It’s just a fancy way of saying you sell snow boots to dogs.” In The National Tree, Corey (Andrew McCarthy) challenges advertising executive Faith (Kari Matchett) about the nature of her work: Corey: Does your job ever bother you? . . . Selling people all those things they don’t need. Toys that break as soon as you get them out of the box. Plastic that won’t biodegrade for generations.70

Tucker articulates a similar criticism in Christmas Land in an exchange with Jules: Tucker: What is it you do again for a living? Julies: I’m Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy. Tucker: Ah, you make stuff up.

Even in I’m Not Ready for Christmas, Holly’s (Alicia Watt) defence of her advertising job is tinged with cynicism: “My job, basically, is to sell people what they want the truth to be.” By the end of the narrative, however—after Holly goes through a spiritual rebirth—she acknowledges the problematic influence the industry had on her: Holly: Projecting an image so that whatever I’m selling sells. It’s almost become like a game. You say whatever you need to say to get by. No matter what the situation. Living your life like that you start to wonder what parts are real after a while. Maybe some people start to wonder whether you’re real.

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The negative influence of the industry was similarly alluded to in The Santa Con (2014): John (Scott Grimes), who formerly had a career in advertising, started drinking—which led him to leaving his family—after one of his colleagues stole a slogan he had devised. While there exists a very long history of portrayals of advertising in film, as Boozer spotlights, the presentation isn’t homogenous: “From the beginning, Hollywood cinema has represented the advertising and public relations industry with conventional protagonists, plots, and themes, but also largely with mistrust and sometimes ridicule.”71 In Christmas narratives, advertising occupies a complex position. On one hand the industry is framed as being about high pressure; hence its recurrence in narratives about workaholics who have lost the spirit of Christmas (explored later in this chapter). On the flipside, advertising functions to insert questions about consumerism. Certain films—and Christmas narratives do this disproportionately—pause to question consumerism,72 and the advertising industry provides a vehicle for this. While questioning consumerism is common—and invariably it gets challenged, perhaps even punished or sanctioned within a narrative—ultimately it remains intact. In Fir Crazy for example, Elise (Sarah Lancaster) is a high-heel-wearing marketing executive working on athletic shoe campaigns: Elise is presented as having no connection to the product she is touting. While this dynamic functions to reference the artifice of marketing, by the end of the film Elise is offered a marketing job in a department store: a job, seemingly, closer to her heart (even if, technically, every bit as commercial as her sneaker job). In A Nanny for Christmas, the advertising executive parents at the center of the narrative, Samantha (Cynthia Hibb) and Carl (John Burke), are workaholics who have allowed their agency to consume their lives. The film’s protagonist, Ally (Emmanuelle Vaugier), actually aspires to work in advertising too, and takes a nannying job for the couple in the hope of getting a foot in the door of their company. While work obsession and deceit are themes, in the end Ally actually does secure a job with the company after Samantha decides to take a “sabbatical”: Samantha and Carl learn lessons about the importance of family while Ally is rewarded for helping bring them the Christmas spirit. In A Nanny for Christmas advertising gets challenged through reference to both workaholism and lost Christmas spirit but ultimately is embraced. A Nanny for Christmas also questions—and then celebrates—the actual content of advertising too. Ally assists Samantha’s second-in-command at the agency—Justin (Richard Ruccolo)—in developing a pitch for the Donner chocolate company. Their successful proposal uses a heavy dose of seasonal nostalgia and functions as a noteworthy example of Hollywood’s mixed messages when it comes to depicting advertising: while,

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as noted, the film challenges the industry and the associated values, nonetheless, the nostalgic images used highlight—if not even validate—the critical role of commercial media in our collective experience of Christmas (chapter 2). Similar themes play out in 12 Gifts of Christmas. Workaholic advertising executive Marc (Aaron O’Connell) wins a big account by creating a highly nostalgic, heart-string-tugging Christmas campaign for an electronics company, using old-fashioned Santa Claus paintings.73 Both 12 Gifts of Christmas and A Nanny for Christmas subtly reference the real-life role that companies like Coca-Cola have had in mainstreaming massproduced images of Christmas—notably images of Santa74—and in turn, both frame advertising as boasting a range of positives, in turn helping temper the negatives associated. As in A Nanny for Christmas and 12 Gifts of Christmas, in All I Want for Christmas (2013), Elizabeth (Melissa Sagemiller) is another workaholic advertising executive without Christmas spirit. A chance encounter with an elf sees her receive a magic brooch that enables her to hear what everyone thinks of her. While initially Elizabeth uses the brooch opportunistically, gradually she learns that she needs to change how she is perceived and be a better and more collaborative colleague; by the film’s end, she and her colleague, Roger (Brad Rowe), win an account by working together. Elizabeth’s values (presented as inextricably linked to the industry) were challenged, overhauled, but the importance of the industry was nonetheless maintained. Similar themes occur in A Christmas Eve Miracle. Sharon (Olivia d’Abo), another workaholic advertising executive and mom, is vying for a promotion. She is also finding herself stretched thin. Following an opportunity to live an alternate reality without children (and thus getting to concentrate all her energies into work),75 Sharon realizes she really just wants a better work/life balance (the same epiphany that busy working mom Victoria (Cynthia Gibb) reaches in An Accidental Christmas (2007). While it is the advertising industry putting Sharon under such pressure, by the end of the film her resolution is to just take some leave but ultimately to remain in an industry that fulfills her.76 While in the examples discussed thus far advertising is challenged but ultimately embraced, some outlier examples do exist where it—and thus, presumably, the values attached—are uniquely abandoned; something apparent in A Baby for Christmas and A Christmas Reunion. In A Baby for Christmas, Marci (Malinda Williams) is pregnant. Throughout the narrative she is desperate to convince her husband, Blair (Karon Riley)—and indeed herself—that she can balance a child and the running of her advertising agency. Only after a conversation with a possible client, Fiona (Tara Jones), does Marci come to think of the industry as possessing values that conflict with her own:

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Fiona: You know, sometimes I wish I had made time for a family. Not! I mean, they’re such a huge time suck those babies: feed me, clothe me, love me, teach me. Oh God, they’re just so needy. . . . You know what, if I had had a “good mom” we never would have built Friendly Family Floral into the empire it is today. Thank God she wasn’t a good mom .

After listening to Fiona’s remarks, Marci decides to step back from her business. Interestingly, in the very same film, Marci’s aunt, Elizabeth (Chrystale Wilson), works in cosmetics marketing and is vying for a promotion. It is only toward the end of the narrative that Elizabeth too realizes that she doesn’t want to be the person who fought for that promotion; something that she articulates in a phone conversation with Marci: Elizabeth: Do you remember that guy Brent Hackman [Keith Arthur Bolden] that I was talking about? Well, he told me something a while ago and it’s just now making sense to me. He said, you know you have to decide how far you’re willing you go. Because once you’ve gone so far there’s no turning back . . . I don’t want to go too far, Marci . . . I don’t want to be all about the money and selling lipstick. I don’t want to be away from my family on Christmas Eve.

A theme linking many of the narratives discussed in this section—and as discussed throughout this book more broadly—is the theme of authenticity. While authenticity can center on living an authentic life in an authentic place, other narratives incorporate this theme with reference to other aspects of commercial culture. FESTIVE AUTHENTICITY Christmas in Connecticut (1945) centers on a magazine food writer, Elizabeth (Barbara Stanwyck), who—through her articles—has conveyed a deceitful impression of being the perfect homemaker. The popularity of her column leads her boss, Alexander Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), to insist that she host a newly returned war hero, Jeff (Dennis Morgan), at her country home: “This will be a great story for our next issue, Mrs. Lane: ‘American Hero Spends Christmas on Perfect Farm.’” Frank Thompson discussed Christmas in Connecticut, noting “everything about Elizabeth is a fake—she isn’t married, doesn’t have a baby, lives in a small Manhattan apartment, and can’t cook.”77 Similar “perfect Christmas” farces transpire in the remake Christmas in Connecticut (1992), as well as The Christmas Consultant. While in Christmas in Connecticut authenticity is less a statement about consumerism and more so about

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faking a perfect life (along with the gendered burdens placed on women to somehow be naturally gifted at holiday-making; see chapter 2),78 questions of authenticity are aligned with consumerism in several films. The scourge of a fake Santa was a theme in A Nanny for Christmas. When the nanny, Ally, takes her young charges—Jackie (Sierra McCormick) and Jonas (Jared Gilmore)—to see Santa in a department store, Jackie laments, “Santa’s on his cell phone!” The Santa Switch offers another spin: Dan (Ethan Erickson) gets a job as a Santa and his first child visitor exposes him, alleging, “Your jacket’s not buttoned up right. . . . Hey! You’re the guy that lives near me in that apartment off Main. . . . You’re the guy that always listens to violin music and cries at night. . . . Your beard smells like chili.” Similar sentiments are expressed in Finding Mrs. Claus: mom Noelle (Laura Vandervoort) tried to claim that the mall Santa is real, to which her daughter Hope (Aislyn Watson) challenges, “So the real Santa smells like cigarettes and beer?” In these scenes, the inauthenticity of Santa—the fact that he was “breaking character” in front of his audience: a no-no among professional Santas79—feeds Jackie’s sense of disillusionment with Christmas and amplifies her lack of belief.80 The egregiousness of an inauthentic Santa is also evident in films where Santa does bad things, for example, drinking at the Christmas parade in Miracle on 34th Street (1947, 1959, 1973 and 1994); drug dealing in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas; sexual harassment as in Elves; thieving as in The Lemon Drop Kid, The Greatest Store in the World, The Silent Partner (1978), Reindeer Games (2000) and Bad Santa (2003); carjacking and kidnapping in Deck the Halls (2011); murder in To All a Goodnight (1980), Christmas Evil (1980),81 Santa Claws (1996), Santa’s Slay (2005), Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010), Yule Die (2010) and Silent Night (2012) and theft, rape and murder in Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) (discussed further in chapter 4). In each example, the familiar costume is donned but the acts participated in are anything but Claus-like. While chapter 2 explored the importance of the tree as a seasonal metonym, in this section it functions as a talking point about authenticity. An Authentic Christmas Tree, An Authentic Holiday In The Gathering (1977), dying patriarch Adam (Ed Asner) stares out his window and laments, “The whole New England winter feeling has gone to plastic pine trees, electronic music, smog and black slush. Maybe Christmas has gone too. Phoney, commercial. . . .” While the history of Christmas trees—and their secular origins—is discussed elsewhere,82 on screen and as Adam alludes, Christmas trees are often a catalyst for a discussion about authenticity.

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Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014) centers on a single mother, Nicky (Alicia Witt), who takes a job working as a department store Santa. Bill (Gabriel Hogan) is an executive at the store, is Nicky’s future love interest, and is completely (albeit implausibly) unaware until the end of the film that she is his store’s Santa. In one scene, while talking to her in her Santa costume, they have the following exchange: Bill: So here’s my question. Fake trees. Are they just completely anti-Christmas or what? “Santa”: Course not. It’s the Christmas spirit that counts.

While “Santa” in this scene downplays the problem of a fake tree, nonetheless, that Bill even asks the question tables the idea that there is at least some concern; something alluded to in other films. In I’m Not Ready for Christmas, Drew (George Stults) briefly mentions this: “We had an artificial tree as kids. So I can appreciate the real thing.” For Lauren (Candace Cameron Bure) in Christmas under Wraps (2014), she admits, “I’ve never had a Christmas tree that didn’t fit on a table top.” In Charming Christmas (2015), Meredith (Julie Benz) admits to never having had a real tree: that her family always took advantage of their department store discount to buy an artificial one. The same point is made in Dear Santa: Crystal (Amy Acker) mentions that her wealthy parents “always had one of those prelit trees.” The idea was also discussed in A Nanny for Christmas in an exchange between Ally and Justin about their childhood Christmases: Allison: I’d love a real tree. It just reminds me of Christmas as a kid. I just never have time to deal with it so I just have a fake one. Justin: My mom would never let us have a real tree. She said the pine needles would get all over the house. Kind of a clean freak. . . . Ever since I’ve been on my own I make sure to get a real tree.

While not a major plot point, A Nanny for Christmas spotlights the real versus fake dichotomy and frames a real tree as being ideal, even if more difficult. The difficulties—generally centered on mess83—are alluded to widely. In a scene from A Christmas Story, Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his family shop for a real tree: “This isn’t one of those trees that all the needles falls off, is it?” Ralphie’s mom (Melinda Dillon) asks the stallholder. Mom, of course, knows if there’s mess it will be hers to clean, hence why other female characters regularly echo mess concerns. In Gift of the Magi (2010), Renee (Megan Riordan) admits, “I know it’s lame having a fake tree. It doesn’t smell good. But then again, I don’t spend all of January vacuuming up pine needles.” In My Santa, Jen is op-

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posed to getting a real tree on both financial and mess grounds: “A real Christmas tree is messy. It gets needles everywhere.” A Perfect Christmas List (2014) centers on convalescing grandma Evie (Marion Ross) who delegates to her daughter, Michelle (Beth Broderick), and granddaughter, Sara (Ellen Hollman), the task of getting a real Christmas tree. Michelle capitulates but reminds herself to also get “a dustbuster.” In Christmas List (2016), in a flashback scene, young Isobel (Trinity King) is told by her mother (Samantha Kendrick) about the virtues of a fake tree: “Real trees dry out, Sweetie. This way everything stays neat and clean.” In The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008), Morgan (Warren Christie) buys a tree for single mom Jennifer (Brooke Burns) and her son, Brian (Connor Christopher Levins). Jennifer had already bought a silver, plastic tree and is unimpressed with the live one: “It’s real. With needles. And sap,” she laments. Mess is also mentioned by the Scrooge boss, Priscilla (Elisabeth Röhm), in A Christmas Kiss (2011): “This is why I hate living Christmas trees. There are pine needles everywhere.”84 Brooke (Vivica A. Fox) makes the same complaint in A Husband for Christmas: “Talk about being messy. The needles will get everywhere. The shedding. . . .” In A Princess for Christmas (2011), mess again is mentioned: the film centers on Jules (Katie McGrath), a young woman caring for her orphaned niece and nephew. The three are summoned to visit the children’s paternal relatives: royalty in Castleberry. Grandpa, the duke of Castleberry (Roger Moore), explains the absence of a Christmas tree (and, in turn, provides a contrast to the stereotyped female preoccupation with mess): “don’t like them. They’re messy dirty things that drip sticky sap all over the mahogany.” A man also mentions mess in Anything But Christmas when John complains about tinsel, noting that it “attracts dust.” While in each example a concern about mess helps frame a character as, in varying degrees, Grinchy, it is also one of numerous ways that authenticity enters a storyline. While talk of mess is a relatively subtle way for the real versus fake tree idea to enter a story, in others, the conflict has a more significant role. In A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Harold’s (John Cho) in-laws are in town. Soon into their visit, father-in-law, Mr. Perez (Danny Trejo), insists that Harold’s “faux” tree needs to be thrown out: “You celebrating real Christmas or a faux Christmas?” As Mr. Perez arranges for Harold’s elaborate artificial tree to be dragged out onto the street, he declares, “His tree is a cancer. We have to get rid of it before it kills Christmas.” Mr. Perez views Harold’s faux tree as a character indictment; a theme that also transpires in Pete’s Christmas when Grandpa dismissingly asks his son, Ronald, “Did you get this tree right out of the box?” A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013) presents similar ideas. The narrative centers on Alice’s (Alicia Witt) burgeoning love triangle: her engagement to the developer Will (Scott Gibson) versus the accidental meeting and attraction she feels

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for Matt (Mark Wiebe). At the beginning of the film Will brings Alice a fake tree to put up in her antiques store. The gift proves prophetic: later in the narrative, after Alice meets Matt and spends Christmas with his family, an exchange between Alice, Matt and Matt’s grandfather, Charles (Lawrence Dane), connects a preference for live trees to romance: Charles: Our Matty only likes those pathetic Charlie Brown trees. Matt: Hey, hey, hey, don’t knock it. Alice happens to like them too. Charles: Is that so? Alice: I’ve always been a sucker for the loser on the Christmas tree lot. I mean, I feel like, if you have a tree as beautiful as that one you’re already halfway there, but if you take a tree that’s dropping its needles and missing half its branches and growing sideways and all of that, then by the time you decorate it and it looks beautiful it’s almost a Christmas miracle.85

Relatively subtle in this narrative, but Will’s gift of the fake tree is presented as an insight into his character: he is a slick developer with big city values who is attempting to convince Alice to sell her shop so that he can redevelop the land; Will’s preference for fake trees is indicative of his lack of appreciation for tradition, for sentiment and for the important things in life. Conversely, Matt shares Alice’s views on what is truly real and important and, in turn, is her true match. Such ideas also play out in One Starry Christmas. In the opening scene, workaholic lawyer Adam (Paul Popowich) buys his girlfriend, Holly (Sarah Carter), a giant, white, pre-decorated Christmas tree, and the following exchange transpires: Holly: Oh, you bought it off the floor. As is. Adam: Yeah. Who’s got time to decorate? Holly: That’s the best part.

That Adam buys the artificial tree and doesn’t understand Holly’s disappointment is an omen that he doesn’t understand the importance of Christmas and thus, their relationship is doomed. In a brief scene in A Christmas Detour, Paige visits the parents of her fiancé, Jack (Marcus Rosner). Again, a tree is used to give insight into the lack of warmth in their marriage: “Don’t touch the tree,” the wife reprimands her husband. Trees provide similar insight in Matchmaker Santa. Justin (Thad Luckinbill) is a workaholic CEO and the boyfriend of the protagonist, Melanie (Lacey Chabert). Dean (Adam Mayfield) is Justin’s right-hand man, and in one scene he offers to cut down a tree to decorate for Justin’s lakehouse. Justin reassures Dean that there is no need; they use an artificial tree each year. By the end of the narrative Melanie couples with Dean:

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Dean understands what’s real and important. In A Christmas Kiss, the real tree/fake tree issue is even more pronounced. The film centers on Priscilla and her over-worked assistant, Wendy (Laura Breckenridge): the two are organizing a Christmas party for a charity run by Priscilla’s boyfriend, Adam (Brendan Fehr). Priscilla guffaws at each of Wendy’s design suggestions: “And real tree no less!” Priscilla mocks, later telling Wendy, “Neither Adam nor I have any time for sentimentality.” Priscilla, of course, speaks only for herself: Wendy and Adam actually end up bonding over their shared love of Christmas traditions including real trees: the subtext in these scenes is that a preference for fake Christmas trees gives insight into characters: preferring an artificial tree aligns a character with the superficial, with the inauthentic. A real tree is presented as preferable for several reasons, notably that it is perceived as more authentic and unique, even if imperfect.86 Conversely, the fake tree—one depicted as more commercial because it is mass-produced rather than obtained from a tree farm (which, apparently, dissolves the taint of a store)—provides insight into a false, insincere character with inadequate reserves of Christmas spirit. That tree shopping is such an important holiday activity is further testimony to this.87 The fact that Lucy (Sandra Bullock) in While You Were Sleeping (1995) insisted on having—and decorating—a large real tree in her small apartment—even though she was seemingly going to spend Christmas alone—provides important insight into her character and her Christmas spirit. The same observations can be made of Allison in A Nanny for Christmas as mentioned earlier, as well as Kate (Jen Lilley) in The Spirit of Christmas (2015), who revealed: “I always made a point of getting a tree . . . even if it’s just me. And it’s always just me.” Similarly, that single women like Kathleen (Meg Ryan) in You’ve Got Mail (1998), Sally (Meg Ryan) in When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989) and Holly (Kelli Williams) in A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004) also purchased real Christmas trees despite living alone highlights that they too still have the spirit of Christmas; that they are authentic people. Authentic People In The Christmas Pageant, Vera (Melissa Gilbert) is a belligerent Broadway director who has just been fired from another job. The only job her agent can find for her is in upstate New York directing a Christmas pageant. Reluctantly, Vera takes it. Some of the pageant performers are notably cynical about her arrival, epitomized by Beverly’s (Kate Flannery) remarks: “Are we prepared to let this New Yorker swoop down and ruin everything?” While Beverly might have been using any insult to deride Vera, the idea that she was a New Yorker and was going to swoop in and

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ruin things is a good encapsulation of assumptions made about people from the big city and their values presumed as at odds with the small town: that they’re somehow less authentic.88 A similar theme transpires in The Christmas Parade. After discovering her fiancé had cheated on her, television presenter Hailee (AnnaLynne McCord) speeds out of Manhattan and crashes her car into the fence of a local judge in Carver Bend, Connecticut. Hailee is sentenced to community service, which she agrees to do with Carver Bend local, Beck (Jefferson Brown), helping him build a float for the town’s Christmas parade. During an early meeting, Beck warns Hailee that the work she needs to undertake has to be “quality hours, not TV hours.” Beck assumes that Hailee is unfamiliar with toil, presumably predicated on the fact that she is from two worlds he perceives as artificial: New York and television. A different spin on this is apparent in A Holiday for Love (1996). Jacob (Tim Matheson) is an executive for a Chicago-based tractor company. He is sent by his boss to do an audit of a factory in his home town of Athens, Nebraska. While there, Jacob reaches some realizations about the big city person he had been trying to be; a character apparently at odds with his true, small-town self: “I spent so many years trying to be something other than who I was that I kinda forgot myself,” he eventually admits. A similar idea is apparent in Come Dance with Me. After moving from Kansas to New York, Jack (Andrew McCarthy) felt himself becoming less and less like himself. Mason (Alan Powell) in Christmas in the Smokies (2015) left Tennessee for the big city and came to the same realization: “I lost touch. And I know that.” For Beth in ’Tis the Season for Love, her return home to Kern from New York sees her reach the same epiphany; “I’m here, I’m home, I feel like myself again,” implying that she wasn’t herself in New York. In each of these examples, the big city taints a character and distances them from their authentic selves; a self that can apparently be more fully realized in a small town. Worth noting, just as the world of advertising is a theme in Christmas narratives, so too is the media—with a deluge of characters like Hailee in The Christmas Parade—working in other, artificeladen industries, and thus tabling similar concerns about authenticity.89 Another way that commerce and Christmas are fused is via the workaholic who serves to embody the challenges of the season. FESTIVE WORKAHOLISM One of the many clichés in Christmas narratives—particularly those produced for television—is the workaholic character who has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. So well established is this cliché in fact that in Autostraddle’s “Christmas Movie Drinking Game” it is proposed that one

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drink gets taken at the appearance of a workaholic parent, and two drinks for a workaholic single mom.90 The Christmas workaholic, of course, is by no means a new phenomenon: Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843) has inspired an enormous range of films,91 and in each, Scrooge is the embodiment of capitalism and begrudges anyone who doesn’t share his obsessive work ethic. While the term workaholic is loaded, nonetheless the screen—notably holiday films—tend to demonize those who elect to channel their energies into work rather than family or relationships. In 12 Gifts of Christmas, advertising executive Marc has so extensively focused on his work that he has lost the capacity to enjoy himself, notably at Christmas. This same scenario plays out widely, with workaholic spirit-deprived protagonists appearing in White Christmas, The Man in the Santa Claus Suit, A Boyfriend for Christmas, Christmas List, Christmas Incorporated, The Family Man, The Christmas Consultant, Undercover Christmas, A Nanny for Christmas, The Christmas Box,92 Holidaze, Best Christmas Party Ever, Elf Call Me Claus, A Christmas Wedding, Christmas Magic, Mistletoe over Manhattan, The Holiday, Scrooged, Christmas Cupid, Come Dance with Me, Matchmaker Santa, Angel of Christmas, A Christmas Wedding Date, The Tree That Saved Christmas, Almost Christmas, A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Charming Christmas, The Spirit of Christmas, A Mom for Christmas (1990),93 A Different Kind of Christmas (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996), Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (1996), The Preacher’s Wife (1996), Unlikely Angel (1996), Jack Frost (1998), The Christmas Shoes (2002), The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004), Chasing Christmas (2005), A Perfect Day (2006), The Road to Christmas (2006), A Golden Christmas (2009), The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), Santa Baby (2006), P2 (2007), Christmas Town (2008), Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008), The Christmas Choir (2008), Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe (2009), A Christmas Snow (2010), The Night Before the Night Before Christmas (2010), Three Wise Women (2010), Holiday Engagement (2011), Christmas Miracle (2012), Help for the Holidays (2012), Santa’s Summer House (2012), The Mistle-Tones (2012), A Little Christmas Business (2013), All I Want for Christmas (2013), Dear Secret Santa (2013), The Christmas Spirit (2013), A Christmas Kiss II (2014), Seasons of Love (2014), Angels in the Snow (2015), Christmas Trade (2015), Krampus (2015) and A Heavenly Christmas (2016). On the surface, workaholism simply functions to a) showcase a dispositional shortcoming that needs to be corrected and b) to insert an antagonist into a family friendly narrative, and thus presenting the mandated challenge to the season via a reference to one of the downsides of capitalism. In most narratives, however, the situation is more complex. In the following sections, three explanations for workaholism are explored, each of which are inextricably bound to Christmas: economic downturn workaholism, accidental workaholism and workaholism to dodge the holiday.

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Economic Downturn Workaholics A recurring theme in Christmas narratives is a character losing their job, commonly because of downsizing, something transpiring in Christmas Incorporated, A Perfect Day, A Christmas Wedding Date, A Princess for Christmas, Christmas in Wonderland, Pete’s Christmas, Naughty or Nice, One Magic Christmas (1985), It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989), A Christmas Romance (1994), A Very Brady Christmas (1998), The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998), A Town without Christmas (2001), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island Adventure (2003), Homeless for the Holidays (2009), Annie & Danny (2010), A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011), Mr. Stink (2012), A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013), The Christmas Secret (2014), Santa’s Little Helper (2015), A Doggone Christmas (2016) and A Perfect Christmas (2016), where characters are let go early into the narrative (or very recently, as part of their backstory). Less commonly Christmastime job losses relate to underperformance, for example as in Holiday Affair, Fir Crazy, The Santa Switch, Santa Hunters (2014), Bad Santa 2 (2016), and La La Land (2016), or because of conflict with colleagues, as in Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, 12 Men of Christmas, The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014) and Christmas with the Andersons (2016). In other narratives, we may not know what led to unemployment, but nonetheless characters are active jobseekers; for example as in The Elf Who Didn’t Believe, Lucky Christmas, Christmas at Cartwright’s, Baby’s First Christmas, All Is Bright, A Christmas without Snow (1980), Christmas on Division Street (1991), The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996), The Christmas Bunny (2010) and Love the Coopers (2015). While joblessness functions as a challenge in a film, for some characters, the loss of a job becomes a reason to leave the big city and return home for Christmas as occurs in Fir Crazy, A Christmas Wedding Date and The Christmas Secret. For other characters, however, joblessness—or fears of— results in an obsession with retaining one’s position. The labor market is nearly always presented in these films as precarious, and thus characters do what is needed to survive in a seemingly harsh economy. In Pete’s Christmas for example, while Ronald is out of work, mom Pamela (Molly Parker) takes on extra work at her veterinary practice and becomes, albeit accidentally, a workaholic in her efforts to try to keep the family afloat. In What She Wants for Christmas (2012), Marilyn’s (Denise Boutte) workaholism centers on supporting her family in the absence of a partner; as her ex-Sebastien (Christian Keyes) eventually realizes, Marilyn “doesn’t work so much by choice; she does so because she supports this family alone.” While for Pamela in Pete’s Christmas and Marilyn in What She Wants for Christmas their workaholism is for the good of their families, in other narratives, the accidental workaholic becomes so because of the demands imposed by an employer.

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Scrooge’s demands on his clerk Bob Cratchit is a dynamic apparent in a range of Carol riffs. In A Carol Christmas (2003), the protagonist is Carol (Tori Spelling), a tyrannical talk show host. Carol’s demands on her assistant, Roberta (Nina Siemaszko), lead Roberta to become a workaholic; as Roberta’s daughter, Lily (Holliston Coleman), asks at one point: “How come you spend more time doing things for Carol than you do with me?” Roberta isn’t naturally a workaholic, but fulfilling all of Carol’s demands—and Roberta’s desperate need to keep her job—sees her thrust into this role. In A Diva’s Christmas Carol, Ebony is a diva singer, forcing her employers—including Bob (Brian McNamara) with his own sick Tim (Joshua Archambault)—to work excessively long hours. In Christmas Cupid, ruthless PR executive Sloan (Christina Milian) forces her employees to work over Christmas. Outside of these Carol films, the same dynamic transpires widely. In A Little Christmas Business, A Baby for Christmas, The Santa Trap, A Christmas Wedding, Matchmaker Santa, All About Christmas Eve, Christmas Trade and A Christmas Reunion each workaholic is put in that position by a Scrooge boss. For working mothers like Sharon in A Christmas Eve Miracle, Victoria in An Accidental Christmas, Maya (Caroline Rhea) in The Christmas Consultant, Beth (Crystal Bernard) in Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004) and Jessica (Dina Meyer) in Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), they are pushed by their employers to prioritize work over family. The protagonist, Lucy (Whoopi Goldberg), is the demanding and never-satisfied boss in Call Me Claus; Sandra (Gabrielle Carteris) occupies this role in 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011); in A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), it is Meg (Alicia Witt) as a Scrooge and in Call Me Mrs. Miracle it is Lindy (Lauren Holly). Regardless of the why of their workaholism—or the imposition of workaholism on others—these narratives force characters needing to recapture their Christmas spirit and repent. Accidental Workaholics In their humorous book The Upside-Down Christmas Tree: And Other Bizarre Yuletide Tales, Delilah Scott and Emma Troy spotlight: “The easiest way to simply avoid going home for Christmas: Just work right through it. ‘I have to work’ is the most believable excuse in the world—even your mother will buy it.”94 Here, the authors allude to an obvious explanation for workaholism on screen: work becomes a way for a character to avoid Christmas. While occasionally this is to avoid family (chapter 3), more commonly it is simply to avoid the season. In chapter 4, I explored seasonal depression. For some characters, negative sentiments are often amplified during the holidays and work can become a way to dissociate. In chapter 1 I discussed a range of films whereby a character’s grief impedes their Christmas spirit. For many

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characters, grief results in them channeling their energies into work as an escape: loss of parents, for example, motivates the workaholism of Ryan (Patrick Muldoon) in A Boyfriend for Christmas, Rebecca (Marla Sokoloff) in A Christmas Wedding Date, Lucy in Call Me Claus, Jennifer in Dear Secret Santa, Gwen (Meredith Hagner) in A Gift Wrapped Christmas and Jennie (Torrey DeVitto) in Best Christmas Party Ever. The death of a grandparent was responsible for William’s (Steve Lund) workaholism in Christmas Incorporated. The death of a partner explains Charles’s (David Keeley) workaholism in Cancel Christmas and Gary’s (Colin Mochrie) in Fir Crazy, and the death of a child underpins the workaholism of Charles in Angels in the Snow. These are examples of the pathologizing of the absence of Christmas spirit: that failure to enjoy the season is presumed as an un-natural state and thus needs to be “explained.” Such presentations feed our collective interest in pop psychology and our yen for easy explanations. Other rationalizations, however—particularly those related to the market—are worth discussing. Workaholic bosses for example, are the embodiments of capitalism: they are the means by which Christmas gets challenged by the market. Such Scrooge characters are demonized and then forced on a journey of rebirth (chapter 1) because to not enjoy Christmas is at odds with the holiday. Discussed at the beginning of this chapter was the role that decorated cities and stores have in the cultural imaginary. In the next section, the depiction of the retail sector is examined. A VERY RETAIL CHRISTMAS While advertising, marketing and public relations are industries that get disproportionate attention on screen, another industry widely represented is retail. There are numerous characters portrayed as working in stores in holiday films—for example, Polly (Ginger Rogers) in Bachelor Mother (1939), the title character (Rosalind Russell) in Auntie Mame (1958), Steve (Robert Mitchum) in Holiday Affair, Ginny (Mary Steenburgen) in One Magic Christmas, Mia (Haylie Duff) in Hats Off to Christmas!, Krissy (Hilarie Burton) in Naughty or Nice, Alice in A Very Merry Mix-Up, Jules in A Princess for Christmas, Richard (Richard Thomas) in The Christmas Box, Amy (Olivia Newton-John) in A Mom for Christmas, the title character (Doris Roberts) in Call Me Mrs. Miracle, Marilee (Kimberly Sustad) in The Nine Lives of Christmas, the Vancamps in Help for the Holidays, Meredith in Charming Christmas, Christina in My Christmas Dream, Tom (Marcus Rosner) in A Firehouse Christmas, the title character (Susan Lucci) in Ebbie (1995),95 Melody (Mimi Rogers) in The Christmas List (1997), Jonathan in

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24 Nights (1999), Ronna (Sarah Polley) in Go (1999), Lou (Robert Moloney) in Christmas on Chestnut Street (2006), Ted (Sam Page) and Annie (Maria Thayer) in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011), Maggie (Eloise Mumford) in Christmas with Holly (2012), the title character (Tyler Perry) in A Madea Christmas (2013), Kathy (Kellie Martin) in The Christmas Ornament (2013), Fantasia (Laura Lemar-Goldsborough) in White Reindeer (2013), Corrine (Jessalyn Gilsig), Harold (Sergio Di Zio) and Dave (Graham Abbey) in Angels and Ornaments (2014) and Melissa (Leah Gibson) in The Christmas Note (2015). Even more common than retail work is the simple backdrop of a retail setting: generally a department store or a mall. The original 1947 film, as well as in the 1959, 1973 and 1994 remakes of Miracle on 34th Street, were each set in department stores: Macy’s in the original and fictional—commonly family owned—department stores in the others. In Window Wonderland, Jake (Paul Campbell) is also living inside a department store. A Mom for Christmas is set in Milliman’s: this is where Jessica (Juliet Sorci) makes her wish and where a store mannequin comes to life to be her mom. In Ebbie the narrative is set in Dobson’s with the title character working as a store executive. In Charming Christmas, the backdrop is Rossman’s. Much of The Christmas List is set in Cairn’s where Melody works at the perfume counter. Window Wonderland is centered on McGuire’s and the competition for a window decorator job. Call Me Mrs. Miracle is set in Finley’s, and it is where Mrs. Miracle works as store clerk and quietly performs her miracles. In The Christmas Secret, Marshall (Michael Hogan) and Judy (Susan Hogan) run Wilson’s. In Christmas at Cartwright’s, the titular store is where Nicky gets a job playing Santa. The backdrop of Bachelor Mother is the family-run Merlin’s. In Last Holiday (2006), the protagonist, Georgia (Queen Latifah), and her love interest, Sean (LL Cool J), both work at Kragen’s; Kragen’s is also where Georgia is knocked unconscious thus leading to her (albeit incorrect) Lampington’s disease diagnosis. In 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), the head-bump central to the film’s Groundhog Day–esque do-over plot happens in a department store on Christmas Eve.96 Similarly, for Sophie (Lea Thompson) in The Christmas Clause (2008), the collapse that leads to her alternate reality experience happens in a mall. The Greatest Store in the World centers on a single mother (Dervla Kirwan) and her daughters who secretly take up residence in Scottley’s department store. In Christmas Snow (1986), a candy shop that has been in the family for decades is under threat.97 A Jersey Christmas (2008) focuses on the employees of the Xmas-O-Rama Christmas store. In Serendipity (2001), Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) first meet in Bloomingdale’s. Similarly, in Carol (2015), the title character (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) also meet in a department store. In The Bridge (2015), a bookstore is where Donna

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(Faith Ford) and Charlie (Ted McGinley) meet. Christmas Grace (2013) centers on two warring toy stores. Both The Santa Suit and Like Father, Like Santa (1998) center around the toy business. The heist events in Bad Santa transpire across several different malls. In Desperately Seeking Santa, Jen (Laura Vandervoort) is a marketing executive of the South Boston Mall. In Remember the Night (1940), it’s in a department store where Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) is apprehended for stealing a bracelet. In the similarly plotted On the Second Day of Christmas (1997), it is in a department store where Aunt Trish (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her niece, Patsy (Lauren Pratt), are apprehended for pickpocketing. In A Boyfriend for Christmas, it is in a mall where thirteen-year-old Holly (Kelli King) asks Santa for a boyfriend. In 12 Wishes of Christmas, it is in the mall where Laura (Elisa Donovan) bumps into her spirit guide who grants her twelve wishes. In the animated Bratz Babyz Save Christmas (2008), it is in a mall where the title characters overhear a Santa say he can’t “deliver” Christmas this year. In Best Christmas Party Ever, the beautiful Christmas store that Jenny first visited with her father as a child influences her party-planner aesthetic as an adult. In All She Wants for Christmas, a big box store threatens a Christmas decoration factory. The same big box store threat transpires in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town and Christmas Every Day (1996). In The Christmas Shoes it is in a toy store where Robert pays for a pair of shoes for a young boy to give to his dying mother. In The Mistle-Tones, the titular singing group are rehearsing for the Linden Grove Mall’s singing competition. In Christmas in Wonderland, most of the narrative plays out during Wayne (Patrick Swayze) and his children’s last-minute mall shopping trip where a heist ensues. Similar store heists transpire in Fitzwilly, The Greatest Store in the World, Larceny, Inc. (1942) and Stealing Christmas (2003). In Jingle All the Way, part of Howard and Ted’s (Phil Hartman) battle to find an in-demand toy for their sons sees them dueling in department stores. In Christmas Twister (2012), the titular weather event wreaks havoc on a mall and traps the shoppers inside. In these narratives stores and malls play important backgrounder roles—as place-based antagonists—but the retail sector enters narratives in other ways where characters simply go Christmas shopping,98 bond over shopping experiences,99 or peer into elaborately decorated Christmas windows,100 where such acts are presented as essential seasonal rituals. Retail spaces have numerous meanings, both in real life and on screen. Most obviously—and in line with the arguments put forward by Belk—is that stores and malls, particularly when seasonally decorated, position shopping as central to the experience of Christmas and as an essential, if not even enjoyable, part of the holiday. A more cynical explanation, however, sees shopping normalized—if not encouraged—as a leisure activity.

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Shopping as recreation is nothing new,101 but the incorporation of it into mass-produced Christmas narratives can be viewed as reminding audiences of just how intrinsic consumerism is to the modern celebration. Worth also briefly highlighting is the highly gendered nature of shopping depictions. Sociologist Sharon Zukin observes that “visual images of shopping predominantly feature women, usually carrying armfuls of shopping bags.”102 Communications scholar Jennifer Walsh and Monique Ward also identified that among the stereotyped portrayals of young girls in the media, depictions of them shopping feature prominently.103 While such presentations can, arguably, be construed as reflecting the real-life gendered nature of the activity, more broadly they reflect and also normalize that women doing much of the legwork for Christmas, including pine needle pick up and gift buying (chapter 4). In A Gift Wrapped Christmas and 12 Gifts of Christmas, women are depicted as personal shoppers for male clients. While this presentation may be construed as in line with the gendered nature of Christmas labor, it is also indicative of another commercial presentation: the outsourced Christmas. THE OUTSOURCED CHRISTMAS Outsourcing describes the process whereby goods or services are purchased from external providers rather than done in-house. While people have increasingly taken to outsourcing many domestic functions—like dog walking104 or cleaning—it is perhaps no surprise that in a busy world filled with workaholics that aspects of Christmas get outsourced. In The Man in the Santa Claus Suit, Gil (Bert Convy) gives his driver some money: “Go inside and get whatever looks good. . . . My son is five years old. He likes robots, football, whatever kids like.” In this example, the request is ad hoc; in other, workaholic men formally recruit personal shoppers, as occurs in A Gift Wrapped Christmas and 12 Gifts of Christmas. In The Tree That Saved Christmas, Walter (Jim Thorburn) delegates his Christmas shopping to his assistant and also employs party planners to decorate his townhouse. In A December Bride (2016), Seth (Daniel Lissing) hires protagonist, Layla (Jessica Lowndes), to decorate his home for the holidays. Seth also talks of his own family’s traditions growing up, one which also involved outsourcing: “The one concession my father had at Christmastime was to choose the biggest most expensive tree he could pay someone to get,” and “my mother always hired someone to decorate the tree.” In Let It Snow, Stephanie (Candace Cameron Bure) similarly reflects on the outsourced Christmases of her youth:

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Stephanie: I didn’t even get one day of Christmas growing up. . . . All of our Christmases were pretty much a store-wrapped gift bought by one of his assistants and a rubber turkey lunch at the restaurant in one of the hotels in the franchise he was running at the time. Not much magic in a Christmas like that.

In The Twelve Trees of Christmas, Tony (Robin Dunne) outsources the decoration of a Christmas tree to his interior decorator: “I leave things to the professionals,” he says. In Crown for Christmas, a royal decorator had been hired to decorate the castle tree. In A Gift Wrapped Christmas, Owen (Anthony Bolognese) asks his dad if they can get a Christmas tree, to which Dad (Travis Milne) responds, “Of course, I’ll just call my assistant and we’ll have one ordered to the house.” In Holiday Switch (2007), Nick (Brett Le Bourveau) pays someone to put up the Christmas lights; in The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jennifer attempts to do the same thing. In Christmas in Connecticut, Elizabeth recruits the services of her chef friend, Felix (S. Z. Sakal), and also borrows a neighbor’s baby to help pad out the ruse that she is the perfect Christmas host. These ideas are taken substantially further in The Christmas Consultant: with both parents overworked, Maya and her husband, Jack (Barclay Hope), hire the services of Christmas consultant Owen (David Hasselhoff), who arranges all aspects of Christmas. While in Christmas in Connecticut, Elizabeth’s behavior goes unpunished, for the characters in A Gift Wrapped Christmas, 12 Gifts of Christmas, One Starry Night and The Christmas Consultant, the characters’ busyness—and the fact that they entered the market to solve their Christmas dilemmas—is presented as highly problematic and behavior that needs to be corrected: while Hollywood might have determined that spending money on gifts and food and decoration is fine, spending money on outsourcing such duties is seemingly not within the spirit of Christmas.105 In historian Elizabeth Pleck’s work on Christmas, she referenced a 1967 Redbook article by Harriet Van Horne which suggested that women buy goods rather than make them, and to purchase services rather than doing all the work themselves.106 Outside of this reference, however, there is scarce academic research on outsourced Christmases, although there exists some popular press commentary about it, notably as related to celebrities who, presumably, are perhaps time poor or in a position to afford to pay others to cook, shop and decorate.107 An important component of any retail Christmas experience is the mall Santa. While Santas, of course, are shown ringing bells and collecting for charity or in the North Pole preparing to deliver the season’s toys, most interactions with Santa—both in real life and certainly on screen—transpire within department stores. In the following section, the role of screen Santas in consumer culture is explored.

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SANTA SHILLING THE SEASON In chapter 1 I discussed Santa as a Jesus substitute. In fact, on screen the jolly man in red fulfills numerous different roles: as the personification of consumer culture, as an advertisement for the season and also as a figure who can temper holiday extremes. Communication theorist Patrick Cox spotlights that “Santa himself is a market product: the widespread popularity of his image has largely been the result of its use in commercial advertising. . . .”108 While Cox is referring to the aforementioned role that companies like Coca-Cola had in promoting Santa, the connection of Santa to the market is well established. In cinema, his inclusion makes a film seasonal: much like snow or holly, Santa exists as both a Christmas metonym and icon to represent the holiday. Within stores—both in real life and on screen—and a practice dating back to 1841,109 Santa links the celebration of the season to the spending of money and can be construed as luring people into a store, and also to frame shopping akin to leisure. Aside from the “ho ho hos” and the queries about good behavior, a classic Santa question centers on wants: what does the child want for Christmas. On one hand this question can be viewed as focusing on the goods-acquisition aspect of the season: that in return for good behavior gifts will be bestowed. There are, of course, some alternate interpretations that help mitigate the consumerist message. Children will invariably only visit Santa Claus once per year. They will only articulate their wants once, and their expectations for gifts center on just one day.110 Therefore, Santa could, arguably, be interpreted as helping children channel limitless wants into one day and that even then, gifts are contingent on good behavior. Nick (Callard Harris) vocalized this idea in The Real St. Nick: “Christmas also reminds us that sometimes we have to wait for the right time to get what we need the most.”111 Cox provides another interpretation of Santa as related to consumerism: The most recognizable symbol of the holiday, Santa Claus, has been theorized to act as a buffer between children and consumerism as part of an illusion of presents made by elves and arriving on a sleigh, shielding children from knowledge of toys as products in the marketplace purchased on credit. . . . This use of Santa can be said to cleanse Christmas of the taint of consumerism, at least for children, making the rampant consumerism of Christmas more acceptable as a festival to share with children.

While Cox maintains that Santa is primarily about consumerism, also acknowledged is his role in keeping the myth and fantasy alive. While belief is discussed further in chapter 1, the simple idea that Santa acts to

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make gifts special or magical means that he helps children to hold onto the fantasy for a little longer. On screen, when Santa fails to fulfill an important promise, a child’s belief is often hampered; akin to Santa breaking character as discussed earlier. In Call Me Claus for example, Lucy had asked Santa to bring her father home for Christmas: shortly after sitting on his knee, she discovered her father had been killed in war. Part of Lucy’s resentment for Christmas and for Santa specifically centered on her anger that not only did she not get her wish, but that she had bothered to invest any hope in him in the first place. In fact, hampered spirits based on Santa’s failures transpire widely, whereby not getting a requested gift sees a character losing their belief (chapter 1). A key manifestation of consumer culture is not just the commercialization of Christmas in reality and on screen, but the sexualization of it. SEXING SANTA Pornification describes the process by which aspects of pornography become merged with mainstream culture:112 in practice this means things that once had no link to sex have been made sexual through iconography more commonly associated with explicit media. While many aspects of the sexualization of culture have been subjected to academic analysis, the sexualization of Christmas has been scarcely explored. A rare example is apparent in musicologist Freya Jarman-Ives’s discussion: Sex is not totally absent from the Christmas picture, of course. Many a department store display showcases “naughty” goods for Him or Her. . . . Yet I would argue that this is firmly situated within two overriding discourses: heterosexuality and commitment.113

Outside of academia, the issue has received a little more attention. A 2012 Samsung commercial was accused of “ruining” Christmas by depicting a “sexualized” presentation of Mr. and Mrs. Claus where the latter implied that she had used a phone to make her husband an erotic video.114 The Australian documentary Love and Sex in an Age of Pornography (2013) mentions billboards for the pornography company Vivid—with the slogan, “This Christmas unwrap a Vivid girl”—displayed around Christmas and New Year. In 2015, the website Pornhub similarly got extensive media attention for a heartstring-tugging commercial suggesting gift vouchers to the site were a suitable Christmas gift.115 Sex and Christmas have, in fact, already been united in numerous pop culture examples. At the tame end of the music spectrum, songs like Luther Vandross’s “Mistletoe Jam” (1995) explicitly reference a mistletoe

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conception, along with subtly flirtatious tracks like Dean Martin’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (1951), Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” (1953), Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994) and Christina Aguilera’s “Merry Christmas, Baby” (2000). George Clooney’s performance of the Albert King song “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’” (1974) in A Very Murray Christmas (2015) provides another example of this. Less restrained however, are Christmas songs which present a much more explicit fusion of sex and the season: Clarence Carter’s song “Back Door Santa” (1968),116 The Dan Band’s “Rock You Hard This Christmas” (1993) and AC/DC’s “Mistress for Christmas” (1990) are three examples. In visual media, at the explicit end of the spectrum is Christmasthemed adult entertainment like the pornographic Carol riff The Passions of Carol (1975) or the explicit Scrooge in the Hood (2011), along with an abundance of Christmas-themed porn clips on sites like PornHub.com and Xvideos.com. More common, however—and more relevant to the themes of this book—is the presence of sex within narratives. While this transpires at a chaste level in every narrative where mistletoe is used as an excuse for a flirty kiss,117 mainstream narratives certainly offer some more risqué presentations. In Less Than Zero (1987), Alana’s (Neith Hunter) invitation to her Christmas party reads, “Let’s fuck Christmas together.” While fuck in this context is open to interpretation—including perhaps obliteration— for the purposes of this section it can be interpreted as an erotic reference, notably so given that it is at that party where Clay (Andrew McCarthy) first sexually reconnects with his ex-girlfriend, Blair (Jami Gertz). A later scene also juxtaposes Christmas and sex: scenes of a genteel Christmas meal at Clay’s family home are spliced with images of Clay and Blair having sex in a laneway. Such a contrast occurs in a range of examples. In the Australian film Crackers (1998), grandpa Jack (Terry Gill) is caught having sex with his sister-in-law Dottie (Valerie Bader) on Christmas night. In Almost Christmas, Cheryl’s (Kimberly Elise) husband, Lonnie’s (J. B. Smoove), infidelity is exposed during Christmas dinner. Malcolm’s (Laz Alonso) infidelity in This Christmas (2007) is exposed similarly. Christmastime infidelity is also apparent in Step Brothers (2008): during the Christmas meal, married Alice (Kathryn Hahn) spells out “let’s fuck right now!” with her food and shows the plate to Dale (John C. Reilly), the stepbrother of her brother-in-law. The two then leave the table to have sex. In Reindeer Games, the first time Rudy (Ben Affleck) and Ashley (Charlize Theron) have sex, Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow” (1959) plays in the background. In Love Actually (2003), Christmas and sex get fused frequently: in one example, Mark’s (Andrew Lincoln) gallery is hosting an exhibition called “Christmas Uncovered,” which centers on photographs of naked people wearing Santa hats. Another character in

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the film, Billy (Bill Nighy), visits his manager, Joe (Gregor Fisher), on Christmas Day and suggests they get drunk together and watch porn. Porn similarly enters the narrative in The Christmas Cottage (2007) when Bill (Richard Burgi)—the estranged father of Thomas (Jared Padalecki) and Pat (Aaron Ashmore)—unexpectedly turns up for Christmas and gives the boys a crate of porn magazines. The British A Gert Lush Christmas (2015) inserts sex into the storyline in comic ways. Dan (Russell Howard) and his partner Lisa (Hannah Britland) are staying at Dan’s family home for Christmas. Upon their arrival, Dan remarks that the highly decorated home had been “vajazzled”: a reference, presumably, to decoration of the pubic area of women.118 In a latter scene, Dan and Lisa wake up on Christmas morning to hear Dan’s parents having sex. A more common way that Christmas and sex gets fused—and, notably, as relevant to the themes to this chapter, where commerce becomes relevant—is where a festive costume is presented as erotic. The sexualization of costume—particularly those worn at Halloween—has received extensive attention, notably as related to how costumes for women tend to be highly and frequently objectifying;119 something encapsulated by Miranda’s (Cynthia Nixon) observation in the “All About the ‘I’m Sorry’” episode of Sex and the City (1998–2004): “The only two choices for women: witch and sexy kitten.” While dressing up isn’t central to Christmas celebrations—unlike at Halloween—narratives do nonetheless exploit opportunities for costume and often portray a standardized Christmas outfit worn at parties, in concerts or professionally in certain industries. While for men this outfit is commonly just a Santa costume, the female versions center on a sexy “Santa’s helper” costume. As a Google images search reveals, “Santa’s helper” most commonly involves low-cut red velvet tops and matching short skirts with white-fur trim. Thigh high boots are often incorporated. Such outfits aren’t a contemporary cinema incarnation: artists Alberto Vargas and Gil Elvgren, painted pin-ups from the 1930s onward, including women wearing sexy Santa’s helper attire. Decades on and the kinds of images popularized in pinups are easily detected in mainstream film and television. In the opening scene of The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Samantha (Geena Davis) is glamorously dressed in a red sequined outfit with hat, riding alongside Santa in the town Christmas parade; someone in the audience screams out, “Mrs. Claus is hot!,” and wolf whistles. Sexy Christmas outfits in fact are worn widely by women. In A Perfect Christmas List, Michelle and Sara were ringing bells to collect money for charity, wearing red sequinned outfits. When Michelle notices her daughter, Sara, getting more donations, she queries this with a nearby busker. The busker suggests it was because of Michelle’s short skirt. Michelle then tears off the bottom of her skirt and the donations flood in. In Christmas Comes to Willow Creek, Ray

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(John Schneider) and his nephew Michael (Zachary Ansley) visit a bar in Reno. All the waitresses are wearing the same skimpy helper costumes. In the opening of Undercover Christmas, Brandi (Jami Gertz) is a cocktail waitress: she and her colleague, Zelda (Diana Chaplin), are working in the same outfits. In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Harmony (Michelle Monaghan) works at a nightclub dressed in a skimpy Santa outfit. In the Christmas horror film Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (2009), the female employees of both a bong shop and a deli serve customers wearing bikinis and Santa hats. In A Very Cool Christmas (2004),120 teens Lindsay (Brooke Nevin) and Paige (Adrienne Carter) are at the mall when they see Santa attended by helpers in skimpy outfits: Paige: Look at the girls they hire. It’s like Christmas at Hooters. I guess the Dads need something to look at while their kids beg for gifts from Santa.

In Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013), the film opens with the titular character (Shiri Appleby) dressed in a sexy Santa’s helper outfit. In Elf, the availability of skimpy Christmas lingerie is shown among the products available at Gimbels department store. In Santa Claus: The Movie, Patch (Dudley Moore) poses with models in skimpy outfits in newspaper coverage of his work with B. Z. Toys. In her performance of “Let It Snow” in A Very Murray Christmas (2015), Miley Cyrus wears a red, white-furtrimmed playsuit. In many of the other music performances in the film, similarly attired women dance or crowd around a fully dressed male performer. Song and dance routines within films frequently follow these themes. In the Winter Talent Show scene of Mean Girls (2004), Cady (Lindsay Lohan), Regina (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) and Karen (Amanda Seyfried) performed what journalist Nancy Jo Sales describes as a “burlesque” dance routine121 to “Jingle Bell Rock” (1957) in red pleather skirts and knee-high black boots. Almost the same scenario transpires in Holiday High School Reunion (2002).122 In Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger 2 (2012), a troupe of women in similar outfits support a singer in a Christmas competition. In Deck the Halls (2006), during a performance at the town’s local Christmas festival, three girls dressed in skimpy outfits perform a version of “Santa Baby.” The two protagonist neighbors, Buddy (Danny DeVito) and Steve (Matthew Broderick), watch the performance and shout out sexual remarks, “Who’s your Daddy?” As it turns out, the girls performing were actually Buddy and Steve’s daughters: in the next scene the men are inside a church splashing themselves with holy water. In Love Actually, the video for Billy’s Christmas song, “Christmas Is All Around,” included several women dressed in tight red outfits with white fur trim: the women are referred to as “Billy’s video vixens” on the

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credits. In Scrooged, network president Frank was keen for the inclusion of nipple-revealing costumes in his network’s live Scrooge production. The lesson Michelle learns in A Perfect Christmas List, about the profitability that comes—personally and professionally—from inserting sex into the season, provides insight into the frequent use of these themes in film more broadly: sex sells, sexualized female presentations particularly draw the viewer’s eye, hence why such presentations are so easily detected, not just in Christmas films but in popular culture more broadly. While women are more commonly sexualized through Christmas attire, it occasionally happens to men too. In The Mistle-Tones for example, one of the entrants in the Christmas band competition, The Chestnuts, consisted of scantily clad men performing Christmas songs. Torch Song Trilogy (1988) included a scene where Arnold (Harvey Fierstein) performs in a holiday-themed drag show that included largely naked, oiled-up men with Santa faces covering their genitals. The British film Nativity! (2009), centered on the production of a Catholic school’s Nativity play even references sex appeal: during the casting process, Mr. Poppy (Marc Wootton) mentions schoolboy Matt (Sam Tott): “He’s eye candy for the girls. . . . Have you seen the looks he gets in the playground? . . . He doesn’t walk around the playground, he struts.” In Christmas Eve, six elevators across New York get stuck. In one elevator is Nick (Taylor James), a buff man, bare-chested under a Santa vest. In Desperately Seeking Santa, one of Jen’s marketing ideas for her mall is a “Search for Sexy Santa” competition where she seeks a man who has “the sex appeal of Brad Pitt and the spirit of Santa Claus.” During the competition, while there is a procession of hunky Santas, there are also female helpers—dressed in the standard sexy attire—serving as cheerleaders. Something similar transpires in Christmas in the City. As part of marketing guru Teena’s (Ashanti) revamps to the Wolmans department store, she replaces an in-store carol singer with a video of shirtless men wearing Santa hats and singing lines like “buy buy buy” and “you can trust Santa to make you cool.” In Holiday Road Trip, Maya (Ashley Scott) and Patrick (Patrick Muldoon) are on a cross-country trip to promote a pet food company. At one point their van breaks down and in return for mechanical assistance Patrick is coerced into performing as Santa at a local retirement home. Edna (Susan Olsen), the receptionist, greets Patrick saying, “I’m Edna, and I’ve been a very bad girl this year.” Patrick enters the hall to greet the residents, asking, “Now, how many of you ladies been nice this Christmas?” Nobody raises a hand. Patrick then asks, “How many you ladies been naughty?” The ladies all get boisterous, enthusiastically raising their hands. Once of the residents is then heard calling out, “Take it off. Take it all off!” Patrick embraces the idea and starts dancing erotically. Santa being found sexy is also identifiable

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elsewhere. In the “’Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas” episode of The Golden Girls (1985–1992), Blanche returns from the mall accompanied by a man dressed as Santa: Blanche: Well I can’t help it. There’s something about a man in a Santa Claus suit that just drives me absolutely crazy. Maybe it’s the warmth of all that red-hot sweaty flannel, set against the austere coldness of those black patent leather jack boots. Or maybe it’s because those rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes bespeak of passion that is about to erupt from a man who just spent a cold, lonely year cooped up with a pack of dwarfs. I’m not sure. All I know is the sight of a Santa sets my body aflame with unbridled desire.

Santa as sexual is also well illustrated in Bad Santa, where the title character—Willie (Billy Bob Thornton), a department store Santa and thief—has a voracious sexual appetite with a specific interest in anal sex.123 In a scene where he has sex with Sue (Lauren Graham), while the presentation highlights Willie’s sexual appetite, it also provides an explicit presentation of his own sexualization: during sex, Sue insists that he keeps his hat on and calls out, “fuck me Santa, fuck me Santa.” Sue explains, “I’ve always had a thing for Santa Claus. . . . It’s like some deep-seated childhood thing. . . . It’s like this forbidden thing.”124 In the sequel, Bad Santa 2, a man propositions Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) in jail, similarly claiming, “I always wanted to fuck me a Santa.” Sex also enters Christmas presentations via puns and word play, whereby sitting on Santa’s knee, Santa coming/cumming once a year, and the notion of different kinds of presents are played for laughs. In We’re No Angels (1955), the escaped prisoner, Jules (Peter Ustinov), tells the story of why he was sent to prison. “I came home unexpectedly one Christmas and found my wife giving a friend of mine a present.” In Love the Coopers, Charlotte (Diane Keaton) corrects her husband, Sam’s (John Goodman), singing of “Joy to the World” while the two are putting on a performance at a retirement home: “It’s not the right lyric . . . it’s not the Lord has cum like God reached orgasm.” In another scene, Charlotte corrects Sam for thinking the lyrics of “Silent Night” were “brown young virgin.” In Miracle on 34th Street (1994), the fired, alcoholic store Santa, Tony (Jack McGee), mocks the incumbent, Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough), commenting about one of his helpers: “She the one who puts the twinkle in your eye?” In the action film The World Is Not Enough (1999), James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) addresses Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards): “I thought Christmas only came once a year.” In Reindeer Games, Ashley’s brother, Gabriel (Gary Sinise), accuses Rudy of lying about his identity “so he could get down her chimney.” In Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Mauricio (John Leguizamo) makes a barb to Spencer

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(Cedric Young), who happened to be dressed up as Santa: “I like the black Santa scam. . . . Too bad Santa only comes once a year if you know what I mean.” In the same scene, Spencer flirts with a cashier, remarking, “Why don’t you sit on Santa’s lap and give me your wish list.” During the television broadcast of the Christmas parade in The Long Kiss Goodnight, the reporter refers to Samantha as Mrs. Claus and remarks, “And after one look at her, I’m thinking Santa got what he really wanted this Christmas.” A cruder reference is made in A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, when Kumar pushes to the front of the line to see Santa and is reprimanded by a mother standing with her son, to which Kumar retorts, “Relax, lady. Your little boy can rub his ass on Santa’s cock in a minute!” In Bad Santa 2, a boy (Noah Tran) sits on Willie’s lap and asks for a “hand grenade” to which Willie responds that he wants “hand release.” While these examples are each presented for bawdy humor and exaggeration, they also hint to another sexualized presentation: Santa Claus as somehow inherently sexual himself: that creeping into people’s houses, watching them all the time (in Black Christmas, Lauren referred to Santa as a “fat voyeur”), and making them sit on his lap is somehow inherently sexually strange.125 Alonso Duralde references this in his discussion of the Italian film Il Natale che quasi non fu (The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t) (1966), noting how odd the film seems, viewed half a century on: It’s interesting to watch, through modern eyes, what used to be considered suitable entertainment for kids: When Santa says, “I’ve lost count of all the children I’ve seen asleep in their beds,” or sings “I’ve Got a Date with Children,” you’ll have to remind yourself not to dial 9–1–1.126

A different way sex gets inserted into a narrative is as a disruptor: to depict something not being right and to unsettle the audience. Akin to the jarring juxtaposition of Christmas and violence (chapter 4), the use of sex can function to shatter expectations: while audiences may have grown acclimatized to a little sexualization of the season, inserting the sex industry into a depiction of Christmas injects an odd, if not subversive, timbre. In White Reindeer for example, Fantasia gives a private dance. While she dances, her male client incongruously asks, “have you done all your Christmas shopping yet?” Something similar is depicted in The Ice Harvest (2005): the film is set on Christmas Eve and numerous scenes take place in a festively decorated strip club. In one scene, protagonist Charlie (John Cusack) grants one of the strippers free stage rental for the evening, rationalizing “It’s Christmas . . . it’s God’s birthday.” In the Christmas horror film Santa’s Slay, Santa (Bill Goldberg) visits a seasonally decorated strip club on Christmas Eve.127 The services of sex workers are also purchased at Christmas in the British film Escort Girls (1974), a film focused on lonely

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characters seeking sexual solace during the season. The same idea is referred to in Powder Blue (2009) in the context of a strip club. The Christmas/sex unease is also depicted in Tangerine (2015). Razmik (Karren Karagulian), for example, leaves his family’s Christmas Eve celebration to seek out sex worker Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez). In another scene, sex worker Alexandra (Mya Taylor) is in a car with a customer (Scott Krinsky). The latter only has half of the money needed and pleads for a discount. “Come on it’s Christmas.” Each presentation, in varying degrees, has an air of feeling wrong: that the commercial sex industry jars with our expectations of the season. Just like violence, sex seemingly, has no place in Christmas128 and thus can indicate something is seasonally awry and expose something needing punishment. Of course, the films discussed in this section aren’t traditional and thus are less beholden to the tropes and sanitized storylines usually presented in holiday films. In some examples, the inclusion of sex flags forthcoming drama. In Santa’s Slay, moments after the audience sees the sexy Santa costumes of the staff, the strip club becomes the scene of a gory shootout. In other examples, the sex/Christmas connection gets made through pathology. In Deadly Little Christmas (2009), after seeing her husband (Douglas Myers)—dressed as Santa—having sex with the family’s Scandinavian nanny (Noa Geller) on Christmas morning, Mary (Felissa Rose) slaughters them both. In Christmas Evil, young Harry (Gus Salud) spies Santa and his mother in a sexual position: Santa is positioned at her crotch, stroking her stocking-clad legs.129 Flash forward and adult Harry (Brandon Maggart) is now a slasher who dresses as Santa. In both films characters were, seemingly, so disturbed at seeing the merging of sex and Christmas that they became violent. The slasher film has frequently been discussed as connected to the sexualization and objectification of women. Sex researcher Naomi McCormick describes the slasher genre as being marked by its fusion of “a mild erotic component with graphic brutality towards women . . .”130 Christmas horror films certainly operate in this fashion. In the Canadian Black Christmas (1974)131—remade in the United States as Black Christmas in 2006—a group of girls remain on campus over Christmas and are killed off, one by one. While Black Christmas is certainly a slasher film—with many butchered female victims—the overt themes of sex are even more visible in the Christmas horror To All a Goodnight. Described by film theorist Adam Rockoff as “one of the first mad Santa films,”132 the film focuses on the girls remaining at the Calvin Finishing School over the Christmas break. The girls—each presented as variously rapacious—are killed off, one by one. Discussing To All a Goodnight, Rockoff spotlights the film’s adherence—and departure points, from the slasher genre:

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As expected, one by one the cast is eliminated in a variety of unpleasant ways. What is not expected, is their ferocious sexual appetites, even once they discover that the killer is in their midst.133

While subtle in Black Christmas, To All a Goodnight demonstrates a key convention of slasher films where women are punished for their sexuality. This idea, in fact, is at the heart of another Christmas horror film: the British Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984). While the killer, Cliff (Alan Lake) murders anyone dressed as Santa, the violence against women is presented as notably sexualized. In the narrative, Jerry (Kevin Lloyd) is an erotic photographer. One of his models, Sharon (Pat Astley), leaves a shoot wrapped in a Santa Claus coat. She has an encounter with the killer who opens her robe and runs his knife over her bare body. Another of the women (Kelly Baker) who gets attacked has already been sexualized in the narrative via her work in a peep show booth. The women in this film are brutalized in highly sexualized ways that the male victims are not. While the sexualization of Christmas has largely gone analyzed, Belk does hint to it in the context of presentations of a lecherous Santa, in line with some of the portrayals discussed above, notably in Bad Santa: The jolly demeanor and fat belly of Santa Claus are in keeping with his role as a symbol of hedonistic indulgence—not only of material desires but for some adults perhaps indulgences in pleasures of the flesh as well. Such sexual indulgence is detected in Santa by [Stuart] Hall’s (1984) analysis of Christmas issues of Playboy and Penthouse magazines. In these issues, which outsell all other months’ issues, Santa is portrayed as a lecherous old man who fits well with these magazines’ general enthusiasm for sexual and material pleasures. . . .134

This chapter has examined the themes of commercialism and consumerism as apparent in Christmas cinema. Be it through the holiday becoming a shopping festival or some of the more salacious ways that the market enters depictions, the influence of the dollar on the season is widely identifiable. NOTES 1.  This comes from a song called “Sellabration” performed in All She Wants for Christmas (2006). 2.  Anthropologist William Waits identifies that commercialization is the “most popular of all words for describing the development of the celebration,” although critiques its use, considering it as ‘overly vague’” (William B. Waits, The Modern

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Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving [New York: New York University Press, 1993], 2). 3.  Peter Holley, “Kirk Cameron says ‘Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas’ Is the Target of an Atheist Conspiracy,” The Washington Post, December 8, 2014. Accessed January 11, 2015 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and -entertainment/wp/2014/12/08/kirk-cameron-says-kirk-camerons-saving-christ mas-is-the-target-of-an-atheist-conspiracy/. 4.  John Gibson, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought (New York: Sentinel, 2005); William A. Donohue, Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America (New York: Hachette, 2009); Joseph F. Kelly, The Feast of Christmas (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010); Robert M. Solomon, Reflections on Christmas (Singapore: Genesis Books, 2011); Sarah Palin, Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas (New York: Broadside Books, 2013). 5.  “Jesus Is the Reason for the Season” is a phrase that appears on signs outside churches in Last Holiday (2006) and Christmas with a Capital C (2011). In Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010), Mrs. Miracle (Doris Roberts) actually gives a “reason for the season” explanation (albeit without the phrase) to young Gabe (Quinn Lord): “Christmas is about a different gift. One God gave to us many years ago. . . . You just have to remember that Christmas is about a very special gift. And anything else you get for Christmas is just like extra powdered sugar on a Christmas cookie.” 6.  A very similar speech is given by Pastor Timmins (Dave Thomas) in the Christmas horror film Santa’s Slay (2005): “There are some people who don’t believe in the spirit of Christmas, oh, no they don’t. There are some people who don’t believe Christmas should exist at all, that it’s become too commercial, yes they do. There are some people who don’t believe in the spirit of Christmas giving, no, no they don’t. . . .” This sermon was given as part of the pastor’s call for his parishioners to dig deep and pile cash onto the collection plate. Worth noting, the pastor was also presented as a hypocrite who, on Christmas Eve, went to the strip club then preached on Christmas Day that those in attendance were sinners. 7.  David Kyle Johnson, “Saving Christmas from Kirk Cameron,” Psychology Today, November 20, 2014. Accessed January 11, 2016 from https://www.psy chologytoday.com/blog/logical-take/201411/saving-christmas-kirk-cameron. 8.  Kelly Faircloth, “Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas Is Another Reason to Kill Christmas,” Jezebel, November 18, 2014. Accessed January 11, 2015 from http://jezebel.com/kirk-camerons-saving-christmas-is-another-reason-to-kil-1659738463. 9. Matt Saccaro, “The Internet Backlash Against Kirk Cameron’s ‘War on Christmas’ Movie Is Brilliant,” Mic, November 25, 2014. Accessed January 13, 2015 from mic.com/articles/105092/the-internet-backlash-against-kirk-cameron-s -war-on-christmas-movie-is-brilliant#.TSSR7srAd. 10.  “Reason for the season” is a constant refrain in Christian campaigning for the supposed meaning to be returned to Christmas and is a phrase used in Saving Christmas (2014). It is also used, more cynically, by schoolgirl Rosalie (Quinn McColgan) as the title of a play she writes so that she has an opportunity to star, as transpires in Wishin’ and Hopin’ (2014). 11.  It is perhaps no surprise that the Hallmark company, known for promoting Christmas through greeting cards, entered the business of producing live-action

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Christmas sentiments via Christmas films which they have been making since 2000 and which have increased in number since 2009. The Hallmark Channel also runs an annual “Countdown to Christmas” whereby back-to-back holiday films are screened from Thanksgiving (Annie Zaleski, “The Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas Movie Event Is a Guilt-Free Holiday Indulgence,” AV Club, December 15, 2015. Accessed January 9, 2016 from www.avclub.com/article/ hallmark-channels-countdown-christmas-movie-event--229545). 12. While not specifically about the story of the Nativity, nonetheless, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007) centers on the title character (Tom Berenger) carving a Nativity set and in the process going through a recovery from his own mourning. Also, in Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010), while a secular narrative, Gabe (Quinn Lord) reveals that his father read him the Nativity story each year. 13. Tim Willis, “Did Japanese Workers Really Get Their Symbols Mixed Up and Display Santa on a Crucifix?” Independent, December 18, 2014. Accessed January 8, 2016 from www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/entertainment/ did-japanese-workers-really-get-their-symbols-mixed-up-and-display-santa-on -a-crucifix-9931931.html. 14.  While not specifically discussing the Santa-crucifixion story, film theorist Mark Connelly discusses how non-Christian countries have come to celebrate the season: “Christmas is now an international festival. It touches nations that do not celebrate Christianity as their main religion. A good example is Japan, for in recent years it has adapted aspects of the season—Santa, decorations, trees—into its calendar” (Mark Connelly, “Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly [London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000]: 1–9, 1). 15. Tim Willis, “Did Japanese Workers Really Get Their Symbols Mixed Up and Display Santa on a Crucifix?” Independent, December 18, 2014. Accessed January 8, 2016 from www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/entertainment/ did-japanese-workers-really-get-their-symbols-mixed-up-and-display-santa-on -a-crucifix-9931931.html. 16.  Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss, in a 1952 essay, recounts a story of Father Christmas being “executed” in Dijon, France, as part of a protest against the paganizing of Christmas (Claude Lévi-Strauss, “Father Christmas Executed,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993]: 38–54). 17. Callum G. Brown, Religion and Society in Twentieth-Century Britain (New York: Routledge, 2014). 18.  Stephen Nissenbaum, The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America’s Most Cherished Holiday (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996). 19.  Joe Perry, Christmas in Germany: A Cultural History (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2010). 20.  Jane Struthers, The Book of Christmas (London: Ebury, 2012). 21.  Timothy W. Luke, “Xmas Ideology: Unwrapping the American Welfare State under the Christmas Tree,” in Sexual Politics and Popular Culture, ed. Diane Christine Raymond (Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1990): 219–230; Bruce David Forbes, Christmas: A Candid History (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007); Peter Bacon Hales, Outside

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the Gates of Eden: The Dream of America from Hiroshima to Now (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2014). 22. In A Christmas without Snow (1980), Reverend Lohman (James Cromwell) asks, as part of his sermon, whether commercialization is necessary to the Christmas celebration. In Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), Santa (David Huddleston) laments to his wife, Anya (Judy Cornwell): “The world is a different place now, Anya. You don’t see. The people don’t seem to care about giving a gift just so they can see the light of happiness in a friend’s eye. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore. . . .” In It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989), Santa laments, “They want more and more. They’ve gotten greedy. Why am I knocking myself out? . . . They don’t care about Santa anymore. . . . They all want for themselves. Nobody cares about anybody else in more. . . .” In The Christmas Secret (2000), Sasha (Barbara Tyson) tries to reassure her husband, Santa Claus (Beau Bridges), “Every few generations this happens. People think they don’t need you. But they come back. They always do.” In Santa Who? (2000), Santa (Leslie Nielsen) is disillusioned and wistful about a Christmassier past: “Things in those days were more thoughtful. They were more caring, you know. You don’t see that today. Everything is gimme gimme gimme. . . . The magic is gone. I think it’s time for me to retire.” In Santa Buddies (2009), Santa (George Wendt) comments, “These days children and their pups just don’t believe like they used to. Their focus is on themselves instead of on giving to others less fortunate.” In Cancel Christmas (2010), Constance (Jean Yoon)—from the Santa Board—remarks, “Children today worship money.” This is taken further in Fred Claus (2007): Clyde (Kevin Spacey) is an efficiency expert at the North Pole who reveals, “The average size of a child’s wish list has grown substantially in the last 200 years. In the 1800s, for example, children rarely asked for more than one item and usually these items were of an intangible nature. Something like a family member’s health or the end of war or famine. . . . Today the average child asks for 15 gifts per letter.” In Battle of the Bulbs (2010) Mr. Sutton (Tim Henry) reflects, “I just don’t like flashy Christmases. I like Christmas the way it used to be. When it meant something. With carols and the Christmas pageant at the church. . . .” In Merry in Laws (2012), Peter (Lucas Bryant) tells his father, Santa Claus (George Wendt), “It is a different world now, okay? People don’t believe in that kind of stuff anymore,” to which Santa agrees, “Everyone’s lost touch. Too busy to realize that every day is magic. Everyday is a gift.” In Elf (2003), Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) says: “Every year, less and less people believe in Santa.” 23.  Keep Calm at Christmas (London: Ebury, 2011), ebook. The lamentation of the arrival of an ever-earlier Christmas is discussed in chapter 4. 24. Theologian John Shea notes Christmas is “a mighty mess of experience, tradition, Bible and imagination” (John Shea, Starlight: Beholding the Christmas Miracle All Year Long [New York: Crossroad, 1993], 15). Theologian Rex Hunt similarly describes Christmas as a “media-religion-culture syncretism” (Rex A. E. Hunt, Cards, Carols & Claus: Christmas in Popular Culture and Progressive Christianity [Preston, Victoria: Mosaic Press, 2013], 11). 25.  Fiona Macdonald, Christmas, A Very Peculiar History (Brighton: Book House, 2010), ebook.

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26.  Daniel Miller, “A Theory of Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 3–37, 3. 27. As Elizabeth Haynie notes: “The classic Christmas movies rarely make any direct reference to Christmas as an important Christian holiday, but the spirit is there. The timeless qualities of unselfishness, kindness, and humility are invariably contrasted with the shallowness of more worldly goals, with the former emerging as the clear winners” (Elizabeth Haynie, Great Christmas Movies: Holiday Favorites, Behind-the-Scenes, Fun & Trivia [Downers Grove, IL: Anton Publications, 2004], 7). 28. William E. Studwell, “The Christmas Carol as a Cultural Phenomenon: Four Musings on the Music of the December Holiday,” in Publishing Glad Tidings: Essays on Christmas Music, eds. William E. Studwell and Dorothy E. Jones (New York: The Haworth Press, 1998), 137–146, 138. 29.  John Gibson, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought (New York: Sentinel, 2005); William A. Donohue, Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America (New York: Hachette, 2009); Joseph F. Kelly, The Feast of Christmas (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2010); Robert M. Solomon, Reflections on Christmas (Singapore: Genesis Books, 2011); Sarah Palin, Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas (New York: Broadside Books, 2013). 30.  Adam Garfinkle, Jewcentricity: Why the Jews Are Praised, Blamed, and Used to Explain Just About Everything (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009); Brian Lowry, “‘The War on Christmas’ and ‘Jews Run Hollywood’: A Holiday Parable,” Variety, December 12, 2013. Accessed January 9, 2016 from variety.com/2013/tv/columns/ the-war-on-christmas-and-jews-run-hollywood-a-holiday-parable-1200945483/. This, in fact, is referenced in Fanny, Annie & Danny (2010), when Mom (Colette Keen) asks her son, Danny (Jonathan Leveck), whether the Jews run Hollywood. 31.  This film was also released as The Castaways (1945). 32.  While the film is set in St. Louis, New York looms large as the big city where patriarch Alonzo (Leon Ames) wants to relocate his family. 33.  This film was also released as Christmas Dove (1986). 34.  This film was also released as Smothered (2005). 35.  This film was also released as Miracle in Manhattan (2010). 36.  This film was also released as Keep on Dancing (2012). 37.  This film was also released as Almost Christmas (2013). 38.  This film was also released as Oh Christmas Tree! (2013). 39.  While each of the films listed in this section were either set in New York, had New York as a backdrop or, as in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), where New York loomed large in the characters’ imaginations, not all these films were filmed in New York. Crazy for Christmas (2005) was set in New York but was filmed in Toronto; a situation common where, because of tax breaks and other factors, films get made outside of New York even though they are, technically, set there (Katie Toth, “Toronto Is Hollywood’s Go-To City for That Real New York Feel,” Village Voice, January 22, 2015. Accessed January 27, 2016 from www.vil lagevoice.com/news/toronto-is-hollywoods-go-to-city-for-that-real-new-york -feel-6713954). Worth also noting, the Irish Christmas film How About You (2007),

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while set in Ireland, opens with a song that mentions New York: “How About You” (1961) by Bobby Darrin. 40.  New York spoken of as a character within films has occurred previously. In discussing his work on the sitcom Caroline in the City (1995–1999), Marco Pennette noted that he wanted to “use New York as a character” (in Larry Doyle, “The Fall Preview,” New York Magazine, September 11, 1995: 47–49). Myka Caroll in his travel guide to the city also flags the city’s presence as a character in Taxi Driver (1976) (Myka Carroll, New York City for Dummies [Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2013], 25). 41.  Scott Jordan Harris, World Film Locations: New York (Chicago, IL: Intellect Books, 2011), 5. 42.  David Finkle, “New York: City of the Imagination,” in World Film Locations: New York, ed. Scott Jordan Harris (Chicago, IL: Intellect Books, 2011), 6–7. 43.  In narratives such as The Wishing Tree (2012), the first snow is timed with a first kiss, such as the one shared by Professor Evan Farnsworth (Jason Gedrick) and Clarissa (Erica Cerra). This also happens for Helen (Roma Downey) and Jimmy (George Newbern) in Sons of Mistletoe (2001), Brandi (Jami Gertz) and Jake (Shawn Christian) in Undercover Christmas (2003) and Chris (Matthew Lawrence) and Jen (Samaire Armstrong) in My Santa (2013). 44. In A Christmas Visitor (2002), daughter Jean (Reagan Pasternak) has a cancer scare. Toward the end of the narrative it starts snowing and Jean feels—instinctively—that her cancer is gone. 45. In Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987), Los Angeles-based Al (Hoyt Axton) gets a white Christmas courtesy of his friends in Alaska sending a snow machine to his house to thank him for saving their Christmas. In The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), Santa Claus (John B. Lowe) operates a weather machine so that he can give everyone the “ultimate Christmas present” of a “perfect snowfall” to “remind people of the magic of the season.” In All I Want for Christmas (1991), Santa (Leslie Nielsen) also alludes to the importance of snow during the season, admitting, “I feel awfully guilty when it doesn’t snow.” 46.  This film was also released as A Merry Christmas Miracle (2014). 47.  A subversion of this transpires in Angels in the Snow (2015) when, on Christmas morning, rather than snowing the sun comes out signaling that the storm that had kept them all housebound had finally eased. 48.  Los Angeles also gets a freak snowstorm in The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), as a result of two girls stealing Santa’s magic weather machine. 49.  It is also a self-fulfilling explanation: a long history of films depicting New York at Christmas thus encourages modern narratives to use the same imagery that audiences are so familiar with. 50. Antonello Frongia, “The Shadow of the Skyscraper: Urban Photography and Metropolitan Irrationalism in the Stieglitz Circle,” in The American Skyscraper: Cultural Histories, ed. Roberta Moudry (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005): 217–233, 217; Nezar Alsayyad, “Consuming Heritage or the End of the Tradition: The New Challenges of Globalization,” in New Heritage: New Media and Cultural Heritage, eds. Yehuda Kalay, Thomas Kvan and Janice Affleck (New York: Routledge, 2008), 166; Annie Hauck-Lawson and Jonathan Deutsch, Gastropolis: Food and New York City (Chichester, NY: Columbia University Press, 2009), 294;

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Caroline Rosenthal, New York and Toronto Novels after Postmodernism: Explorations of the Urban (Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2011), 30. 51.  Annie Hauck-Lawson and Jonathan Deutsch, Gastropolis: Food and New York City (Chichester, NY: Columbia University Press, 2009), 294. 52.  Mark Connelly, “Santa Claus: The Movie,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 115–134, 117. 53.  The artifice that Cameron associates with the American Christmas is similarly spotlighted in Tangerine (2015) by the Armenian Ashken (Alla Tumanian) who discusses the Los Angeles Christmas as one without snow: “Feels fake. Los Angeles is a beautifully wrapped lie.” 54.  Canceling Christmas is mooted in A Christmas Truce (2015), a film set during World War II where this idea is proposed because of the German occupation. 55.  The supposed Americanization of Christmas is discussed in a range of volumes, for example: Bernd Brunner, Inventing the Christmas Tree (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995); Guy Austin, “Christmas in French Cinema,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 165–184; Jeffrey Richards, “General Editor’s Introduction,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): x; George McKay, “Consumption, Coca-Colonisation, Cultural Resistance—and Santa Claus,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008): 50–70; Joe Perry, Christmas in Germany: A Cultural History (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2010); Katie Forster, “An American Christmas: Why Are We Sacrificing British Traditions for a Yankified Yuletide,” The Independent, 22 December, 2012. Accessed January 11, 2016 from http://www.independent.co .uk/voices/comment/an-american-christmas-why-are-we-sacrificing-british -traditions-for-a-yankified-yuletide-8428897.html; Mark Connelly, Christmas: A History (New York: I. B. Tauris, 2012); Tara Moore, Christmas: The Sacred to Santa (London: Reaktion Books, 2014). 56.  In Guy Austin’s work on French Christmas films, he identifies that many include a portrayal of Christmas that is consciously different to the American Christmas (Guy Austin, “Christmas in French Cinema,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly [London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000]): 165–184. 57. Russell W. Belk, “Representing Global Consumers: Desire, Possession, and Identity,” in The SAGE Handbook of Marketing Theory, eds. Pauline Maclaran, Michael Saren, Barbara Stern and Mark Tadajewski (London: SAGE Publications, 2009): 283–298, 290. An early screen illustration of this transpires in It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947). Homeless military veteran, Jim (Don DeFore), gives his love interest, Trudy (Gale Storm), a coat for Christmas. Trudy protests, “You can’t afford it,” to which Jim—with typical seasonal carefreeness—remarks, “It’s Christmas.” 58.  This film was also released as Santa’s Dog (2012). 59.  An interesting illustration of the link between malls and Christmas transpires in Christmas Caper (2007), where characters are singing “Deck the Halls,” seemingly under the belief that the lyrics are “Deck the Malls.”

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60. In Mark Weinberg’s Orange Coast Magazine article on Christmas films, suggestions are made for some holiday films “not usually associated with the holidays” including The Devil and Miss Jones (1941): “Although it doesn’t have a single scene relating to the season, it’s a fine little film. And any movie set in a department store should be a holiday film.” Mark Weinberg, “Holidays at Home,” Orange Coast Magazine, December (1988): 45–46, 45. 61.  While I am discussing New York in this chapter, the big city Christmas idea is referenced in many other narratives via the presence of other large cities, for example Boston in Three Days (2001), Chicago in While You Were Sleeping (1995), The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), A Holiday for Love (1996), The Road to Christmas (2006), Fred Claus (2007), Holiday Baggage (2008), Nothing Like the Holidays (2008), Christmas Angel (2009), Holidaze (2013), Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014), Bad Santa 2 (2016) and A Heavenly Christmas (2016), San Francisco in All I Want for Christmas (1991), A Christmas without Snow (1980), His & Her Christmas (2005), Four Holidays (2008), Christmas under Wraps (2014), Family for Christmas (2015) and Merry Kissmas (2015), Philadelphia in Trading Places (1983) and Washington D.C. in Holiday Road Trip (2013). 62.  James A. Clapp, The American City in the Cinema (Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2013), 59–60. 63.  Susan Mackey-Kallis, The Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001), 134. 64.  Although, a point does need to be made about people living outside of big cities being more inclined to vote conservatively. 65.  Susan Mackey-Kallis, The Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001), 134. 66.  A range of (non-Christmas) films center on characters that move from the city to the country, for example: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Footloose (1984), Funny Farm (1988), Cold Comfort Farm (1995), Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) and The Last Song (2010). 67.  Jack Boozer, “Huckster Foreplay: The Promotion Industry,” in Career Movies: American Business and the Success Mystique (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2002), 146–198. 68.  James R. Faulconbridge, Peter Taylor, Corinne Nativel and Jonathan Beaverstock, The Globalization of Advertising: Agencies, Cities and Spaces of Creativity (New York: Routledge, 2011), 9. 69.  Michael Bérubé, “A Change Is Gonna Come, Same as It Ever Was,” in Mad Men, Mad World: Sex, Politics, Style, and the 1960s, eds. Lauren M. E. Goodlad, Lilya Kaganovsky and Robert A. Rushing (Durham: Duke University Press, 2013), 345–360, 354. 70.  Corey’s criticism in The National Tree (2009) can be interpreted as underpinned by assumptions about city work compared to work on farms. This idea is explicitly articulated in A Christmas Tree Miracle (2013), when the Christmas tree farmer, Henry (Terry Kiser), describes farming as “good, clean honest living.” 71.  Jack Boozer, “Huckster Foreplay: The Promotion Industry,” in Career Movies: American Business and the Success Mystique (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2002), 146–198, 147.

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72. Film theorists Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton discuss this: “Another recurring characteristic of the nostalgia in classical Hollywood cult films is its suspicion of modern technology and progress. . . . As is the case in Miracle on 34th Street [1947], but also in Casablanca [1942], It’s a Wonderful Life [1946], Harvey [1950], Touch of Evil [1958] and many others, nostalgia is frequently inhabited by a gentle but persistent criticism of capitalism, consumerism, commodification, and the pinch these have put on close-knit communities” (Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton, Cult Cinema [Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 2011], 185). 73. Similar themes are apparent in Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), when Jessica (Dina Meyer) wins an account to market Palm Springs by appealing to themes synonymous with Christmas: her slogan, ultimately, is “Palm Springs, it’s in your heart.” 74.  Bruce David Forbes, Christmas: A Candid History (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007); George McKay, “Consumption, Coca-Colonisation, Cultural Resistance—and Santa Claus,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008): 50–70; Mark Connelly, Christmas: A History (New York: I. B. Tauris, 2012). The Coca-Cola Santa is alluded to in Santa Claws (2014), when Julia (Nicola Lambo) tells her son, “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you Santa’s real. He was made up by a soda company.” In Santa’s Slay (2005), Grandpa (Robert Culp) outlines his opposition to Christmas: “I don’t see any reason to commercialize Christmas. Besides, he hasn’t always been that loveable poster boy for Coca-Cola.” The same reference is made in the Finnish Christmas film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) when Pietari (Onni Tommila) proclaims, “The Coca-Cola Santa is just a hoax. . . . The real Santa Claus. He tears naughty kids to pieces. Not even their skeletons are left.” The soda is also mentioned in Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), when Santa (Mairtin O’Carrigan) comments, “These kids think I’m just some fat old guy who sits . . . drinking cola.” A variant on these ideas is presented in A Very Cool Christmas (2004), where Santa Claus is described by teen Lindsay (Brooke Nevin) as “a corporate creation in the tradition of Ronald McDonald and the Energizer Bunny.” 75.  Mr. Destiny (1990) is an example of an alternate reality film where a character gets the opportunity to live an alternate reality (or, what Hannah (Lacey Chabert) describes in Family for Christmas (2015) as “some sort of cosmic mashup.”) This plot is used in other Christmas films including It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Ri¢hie Ri¢h’s Christmas Wish (1998), The Family Man (2000), Comfort and Joy (2003), Holiday Switch (2007), Snowglobe (2007), The Christmas Clause (2008), All About Christmas Eve (2012), Holly’s Holiday (2012), A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), Holidaze (2013), All I Want for Christmas (2014), Family for Christmas (2015), Just in Time for Christmas (2015), A Dream of Christmas (2016), Holiday Joy (2016) and The Christmas Swap (2016). 76.  In these films, the idea that advertising is an industry that conflicts with the values of Christmas is an idea presented, but ultimately dismissed. A different take on this—but delivering the same message—transpires in A Christmas Song (2012). Amy (Brittany Adams) wants to sing in the school Christmas concert; her mother (Brittany Adams), however, is opposed: “My husband and I have gone to great lengths to teach our daughter the true values of Christmas. Giving, love,

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togetherness. We’ve done missions in Mexico just to get away from the very commercialism and consumerism that Christmas has become. And now you want to put her on a television show sponsored by the very consumerism we loathe so that she can sing like a trick animal? I don’t think so.” Amy’s mom’s views however, are ultimately presented as out-dated and outlandish; one of the teachers, Jill (Ramona Milano), dismissingly asks, “Who hates Christmas that much?” seemingly not understanding the objection. The common critique on Christmas got tabled but ultimately Amy’s mom’s views were presented as outlier, thus maintaining the commercial status quo. 77.  Frank Thompson, AMC: Great Christmas Movies (Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998), 137. 78.  The Christmas Consultant (2012) begins much like Christmas in Connecticut (1945), whereby Maya (Caroline Rhea) is asked by her boss to her host a foreign client, Boris (Aleks Paunovic), over Christmas: Boris apparently wanted to experience his “first American Christmas party.” 79.  Kara Baskin discusses the training of mall Santas and spotlights, “Breaking character is a no-no. Trained Santas must maintain a jolly disposition, regardless of the situation” (Kara Baskin, “How to Be a Shopping-Mall Santa,” Slate, 22 December, 2006. Accessed January 15, 2016 from www.slate.com/articles/news_ and_politics/explainer/2006/12/how_to_be_a_shoppingmall_santa.html). 80. The entire opening sequence of Love the Coopers (2015) shows Santas breaking character: riding the subway, driving beat-up cars and adjusting costumes in public. 81.  This film was also released as You Better Watch Out (1980). 82.  Bernd Brunner, Inventing the Christmas Tree (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995), 1. 83.  A non-mess related example of the hassle of real trees is referenced in Window Wonderland (2013) when Sloan (Chyler Leigh) gives her mom, Rita (Naomi Judd), a real tree, and Rita sighs and says, “Now I have to water it.” 84. An interesting subversion of the gender/mess idea occurs in A Mom for Christmas (1990): young Jessie (Juliet Sorci) says, “We’ll get a small tree. Dad says they’re less fuss,” and Amy (Olivia Newton John) responds, “Why not fuss? It’s Christmas!” Amy, of course, is a mannequin who has come to life—that is, not a real woman—so she is oblivious to the reasons that women are often disinclined to get real trees. 85.  Alice’s appreciation for scrawny trees is actually also a theme in A Royal Christmas (2014), where Emily (Lacey Chabert) reveals, “My dad and I had this Christmas tradition where we would try and find the scrawniest tree, the one that needed to be loved the most. It was just his way of making the tree special rather than telling me it was all he could afford.” Of course, as Charlie comments in A Very Merry Mix-Up (2013), the appreciation for the scrawny tree comes from A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). The “Charlie Brown Christmas tree” is also mentioned in The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), when Lucas (Darien Provost) teases his friend Molly (Olivia Steele Falconer) about her tree. 86.  Bernd Brunner discusses imperfection in his work on the history of Christmas trees: “The shape of the first fake trees was ‘perfect,’ slim and straight. But doesn’t the true charm of the real thing come from its slight imperfection? When

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the manufacturers of artificial trees grasped this bit of psychology, another market boom followed: the more ‘natural,’ ‘imperfect’ artificial tree” (Bernd Brunner, Inventing the Christmas Tree [New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995], 84). 87. In films like A Christmas Story (1983), A Christmas Visitor, A Nanny for Christmas, A Gift Wrapped Christmas, A Mom for Christmas (1990), Christmas at Cartwright’s, A Christmas Kiss, A Christmas Proposal, A Christmas Tree Miracle and A Christmas Memory (1966) Christmas tree shopping is an important part of the plot. 88.  The authenticity difference between the big city and the small town is also identified in The Flight Before Christmas (2015), when Stephanie’s (Mayim Bialik) friend Kate (Roxana Ortega) encourages her to make the most of her stranded-for -Christmas circumstance: “You’re always saying how L.A. is just so homogenized. Everybody’s trying to be so perfect. And now you’ve landed in what sounds like a really charming, just authentic place.” 89.  Akin to characters working in fields like advertising, marketing and public relations, characters working in media—from television through to book publishing—are very common in Christmas narratives. Main characters are journalists in Meet John Doe (1941), Mundo-mercado do Sexo (World-Market of Sex) (1979), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Santa Who? (2000), A Town without Christmas (2001), Secret Santa (2003), Christmas Child (2004), Crazy for Christmas (2005), Under the Mistletoe (2006), The Holiday (2006), Holiday Engagement (2011), A Moody Christmas (2012), Christmas Twister (2012), My Santa (2013), The Christmas Spirit (2013), Northpole (2014), The Secret Santa (2014), Family for Christmas (2015) and Broadcasting Christmas (2016); columnists in His & Her Christmas (2005), The Note (2007), Snow Bride (2013) and On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (2015); a reviewer in Hitched for the Holidays (2012); a fashion writer in The Holly and the Ivy (1952); an obituary writer in Christmas in Boston (2005); weather reporters in The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000), Picking Up and Dropping Off (2003), Snow Wonder (2005) and White Reindeer (2013); news photographers in Finding John Christmas (2003); a sports reporter in A Chance of Snow (1998); in magazines in Christmas in Connecticut (1945), Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005), Christmas Angel (2009), Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010), Merry Matrimony (2015), The Christmas Gift (2015), A Christmas Detour (2015) and A Puppy For Christmas (2016); children’s book writers in A Perfect Christmas List (2014), The Christmas Shepherd (2014), Love Always, Santa (2016) and My Christmas Love (2016); novelists in The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979), Love Actually (2003), A Perfect Day (2006), Trading Christmas (2011), Anything But Christmas (2012), The March Sisters at Christmas (2012), It’s Christmas, Carol! (2012) and Happy Christmas (2014); they work in publishing in Bell Book and Candle (1958), Sunshine Christmas (1977), Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991), Peter’s Friends (1992), If You Believe (1999), Three Days (2001), Elf (2003), Noel (2004), The Holiday (2006), Coming Home for Christmas (2013), Rodeo & Juliet (2015) and Angel of Christmas (2015); in television in Diner (1982), Scrooged (1988), Christmas in Connecticut (1992), Peter’s Friends (1992), Call Me Claus (2001), Serendipity (2001), Mary Christmas (2002), A Carol Christmas (2003), Egg Nog (2010), A Snow Globe Christmas (2013), Silver Bells (2013), The Christmas Parade (2014), A Christmas to Remember (2016) and Every Christmas Has a Story (2016); in film in Susan Slept Here (1954), The Holiday (2006), Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011) and Christmas in Homestead (2016); in blogging in Santa Claws (2014); in radio in Together Again for the First Time (2008) and On the Twelfth Day of

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Christmas (2015); in theater in The Christmas Pageant (2011), Merry Kissmas (2015) and Love the Coopers (2015), and in music in A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986), Jack Frost (1998), Just Friends (2005), The Perfect Holiday (2007), Christmas Cupid (2010), Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas (2013), An En Vogue Christmas (2014) and Christmas in the Smokies (2015). The high number of characters in Christmas films working in media-related careers reflects the kinds of areas characters commonly work in across film and television (Alex Barris, Stop the Presses! The Newspaperman in American Films [New York: Barnes and Company, 1976]); Matthew C. Ehrlich, Journalism in the Movies (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2006); Larry Langman, The Media in the Movies: A Catalog of American Journalism Films, 1900–1996 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2009; Brian McNair, Journalists in Film: Heroes and Villains (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2010). 90. “Here’s Your Christmas Movie Drinking Game,” Autostraddle, December 6, 2014. Accessed January 14, 2016 from http://www.autostraddle.com/yourchristmas-movie-drinking-game-267583/. 91.  James Chapman, “God Bless Us, Every One: Movie Adaptions of A Christmas Carol,” in Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema, ed. Mark Connelly (London: I. B. Tauris Publishers, 2000): 9–38. 92.  While we don’t know much about the deceased husband of the elderly Mrs. Parkin (Maureen O’Hara), we do know that he, like Richard (Richard Thomas), was a workaholic: “The more success he had, the more he wanted.” 93.  While this book focuses on English language Christmas films, the French holiday film La bûche (Seasons Beatings) (1999) also includes a workaholic character, Milla (Charlotte Gainsbourg). 94.  Delilah Scott and Emma Troy, The Upside-Down Christmas Tree: And Other Bizarre Yuletide Tales (Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2010), ebook. 95.  This film was also released as Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story (1995) and Ebbie: A Christmas Story (1995). 96.  Groundhog Day (1993) centers on a weatherman, Phil (Bill Murray), who gets the opportunity to live the same day over and over again. This time loop, do-over storyline appears in a range of Christmas narratives including Christmas Every Day (1996), The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004), Christmas Do-Over (2006), 12 Dates of Christmas (2011), Dear Secret Santa (2013) and Pete’s Christmas (2013). A variation of the time loop is the time bend where characters get the opportunity to go back in time to correct a mistake as in Three Days (2001), Eve’s Christmas (2004) and Back to Christmas (2014). In Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013), while the title character (Shiri Appleby) also seemingly travels back in time, she realizes that the mistakes she made then were what made her into who she is as an adult, and she leaves the past intact and makes amends in the present. In Lost Christmas (2011), the “just a dream” narrative is made more explicit where the nightmarish Christmas that plays out across the narrative in fact is only a dream. A rare film that offers a time jump into the future transpires in Journey Back to Christmas (2016). 97.  The storyline of struggling enterprises under threat—be it from developers, big box stores, economic downturn or bank foreclosure—is at the heart of a range of narratives whereby big city/small-town values get an opportunity to duel: churches are under threat in Going My Way (1944), A Dream for Christmas (1973), A Midwinter’s Tale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife (1996); inns in White Christmas (1954) and Holidaze (2013); homes in Young Pioneers’ Christmas (1976),

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Secret of Giving (1999), The Christmas Cottage (2007), Frozen River (2008), Battle of the Bulbs (2010) and Baby’s First Christmas (2012); candy stores in Christmas Snow (1986) and Christmas in the City (2013); small towns in The Christmas Gift (1986), Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987), The Christmas Spirit (2013), Christmas Icetastrophe (2014) and Christmas in Vermont (2016); ranches and farms in It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989), Prancer (1989), A Christmas Romance (1994), What I Did For Love (2006), 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012), The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014), Christmas in the Smokies (2015), Rodeo & Juliet (2015), Love You Like Christmas (2016) and Christmas Ranch (2016); a crisis hotline in Mixed Nuts (1994); factories in A Holiday for Love (1996), All She Wants for Christmas (2006), Angel in the House (2011), A Christmas Star (2015), Christmas Incorporated (2015), Wish upon a Christmas (2015) and Christmas in Vermont (2016); school arts programs in A Song for the Season (1999), A Christmas Song (2012) and ’Tis the Season for Love (2015); a music school in Sound of Christmas (2016); a school in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945; 1959) and Nativity 3: Dude Where’s My Donkey (2014); an orphanage in Santa with Muscles (1996); hospital units in Finding John Christmas (2003) and Hearts of Christmas (2016); a newspaper in His & Her Christmas (2005); restaurants in Recipe For a Perfect Christmas (2005), Christmas Magic (2011) and A Prince for Christmas (2015); a suburban mall in Desperately Seeking Santa (2011); a nursing home in How About You. . . . (2007); the North Pole in Fred Claus (2007), the Italian film Il Natale che quasi non fu (The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t) (1966) and the Mexican film Navidad, S.A. (X-mas, Inc) (2008); homeless shelters in Christmas Choir (2008), Dear Santa (2011) and Almost Christmas (2016); Santa’s Village in Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008); a search and rescue program in 12 Men of Christmas (2009); a casino in A Very Mary Christmas (2010); a toy store in Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011); a family business in Lucky Christmas (2011), Fir Crazy (2013), An Evergreen Christmas (2014) and The Tree That Saved Christmas (2014); a dance studio in Come Dance with Me (2012); a forest in A Snow Globe Christmas (2013); a hotel in Starstruck (1982); a bike store in The Christmas Ornament (2013); an antiques store in A Very Merry MixUp (2013); a Christmas decoration store in Hats Off to Christmas! (2013); libraries in The Twelve Trees of Christmas (2013) and Looks Like Christmas (2016); a nightclub in An En Vogue Christmas (2014); a youth center in The Christmas Parade (2014); a tree lighting ceremony in Northpole (2014); an animal shelter in 12 Dog Days Till Christmas (2014); an apartment block in The Christmas Gift (2015); a dog park in A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015) and a bakery in A Christmas Reunion (2015). Interestingly, of all these narratives, it is only Christmas in the City, The Christmas Ornament and 12 Dog Days Till Christmas where Christmastime closures actually transpire. In Christmas in the City, protagonist Wendy’s (Ashley Williams) mom (Beverly Leech) encourages Wendy to stop fighting for the family candy store: “You can’t keep him alive for ever.” This advice allows Wendy to let the store go; the same theme transpires in The Christmas Ornament. 98.  A Gift Wrapped Christmas (2015) opens with the personal shopper, Gwen (Meredith Hanger), walking through a variety of stores, making multiple purchases. 99.  As transpires for Marc (Aaron O’Connell) and his personal shopper Anna (Katrina Law) in 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015). In A Mom for Christmas, to have an opportunity to shop with her mother is part of the rationale behind Jessica’s (Juliet Sorci) wish for a mom for Christmas. In Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010), Holly (Jewel Staite), who is looking after her nephew, Gabe (Quinn Lord), suggests that the

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two go shopping and bake cookies (to bond): “You know I’m a boy right?” Gabe balks. In other narratives—for example A Christmas Visitor (2002) and Charming Christmas (2015)—Christmas tree shopping leads to bonding. 100.  Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in A Christmas Story (1983) and Owen (David Hasselhoff) in The Christmas Consultant (2012) are characters who, within their narratives, verbalize their love of Christmas window displays. In Ebbie (1995), Francine (Molly Parker) notes that she “loves these windows.” In The Santa Switch (2013), Trevor (Steve Valentine) reflects on Christmas Eves in London when his family would go and look at the Christmas windows in Bond Street. In The Bishop’s Wife (1947), one of Dudley’s (Cary Grant) first angelic acts is saving a baby carriage from rolling into the street: the baby’s mother was distracted looking at the department store window. Window Wonderland (2013) centers on two colleagues vying for a window dressing job. In Will You Merry Me? (2008), Rebecca (Vikki Krinsky) is also a window dresser. 101. Claire Langhamer, Women’s Leisure in England, 1920–1960 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2000); Mark Howard Moss, Shopping as an Entertainment Experience (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007). 102.  Sharon Zukin, “Shopping,” in The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies, eds. Daniel Thomas Cook and J. Michael Ryan (Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, 2015), 505–509, 507. 103.  Jennifer L. Walsh and L. Monique Ward, “Adolescent Gender Role Portrayals in the Media: 1950 to the Present,” in The Changing Portrayal of Adolescents in the Media Since 1950, eds. Patrick E. Jamieson and Daniel Romer (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), 132–164. 104.  A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015) is a Christmas-themed narrative about this very concept. 105. This idea is apparent in a brief exchange in Trading Christmas (2011): a neighbor alerts Emily (Faith Ford) to the fact that gingerbread house kits are available, to which Emily responds, “A pre-fab gingerbread house? . . . My daughter would disown me!” 106.  Elizabeth Pleck, “Christmas in the Sixties,” in Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture, ed. Richard Horsley and James Tracey (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001), 19–38. 107. Sarah Bernard, “Delegate the Mistletoe,” New York Magazine, October 25, 2007. Accessed January 16, 2016 from nymag.com/guides/holidays/24389/; Brian Moylan, “Rich People Are Now Outsourcing Christmas,” Gawker, December 16, 2010. Accessed January 16, 2016 from gawker.com/5714228/rich-people-are -now-outsourcing-christmas; Anne Kadet, “Outsourcing Christmas,” The Wall Street Journal, December 21, 2012. Accessed January 16, 2016 from www.wsj.com/ articles/SB10001424127887324461604578193523219578096. 108.  Patrick Cox, “Christmas,” in The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies, eds. Daniel Thomas Cook, J. Michael Ryan (Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, 2015), 77–78, 78. 109.  William D. Crump, The Christmas Encyclopedia (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2013). 110. Of course, all of this gets transformed in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), when Jack Frost (Martin Short) takes over the North Pole and abandons all holiday restraint.

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111. Anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss contends, “Giving presents only at certain times is a useful way to discipline children’s demands . . .” (Claude LéviStrauss, “Father Christmas Executed,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993]: 38–54, 44). 112.  Lauren Rosewarne, Sex in Public: Women, Outdoor Advertising and Public Policy (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007); Feona Attwood, “The Sexualization of Culture,” in Mainstreaming Sex: The Sexualization of Western Culture, ed. Feona Attwood (London: I. B. Tauris & Co, 2009): xiii–2; Brian McNair, Porno? Chic! How Pornography Changed the World and Made It a Better Place (New York: Routledge, 2013). 113.  Freya Jarman-Ivens, “The Musical Underbelly of Christmas,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture, ed. Sheila Whiteley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 113–136, 119. 114. Andrew Kirell, “Samsung Accused of ‘Ruining Christmas’ with Ad ‘Sexualizing’ Mr. and Mrs. Claus,” Mediaite, December 20, 2012. Accessed March 22, 2016 from www.mediaite.com/tv/samsung-draws-controversy-for-ruining -christmas-with-ad-sexualizing-santa-claus-and-his-wife/. 115.  David Moye, “Pornhub Christmas Ad Is Surprisingly Touching,” Huffington Post, December 3, 2015. Accessed March 22, 2016 from www.huffington post.com.au/entry/pornhub-christmas-ad_us_56607d0ae4b072e9d1c50859?sec tion=australia. 116.  Which, incidentally, is on the soundtrack of Jingle All the Way (1996). 117.  Mistletoe is presented in an enormous range of narratives to give characters an excuse to kiss, for example in All I Want for Christmas (1991), Borrowed Hearts (1997), Christmas Town (2008), Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011), The Case for Christmas (2011), All About Christmas Eve (2012), The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014), Charming Christmas (2015), A Christmas Detour (2015), Love the Coopers (2015) and Merry Kissmas (2015) where it is used to intiate a first kiss. The importance of mistletoe in bringing two people together is even recognized by Santa (James Cosmo) in The Santa Incident (2010), when he gives mistletoe to friends Joanna (Ione Skye) and Hank (Jonathan Kerrigan), which, of course, prompts them to kiss. In The Boy Who Saved Christmas (1998), a piece of mistletoe is also what Santa (Colin McClean) gives the titular character, Jeremy’s (Andre Bourque), estranged parents as a gift. The idea of liberties taken at Christmas is jokingly referenced by Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) in Love Actually (2003) when, at the end of the film she cautions her former boss and current love interest, David (Hugh Grant), “Don’t try something, Sir, just because it’s Christmas.” Mistletoe is also used as a reason to be licentious. In Go (1999), Simon (Desmond Askew) holds a piece of mistletoe over his crotch and suggests to his colleague, Ronna (Sarah Polley), “Mistletoe?” In All I Want for Christmas (1991), holiday flirting transpires when Sonya’s (Camille Saviola) colleague invites her to his house: “Got any mistletoe?” she asks. “Tons of it,” he replies. 118.  Foster Kamer, “This Is What Getting Your Vagina Vajazzled Looks Like,” Gawker, December 27, 2010. Accessed March 22, 2016 from gawker.com/5482004/ this-is-what-getting-your-vagina-vajazzled-looks-like. 119.  Hadley Freeman, “Why Are Halloween Costumes So ‘Slutty,’” The Guardian, October 21, 2014. Accessed March 22, 2016 from http://www.theguard ian.com/fashion/2014/oct/20/halloween-costumes-slutty-sexy-witch-women

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-creativity-boob; Raina Delisle, “Halloween Costumes Are Sexualizing Our Youngest Trick-or-Treaters,” Huffington Post, October 18, 2014. Accessed March 22, 2016 from www.huffingtonpost.ca/raina-delisle/halloween-costumes-sexy -inappropriate_b_6006922.html. 120.  This film was also released as Too Cool for Christmas (2004). 121.  Nancy Jo Sales, American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers (New York: Random House, 2016), 165. 122.  This film was also released as Christmas Crush (2012). 123.  Bad Santa’s (2003) presentation of anal sex is discussed further in Lauren Rosewarne, “School of Shock: Film, Television and Anal Education,” Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 15, 4 (2015): 553–565. 124.  In the sequel, Bad Santa 2 (2016), Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) encourages two women he has sex with—Diane (Christina Hendricks) and Gina (Jenny Zigrino)—to call him Santa. 125.  A different spin on Christmas-themed sexual banter transpires in the British film Nativity! (2009). Mrs. Bevan (Pam Ferris) attends a reception dressed in a shiny green dress. The mayor (Ricky Tomlinson) admires her dress and says, “You look like a Christmas cracker! . . . Let’s hope you get pulled before the end of the night.” 126.  Alonso Duralde, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (New York: Limelight Editions, 2010), 176. 127.  A variation on using sex to portray a challenge to Christmas transpires in Christmas in Compton (2012). Big Earl’s (Keith David) Christmas tree farm is under threat from a developer, Tommy (Eric Roberts), who threatens to put a strip club on the lot: the very opposite of the land’s current use. 128. A variant on this theme transpires in Finding Mrs. Claus (2012). Noelle (Laura Vandervoort) asks her colleague at the hotel, Myles (Andrew W. Walker), about a woman he had recently gone out with: “Not into it. I guess it’s the holidays.” A subtle example, but the undercurrent is that the holidays might not be the appropriate time for a random hook-up. 129.  Outside of the horror genre, it is worth noting that seeing one’s mother and Santa Claus in a compromising position also instigates bad behavior in a non-horror film. In I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2002)—as in Christmas Evil (1980)—young Justin (Cole Sprouse) sees his mom (Connie Sellecca) kissing Santa. (As in Christmas Evil, Santa is really just Dad dressed up.) Justin then decides to behave badly so Santa doesn’t visit him at Christmas and threaten his parents’ marriage. 130. Naomi B. McCormick, Sexual Salvation: Affirming Women’s Sexual Rights and Pleasures (Westport, CT: Praeger, 1994), 160. 131.  This film was also released as Silent Night, Evil Night (1974) and Stranger in the House (1974). 132.  Adam Rockoff, Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978– 1986 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2002), 98. 133.  Adam Rockoff, Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978– 1986 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2002), 99. 134. Russell Belk, “Materialism and the Making of the Modern American Christmas,” in Unwrapping Christmas, ed. Daniel Miller (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993), 75–104, 83.

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Conclusion

“Snow melts, lights come down. It’s all just an illusion.”

I

t became a joke throughout the writing of this book: I’d be asked, “What are your plans for the day?” and for over a year I would answer, “Christmas.”1 I watched an awful lot of films in this book: many many more than I’ve watched for any other project. Many more than I ever hope to again in such quick succession. I started with A Perfect Day (2006), I ended with Die Hard 2 (1990), and there were close to 1,000 in between. While I probably need a little more time to reflect on what watching so many films about the mythically happiest, most magical, most wonderful time of the year does to a psyche, for the purposes of this volume, it gave me a pretty good feel for the season. That “feel” is not necessarily about reality, but rather, about its depiction: about the deluge of consistencies in how it is portrayed on screen. These are (generally) nice films, mostly happy films. Green and red and gold films, grounded in conservative values with an upbeat, festive soundtrack. They “feel” a certain way because the storylines and values underpinning them repeat themselves again and again. Christmas is a social season: it’s one to be spent with family and with loved ones in the broadest sense. It’s a season with its own set of emotions: of ways to feel, of sentiments stirred that apparently aren’t stirred—or at least aren’t stirred as vigorously—at other times of the year. It’s a season where, even if the religiosity is eschewed, themes of rebirth and reconciliation are common, as are the more spectacular ones like magic and the supernatural. On screen, Christmas is a special time, removed from normal life, operating on its own clock and existing with different rules and mores. 451

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452 Conclusion

Concluding a book where sections and chapters do this individually is difficult. Instead, I’ll discuss the films. Of the flood of Christmas films that I watched, most actually weren’t very good. Partly this is attributable to production values—many were made for television and have the feel of having fallen off a conveyer belt—others simply had storylines and characters that I’d seen dozens and dozens of times before where plots had just been relocated to new towns, and with a new cast of once-famous television stars. And, as much as I love dogs, there were altogether far too many films involving them “saving the season.”2 And yet, I actually enjoyed quite a few. If I found myself crying, laughing, or genuinely feeling anything for anyone in the story then I felt comfortable recommending it. It did occur to me, though, that as I was adding the good ones to my list, that most of them probably wouldn’t truly compare well against my non-festive favorites list more broadly. This highlights that Christmas films—or films about Christmas—aren’t really like other movies. Sure, they’re a commercial form of entertainment, but “Christmas” isn’t a genre in the way that horror or thriller is, and there are some distinct differences between the films I discuss in this volume and other kinds. Generally, for example—unless we’re deranged enough to write a book about them—most of us aren’t watching Christmas films year round. Certainly rarely back to back to back. Most, although admittedly not all, films discussed in this volume were created to be consumed as part of holiday celebrations. Such movies, therefore, aren’t commonly judged using the criteria we assess non-Christmas films; rather, we look at them as a seasonal accoutrement and judge them only against like media. Equally, my hunch is that we consume these films differently too. We’re rarely watching Christmas films in cinemas, but rather, at home. But unlike consuming a television series where concentration is generally required, the plots of most Christmas films can be understood effortlessly. I imagine such films function frequently as background noise to other domestic holiday activities. In writing this book, I exited with a list of 75 films that I enjoyed watching and which I could confidently recommend.3 They’re not necessarily great films (although there’s certainly some in there) but films I’d suggest if you were looking for Christmas-themed media entertainment. My list includes classics like It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Christmas in Connecticut (1945) as well as some of the zanier presentations like Christmas Evil (1980).4 Analyzing Christmas in Film is a continuation of my work on the interplay between screen and society. This book presents the case that not only do presentations of Christmas regularly adhere to patterns, but those patterns are uniquely revealing about our politics, our faith, gender relations, aspirations and our buying patterns too.

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453

NOTES 1.  The title of this chapter is a comment made by Emma (Viva Bianca) in A Prince for Christmas (2015). 2.  See for example: Lady and the Tramp (1955), Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story (1978), An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998), A Christmas Tail (1999), I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003), Nine Dog Christmas (2004), 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005), A Dog Named Christmas (2009), A Golden Christmas (2012), The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2009), Santa Buddies (2009), The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation (2010), The Search for Santa Paws (2010), 3 Holiday Tails (2011), Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure (2011), A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011), My Dog’s Christmas Miracle (2011), A Golden Christmas 3 (2012), Adventures of Bailey: Christmas Hero (2012), Chilly Christmas (2012), Golden Winter (2012), Hercules Saves Christmas (2012), 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012), Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups (2012), The Dog Who Saved the Holidays (2012), A Bulldog for Christmas (2013), Alone for Christmas (2013), Christmas with Tucker (2013), Scoot & Kassie’s Christmas Adventure (2013), 12 Dog Days Till Christmas (2014), A Belle for Christmas (2014), A Christmas Tail (2014), Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014), The Christmas Shepherd (2014), The Three Dogateers (2014), A Dog for Christmas (2015), A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale (2015), A Doggone Christmas (2016), A Puppy For Christmas (2016). Meanwhile, cat-themed Christmas movies include J. T. (1969), Felix the Cat Saves Christmas (2004), The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas (2012), Santa Claws (2014), Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever (2014), and The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014). 3.  Lauren Rosewarne, “75 Christmas Films Worth Watching,” The Conversation, December 22, 2016. Accessed December 30, 2016 from https://theconversation .com/75-christmas-films-worth-watching-69877. 4.  This film was also released as You Better Watch Out (1980).

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Appendix

Media References

FILMS REFERENCED ’Tis the Season for Love (2015) ’Twas the Night (2001) ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1977) 101 Reykjavík (2000) 12 Dates of Christmas (2011) 12 Days of Christmas Eve, The (2004) 12 Disasters (2012) (also released as The 12 Disasters of Christmas [2012]) 12 Dog Days Till Christmas (2014) 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005) 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue (2012) 12 Gifts of Christmas (2015) 12 Men of Christmas (2009) 12 Wishes of Christmas (2011) 12–24 (2008) 1941 (1979) 24 Nights (1999) 29th Street (1991) 3 Godfathers (1948) 3 Holiday Tails (2011) 9 Songs (2004) About a Boy (2002) Addams Family, The (1991) Adventures of Bailey: Christmas Hero (2012) Alice (1990) 455

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456 Appendix All about Christmas Eve (2012) All American Christmas Carol (2013) All I Want for Christmas (1991) All I Want for Christmas (2007) All I Want for Christmas (2013) All I Want for Christmas (2014) All Is Bright (2013) (also released as Almost Christmas [2013]) All Mine to Give (1957) All She Wants for Christmas (2006) All That Heaven Allows (1955) All through the House (2015) Almost Christmas (2016) Alone for Christmas (2013) Amen (2002) American Graffiti (1973) American Son (2008) An Accidental Christmas (2007) An Affair to Remember (1957) An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998) An American Carol (2008) An American Christmas Carol (1979) An American Girl Holiday (2004) (also released as Samantha: An American Girl Holiday [2004]) An Angel for Christmas (1996) An En Vogue Christmas (2014) An Evergreen Christmas (2014) An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010) An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008) Angel Doll, The (2002) Angel in the Family (2004) Angel in the House (2011) (also released as Foster [2011]) Angel of Christmas (2015) Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue, The (1996) Angels and Ornaments (2014) Angels in the Annexe (1984) Angels in the Snow (2015) Angels Sing (2013) Annabelle’s Wish (1997) Annie Claus Is Coming to Town (2011) Annie Hall (1977) Anything But Christmas (2012) Anywhere But Here (1999) Apartment, The (1960) Arthur (1981) Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988) Arthur Christmas (2011) As Good as It Gets (1997)

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Appendix

457

Auntie Mame (1958) Away from Her (2006) Babe (1995) Baby for Christmas, A (2015) Baby Formula, The (2008) Baby’s First Christmas (2012) Babycakes (1989) Bachelor Mother (1939) Back to Christmas (2014) (also released as Correcting Christmas [2014]) Backfire (1950) Bad Santa (2003) Bad Santa 2 (2016) Bad Teacher (2011) Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006) Barbie in a Christmas Carol (2008) Battle of the Bulbs (2010) Beaches (1988) Becoming Santa (2015) Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure (2011) Behind Enemy Lines (2001) Bell Book and Candle (1958) Belle for Christmas, A (2014) Bells of St. Mary’s, The (1945) Bells of St. Mary’s, The (1959) Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story (1978) Berlin Syndrome (2016) Bernard and the Genie (1991) Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The (1983) Best Christmas Party Ever (2014) Better Off Dead (1985) Beverly Hills Christmas (2015) Beyond Tomorrow (1940) Big Business (1929) Big Eden (2000) Bikini Bloodbath Christmas (2009) Bill of Divorcement, A (1932) Billy’s Christmas Angels (1988) Bishop’s Wife, The (1947) Black Christmas (1974) (also released as Silent Night, Evil Night [1974] and Stranger in the House [1974]) Black Christmas (2006) Black Nativity (2013) Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (1988) Bless the Child (2000) Blood Beat (1983) Blossoms in the Dust (1941) Body Heat (1981)

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458 Appendix Boogie Nights (1997) Booky & the Secret Santa (2007) Borrowed Christmas, The (2014) Borrowed Hearts (1997) Box, The (2009) Boxing Day (2008) Boy Who Saved Christmas, The (1998) Boyfriend for Christmas, A (2004) Bratz Babyz Save Christmas (2008) Brazil (1985) Breakfast with Scot (2007) Brer Rabbit’s Christmas Carol (1992) Bride for Christmas, A (2012) Bride of Frankenstein (1935) Bridge, The (2015) Bridget Jones’s Diary (2010) Bright Eyes (1934) Broadcasting Christmas (2016) Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol (1979) Bulldog for Christmas, A (2013) Bundle of Joy (1956) Bush Christmas (1946) Bush Christmas (1983) Bushfire Moon (1987) (also released as Miracle Down Under [1987] as well as The Christmas Visitor [1987]) Buster & Chauncey’s Silent Night (1998) Cadaver Christmas, A (2011) Call Me Claus (2001) Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010) (also released as Miracle in Manhattan [2010]) Cancel Christmas (2010) Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) Carol (2015) Carol Christmas, A (2003) Carol for Another Christmas (1964) Carry On Christmas (1969) Casa de mujeres (House of Women) (1966) Casablanca (1942) Case for Christmas, The (2011) Casper’s Haunted Christmas (2000) Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas, The (2012) Catch a Christmas Star (2013) Chance of Snow, A (1998) Charlie Brown Christmas, A (1965) Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A (1973) Charming Christmas (2015) Chasing Christmas (2005) Cheaters, The (1945) (also released as The Castaways [1945])

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Appendix

459

Child’s Christmas in Wales, A (1987) Child’s Christmases in Wales, A (2009) Children, The (2008) Chilly Christmas (2012) Chinatown (1974) Christmas (2003) Christmas Angel (2009) Christmas Angel (2012) Christmas at Cartwright’s (2014) Christmas at Maxwell’s (2006) Christmas at the Riviera (2007) Christmas Belle (2013) Christmas Blessing, A (2013) Christmas Blessing, The (2005) Christmas Bounty (2013) Christmas Box, The (1995) Christmas Bunny, The (2010) Christmas Candle, The (2013) Christmas Caper (2007) Christmas Card, The (2006) Christmas Carol, A (1908) Christmas Carol, A (1910) Christmas Carol, A (1923) Christmas Carol, A (1938) Christmas Carol, A (1971) Christmas Carol, A (1977) Christmas Carol, A (1984) Christmas Carol, A (1997) Christmas Carol, A (1999) Christmas Carol, A (2000) Christmas Carol, A (2004) Christmas Carol, A (2006) Christmas Carol, A (2009) Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001) Christmas Child (2004) Christmas Choir, The (2008) Christmas Clause, The (2008) Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987) Christmas Consultant, The (2012) Christmas Cookies (2016) Christmas Cottage, The (2007) Christmas Cupid (2010) Christmas Detour, A (2015) Christmas Do-Over (2006) Christmas Dragon, The (2014) Christmas Eve (1947) Christmas Eve (1986) (also released as Christmas Dove [1986])

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460 Appendix Christmas Eve (2015) Christmas Eve Miracle, A (2015) Christmas Every Day (1996) Christmas Evil (1980) (also released as You Better Watch Out [1980]) Christmas Family Tragedy, A (2006) Christmas for a Dollar (2013) Christmas Gift, The (1986) Christmas Gift, The (2015) Christmas Grace (2013) Christmas Heart, The (2012) Christmas Holiday (1944) Christmas Hope, The (2009) Christmas Horror Story, A (2015) Christmas Icetastrophe (2014) (also released as Icetastrophe [2014]) Christmas in Boston (2005) Christmas in Canaan (2009) Christmas in Compton (2012) Christmas in Connecticut (1945) Christmas in Connecticut (1992) Christmas in Conway (2013) Christmas in Homestead (2016) Christmas in Palm Springs (2014) Christmas in Paradise (2007) Christmas in the City (2013) Christmas in the Clouds (2011) Christmas in the Smokies (2015) Christmas in Vermont, A (2016) Christmas in Wonderland (2007) Christmas Incorporated (2015) Christmas Is Here Again (2007) Christmas Kid, The (1987) Christmas Kiss II, A (2014) Christmas Kiss, A (2011) Christmas Land (2015) Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979) Christmas List (2016) Christmas List, The (1997) Christmas Lodge (2011) Christmas Magic (2011) Christmas Mail (2010) Christmas Melody, A (2015) Christmas Memory, A (1966) Christmas Memory, A (1997) Christmas Miracle (2012) Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. (1977) (also released as The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle [1977]) Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, The (2007)

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Appendix

461

Christmas Mountain (1981) Christmas Mystery, A (2014) Christmas Note, The (2015) Christmas on Chestnut Street (2006) Christmas on Division Street (1991) Christmas on Mars (2008) Christmas on the Bayou (2013) Christmas Oranges (2012) Christmas Ornament, The (2013) Christmas Pageant, The (2011) Christmas Parade, The (2014) Christmas Path, The (1998) Christmas Proposal, A (2008) Christmas Ranch (2016) Christmas Reunion, A (2015) Christmas Romance, A (1994) Christmas Secret, The (2000) Christmas Secret, The (2014) Christmas Shepherd, The (2014) Christmas Shoes, The (2002) Christmas Slay (2015) Christmas Snow (1986) Christmas Snow, A (2010) Christmas Song, A (2012) Christmas Spirit, The (2013) Christmas Star, A (2015) Christmas Star, The (1986) Christmas Story 2, A (2012) Christmas Story, A (1983) Christmas Swap, The (2016) Christmas Tail, A (1999) (also released as A Dog’s Tale [1999]) Christmas Tail, A (2014) Christmas to Remember, A (1978) Christmas to Remember, A (2016) Christmas Too Many, A (2007) Christmas Town (2008) Christmas Trade (2015) Christmas Tree Miracle, A (2013) Christmas Tree, The (1966) Christmas Tree, The (1996) Christmas Truce (2015) (also released as The Battle of Ardennes [2015]) Christmas Twister (2012) Christmas under Wraps (2014) Christmas Visitor, A (2002) Christmas Wedding Date, A (2012) Christmas Wedding Tail, A (2011) Christmas Wedding, A (2006)

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462 Appendix Christmas Wife, The (1988) Christmas Wish, A (2011) Christmas Wish, The (1998) Christmas with a Capital C (2011) Christmas with Cookie (2016) Christmas with Holly (2012) Christmas with the Andersons (2016) Christmas with the Dead (2012) Christmas with the Kranks (2004) Christmas with Tucker (2013) Christmas without Snow, A (1980) Christmas, Again (2014) Cinderella Christmas, A (2016) Citizen Kane (1941) Cold Comfort Farm (1995) Collateral Beauty (2016) Color of Rain, The (2014) Come Dance with Me (2012) (also released as Keep on Dancing [2012]) Come to the Stable (1949) Comfort and Joy (1984) Comfort and Joy (2003) Comic Book Christmas Caper, The (1990) (also released as Angel Square [1990]) Coming Home for Christmas (2013) Cookie Cutter Christmas, A (2014) Cooper’s Christmas (2008) (also released as Cooper’s Camera [2008]) Country Christmas Story, A (2013) Country Christmas, A (2013) Crackers (1998) Crazy for Christmas (2005) Crown for Christmas (2015) Curse of the Werewolf, The (1961) D.O.A. (1988) Dad for Christmas, A (2006) (also released as Me and Luke [2006]) Das Boot (The Boat) (1981) Dashing through the Snow (2015) Dead Calm (1989) Dead End (2003) Dead of Night (1945) Dead, The (1987) Deadly Little Christmas (2009) Deadpool (2016) Dear Santa (2011) Dear Secret Santa (2013) December Bride, A (2016) Deck the Halls (2005) Deck the Halls (2006) Deck the Halls (2011)

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Appendix

463

Defending Santa (2013) Dennis the Menace Christmas, A (2007) Desk Set (1957) Desperately Seeking Santa (2011) Devil and Miss Jones, The (1941) Dickensian Fantasy, A (1934) Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) Die Hard (1988) Die Hard 2 (1990) Different Kind of Christmas, A (1996) Diner (1982) Diva’s Christmas Carol, A (2000) Dog for Christmas, A (2015) Dog Named Christmas, A (2009) Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The (2010) Dog Who Saved Christmas, The (2009) Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The (2012) Doggone Christmas, A (2016) Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale, A (2015) Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984) Dorm That Dripped Blood, The (1982) (also released as Death Dorm (1982) and Pranks [1982]) Dream for Christmas, A (1973) Dream of Christmas, A (2016) Dutch (1991) Dying Young (1991) Eastern Promises (2007) Ebbie (1995) (also released as Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story [1995] and Ebbie: A Christmas Story [1995]) Ebenezer (1998) Edward Scissorhands (1990) Ein Weihnachtslied in Prosa (A Christmas Carol in Prose) (1955) El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast) (1995) Elf (2003) Elf Who Didn’t Believe, The (1997) Elf-Man (2012) Eloise at Christmastime (2003) Elves (1989) Enemy of the State (1998) Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) Escort Girls (1974) Eve’s Christmas (2004) Every Christmas Has a Story (2016) Exit Speed (2008) Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Fallen Angel (2003)

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464 Appendix Falling for Christmas (2016) (also released as A Snow Capped Christmas [2016]) Falling in Love (1984) Family for Christmas (2015) Family Holiday, The (2007) Family Man, The (2000) Family Stone, The (2005) Family Thanksgiving, A (2010) Fanny, Annie & Danny (2010) Far from Heaven (2002) Farewell Mr. Kringle (2010) Fátima, Terra de Fé (Fátima, Land of Faith) (1943) Felix the Cat Saves Christmas (2004) Female Trouble (1974) Finding Christmas (2013) Finding Father Christmas (2016) Finding John Christmas (2003) Finding Mrs. Claus (2012) Fir Crazy (2013) (also released as Oh Christmas Tree! [2013]) Firehouse Christmas, A (2016) Fitzgerald Family Christmas, The (2012) Fitzwilly (1967) Flight Before Christmas, The (2015) Flight of the Innocent, The (1992) Flint Street Nativity, The (1999) Flintstones Christmas Carol, A (1994) Fools Rush In (1997) Footloose (1984) Force of Destiny (2015) Four Holidays (2008) (also released as Four Christmases [2008]) Fourth Wise Man, The (1985) Fred Claus (2007) French Connection, The (1971) Friday After Next (2002) Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) (also released as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café [1991]) Frozen River (2008) Funny Farm (1988) Gathering, The (1977) Gau fo ying hung (As the Light Goes Out) (2014) Gert Lush Christmas, A (2015) Ghost of Greville Lodge, The (2000) Gift of Miracles, A (2015) Gift Wrapped Christmas, A (2015) Girlfriends of Christmas Past (2016) GLO Friends Save Christmas, The (1985) Go (1999) God’s Not Dead (2014)

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Appendix

465

Godchild, The (1974) Going My Way (1944) Golden Christmas, A (2009) Golden Christmas 3, A (2012) Golden Winter (2012) Gone with the Wind (1939) Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) Good Tidings (2016) Good Witch’s Gift, The (2010) Gospel According to Scrooge, The (1983) Gotta Catch Santa Claus (2008) Grandpa for Christmas, A (2007) Great Rupert, The (1950) (also released as A Christmas Wish [1950]) Greatest Store in the World, The (1999) Greatest Story Ever Told, The (1965) Green Mile, The (1999) Gremlins (1984) Groundhog Day (1993) Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever (2014) Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas? (1990) (also released as UFO Café [1990]) Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas (2013) Happy Christmas (2014) Happy Christmas, Miss King (1988) (also released as An Avonlea Christmas [1988]) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) Harvey (1950) Hats Off to Christmas! (2013) Heart of Christmas, The (2011) Hearts of Christmas (2016) Heavenly Christmas, A (2016) Hector (2015) Hell’s Heroes (1930) Help for the Holidays (2012) Hercules Saves Christmas (2012) (also released as Santa’s Dog [2012]). His & Her Christmas (2005) Hitched for the Holidays (2012) Ho Ho Ho (2009) Hobo’s Christmas, A (1987) Holiday Affair (1949) Holiday Affair (1996) Holiday Baggage (2008) (also released as Baggage [2008]) Holiday Breakup (2016) Holiday Engagement (2011) Holiday for Love, A (1996) Holiday Heart (2000) Holiday Heist, A (2011) Holiday High School Reunion (2012) (also released as Christmas Crush [2012]) Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)

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466 Appendix Holiday Inn (1942) Holiday Joy (2016) Holiday Road Trip (2013) Holiday Spin (2012) Holiday Switch (2007) Holiday Wishes (2006) Holiday, The (2006) Holidaze (2013) Holly and the Ivy, The (1952) Holly’s Holiday (2012) Home Alone (1990) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) Home by Christmas (2006) Home for the Holidays (1972) (also released as Deadly Desires [1972]) Home for the Holidays (1995) Home for the Holiday (2005) Homecoming: A Christmas Story, The (1971) Homeless for the Holidays (2009) Hope and Glory (1987) Hounds of Love (2016) House without a Christmas Tree, The (1972) How About You . . . (2007) How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) How to Be Single (2016) Husband for Christmas, A (2016) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2002) I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003) I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1988) I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997) I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998) I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016) I’ll Be Seeing You (1944) I’m Not Ready for Christmas (2015) Ice Harvest, The (2005) Ice Quake (2010) Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015) If You Believe (1999) Il Natale che quasi non fu (The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t) (1966) Il sogno dell’usuraio (Dream of Old Scrooge) (1910) Impossible, The (2012) In Bruges (2008) In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007) In the Good Old Summertime (1949) In Which We Serve (1942) Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The (1958)

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Appendix

467

It Came upon the Midnight Clear (1984) It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) It Happened One Christmas (1977) It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas (1989) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) It’s Christmas (2007) It’s Christmas, Carol! (2012) It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) It’s Never Too Late (1953) J. T. (1969) J’ai rencontre Le Pére Noèl (I Believe in Santa Claus) (1984) Jack and Sarah (1995) Jack Frost (1997) Jack Frost (1998) Jerry Maguire (1996) Jersey Christmas, A (2008) Jesus of Nazareth (1976) Jingle All the Way (1996) Jingle All the Way 2 (2014) Jingle Hell (2000) John Grin’s Christmas (1986) Joulutarina (Christmas Story) (2007) Journey Back to Christmas (2016) Joyeux Noël (2005) Just Friends (2005) Just in Time for Christmas (2015) Karácsonyi ének (1964) Karácsonyi varázslat (Christmas Magic) (2000) Karroll’s Christmas (2004) Kid Who Loved Christmas, The (1990) Kind Lady (1935) King Kong (2005) King of Kings (1961) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) Kisses (2008) Krampus (2015) Krampus Unleashed (2016) Krampus: The Christmas Devil (2013) Krampus: The Devil Returns (2016) Krampus: The Reckoning (2015) Kristin’s Christmas Past (2013) Kudzu Christmas, The (2002) L.A. Confidential (1997) L’arbre de Noël (The Christmas Tree) (1969) La banda dei Babbi Natale (The Santa Claus Gang) (2010) La bûche (Seasons Beatings) (1999) La La Land (2016)

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468 Appendix La senda (The Path) (2012) Lady and the Tramp (1955) Lady in the Lake (1947) Larceny, Inc (1942) Last Chance for Christmas (2015) Last Christmas (1999) Last Christmas, The (2010) Last Holiday (2006) Last Song, The (2010) Le Père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus Is a Stinker) (1982) Legend of Bagger Vance, The (2000) Lemon Drop Kid, The (1951) Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherboug) (1964) Les rois mages (The Three Kings) (2001) Less Than Zero (1987) Let It Snow (2013) Lethal Weapon (1987) Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, The (1985) Life of Brian (1979) Like Father, Like Santa (1998) Lion in Winter, The (1968) Lion in Winter, The (2003) Little Angels: The Brightest Christmas (2004) Little Christmas Business, A (2013) Little Drummer Boy, The (1968) Little Drummer Boy, The (2001) Little Women (1933) Little Women (1949) Little Women (1994) Littlest Angel, The (1969) Long Kiss Goodnight, The (1996) Looks Like Christmas (2016) Lost Christmas (2011) Love Actually (2003) Love Affair (1939) Love Affair (1994) Love Always, Santa (2016) Love and Sex in an Age of Pornography (2013) Love at the Christmas Table (2012) Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012) Love Story (1970) Love the Coopers (2015) Love You Like Christmas (2016) Love’s Christmas Journey (2011) Lovely Still (2008) Lucky Christmas (2011) Madea Christmas, A (2013)

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Appendix

469

Maaginen kristalli (The Magic Crystal) (2011) Magic Christmas Tree (1964) Magic Christmas, A (2014) Magic of Christmas II, The (2010) Magic of Christmas, The (1987) Magic Stocking (2015) Make the Yuletide Gay (2009) Mame (1974) Man in the Santa Claus Suit, The (1979) Man Who Came to Dinner, The (1942) Man Who Saved Christmas, The (2002) Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas (2011) March Sisters at Christmas, The (2012) Married by Christmas (2016) (also released as The Engagement Clause [2016]) Marry Me for Christmas (2013) Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith (1979) Mary Christmas (2002) Matchmaker Santa (2012) Mean Girls (2004) Meet John Doe (1941) Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) Meet the Santas (2005) Mermaids (1990) Merry Christmas, Baby (2016) Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) Merry Ex-Mas (2014) Merry Ex-Mas (2016) Merry Friggin’ Christmas, A (2014) (also released as A Merry Christmas Miracle [2014]) Merry Gentleman, The (2008) Merry In-Laws (2012) Merry Ingalls Christmas, A (1974) Merry Kissmas (2015) Merry Little Christmas, A (2006) Merry Matrimony (2015) Metropolitan (1990) Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001) Midnight Clear (2006) Midnight Clear, A (1992) Midwinter’s Tale, A (1995) (also released as In the Bleak Midwinter [1995]) Millions (2004) Miracle at Moreaux (1985) Miracle at Sage Creek (2005) Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, The (1944) Miracle of the Bells, The (1948) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Miracle on 34th Street (1959)

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470 Appendix Miracle on 34th Street (1973) Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Miracle on Main Street (1939) Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol (1982) Mister Scrooge to See You (2013) Mistle-Tones, The (2012) Mistletoe over Manhattan (2011) Mistletoe Promise, The (2016) Mixed Nuts (1994) Mom For Christmas, A (1990) Mon oncle Antoine (My Uncle Antoine) (1971) Money Train (1995) Moonlight & Mistletoe (2008) Moonlight over Manhattan (2011) Monster Calls, A (2016) Most Wonderful Time of the Year, The (2008) Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) Mr. Christmas (2005) Mr. Destiny (1990) Mr. Krueger’s Christmas (1980) Mr. Miracle (2014) Mr. Soft Touch (1949) Mr. St. Nick (2002) Mr. Stink (2012) Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) Mrs. Miracle (2009) Mrs. Parkington (1944) Ms. Scrooge (1997) Mundo-mercado do Sexo (World-Market of Sex) (1979) Muppet Christmas Carol, The (1992) Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015) Must Be Santa (1999) My Angel (2011) My Christmas Dream (2016) My Christmas Love (2016) My Dad Is Scrooge (2014) My Dog’s Christmas Miracle (2011) (also released as Cinnamon [2011]) My One Christmas Wish (2015) My Santa (2013) Myth of Fingerprints, The (1997) Nanny for Christmas, A (2010) Natale a casa Deejay (A Christmas Carol) (2004) Natale al campo 119 (Christmas at Camp 119) (1947) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island Adventure (2003) National Tree, The (2009) Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012)

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Appendix

471

Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey (2014) Nativity Story, The (2006) Nativity, The (1978) Nativity! (2009) Naughty or Nice (2012) Navidad, S.A. (X-mas, Inc) (2008) New York Christmas, A (2016) Night Before Christmas, The (1994) (also released as The Fight Before Christmas [1994], Trouble Makers, The [1994] and Troublemakers [1994]) Night Before the Night Before Christmas, The (2010) Night Before, The (2015) Night of the Hunter, The (1955) Night They Saved Christmas, The (1984) Nightmare Before Christmas, The (1993) Nine Dog Christmas (2004) Nine Lives of Christmas, The (2014) Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas (2010) Noah (2014) Nobody’s Fool (1994) Noch pered Rozhdestvom (Christmas Eve) (1913) Noel (2004) Noget i luften (Something in the Air) (2011) Nora’s Christmas Gift (1989) Northpole (2014) Note, The (2007) Nothing for Christmas (2011) Nothing Like the Holidays (2008) November Christmas (2010) Nutcracker Christmas, A (2016) Nutcracker in 3D, The (2010) O. Henry’s Full House (1952) O’Hellige Jul! (Christmas Cruelty) (2013) Office Christmas Party (2016) On Strike for Christmas (2010) On the Second Day of Christmas (1997) On the Twelfth Day of Christmas (2015) Once Before I Die (1967) (also released as No Toys for Christmas [1967] and The 26th Cavalry [1967]) Once upon a Christmas (2000) Once upon a Holiday (2015) Once upon a Starry Night (1978) One Christmas (1994) One Christmas Eve (2014) One Fine Day (1996) One Hell of a Christmas (2002) One Magic Christmas (1985) One Special Night (1999)

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472 Appendix One Starry Christmas (2014) One True Thing (1998) Operation Christmas (2016) Ordinary People (1980) Our First Christmas (2008) P2 (2007) Paper Angels (2014) Parent Trap, The (1961) Parent Trap, The (1998) Passion of the Christ, The (2004) Passions of Carol, The (1975) Perfect Christmas List, A (2014) Perfect Christmas, A (2016) Perfect Day, A (2006) Perfect Holiday, The (2007) Period of Adjustment (1962) Perks of Being a Wallflower, The (2012) Pete’s Christmas (2013) Peter’s Friends (1992) Peyton Place (1957) Picking Up and Dropping Off (2003) Pieces of April (2003) Pilgrimage Play, The (1949) Plácido (1961) Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) Pocketful of Miracles (1961) Polar Express, The (2004) Powder Blue (2009) Prancer (1989) Prancer Returns (2001) Preacher’s Wife, The (1996) Prince for Christmas, A (2015) Princess for Christmas, A (2011) Prisoners (2013) Profundo Rosso (Deep Red) (1975) Psycho Santa (2003) Puppy for Christmas, A (2016) Rabbit Test (1978) Ransom (1996) Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) Real St. Nick, The (2012) Recipe for a Perfect Christmas (2005) (also released as Smothered [2005]) Red Christmas (2016) Ref, The (1994) Reindeer Games (2000) Remember the Night (1940) Renfroe’s Christmas (1997) (also released as Renfroe’s White Christmas [1997])

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Appendix

473

Rent (2005) Ri¢hie Ri¢h’s Christmas Wish (1998) Right to Be Happy, The (1916) (also released as Scrooge the Skinflint [1916]) Road to Christmas, The (2006) Rocky IV (1985) Rodeo & Juliet (2015) Rooftop Christmas, The (2016) Rose for Christmas, A (2017) Royal Christmas, A (2014) Royal Family Christmas (2015) Royal Family Holiday, A (2015) Salvation Street (2015) (also released as Christmas on Salvation Street [2015]) Santa (2014) Santabear’s High Flying Adventure (1987) Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1975) Santa Baby (2006) Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe (2009) Santa Buddies (2009) Santa Claus (1959) Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) Santa Claus Versus the Zombies (2010) Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) Santa Clause 2, The (2002) Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, The (2006) Santa Clause, The (1994) Santa Claws (1996) Santa Claws (2014) Santa Con, The (2014) Santa Hunters (2014) Santa Incident, The (2010) Santa Jr. (2002) Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups (2012) Santa Suit, The (2010) Santa Switch, The (2013) Santa Trap, The (2002) Santa Who? (2000) Santa with Muscles (1996) Santa’s Little Helper (2015) Santa’s Slay (2005) Santa’s Summer House (2012) Satan Claus (1996) Saving Christmas (2014) Scoot & Kassie’s Christmas Adventure (2013) Scrooge (1913) Scrooge (1922) Scrooge (1928) Scrooge (1935)

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474 Appendix Scrooge (1951) (also released as A Christmas Carol [1951]) Scrooge (1970) Scrooge (1978) Scrooge & Marley (2012) Scrooge and Marley (2001) Scrooge in the Hood (2011) Scrooge, or, Marley’s Ghost (1901) Scrooged (1988) Search for Santa Paws, The (2010) Season’s Greetings (2016) Seasons of Love (2014) Second Chance Christmas (2014) Secret of Giving (1999) Secret of the Nutcracker, The (2007) Secret Santa (2003) Secret Santa, The (2014) Serendipity (2001) Shadows of a Stranger (2014) Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014) (also released as Shelby [2014]) Shop Around the Corner, The (1940) Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas (2014) Silent Night (2002) Silent Night (2012) Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974) (also released as Night of the Dark Full Moon [1974] and Deathhouse [1974]) Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987) Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969) Silent Night, Zombie Night (2009) Silent Partner, The (1978) Silver Bells (2005) Silver Bells (2013) Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004) Sint (Saint) (2010) Six Weeks (1982) Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979) Slaughter Claus (2011) Sleeping with Other People (2015) Sleepless in Seattle (1993) Sleigh Bells Ring (2016) Sliding Doors (1998) Small Town Santa (2014) Smoky Mountain Christmas, A (1986) Snow (2004) Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008) Snow Bride (2013) Snow Globe Christmas, A (2013)

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Appendix

475

Snow Wonder (2005) Snowglobe (2007) Snowmaggedon (2011) So This Is Christmas (2013) Some Girls (1988) Son in Law (1993) Song for the Season, A (1999) (also released as A Holiday Romance [1999]) Sons of Mistletoe, The (2001) Sound of Christmas (2016) Spirit of Christmas, The (2015) Stalag 17 (1953) Stalking Santa (2006) Star for Christmas, A (2012) Star of Bethlehem, The (1956) Star Shall Rise, A (1952) Star Wars (1977) Starstruck (1982) Stealing Christmas (2003) Steel Magnolias (1989) Steel Magnolias (2012) Stella (1990) Stella Dallas (1937) Step Brothers (2008) Stepmom (1998) Stingiest Man in Town, The (1979) Stubby Pringle’s Christmas (1978) Sunshine Christmas (1977) Surviving Christmas (2004) Susan Slept Here (1954) Suzumiya Haruhi no shôshitsu (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya) (2010) Taken (2003) Tales from The Crypt (1972) Tangerine (2015) Taxi Driver (1976) Tenth Avenue Angel (1948) Terror on the 40th Floor (1974) (also released as The Blazing Tower [1974]) Thanksgiving Day (1990) Thanksgiving Family Reunion (2003) Thanksgiving Treasure, The (1972) This Christmas (2007) Three Days (2001) Three Days of the Condor (1975) Three Dogateers, The (2014) Three Gifts, The (2009) (also released as The Christmas Gift [2009]) Three Godfathers (1936) Three Kings, The (1987) Three Wise Guys (2005)

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476 Appendix Three Wise Women (2010) To All a Goodnight (1980) To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992) Together Again for the First Time (2008) Tokyo Goddofazazu (Tokyo Godfathers) (2003) Tom & Thomas (2002) Tomten är far till alla barnen (In Bed with Santa) (1999) Torch Song Trilogy (1988) Touch of Evil (1958) Towering Inferno, The (1974) Town without Christmas, A (2001) Trading Christmas (2011) Trading Places (1983) Trancers (1984) Trapped in Paradise (1994) Tree That Saved Christmas, The (2014) Tree, The (2010) Truly Everlasting (2011) Twelve Trees of Christmas, The (2013) Two Front Teeth (2006) Ultimate Christmas Present, The (2000) Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô—Purezento (Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: Present) (2005) Uncle Nick (2015) Under the Mistletoe (2006) Undercover Christmas (2003) Unlikely Angel (1996) Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (A Night Before Christmas) (1961) Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (A Night Before Christmas) (2001) Very Brady Christmas, A (1988) Very Cool Christmas, A (2004) (also released as Too Cool for Christmas [2004]) Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, A (2011) Very Married Christmas, A (2004) Very Mary Christmas, A (2010) (also released as Expecting Mary [2010]) Very Merry Mix-Up, A (2013) Very Murray Christmas, A (2015) Victors, The (1963) Waiting for “Superman” (2010) War Room (2015) We’re No Angels (1955) Weihnachten now (Single Bells) (1998) What Dreams May Come (1998) What I Did for Love (2006) What She Wants for Christmas (2012) When Angels Come to Town (2004) When Harry Met Sally . . . (1989) While You Were Sleeping (1995) White Christmas (1954)

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Appendix

477

White Reindeer (2011) Whoever Slew Auntie Roo (1972) Will You Merry Me? (2008) Wind at My Back Christmas, A (2001) Wind Chill (2007) Window Wonderland (2013) Winter’s Tale (2014) Wish for Christmas (2016) Wish for Christmas, A (2016) Wish That Changed Christmas, The (1991) Wish upon a Christmas (2015) Wishin’ and Hopin’ (2014) Wishing Tree, The (2012) Wizard of Oz, The (1939) Wonderful Christmas Time, A (2014) World Is Not Enough, The (1999) Year without a Santa Claus, The (1974) Year without a Santa Claus, The (2006) Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991) You’ve Got Mail (1998) Young Pioneers’ Christmas (1976) Yule Die (2010) Zwei Weihnachtsmänner (Two Santas) (2008) SONGS REFERENCED “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (1994), Mariah Carey “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (1951), Dean Martin “Back Door Santa” (1968), Clarence Carter “Big Yellow Taxi” (1970), Joni Mitchell “Carol of the Bells” (2011), Libera “Faith,” George Michael (1987) “Forever Young” (1988), Rod Stewart “How About You” (1961) Bobby Darrin “I Saw the Light (Only You)” (1972), Todd Rundgren “Jesus Was a Carpenter” (1970), Johnny Cash “Jingle Bells” (1857) “Let It Snow” (1959), Dean Martin “Let’s Put Christ Back into Christmas” (1970), Tammy Wynette “Merry Christmas, Baby” (2000), Christina Aguilera “Mistletoe Jam” (1995), Luther Vandross “Mistress for Christmas” (1990), AC/DC “O Holy Night” (1960), Nat King Cole “Rock You Hard This Christmas” (1993), The Dan Band “Santa Baby” (1953), Eartha Kitt “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (1934), John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie

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478 Appendix “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’” (1974), Albert King “White Christmas” (1942), Irving Berlin “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (1969), The Rolling Stones TELEVISION SERIES REFERENCED Big Bang Theory, The (2007– ) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) Caroline in the City (1995–1999) Doctor Who (2005– ) Downton Abbey (2010–2015) E.R. (1994–2009) Golden Girls, The (1985–1992) Holby City (1999– ) Home Improvement (1991–1999) Honeymooners, The (1955–1956) House (2004–2012) King of Queens, The (1998–2007) Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997) Loose Women (1999– ) M*A*S*H (1972–1983) Mad Men (2007–2015) Married with Children (1987–1997) Moody Christmas, A (2012) NCIS (2003– ) NewsRadio (1995–1999) Paula (2017) Sex and the City (1998–2004) Silver Spoons (1982–1987) Simpsons, The (1989– ) Single Father (2010) South Park (1997– ) Spin City (1996–2002) Three Sisters (2001–2002) Trophy Wife (2013–2014) Twilight Zone (1959–1964) THEATRE REFERENCED Steve Vizard, Vigil (2017)

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498 Bibliography Siegel, Carol. Sex Radical Cinema. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2015. Slaughter, Karin. The Unremarkable Heart. Sydney: Cornerstone Digital, 2011. Smith, Anna and Tom Huddleston. “The 50 Best Christmas Movies.” TimeOut London, undated. Accessed October 23, 2016 from www.timeout.com/london/ film/the-50-best-christmas-movies. Snow, Karen. “The Gift of Compassion.” The Canadian Nurse, 91, 11, 1995: 45. Solomon, Robert M. Reflections on Christmas. Singapore: Genesis Books, 2011. Sperb, Jason. Flickers of Film: Nostalgia in the Time of Digital Cinema. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2016. Sprengler, Christine. Screening Nostalgia: Populuxe Props and Technicolor Aesthetics in Contemporary American Film. New York: Berghahn Books, 2009. St. James, Elaine. Simplify Your Christmas: 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McNeel Publishing, 1998. Storey, John. “The Invention of the English Christmas.” In Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture. Edited by Sheila Whiteley. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008, 17–31. Struthers, Jane. The Book of Christmas. London: Ebury, 2012. Studwell, William E. “The Christmas Carol as a Cultural Phenomenon: Four Musings on the Music of the December Holiday.” In Publishing Glad Tidings: Essays on Christmas Music. Edited by William E. Studwell and Dorothy E. Jones. New York: The Haworth Press, 1998, 137–146. Stuever, Hank. Tinsel: A Search for America’s Christmas Present. Boston, MA: Marriner Books, 2009. Susman, Gary. “The 25 Best Christmas Movies Ever Made, Ranked.” MovieFone, November 25, 2015. Accessed October 23, 2016 from https://www.moviefone .com/2015/11/27/best-christmas-movies-ever-made-ranked/. Sweeney, David. “‘Your Face Looks Backwards’: Time Travel, Cinema, Nostalgia and the End of History.” Thesis Eleven, 131, 1, 2015: 44–53. Tang, Simone, Steven Shepherd and Aaron C. Kay. “Do Difficult Decisions Motivate Belief in Fate? A Test in the Context of the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election.” Psychological Science, 25, 4, 2014: 1046–1048. The Rosary Magazine, v. 31. Rosary Press, 1906, 646. Accessed August 26, 2016 from books.google.com. Thompson, Frank. AMC: Great Christmas Movies. Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company, 1998. Tolia-Kelly, Divya Praful. Landscape, Race and Memory: Material Ecologies of Citizenship. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2010. Toth, Katie. “Toronto Is Hollywood’s Go-To City for That Real New York Feel.” Village Voice, January 22, 2015. Accessed January 27, 2016 from www.village voice.com/news/toronto-is-hollywoods-go-to-city-for-that-real-new-york -feel-6713954. Tracy, James. “Introduction.” In Christmas Unwrapped: Consumerism, Christ, and Culture. Edited by Richard Horsley and James Tracey. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001. Tuchman, Gaye. “Introduction: The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by the Mass Media.” In Hearth and Home: Images of Women in the Mass Media. Edited

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by Gaye Tuchman, Arlene Kaplan Daniels and James Benét. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978, 3–37. Turner, Adam. “The Twelve Scams of Christmas.” The Sydney Morning Herald, September 13, 2016. Accessed September 20, 2016 from http://www.smh .com.au/digital-life/computers/blog/gadgets-on-the-go/the-twelve-scams -of-christmas-20101130–18fur.html. Usmar, Jo. “Most Ridiculous, Hilarious and Touching Nativity Scenes from TV and Film, including Mr. Bean, Glee and Vicar of Dibley.” Mirror, December 26, 2013. Accessed July 8, 2016 from http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/christmas -tv-mr-bean-vicar-2946070. Velamoor, Varadaraj, Lakshmi Voruganti and Neelesh Nadkarni. “Feelings about Christmas, as Reported by Psychiatric Emergency Patients.” Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 27, 3, 1999: 303–308. Vogel, Steve. “A Yuletide Reminder of Loss.” The Washington Post, December 21, 1999. Accessed September 27, 2016 from https://www.washingtonpost. com/archive/local/1999/12/21/a-yuletide-reminder-of-loss/b1a01a7b-7a5d -4992–9d9e-41bfceb28ca2/. Wagner, Brigitta B. Berlin Replayed: Cinema and Urban Nostalgia in the Postwar Era. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2015. Waits, William B. The Modern Christmas in America: A Cultural History of Gift Giving. New York: New York University Press, 1993. Waldman, Katy. “What’s Wrong with Sentimentality?” Slate, July 16, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2016 from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_sci ence/science/2014/07/science_of_sentimentality_why_we_love_weepy_ya_ books_and_movies.html. Walsh, Jennifer L. and L. Monique Ward. “Adolescent Gender Role Portrayals in the Media: 1950 to the Present.” In The Changing Portrayal of Adolescents in the Media Since 1950. Edited by Patrick E. Jamieson and Daniel Romer. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008, 132–164. Weaver, Ryan J. and Nichole K. Kathol. “Guess Who’s Coming to Get Her: Stereotypes, Mythification, and White Redemption.” In Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained: The Continuation of Metacinema. Edited by Oliver C. Speck. New York: Bloomsbury, 2014, 243–268. Webster, Patrick. Love and Death in Kubrick: A Critical Study of the Films from Lolita through Eyes Wide Shut. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2011. Weinberg, Mark. “Holidays at home.” Orange Coast Magazine. December, 1988: 45–46. Welch, Bob. 52 Little Lessons from It’s a Wonderful Life. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012. Werts, Diane. Christmas on Television. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006. Westaway, Bella. “Alone At Christmas: How to Spend the Day If You Don’t Have Family Around.” Huffington Post, December 22, 2015. Accessed September 9, 2016 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/12/22/alone-at -christmas-how-to-spend-the-day-if-you-dont-have-famil/. Westlake, Donald. “Nackles.” In A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical Tales. Edited by Brian M. Thomsen. New York: Hachette, 2003, 15–22.

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500 Bibliography Whiteley, Sheila. “Christmas Songs—Sentiments and Subjectivities.” In Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture. Edited by Sheila Whiteley. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008, 98–112. Whiteley, Sheila. “Introduction,” in Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture. Edited by Sheila Whiteley. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008, 1–14. Wilkie, Brian. “What Is Sentimentality?” College English, 28, 8, 1967: 564–575. Willian, Michael. The Essential It’s a Wonderful Life: A Scene-by-Scene Guide to the Classic Film. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press. Willis, Tim. “Did Japanese Workers Really Get Their Symbols Mixed Up and Display Santa on a Crucifix?” Independent, December 18, 2014. Accessed January 8, 2016 from www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/entertainment/did -japanese-workers-really-get-their-symbols-mixed-up-and-display-santa-on-a -crucifix-9931931.html. Wilson, B. and E. Pathak. “Operation: Happy Holidays.” The Canadian Nurse, 89, 11, 1993: 49–50. Wilson, Bee. “Contrary Mary; Prostitute or Wife of Jesus?” Sunday Times (London), April 3, 2016. Wilson, Natalie. “The Mother Must Die so Daddy Can Deliver.” Girl w/ Pen! May 7, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2016 from https://thesocietypages.org/girl wpen/2010/05/07/pop-goes-feminism-the-mother-must-die-so-daddy-can -deliver-musings-on-the-dearth-of-mothers-in-recent-childrens-films/. Zaleski, Annie. “The Hallmark Channel’s Countdown To Christmas Movie Event Is a Guilt-Free Holiday Indulgence.” AV Club, December 15, 2015. Accessed January 9, 2016 from www.avclub.com/article/hallmark-channels-countdown -christmas-movie-event--229545. Zukin, Sharon. “Shopping.” In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies. Edited by Daniel Thomas Cook and J. Michael Ryan. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, 2015, 505–509.

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Index

’Tis The Season for Love, 17, 106, 117, 118, 121, 124, 172n154, 173n161, 239, 323n26, 324n32, 343, 350, 400, 406, 417, 447 ’Twas the Night, 132, 176, 314 ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974), 132 ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1977), 132 101 Reykjavík, 320 12 Dates of Christmas, 8, 83n54, 123, 135, 139, 140, 163n39, 187, 189, 228, 282, 289, 292, 324n32, 337, 365, 390n36, 391n49, 422, 446n96 12 Days of Christmas Eve, The, 83n54, 139–140, 322n14, 390n36, 418, 446n96 12 Disasters, 316 12 Disasters of Christmas. See 12 Disasters 12 Dog Days Till Christmas, 148, 447– 448n97, 453n2 12 Dogs of Christmas, 96, 453n2 12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue, 96, 229, 388n1, 446– 447n97, 453n2

12 Gifts of Christmas, 99, 123, 134, 145, 158, 178, 216, 226, 259, 358, 365, 407, 410, 418, 424, 425, 447n99 12 Men of Christmas, 69, 84n70, 128, 147, 180, 181, 206, 249n95, 298, 344, 400, 407, 419, 446–447n97 12 Wishes of Christmas, 81n34, 226, 298, 344, 347, 348, 349, 352, 365, 420, 423 12–24, 388n1 1941, 97 24 Nights, 45, 50, 106, 140, 359, 422 26th Cavalry, The. See Once Before I Die 29th Street, 352, 400 3 Godfathers, 40, 89n140 3 Holiday Tails, 16, 83, 106, 107, 214, 240, 369, 407, 453n2 9 Songs, 298 Aaron, Michele, 312 abduction, 206, 221, 320, 412 abortion, 10, 81n43 About a Boy, 17, 20, 29, 110, 185, 187– 188, 202, 372 abuse, 16, 26, 85n78, 203, 210, 211–213, 290, 357. See also alcoholism, drug abuse 501

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502 Index physical abuse, 212 sexual abuse, 212 AC/DC, 428 Addams Family, The, 127 addiction, 17, 41–42, 314. See also alcoholism, drug abuse adoption, 9, 10, 19, 39, 60, 82–83n52, 190, 193, 207, 208, 223, 241, 245n29, 317. See also fostering adultery. See infidelity Adventures of Bailey: Christmas Hero, 453n2 advertising, xiii, xvi-xviin10, 117, 189, 259, 267, 329n100, 426. See also marketing advertising industry, 99, 190, 216, 396, 406–410, 417, 418, 421, 443n76 aesthetics, xii, xiv, 95, 96, 97, 102, 138, 166n81, 171n141, 300, 375, 399, 402, 423 affairs. See infidelity Affron, Charles, 35 Affron, Mirella Jona, 35 afterlife, 35, 40, 367, 375. See also ghosts, supernatural Agajanian, Rowana, 17, 80n23 ageing, 74–75 Aguilera, Christina, 428 Aiken, Scott F., 47 alcoholism, 15, 16, 59, 84n70, 85n79, 180, 200, 211, 214, 226, 274, 285, 307, 309, 310, 332n138, 372, 432. See also drug abuse Alice, 298. See also Allen, Woody All About Christmas Eve, 83, 135, 215, 229, 298, 336, 337, 348, 400, 420, 443n75, 449 All American Christmas Carol, 77–78n5 All I Want for Christmas (1991), 14, 49, 50, 106, 123, 224, 304, 369, 401, 440n45, 442n61, 449n117 All I Want for Christmas (2007), 16 All I Want for Christmas (2013), 29, 407, 410, 418 All I Want for Christmas (2014), 11, 12, 55n83, 92n175, 181, 202, 217, 282, 283, 284, 348, 379, 443n75

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 502

All Is Bright, 150, 290, 304, 314, 315, 324n29, 364, 400, 419 All Mine to Give, 16, 80–81n33, 82n52, 96, 98–99, 113, 133, 199, 243n8, 318 All She Wants for Christmas, 234, 249n94, 341, 400, 401, 423, 435n1, 446–447n97 All That Heaven Allows, 173n165, 301 All Through the House, 237 Allen, Woody, 298, 344. See also Alice, Annie Hall allergies, 369, 392n51 Almost Christmas (2013). See All Is Bright. Almost Christmas (2016), 106, 114, 115, 209, 219, 230, 239, 287, 332n138, 352, 361, 401, 418, 428, 446–447n97 Alone for Christmas, 453 alternate reality, 12, 34, 39, 48, 60, 61, 83n55, 92n175, 135, 136, 181, 198, 284, 348, 379, 380, 382, 383, 384, 386, 406, 410, 422, 443n75 Alzheimer’s disease, 66, 115, 178. See also illness Amen. 167,n99 American Graffiti, 95 American Son, 389n10 Americanization, xvin10, 402, 441n55 amnesia, 148, 196, 260, 273, 326n58 amplification, 128, 252–254, 256, 277, 278, 282, 284, 288, 294, 296, 300, 301, 412, 420 An Accidental Christmas, 91n166, 106, 166n88, 203, 204, 295, 345–346, 393–394n73, 410, 420 An Affair to Remember, 109, 128, 136, 340 An All Dogs Christmas Carol, 77–78n5, 453n2 An American Carol, 77–78n5 An American Christmas Carol, 34, 39, 77n5, 82n52, 96, 105, 132, 243n8 An American Girl Holiday, 7, 21, 80n28, 82n52, 87n104, 87n114, 96, 243n8, 319, 356

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Index An Angel for Christmas, 96, 375 An Avonlea Christmas. See Happy Christmas, Miss King An En Vogue Christmas, 186, 222, 290, 292, 298, 445–446n89, 446– 447n97 An Evergreen Christmas, 150, 234, 447 An Old Fashioned Christmas, 96, 117, 172n160, 228, 342, 402 An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, 389n10 anal sex, 217, 428, 450n123 ancestral home, 114, 175, 211, 226, 230, 234, 349, 361, 366, 428, 429 Angel Doll, The, 97, 375 Angel in the Family, 10, 12, 13, 87n107, 113, 128, 131, 141, 208, 217, 226, 239, 243n8, 266, 270, 298, 315, 332n138, 368, 371, 372, 375, 376, 407 Angel in the House, 9, 29, 60, 196, 197, 375, 376, 378, 382, 446–447n97 Angel of Christmas, 8, 64, 68, 81n36, 145, 159, 277, 278, 292, 345, 362, 368, 375, 400, 418, 445n89 Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue, The, 63, 92n179, 96, 172n160, 203, 256, 320, 375, 419 Angel Square. See Comic Book Christmas Caper, The angels, 2, 40, 43, 48, 50, 60, 61, 62, 101, 143, 152, 154, 196, 197, 200–201, 203, 206, 225, 227, 271, 272, 310, 335, 337, 340, 345, 348, 352, 354, 365, 367, 368, 370, 371, 372, 373– 379, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, 387, 388n1, 390n31, 392n52, 392n62, 394n75, 399, 448n100 Angels and Ornaments, 71, 78n11, 126, 155, 297, 298, 348, 361, 368, 374, 375, 384, 387, 422 Angels in the Annexe, 375 Angels in the Snow, 13, 30, 48, 55, 70, 80n33, 206, 286, 295, 375, 378, 379, 383, 387, 418, 421, 440n47 Angels Sing, 70, 106, 154, 171n144, 205, 246n43, 286, 319, 325n46, 374, 375, 387, 404,

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 503

503

animation, xiv, 8, 22, 24, 40, 45, 77, 79n17, 79–80n22, 80n29, 81n35, 83n56, 90–91n159, 92n173, 92n180, 96, 100, 111, 132, 176, 207, 243n8, 247n55, 251, 337, 347, 354, 370, 388n1, 391, 403, 423 Annabelle’s Wish, 87n104, 92n173, 92n180, 207, 208, 243n8, 347, 356 Annie Claus is Coming to Town, 2, 3, 7, 16, 45, 58, 64–65, 67, 106, 152–153, 159, 165n69, 173n162, 244n22, 252, 326n55, 336, 351, 362, 422, 423, 445n89, 446– 447n97 Annie Hall, 298, 331n121. See also Allen, Woody anniversaries, 61, 79n14, 115–116, 296, 319 anthropology, 8, 44, 121, 167n95, 175, 217, 301, 371, 398, 435n2, 437n16, 449n111 anticlimax, 279, 280–281, 299, 313. See also letdown anxiety, xi, 31, 175, 209, 231, 255, 256, 290, 294, 316. See also mental illness Anything But Christmas, 11, 12, 13, 16, 29, 81n34, 83n57, 120, 137, 149, 158, 173n162, 177, 212, 269–270, 271, 278–279, 292, 295, 302, 306, 404, 414, 445 Anywhere But Here, 132 Apartment, The, 184, 189, 293, 309 apocalypse, 203 Aronson, Ronald, 335–336 Arthur, 274 Arthur 2: On the Rocks, 9, 10, 274, 372, 400 Arthur Christmas, 8, 80n29, 100 artifice, 40, 95, 232, 406–409, 417, 441n53. See also authenticity As Good As It Gets, 18 Asians, 393–394n73 Astaire, Fred, 357, 381–382, 403 Åström, Berit, 24 astronomy, 358

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504 Index asylums, 65, 266, 275, 304, 327n64. See also insanity, madness, mental illness Atkinson, Michael, 277 Auntie Mame, 421 Austin, Guy, 441n56 authenticity, 39–40, 77, 94, 117, 119, 130, 144, 232, 240, 284, 407, 411– 417, 445n88. See also artifice autism, 85n81 Away From Her, 109, 254, 291 Babe, 111 Baby for Christmas, A, 2, 33, 172– 173n160, 176, 193, 230, 407, 410, 420 Baby Formula, The, 115 Baby’s First Christmas, 14, 15, 78n11, 130, 131, 153, 196, 197, 198, 203, 212, 229, 242, 319, 351, 354, 400, 419, 447 Babycakes, 81, 140, 144, 311, 317, 400 Bachelor Mother, 17, 421, 422 back taxes, 364. See also foreclosure Back to Christmas, 39, 68, 83n54, 100, 248n85, 355, 385, 390n36, 446n96 Backfire, 196 Bad Santa, 310, 313, 332n138, 412, 423, 432, 435, 450n123 Bad Santa 2, 4, 5, 33, 98, 191, 213, 242, 310, 313, 332n138, 363, 419, 432, 433, 442n61, 450n123 Bad Teacher, 196 Baggage. See Holiday Baggage Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, 77–78n5 baking, 87n116, 137, 142, 199, 200, 257– 258, 261, 266–268, 280, 289, 308, 323n25, 324n32, 339, 364, 366, 368, 393n73, 407, 446–447n97, 447–448n99 Bamber, Philip M., 105 Barbie in a Christmas Carol, 77–78n5 Barrett, Justin L., 56, 58, 75, 91n170 Baskin, Kara, 444n79 Battle of Ardennes, The. See Christmas Truce

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 504

Battle of the Bulbs, 3, 7, 78, 123, 143, 155, 229, 271, 364, 438n22, 446– 447n97 Batuman, Elif, 303 Beaches, 109 Becoming Santa, 38, 80n29 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure, 453n2 Behind Enemy Lines, 134 Belk, Russell W., 1, 42, 47, 105, 403, 423, 435 Bell Book and Candle, 388, 399, 445n89 Bellafante, Ginia, 205 Belle for Christmas, A, 21, 453n2 Bells of St. Mary’s, The (1945), 2, 447 Bells of St. Mary’s, The (1959), 2, 447 benefactors, 28, 357, 366. See also bequeaths Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story, 453n2 bequeaths, 82n52, 221, 245n29, 262, 357, 366–367, 368, 380, 392n61, 407. See also benefactors bereavement. See grief Berlin, Irving, 93, 95, 124 Berlin Syndrome, 109 Bernard and the Genie, 122, 298 Bérubé, Michael, 408 Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The, 2, 3, 81n34, 89n145 Best Christmas Party Ever, 62, 70, 180, 400, 418, 421, 423 Bethlehem, 2, 8, 81n36 Better Off Dead, 163n39, 228, 309, 310 Beverly Hills Christmas, 35, 387, 392n61 Beyoncé, 209 Beyond Tomorrow, 41, 101, 122, 194, 367, 388n1, 399, 403 Bianco, Robert, xiv Big Bang Theory, The, 168n110 Big Business, 150 Big Eden, 111, 389n10 Bikini Bloodbath Christmas, 430 Bill of Divorcement, A, 8, 65, 83n57, 247n54, 266, 301, 304, 327n63, 332n132 Billy’s Christmas Angels, 375

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Index Bishop’s Wife, The, 4, 34, 48, 99, 103, 134, 151, 295, 347, 385, 387, 399, 448n100 bitterness, 23, 68, 74, 75–76, 211, 268, 302 Black Christmas (1974), 10, 59, 191, 214, 321, 434, 435 Black Christmas (2006), 59, 60, 191, 214, 231, 282, 398, 433, 434, 435 Black Nativity, 2, 17, 63, 84n73, 224, 225, 324n32, 400 Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, 77–78n5 Blazing Tower, The. See Terror on the 40th Floor Bleak Midwinter, The. See Midwinter’s Tale, A Bless the Child, 8, 17, 41, 400 blessings, 32–33, 197, 201, 213, 343, 366 Blood Beat, 218, 388n1 Blossoms in the Dust, 109, 283, 318, 352, 356 Body Heat, 161n14 body-swap, 247n64 Bonawitz, Amy, 102 bonding, 24, 27, 84n60, 126, 127, 128, 173n164, 178, 193, 204, 213, 238, 247n62, 324n32, 341, 346, 368, 378, 402, 416, 423, 447–448n99 bonus round, 133–147, 197, 281, 294, 346 Boogie Nights, 42, 188 Booky & the Secret Santa, 96 Boozer, Jack, 407, 409 Borrowed Christmas, The, 190 Borrowed Hearts, 17, 156, 221, 359, 368, 377, 379, 449n117 Bowler, Gerry, xiii, 47, 224, 263, 264, 282, 293, 305, 327n65, 375 box office, xvin8, 6, 79n22, 129, 399 Box, The, 97, 333n156 Boxing Day, 218 Boy Who Saved Christmas, The, 43, 49, 51, 79n14, 203, 273, 419, 449n117 Boyfriend for Christmas, A, 50, 51, 52, 69, 140, 150, 173n165, 178, 181, 220, 240, 339, 354, 355, 376, 416, 418, 421, 423

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 505

505

Boynton, Petra, 296 Bramham, Peter, 252–253 Bratz Babyz Save Christmas, 91n167, 243n8, 423 Brazil, 132 Breakfast with Scot, 274 Brer Rabbit’s Christmas Carol, 77–78n5 Bresson, Robert, 79n22 Bride for Christmas, A, 83n58, 108, 120, 126, 127 Bride of Frankenstein, 185 Bridge, The, 81n35, 155, 298, 422 Bridget Jones’s Diary, 110, 116, 137, 297 Bright Eyes, 7, 16, 82n52, 106, 207, 208, 243n8, 317 Broadcasting Christmas, 351, 400, 445 Brockes, Emma, 281 Brown, Callum G. 397 Brunner, Bernd, 444n86 Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 168n110 Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol, 77, 128, 309 Bulldog for Christmas, A, 390n27, 453n2 Bundle of Joy, 17 Burke, Penny Jane, 323 Bush Christmas (1946), 166n81 Bush Christmas (1983), 166n81, 229 Bushfire Moon, 96, 166n81 Buster & Chauncey’s Silent Night, 81n35, 243n8 Bustle, 183–186, 189, 191–194, 209, 269, 277, 283, 288, 305, 313 Cadaver Christmas, A, 168, 184, 189, 300, 301, 308, 388 Call Me Claus, 16, 45, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 64, 79n19, 116, 319, 337, 345, 401, 418, 420, 421, 427, 445n89 Call Me Mrs. Miracle, 4, 65, 69, 119, 149, 183, 186, 257, 287, 318–319, 368, 379, 380, 388n3, 400, 401, 420, 421, 422, 436n5, 437n12, 447n99 Cameron, Kirk, 122, 395–396 Campbell, Russell, 42 Canada, Geoffrey, 73 Cancel Christmas, 17, 19, 21, 23, 43, 51, 52, 69, 80n32, 106, 148–149,

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506 Index 364–365, 381, 382, 386, 401, 421, 438n22 cancer, 6, 19, 110, 112–113, 140, 153, 189, 193, 200, 206, 288, 315, 336, 364, 440n44. See also illness capitalism, 35, 38, 71, 102, 284, 388, 396, 402, 404–405, 418, 421, 424, 443. See also commerce, materialism Capra, Frank, xiv, xviin14, 41, 129, 169n114, 198, 325n49. See also It’s a Wonderful Life Meet John Doe Captain Newman, M.D. 134 car accidents, 19, 33, 57, 69, 72, 115, 152, 153, 194, 205, 206, 225, 285, 315, 317, 318, 319, 338, 346, 352, 372, 380, 387 Caravaggio, 100 Carey, Mariah, 428 carjacking, 412 Carlson, Stephen C. 2 Carol, 21, 172n157, 208, 247n58, 422 Carol Christmas, A, 2, 8, 12, 29, 32, 33, 77–78n5, 105, 136, 176, 207, 208, 215–216, 285, 292, 358, 371, 385, 420, 445n89 Carol for Another Christmas, 70, 77n5 Caroline in the City, 440n40 carols, xi, xii, 30, 78, 109, 112, 120, 123, 126–128, 196, 274, 275, 301, 399, 431, 438n22 carpentry, 37–41, 88–89n134 Carry On Christmas, 77n5 Carter, Clarence, 428 cartoons. See animation Casa de mujeres (House of Women), 89n146 Casablanca, 443 Case for Christmas, The, 21, 43, 46, 51, 64, 66, 73, 132–133, 272, 274, 326n61, 449n117 Cash, Johnny, 37 Casper’s Haunted Christmas, 370 Castaways, The. See Cheaters, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas, The, 453n2

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 506

Catch a Christmas Star, 21, 81n35, 136, 157, 164n60, 220, 260, 302, 369, 400 catfights, 268 Catholicism, 3, 45, 80n24, 289, 431. See also Christianity, religion cats, 26, 201, 209, 363, 369, 453n2 Chance of Snow, A, 345, 445 Chapman, James, 33, 62, 71–72, 175–176 charity, 12, 27–35, 43, 64, 65, 87n116, 88n117, 98, 135, 154, 163n38, 176, 197, 201, 214, 242, 263, 313, 356, 357, 366, 391n45, 391n48, 398, 416, 425, 429 Charlie Brown Christmas, A, 128, 162n30, 168n110, 251, 278, 279, 288, 403, 444n85 Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, A, 389n10 Charming Christmas, 17, 71, 145, 172n157, 173n164, 187, 190, 248n73, 386, 413, 418, 421, 422, 447–448n99, 449n117 Chasing Christmas, 21, 23, 68, 75, 77–78n5, 122, 152, 165n69, 242, 244n22, 245n23, 371 Cheaters, The, 27, 29, 132, 195, 399 Child’s Christmas in Wales, A, 94, 96, 118, 172n160, 259, 300, 401 Child’s Christmases in Wales, A, 97 childhood, 48, 54, 65, 70–73, 103, 105, 119, 120, 128, 165n75, 168n109, 176, 212–213, 244n18, 260, 432 childhood sweethearts, 84n60, 239– 240, 407 children-in-peril, 203–205, 207, 246– 247n52 Children, The, 244n20, 320 Chilly Christmas, 21, 401, 453n2 Chinatown, 95, 97 Christ, Jesus, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 31, 35, 37–41, 42–48, 50, 52, 61, 64, 79,n14, 70n19, 81n39, 88n134, 88–89n134, 90n153, 91n166, 115, 140, 182, 304, 335, 339, 347, 348, 352, 374, 377, 378, 386, 395–397, 426, 436n5

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Index Christianity, 3, 5, 6, 29, 31, 79n19, 79–80n22, 87–88n116, 236, 326n57, 375, 381, 395–396, 398, 436n10, 437n14, 439n27. See also religion Christmas, 34n81 Christmas Angel (2009), 31, 33, 74, 110, 141, 212, 252, 289, 304, 318, 366, 375, 404, 442n61, 445n89 Christmas Angel (2012), 17, 30, 32, 225, 278, 323n26, 357, 364, 369, 375, 401 Christmas at Cartwright’s, 17, 25, 133, 155, 244n18, 368, 378, 379, 387, 388n3, 413, 419, 422, 442n61, 445n87 Christmas at Maxwell’s, 81n43 Christmas at the Riviera, 81n35, 125, 146, 163n39, 167n99, 189, 206, 217, 228, 259, 286, 298, 332n138, 336, 360 Christmas Belle, 69, 83n57, 83n58, 156, 158 Christmas Blessing, A, 16, 84n73, 87n99 Christmas Blessing, The, 21, 106, 297, 351 Christmas Bounty, 106, 232, 239, 400 Christmas Box, The, 7, 163n47, 170n134, 182, 327n73, 366, 375, 377, 380, 401, 421 Christmas Bunny, The, 3, 67, 82–83n52, 132, 203, 204, 224, 256, 315, 419 Christmas Candle, The, 10, 25, 65, 66, 72, 87n104, 96, 356 Christmas Caper, 97, 106, 173n162, 232, 234, 238, 268, 269, 298, 314, 361, 401, 441n59 Christmas Card, The, 38, 81n34, 195, 197, 249n88, 336, 367 Christmas cards, 11, 257, 266, 288 Christmas Carol, A (1908), 77n5 Christmas Carol, A (1910), 77n5 Christmas Carol, A (1923), 77n5 Christmas Carol, A (1938), 77n5, 96, 201 Christmas Carol, A (1951). See Scrooge (1951) Christmas Carol, A (1971), 77n5, 132

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 507

507

Christmas Carol, A (1977), 77n5 Christmas Carol, A (1984), 71, 77–78n5, 96 Christmas Carol, A (1997), 77–78n5, 96 Christmas Carol, A (1999), 77–78n5, 96 Christmas Carol, A (2000), 77–78n5 Christmas Carol, A (2006), 77–78n5 Christmas Carol, A (2009), 77–78n5, 96 Christmas Carol: The Musical, A (2004), 77–78n5, 96 Christmas Child, 5, 445 Christmas Choir, The, 8, 106, 184, 189, 226, 298, 332n138, 418, 447 Christmas Clause, The, 47, 61, 83n55, 182, 202, 210, 256, 264–265, 282, 283, 284, 348, 386, 387, 422, 443n75 Christmas Coal Mine Miracle, The. See Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. Christmas Comes to Willow Creek, 14, 223, 243n7, 391n42, 401, 429–430, 440n45, 446–447n97 Christmas Consultant, The, 72, 78n11, 106, 159, 160, 177, 186, 216, 265, 269, 367, 398, 407, 411, 418, 420, 425, 444n78, 448n100 Christmas Cookies, 83n57, 173n166, 234, 249n95 Christmas Cottage, The, 2, 3, 8, 13, 16, 41, 65, 70, 78, 148, 157, 199, 229, 234, 239, 264, 301, 318, 366, 391n45, 429, 446–447n97 Christmas Crush. See Holiday High School Reunion Christmas Cupid, 3, 77–78n5, 120, 292, 350, 367, 407, 418, 446 Christmas Detour, A, 36, 37, 69, 104, 119, 146, 166n80, 180, 181, 193, 216–217, 218, 223, 231, 240, 343, 346, 415, 445n89, 449n117 Christmas Do-Over, 83n54, 83n57, 139, 219, 322n14, 384, 390n36, 446n96 Christmas Dove. See Christmas Eve (1986) Christmas Dragon, The (2014), 243n8

11/14/17 8:02 AM

508 Index Christmas Eve (1947), 29, 147, 224, 275, 326n60, 332n138, 399 Christmas Eve (1986), 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 87n110, 89n136, 112, 223, 224, 275, 326n60, 332n138, 400 Christmas Eve (2015), 91n164, 138, 288, 391n39, 400, 431 Christmas Eve Miracle, A, 48, 60, 81n35, 181, 182, 202, 204, 242, 407, 410, 420 Christmas Every Day, 83n54, 205, 363, 390n36, 446n96, 390n36, 423, 446n96 Christmas Evil, 108, 276, 327n62, 393n63, 412, 434, 450n129, 452 Christmas Family Tragedy, A, 332n139 Christmas for a Dollar, 21, 31, 96, 164n57, 196, 267, 278, 364 Christmas Gift, The (1986), 21, 114, 301, 318, 400, 446–447n97 Christmas Gift, The (2015), 133, 224, 298, 445n89, 446–447n97 Christmas Gift, The (2009). See Three Gifts, The Christmas Grace, 423 Christmas Heart, The, 14, 49, 53, 56, 66, 86n85, 91n164, 106, 108, 149, 200, 204, 206, 256, 258, 302, 315, 320, 351 Christmas Holiday, 298 Christmas Hope, The, 15, 17, 61, 70, 82n52, 144, 203, 243n8, 317, 364, 376 Christmas Horror Story, A, 242, 320, 388n1 Christmas Icetastrophe, 205, 246n49, 316, 333n158 Christmas in Boston, 298, 401, 445,n89 Christmas in Canaan, 21, 82n52, 172n160, 241, 360 Christmas in Compton, 17, 84n73, 112, 150, 202, 225, 389n20, 450n127 Christmas in Connecticut (1945), 83n57, 127, 190, 288, 411, 425, 444n78, 445n89, 452 Christmas in Connecticut (1992), 411, 445n89

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 508

Christmas in Conway, 107, 113, 151, 173n161, 200, 361, 401 Christmas in Homestead, 21, 78n11, 168n111, 173n166, 215, 369, 445n89 Christmas in Palm Springs, 80n33, 91n166, 185, 296, 338, 362, 382, 383, 400, 407, 420, 443n73 Christmas in Paradise, 5, 16, 21, 39, 81n35, 87n99, 145–146, 203, 247n62, 363 Christmas in the City, 17, 81, 127, 154, 323n26, 400, 431, 446–447n97 Christmas in the Clouds, 80n33, 206, 225, 332n138, 346, 362 Christmas in the Smokies, 124, 125, 128, 229, 232, 323n26, 417, 445– 446n89, 446–447n97 Christmas in Vermont, A, 99, 106, 133, 152, 324n33, 344, 368, 380, 404, 446–447n97 Christmas in Wonderland, 3, 7, 45, 54, 56, 74–75, 78n11, 143, 151, 176, 177, 256, 313, 363, 401, 404, 405, 419, 422, 423, 444n83, 448n100 Christmas Incorporated, 70, 133, 142, 150, 156, 158, 179, 185, 351, 354, 400, 418, 419, 421, 446–447n97 Christmas is Here Again, 243n8 Christmas Kid, The, 14 Christmas Kiss II, A, 83n57, 138, 214, 215, 255, 295, 298, 418 Christmas Kiss, A, 78n7, 80, 101, 127, 128, 138, 179, 260, 337, 340, 367, 381, 414, 416, 445n87 Christmas Land, 114, 366, 400, 407, 408 Christmas Lilies of the Field, 243n8 Christmas lists, 47, 126, 349, 360 Christmas List, 3, 30, 39, 78n7, 125, 171, 360, 414, 418 Christmas List, The, 21, 81n34, 83n57, 110, 111, 118, 126, 210, 220, 255, 256, 276, 278, 279, 295, 349, 359, 389n19, 421, 422 Christmas Lodge, 7, 12, 83n57, 95, 113, 149, 298, 407

11/14/17 8:02 AM

Index Christmas Magic, 21, 40, 69, 71, 101, 154, 196, 206, 207, 319, 324n32, 338, 340, 352, 353, 378, 385, 387, 386, 400, 405, 407, 418, 447 Christmas Mail, 21, 49, 81n35, 127, 152, 282, 324n32, 354 Christmas Melody, A, 17, 31, 81n35, 135, 136, 172n154, 173n163, 232, 237, 238, 258, 350, 382 Christmas Memory, A (1966), 96, 113, 172n157, 324n32, 393n73, 445n87 Christmas Memory, A (1997), 87n116, 96, 172n157, 324n32, 393n73 Christmas Miracle, 7, 35, 66, 80n33, 85n81, 192, 203, 204, 295, 346, 418 Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A., 97, 315, 316 Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, The, 5, 16, 69, 70, 96, 437n12 Christmas Mountain, 394n75 Christmas Mystery, A, xvin4 Christmas Note, The, 16, 49, 50, 106, 107, 132, 154, 173n166, 232, 293, 324n32, 354, 365, 422 Christmas on Chestnut Street, 422 Christmas on Division Street, 14, 27, 28, 193, 285, 311, 320, 332n138, 383 Christmas on Mars, 78n6, 304, 312 Christmas on Salvation Street. See Salvation Street Christmas on the Bayou, 17, 119, 187, 203, 238, 350, 369, 400, 407 Christmas Oranges, 96, 243n8 Christmas Ornament, The, 69, 150, 151, 154, 159, 173n161, 323n26, 359, 373, 422, 446–447n97 Christmas Pageant, The, 2, 3, 21, 53, 81n35, 153, 173n166, 235, 324n32, 361, 369, 381, 400, 416, 445–446n89 Christmas Parade, The, 36, 80, 146, 154, 171n138, 298, 324n32, 343, 365, 380, 400, 417, 445n89, 446– 447n97 Christmas parties, 14, 19, 28, 67, 101, 110, 111, 116, 123, 140, 173n166,

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 509

509

182, 192, 194, 200, 269, 275, 292, 314, 367, 388n1, 416, 428, 444n78 workplace Christmas parties, 127, 177, 189, 209, 233, 241, 254, 286, 293, 298, 301, 311, 364 Christmas Path, The, 43 Christmas Proposal, A, 83n57, 106, 172n156, 234, 239, 249n88, 367, 407, 445n87 Christmas Ranch, 7, 69, 114, 153, 229, 338, 370, 391n45, 446–447n97 Christmas Reunion, A, 3, 78n11, 137, 149, 233, 235, 323n26, 324n32, 339, 350, 366, 368, 400, 406, 407, 410, 420, 446–447n97 Christmas Romance, A, 8, 14, 16, 84n60, 85n78, 121, 148, 187, 194, 229, 322n18, 419, 447 Christmas Secret, The (2000), 55, 61, 80n29, 81n34, 81n35, 157, 438n22 Christmas Secret, The (2014), 17, 25, 85n78, 207, 208, 231, 322n18, 323n26, 339, 365, 419, 422 Christmas Shepherd, The, xvn1, 16, 21, 123, 150, 172n157, 369, 445n89, 453n2 Christmas Shoes, The, 8, 149, 392n54, 418, 423 Christmas Slay, 327n62 Christmas Snow, 106, 172n158, 196, 323n26, 422, 446–447n97 Christmas Snow, A, 4, 16, 21, 34, 153, 176, 188, 222, 289, 338, 346, 374, 381, 418 Christmas Song, A, 41, 68, 78n11, 165n69, 244–245n22, 404, 443n76, 446–447n97 Christmas Spirit, The, 61, 225, 242, 324n32, 380, 418, 445n89, 447 Christmas Star, A, 7, 13, 80n33, 446– 447n97 Christmas Star, The, 314 Christmas Story 2, A, 97 Christmas Story, A, 57, 97, 128, 172n154, 315, 401, 413, 445n87, 448n100 Christmas Swap, The, 83n55, 247n64, 348, 443n75

11/14/17 8:02 AM

510 Index Christmas Tail, A (1999), 7, 27, 141, 169n119, 349, 382, 453n2 Christmas Tail, A (2014), 8, 17, 21, 453n2 Christmas to Remember, A (1978), 96 Christmas to Remember, A (2016), 11, 21, 180, 181, 196, 249n95, 264, 326n58, 340, 359, 400, 445n88 Christmas Too Many, A, 332 Christmas Town, 17, 21, 32, 55, 57, 63, 64, 69, 73, 151, 271, 275, 324n33, 355, 418, 449n117 Christmas Trade, 21, 257n64, 418, 420 Christmas trees, 14, 64, 103, 109, 120, 124, 130, 150–154, 166n80, 168n110, 172n157, 173, 199, 212, 221, 265, 280, 299, 317, 319, 320, 392n51, 398, 399, 403, 412–416, 425, 444n85 artificial trees, 219, 412–416 farms, 71, 99, 114, 118, 148, 234, 366, 392n61, 442n70, 450n127 lighting ceremonies, 111–112, 150, 173n166, 362, 446–447n97 makeshift trees, 151 mess, 413–414 real trees, 413–414 shopping for, 150, 172n157, 242, 416, 447–448n99 stalls, 110, 172n153, 314, 320, 381, 415 Christmas Tree Miracle, A, 13, 28, 55, 65, 154, 213, 256, 319, 366, 392n61, 442n70, 445n87 Christmas Tree, The (1966), 150 Christmas Tree, The (1996), 87n104, 97, 150, 203, 356, 374, 400 Christmas Truce, 31, 97, 134, 441n54 Christmas Twister, 295, 316, 423, 445 Christmas Under Wraps, 8, 39, 60, 159, 172n157, 201, 236, 244n18, 298, 343, 344, 413, 442n61 Christmas Visitor, A, 13, 63, 65, 70, 172n154, 195, 197, 199, 222, 276, 278, 315, 319, 373, 401, 440n44, 445, 447–448n99

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 510

Christmas Visitor, The. See Bushfire Moon Christmas Wedding Date, A, 70, 83n58, 142, 180, 188, 189, 225, 233, 239, 288, 338, 339, 344, 354, 355, 382, 385–386, 400, 407, 418, 419, 421 Christmas Wedding Tail, A, 16, 21, 49, 83n58, 232, 235, 356, 369, 419, 453n2 Christmas Wedding, A, 83n58, 365, 418, 420 Christmas Wife, The, 114, 120, 176, 189 Christmas Wish, A, 4, 7, 25, 36, 65, 69, 80n33, 85n78, 91n164, 158, 200, 207, 297, 319, 322n18, 347, 376 Christmas Wish, A (1950). See Great Rupert, The Christmas Wish, The, 17, 106, 115, 173n165, 233, 242, 319 Christmas with a Capital C, 2, 5, 65, 67, 78n11, 200, 232, 436n5 Christmas with Cookie, 388 Christmas with Holly, 8, 21–22, 41, 87n104, 106, 155, 172n160, 243n8, 298, 356, 388n3, 422 Christmas with the Andersons, 104, 200, 419 Christmas with the Dead, 388 Christmas with the Kranks, 83n57, 112– 113, 126, 132, 165n73, 182, 185, 186, 199, 202, 215, 258, 266, 278, 287, 303, 305, 325n46, 364 Christmas with Tucker, 172n160, 200, 332n138, 376, 453n2 Christmas Without Snow, A, 199, 203, 315, 419, 438n22, 442n61 Christmas, Again, 11, 150, 298, 304, 400 church, 5, 8, 10, 14, 17, 29, 30, 34, 35, 41, 43, 47, 48, 62, 63, 65, 72, 89n145, 92n179, 99, 104, 120, 123, 126, 147, 192, 195, 229, 276, 346, 365, 368, 376, 380, 398, 430, 436n5, 438n22, 446n97. See also Christianity, faith, religion Cinderella Christmas, A, 83n58, 221, 392n54

11/14/17 8:02 AM

Index Cinnamon. See My Dog’s Christmas Miracle cities, 34, 118, 199, 230, 232, 234, 237, 238, 240, 249n88, 388n3, 399–411, 415, 417, 419, 439n32, 440n40, 442n61, 442n66, 442n70, 445n88, 446n97. See also Los Angeles, New York Citizen Kane, 130 clairvoyance. See telepathy Clapp, James A., 197, 232, 236, 237, 240, 405 class, 157 lower-class, 384 middle-class, 31–32, 94, 228, 382 Claus, Mrs. 7, 8, 57, 80n29, 90n151, 90n156, 108, 156–157, 258–260, 296, 323n23, 403, 427, 429, 433, 438n22 Claus, Santa, xiii, xv, 1, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43–53, 54, 56, 58, 59, 61, 64, 73, 133, 143, 145, 228, 244n18, 270, 271, 296, 335, 347, 348, 354, 355, 380, 391n48, 396, 398, 404, 410, 426, 427, 428, 431, 432, 438n22 breaking character, 411–412 criminal, 314, 320, 443n74 mentally ill, 272–276 sexual, 427–435, 450n129 suicidal, 312 Clooney, George, 428 Coca Cola, xiii, 222, 283, 410, 426, 443n74 cognitive dissonance, 253 coincidence, 17, 46, 336 Collateral Beauty, 41, 227, 326n60, 380, 384, 400, 407 Cold Comfort Farm, 442 Cole, Nat King, 126, 128 Color of Rain, The, 2, 16, 21, 83, 87n99, 87n105, 106, 318 combat fatigue. See PTSD, war Come Dance With Me, 26, 81n35, 115, 143, 154, 156, 363, 400, 417, 418, 446–447n97 Come to the Stable, 4, 81n36

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 511

511

Comfort and Joy (1984), 298 Comfort and Joy (2003), 34, 83n55, 307, 326n58, 348, 407, 443 Comic Book Christmas Caper, The, 97 Coming Home for Christmas, 38, 107, 191, 212, 224, 225, 445 commerce, xiv, 22, 31, 98–100, 122, 141, 188, 198, 255, 388, 395, 397, 398, 399, 402, 403, 404, 408, 409, 410, 411, 412, 416, 417, 424, 427, 429, 435n2, 436n6, 438n22, 443n74, 443–444n76, 452. See also capitalism communications theory, xvin10, 44, 95, 424, 426. See also film theory, media theory community, 26–27, 101, 135, 173n166, 197, 198–202, 235, 237, 267, 269, 356, 374, 398, 443n72 comparison, 94, 119, 213, 236, 249n88, 281–284, 301, 313 competition, 3, 9, 78n10, 78n11, 111, 137, 155, 156, 159, 171, 173n169, 207, 258, 267–269, 322n12, 422, 423, 430, 431 compromise, 208, 226, 249n94 conception, 2, 9, 10, 11, 60, 79n14, 82n46, 183, 197, 378, 398, 428 immaculate conception, 10, 79n14 Connelly, Mark, xiii, 44, 64, 102, 300, 371, 437n14 conscience, 27, 284 conservativism, 12, 20, 22, 42, 64, 156, 160, 224, 236, 256, 267, 370, 397, 442n64, 451 Cookie Cutter Christmas, A, 3, 30, 32, 78n11, 81n35, 106, 155, 267, 268 Cooper, B. Lee, 294 Cooper’s Camera. See Cooper’s Christmas Cooper’s Christmas, 11, 97, 211 Coots, John Frederick, 44 Correcting Christmas. See Back to Christmas Costello, Matthew, 198 costumes, 42, 157, 313, 412, 413, 429, 431, 434

11/14/17 8:02 AM

512 Index Country Christmas Story, A, 17, 78n11, 81n34, 84–85n73, 111, 171n139, 242 Country Christmas, A, 43 Couric, Katie, 307 Covey, Herbert C., 381 Cox, Patrick, 426 Crackers, 2, 11, 16, 41, 80n33, 106, 121, 166n81, 167n94, 257, 261, 310, 318, 428 Crazy for Christmas, 16, 104, 168n110, 172n154, 225, 270, 400, 439n39, 445n89 Crews, Reverend Bill, 283 crime, xii, 85n78, 300, 314, 320, 400, 405. See also homicide, rape, scams, shoplifting, violence crime-drama, 36, 257, 285, 311, 316 Cross, Gary, 98 Crown For Christmas, 21, 165n75, 177, 219, 365, 400, 425 cruises, 182, 186, 199, 215, 229, 247n62, 278, 288, 341, 364 Crump, William D. 172n148 cultural politics, 202 Cunneen, Joseph, 79n22 cupid, 220, 345, 367–371, 375, 380, 391n48. See also matchmaking Curse of the Werewolf, The, 14 custody battle, 3, 82n52, 138, 151, 207–208, 211 cynicism, 3, 5, 20, 27, 43, 50, 54, 55, 57, 64, 74, 122, 130, 131, 213, 242, 398, 404, 408, 416, 423, 436n10 Cyrus, Miley, 362, 430 D.O.A., 104, 128, 300, 301 d’Arcy, Susan, 270–271 Dad for Christmas, A, 10, 21, 150, 224, 227 Dan Band, The, 428 Darrin, Bobby, 439–440n39 Das Boot, 134 Dashing Through the Snow, 36, 37, 55, 63, 88n131, 90n151, 146, 298, 304, 341 Davies, Elaine, 291

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 512

Dead Calm, 166n81, 317 Dead End, 231 Dead of Night, 392n56 Dead, The, 67, 81n34, 96, 103, 119 deadlines, 93, 101, 147–149, 365, 367, 386. See also time Deadly Desires. See Home for the Holidays (1972) Deadly Little Christmas, 116, 320, 434 Deadpool, 109, 111, 400 Dear Santa, 21, 30, 49, 106, 149, 214, 336, 365, 400, 413, 446–447n97 Dear Secret Santa, 70, 83n54, 180, 233, 322n14, 348, 355, 390n36, 393– 394n73, 418, 421, 446n96 Death Dorm. See Dorm That Dripped Blood, The death, 28, 35, 40, 58, 68–70, 79n14, 87n99, 113, 178, 213, 233, 242, 283, 285, 286, 290–291, 306, 311, 315, 317–319, 320, 329n100, 333n156, 339–340, 366, 367, 380, 386, 407. See also euthanasia deathbed, 24–25, 182, 212 dying, 19, 24–25, 67, 82n49, 110, 113, 122, 140, 149, 200, 285–296, 352, 357, 364, 412, 423. See also last Christmas dying alone, 140, 292 near-death experience, 206–207, 315 of children, 9, 13, 63, 70, 151, 199, 223, 285, 286, 290, 301, 302, 378, 380, 421 of grandparents, 70, 82n52, 179, 241, 421 of parents, 24, 69–70, 87n104, 98, 112, 116, 153, 178, 180, 233, 241, 266, 282, 287, 304, 317, 336, 352, 353, 356 of siblings, 13, 17, 21, 70, 171n144, 208, 285, 286, 304 of spouses, 18, 19, 23, 24–25, 66, 69, 72, 82n52, 89–90n147, 111, 114, 120, 153, 158, 186, 207, 240, 241, 285, 286, 287, 337, 352, 373, 421 Deathhouse. See Silent Night, Bloody Night

11/14/17 8:02 AM

Index December Bride, A, 21, 83n57, 83n58, 128, 156, 221, 224, 227, 338, 424 Deck the Halls (2005), 17, 407 Deck the Halls (2006), 3, 72, 78n11, 128, 151, 155, 254, 271, 320, 430 Deck the Halls (2011), 155, 172n154, 173n162, 401, 412 decorations, 10, 42, 65, 79, 107, 108, 109, 140, 150, 151, 152, 153, 163n47, 269, 280, 298, 303, 305, 395, 399, 403, 405, 415, 421, 423, 424, 425, 429, 433, 437n14, 446–447n97 decorating, 3, 36, 64–65, 78n11, 113, 130, 149, 150, 151, 158, 159, 173n162, 173n164, 173n168, 176, 190, 199, 200, 246n43, 251, 257, 258, 259, 262, 263, 265, 266, 268, 269, 271, 301, 303, 322n12, 325n46, 327n73, 354, 364, 365, 416, 424 gender and decorating, 155–156, 158, 322n12, 362. See also gender not decorating, 152–155, 268–269, 283 Defending Santa, 21, 24, 30, 83n57, 106, 272, 274, 332n138 Dennis the Menace Christmas, A, 77–78n5, 118, 154, 155, 345, 383, 401, 404 department stores, 4, 24, 28, 49, 56, 71, 79n15, 109, 114, 126, 127, 141, 177, 196, 224, 255, 272, 282, 287, 313, 348, 366, 378, 380, 396, 405, 409, 412, 413, 422–423, 425, 430, 431, 432, 442n60, 448n100. See also malls, shopping depression, 76, 121, 141, 158, 159, 185– 186, 242, 252–254, 278, 290, 294, 299, 300, 303–305, 307, 309, 310, 312, 332n143, 420. See also Great Depression mental illness Desk Set, 399 Desperately Seeking Santa, 16, 85n79, 131, 144, 165n69, 177, 180, 181, 184, 190, 244–245n22, 290,

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 513

513

332n138, 365, 401, 407, 423, 431, 446–447n97 destiny, 35, 38, 39, 52, 179, 197, 240, 300, 335–347, 352, 367, 369, 375, 379. See also fate Deutsch, Jonathan, 402 deviance, 20, 229, 321 Devil and Miss Jones, The, 442n60 devils, 121, 197, 388n1 Diamond, Edwin, 296 Dickens, Charles, xii, xiv, 31–34, 78n7, 95, 97, 102, 118, 129, 133, 175– 176, 222, 235, 283, 284, 287, 301, 312–313, 371, 418 Dickensian Fantasy, A, 77–78n5 Did You Hear About the Morgans?, 442n66 Die Hard, xii, xiii, 106, 133, 316, 320, 350 Die Hard 2, 316, 451 diet, 61, 135, 141–145. See also food Different Kind of Christmas, A, 17, 71, 206, 212, 225, 418 Diner, 4–5, 10, 97, 233, 445n89 disability, 19, 85n81, 247n55, 365 disaster film, 205, 315–317, 319, 336, 340. See also natural disasters disease, 74, 85n82, 113, 134, 164n55, 300, 422. See also cancer, illness Disney, Walt, 22, 79–80n22, 222, 283 Diva’s Christmas Carol, A, 11, 12, 20, 21, 29, 77–78n5, 86n85, 211, 215, 332n138, 400, 404, 420 divine intervention, 44, 49, 50, 74, 356, 386 divorce, 16, 19, 48, 49, 72, 85n78, 87n99, 105, 110, 113, 115, 120, 137, 149, 171n139, 199, 234, 245n24, 252, 264, 266, 294, 295, 345, 359, 378. See also marriage do-over, 12, 39, 139, 206, 225, 235, 255, 322n14, 354, 355, 379, 383, 384, 385–386, 390n36, 422, 446n96 Doctor Who, 48 documentary, 73, 332n139, 427 Dog for Christmas, A, 453n2

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514 Index Dog Named Christmas, A, 7, 85n81, 148, 172n160, 453n2 Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The, 453n2 Dog Who Saved Christmas, The, 177, 256, 453n2 Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The, 453n2 Dog’s Tale, A. See Christmas Tail, A (1999) Doggone Christmas, A, 319, 453n2 dogs, 46, 85n81, 141, 177, 196, 264, 273, 315, 328n82, 349, 364, 365, 369, 382–383, 385, 390n27, 391n49, 424, 452, 453n2 Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale, A, 128, 214, 298, 364, 446–447n97, 448n104. 453n2 Doherty, Steven R., 290–291, 319 domesticity, 5, 8, 24, 150, 156, 160, 182, 228, 236, 244n15, 258, 259, 261, 324n31, 326n54, 424, 452 domestic blindness, 260, 323n27 domestic martyrs, 267 Don’t Open Till Christmas, 42, 435 Dorm That Dripped Blood, The, 191, 214, 321 Douglas, Susan J., 268 Dowd, A.A., 253 downsizing, 101–102, 404, 419 Downton Abbey, 98 draft-dodging, 39, 221–222, 223. See also soldiers Dream for Christmas, A, 65, 446n97 Dream of Christmas, A, 83n55, 181, 182, 348, 380, 407, 443 dreams, 23, 30, 135, 140, 178, 219, 237, 238, 249, 271, 278, 287, 320, 354, 359, 373, 375, 390n24, 446n96 drugs, 5, 41, 164n60, 296, 318, 322n138, 360 drug addiction, 16, 17, 41–42, 314, 322n138. See also alcoholism drug dealing, 25, 164n60, 172n153, 254, 315, 412 Druids, 398 Dunbar, Paul Laurence, 124, Duralde, Alonso, 89n140, 327n65, 433

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 514

Dutch, 389n10 dying alone. See death Dying Young, 140 E.R., 169n121 Eastern Promises, 14, 81n35, 257 Eastoe, Jane, 18, 19, 20, 23 Ebbie, 10–11, 12, 20, 28–29, 70, 77–78n5, 82n48, 105, 211, 286, 297, 421, 422, 448n100 Ebbie: A Christmas Story. See Ebbie Ebenezer, 77–78n5 ebony saint. See magical negro Edward Scissorhands, 109, 172n160 Ein Weihnachtslied in Prosa (A Christmas Carol in Prose), 77n5 El día de la bestia (The Day of the Beast), 388 elderly, 29, 113, 123, 163n47, 182, 189, 196, 212, 213, 223, 225, 247n64, 290, 294, 310, 332n143, 365, 365, 379–381, 384, 446n92. See also grandparents Elf, 77, 82n52, 106, 127, 172n159, 172n160, 241, 400, 418, 430, 438n22, 445n89 Elf Who Didn’t Believe, The, 21, 80n33, 85n82, 300, 352, 401, 419 Elf-Man, 21, 31, 103, 302, 323n26, 347 Eloise at Christmastime, 132, 136, 400, 403 elves, 37, 43, 45, 54–55, 62, 64, 74, 75, 77, 157, 158, 241, 258, 261, 265, 270, 272, 378, 399, 410, 426 Elves, 16, 81n35, 118, 403, 412, 4 Elvgren, Gil, 429 embarrassment, 210–211, 254 emotions, xii, xvin6, 22, 23, 24, 51, 73, 100, 102, 113, 167n103, 205, 209, 211, 212, 246–247n52, 252, 253, 254, 287, 288, 294, 304, 313, 366, 451 emotional expectations, 276–279 emotional work, 260, 264, 266, 323n28. See also gender Enemy of the State, 320 engagements, 221, 274, 282, 293, 310, 414

11/14/17 8:02 AM

Index Engagement Clause, The. See Married by Christmas envy, 55, 86n86, 281–284, 288, 303, 313, 328n82, 349, 355 Ernest Saves Christmas, 80n33 Escort Girls, 188, 433 estrangement, 14, 39, 61, 63, 87n110, 91n166, 103, 104, 112, 123, 154, 173n168, 178, 186, 192, 204, 206, 212, 222, 223–224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 241, 243n2, 243n7, 244n12, 273, 290, 301, 314, 315, 346, 353, 358, 363, 364, 368, 369, 372, 393– 394n73, 429, 449n117 ethics, 47, 418 euthanasia, 286. See also death Eve’s Christmas, 83n56, 106, 107, 139, 172n160, 293, 379, 383, 384, 385, 400, 407, 446n96 Every Christmas Has a Story, 16, 127, 152, 186, 206, 209, 216, 227, 357, 445n89 evictions, 25, 26, 85n78, 110. See also foreclosure, homelessness Eyes Wide Shut, 128, 140, 171n141, 318. See also Kubrick, Stanley Exit Speed, 258 Exodus: Gods and Kings, 80n24 expectations, 9, 51, 52, 73, 95, 100, 135, 150, 190, 197, 208–210, 217, 219, 220–222, 223, 244n20, 253, 255, 262, 265, 267, 270, 276–278, 279, 280, 288, 294, 297, 299, 300, 304, 321, 336, 426, 434 Expecting Mary. See Very Mary Christmas, A extravagance, 72, 270, 271, 404 Faircloth, Kelly, 396 Fallen Angel, 17, 19, 21, 60, 108, 165n72, 224, 233, 285, 375 Falling for Christmas, 21, 133, 338 Falling in Love, 110, 111, 388n3, 399 Family For Christmas, 83, 136, 163n38, 313, 348, 386, 407, 442n61, 443n75, 445n89

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 515

515

Family Holiday, The, 82n52, 151, 172n157, 212, 234, 243n8, 245n29 Family Man, The, 83n55, 99, 106, 136, 163n39, 307, 348, 383, 384, 385, 388n3, 400, 401, 418, 443n75 Family Stone, The, 11, 82n49, 82n52, 110, 111, 112, 128, 139, 172n160, 173n163, 230, 239 Family Thanksgiving, A, 389n10 Fanny, Annie & Danny, 230, 257, 264, 269, 312, 439n30 Far From Heaven, 23 Farewell Mr. Kringle, 69, 72, 81n35, 106, 116, 121, 135, 165n69, 173n166, 244–245n22, 263, 275, 318, 357, 368, 380, 445 Farley, Christopher John, 384 fate, 20, 61, 149, 204, 233, 240, 286, 287, 335–342, 344, 345, 346, 347, 349, 350, 367, 375, 380, 388n3, 389n19, 391n49, 393–394n73. See also destiny fatness. See obesity Fátima, Terra de Fé (Fátima, Land of Faith), 79n18 fear, 13, 31, 67, 72–74, 79–80n22, 113, 114, 140, 153, 190, 200, 205, 220, 266, 284, 287, 292, 323n28, 419 Felix the Cat Saves Christmas, 453n2 Female Trouble, 246n46. See also Waters, John femininity, 18, 259, 323n28, 387 feminism, 15, 20, 24, 156, 202, 245n27, 261, 268, 323n28, 326n54 feminizing, 158, 261 Fight Before Christmas, The. See Night Before Christmas, The film theory, xiii, xvin5, xvin6, 6, 21, 23, 26, 44, 95, 102, 119, 129, 160n2, 166n84, 175, 197, 203, 222, 230, 283, 300, 305, 311, 312, 322n10, 402, 405, 407, 434. 437n14. See also communications theory, media theory Finding Christmas, 17, 103, 127, 143, 145, 298, 407

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516 Index Finding Father Christmas, 71, 107, 132, 141, 173n166, 186, 229, 237, 249n95, 289, 315, 319 Finding John Christmas, 21, 137, 323n26, 353, 365, 387, 392–393n62, 401, 445, 447 Finding Mrs. Claus, 17, 80n29, 157, 184, 296, 354, 401, 412, 450n128 Finkle, David, 401 Fir Crazy, 7, 14, 30, 34, 65, 69, 71, 145, 150, 189, 232, 298, 344, 400, 407, 409, 419, 421, 446–447n97 fire, 5, 26, 121, 124, 206, 241, 286 Firehouse Christmas, A, 5, 7, 83n57, 133, 155, 191, 227, 247n56, 258, 324, 359, 401, 421 Fitzgerald Family Christmas, The, 10, 16, 106, 112, 170n137, 245n25, 263, 293, 332n138 Fitzgerald, Helen, 303 Fitzwilly, 83n57, 313, 322n13, 399, 423 Flight Before Christmas, The, 36, 37, 144, 146, 166n88, 298, 346, 365, 391n48, 407, 445n88 Flight of the Innocent, The, 246n52 Flint Street Nativity, The, 2, 3, 78n10 Flintstones Christmas Carol, A, 77–78n5 folklore, xvin7, xvin8, 54, 108, 164n67, 170n135, 183, 244n18, 371 food, 27, 28, 34, 118, 141–145, 153, 171n145, 176, 196, 200, 259, 261, 262, 280, 323n26, 324n32, 363, 411, 425, 428. See also diet Fools Rush In, 254, 400 Footloose, 442n66 Force of Destiny, 113, 166n81, 352 foreclosure, 85n78, 114, 148, 187, 194– 195, 229, 234, 338, 364, 391n45, 446n97. See also back taxes forgiveness, 15, 62, 136, 201, 225, 241– 242, 269, 296, 322n10 Forster, Katie Foster. See Angel in the House fostering, 3, 9, 15, 60, 82n52, 82–83n52, 204, 212, 222, 245n29. See also adoption Four Christmases. See Four Holidays

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 516

Four Holidays, 8, 11, 27, 59–60, 208–209, 210–211, 218, 231, 442n61 Fourth Wise Man, The, 1 Fred Claus, 48, 50, 51, 79n14, 98, 99, 128, 225, 234, 273, 313, 438n22, 442n61, 446–447n97 Freeman, Lindsey A., 100 French Connection, The, 399–400 fresh starts. See new starts Friday After Next, 314 Fried Green Tomatoes, 108 Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. See Fried Green Tomatoes Fries, Laura, 284 Frongia, Antonello Frozen River, 16, 25, 85n78, 173n167, 194, 229, 352, 446–447n97 Fu, Hao, 18 funerals, 233, 292, 315, 317. See also death Funny Farm, 5, 442n66 furlough, 138, 170 Galinsky, Adam D., 339 Galo, Sarah, 168n105 Gathering, The, 39, 80n32, 106, 112, 122–123, 132, 173n164, 178, 223, 224, 226, 243n2, 358, 412 Gau fo ying hung (As the Light Goes Out), 316 gender, xiii, xiv, 18, 19, 22, 142, 155, 176, 177, 255, 260, 325n39, 452. See also femininity, masculinity, women and decoration, 155–156 and emotional work, 266, 323n28 and family, 177–180 and labor, 259, 267, 326n54, 444n83 and perfectionism, 263–264, 325n38 and reconciliation, 226–228 and shopping, 424 and stress, 257–267 and tradition, 156–160, 411–412 generosity, 28–32, 43, 62, 64, 163n38, 199, 202, 251, 274, 275, 277, 356, 357, 360, 366 geography, 107, 400

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Index Gert Lush Christmas, A, 211, 218, 296, 315, 429 Ghost of Greville Lodge, The, 392n56 ghosts, xii, 2, 41, 57, 75, 91–92n172, 105, 121, 122, 147, 156, 195, 197, 212, 226, 243, 283, 284, 292, 301, 316, 321, 322n10, 335–336, 338, 368, 370–375, 376, 383, 385, 388n1, 392n56. See also afterlife, supernatural Gift of Miracles, A, 8, 21, 107, 286, 337 Gift Wrapped Christmas, A, 21, 31, 70, 124, 127, 156, 158, 180, 215, 259, 392n51, 401, 418, 421, 424, 425, 445n87, 447n98 gift-wrapping, 229, 257, 258, 310, 316, 425 gifts, 3, 13, 27, 30, 31, 37, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 57, 60, 66, 70, 71–72, 75, 76, 82n49, 102, 114, 120, 121, 125, 132, 134, 135, 137, 142, 151, 154, 158, 159, 165n69, 169n121, 173n162, 173n169, 176, 178, 181, 182, 183, 192, 195, 199, 200, 207, 210, 211, 212, 223, 228, 229, 246n46, 251, 253, 254, 257, 258–259, 260, 262, 266, 270, 273, 276, 279, 281, 284, 285, 295, 297, 303, 307, 308, 310, 315, 324n29, 324n32, 355, 357–360, 361, 364, 365, 373, 379, 380, 386, 391n40, 391n40, 391n42, 391n48, 395, 402, 403, 406, 415, 424, 425, 426, 427, 430, 432, 436n5, 438n22, 449n117 Gillespie, Haven, 44 Gillooly, Eileen, 31 Ginn, Franklin, 98 Girlfriends of Christmas Past, 77–78n5, 344 Glancy, H. Mark, xvin5, 160n2, 235, 402 GLO Friends Save Christmas, The, 388n1 Go, 25, 188, 422, 449n117 God, 5, 33, 43, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 56, 58, 61, 62, 65, 67, 69, 73, 75, 76, 79n25, 91n170, 182, 183, 197, 203, 287, 317, 319, 339, 340, 344, 345,

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 517

517

346, 347, 349, 350, 353, 355, 356, 370, 375, 376, 379, 381, 389n21, 393n64, 395, 411, 432, 433, 436n5. See also Christ, Jesus God’s Not Dead, 6 Godchild, The, 40 Going My Way, 147, 399, 446n97 Golby, Joel, 180, 181 Golden Christmas, A, 418, 453n2 Golden Christmas 3, A, 453n2 Golden Girls, The, 6, 432 Golden Winter, 453n2 Gone With the Wind, xvin7, 170n136, 405 Gonzaga, Gian, 253, 283 Good Morning, Vietnam, 169n125 Good Tidings, 327 Good Witch’s Gift, The, 388n1 Goodwin, Christopher, 79n22 Gorgievski, Sandra, 387 Gospel According to Scrooge, The, 77–78n5 Gotta Catch Santa Claus, 55 Gould, Elizabeth, 344 grand gestures, 356–357, 360, 361, 362, 363 Grandpa for Christmas, A, 7, 16, 116, 173n161, 222, 225, 315 grandparents, 38, 64, 79n14, 92n173, 94, 113, 115, 116, 118, 132, 137, 141, 147, 151, 154, 157, 168n110, 183, 193, 207, 208, 221, 231, 233, 242, 258, 260, 276, 289, 291, 302, 315, 318, 324n33, 345, 364, 374, 376, 379, 380–381, 408, 414, 421, 428, 443. See also elderly Great Depression, 97, 104 Great Rupert, The, 352 Greatest Store in the World, The, 17, 25, 30, 85n78, 196, 313, 322n18, 401, 412, 422 Greatest Story Ever Told, The, 1 Green Mile, The, 384 Gregory, Lady, 67 Gremlins, 16, 129, 277, 306–307, 318 grief, 6, 13, 15, 23, 24, 60, 66, 68–70, 72, 87n104, 135, 144, 152, 153, 154,

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518 Index 159, 199, 240, 277, 284, 286, 287, 302, 329n100, 336, 352, 373, 387, 420–421 Groskop, Viv, 262 Groundhog Day, 422, 446n96 Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever, 453n2 Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas?, 196, 388n1 Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas, 143, 144, 445–446n89 guilt, 31–32, 70, 142, 222, 284–288, 382, 383, 440n45 Hall, Stuart, 435 Halliwell, Martin, 162n30 Hallmark, 22–23, 81n40, 396, 436– 437n11 Halloween, 109, 111, 113, 127, 200, 221, 375, 398, 429 hallucinations, 5, 269, 272, 372 Halperin, Moze, 247n58 Hamad, Hannah, 21 Hamlet, 78n7 Hanlon, Niall, 323n28 Hansen, Peter, 18 Hanukkah, 202 happiness, 14, 33, 34, 57, 60, 70–71, 73, 76, 102, 103–105, 110, 111, 118, 120, 121, 131, 135, 139, 140, 153, 165n77, 175, 178, 201, 205, 210, 213, 220, 230, 231, 236, 238, 243, 251–253, 256, 276, 277, 278, 282, 283, 290, 292, 299, 300, 301, 307, 322n10, 323n28, 343, 344, 350, 371, 391n40, 404, 405, 438n22, 451 Happy Christmas, 219, 298, 445n89 Happy Christmas, Miss King, 96 happy endings, 12, 14, 111, 205, 208, 227, 247n58, 276, 342, 356, 390n32 Harris, Scott Jordan, 400 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 191, 214, 373 Harvey, 443n72

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 518

Harvey, Kevin, 90n153 Hats Off to Christmas!, 16, 19, 20, 234, 352, 356, 407, 421, 446–447n97 Hauck-Lawson, Annie, 402 Haynie, Elizabeth, 130, 439n27 heart attack, 149, 204, 233, 234, 315, 318, 376. See also illness Heart of Christmas, The, 6, 65, 86n85, 104, 113, 200, 213 Hearts of Christmas, 129, 172n158, 241, 353, 360, 364, 446–447n97 Heavenly Christmas, A, 2, 3, 22, 30, 40, 127, 132, 172n157, 208, 340, 352, 361, 378, 379, 385, 386, 387, 418, 442n61 Hector, 12, 26, 27, 116, 245n25, 286, 318, 332n132, 392n54 heist, 43, 132, 313, 314, 423. See also robbery Hell’s Heroes, 40 Help for the Holidays, 54–55, 56, 62, 71, 81n35, 104, 154, 158, 177, 265, 418, 421 Henriksen, Margot A., 274 hepatitis, 351. See also illness Hercules Saves Christmas, 26, 28, 47, 149, 157, 243n8, 351, 453n2 Heyn, Dalma, 267 Hilton, Lee Stokes, 270 Hinduism, 277 Hirshbein, Laura D., 305 His & Her Christmas, 32, 101, 102, 292, 327–328n73, 351, 442n61, 445n89, 446–447n97 history, xiii, 15, 24, 79n14, 93, 94, 95, 98, 100, 120, 124, 134, 182, 216, 224, 257, 261, 263, 267, 300, 305, 312, 323n25, 326n54, 326n57, 327n65, 375, 381, 397, 399, 400, 409, 412, 425, 440n49, 444n86 Hitched for the Holidays, 127, 221, 299, 368, 400, 407, 445n89 Ho Ho Ho, 246n46 Hobo’s Christmas, A, 16, 21, 26, 27, 112, 123, 170n133, 224, 226, 289 Holby City, 169n121

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Index Holiday Affair (1949), 16, 73, 74, 103, 118, 121, 155, 173n162, 322n13, 399, 419, 421 Holiday Affair (1996), 16 Holiday Baggage, 14, 120, 173n168, 315, 366, 442n61 Holiday Breakup, 109, 221 Holiday Engagement, 83n58, 220, 221, 298, 418, 445n89 Holiday for Love, A, 8, 16, 234, 241, 319, 417, 442, 447 Holiday Heart, 16, 84n73, 314, 315, 318, 332n138 Holiday Heist, A, 180, 191, 214 Holiday High School Reunion, 106, 107, 127, 136, 237, 240, 343, 430 Holiday in Handcuffs, 142, 220, 223, 362 Holiday Inn, 93, 126, 164n67, 291, 327n65 Holiday Joy, 21, 83n55, 106, 181, 182, 187, 191, 282, 283, 284, 348, 407, 443n75 Holiday Road Trip, 36, 37, 71, 83n57, 177, 298, 344, 407, 431, 442n61 holiday romance, 146. See also romance Holiday Romance, A. See Song for the Season, A Holiday Spin, 17, 78n11, 172n154, 241, 318, 338 Holiday Switch, 83n55, 106, 107, 257, 267, 348, 382, 425, 443n75 Holiday Wishes, 247n64 Holiday, The, 8, 21, 145, 293, 298, 310, 407, 418, 445n89 Holidaze, 39, 83n55, 120, 323n26, 348, 406, 418, 442n61, 443n75, 446n96 Holly and the Ivy, The, 2, 8, 13, 16, 74, 100, 112, 134, 137, 214, 222, 223, 266, 303, 332n138, 445n89 Holly’s Holiday, 83n55, 169n118, 292, 298, 325n38, 348, 400, 401, 407, 443n75 Holmes, Linda, 148 Holy Family, 4, 8, 9, 17, 35, 182. See Nativity Home Alone, 5, 17, 49, 106, 128, 129, 130, 150, 181, 202, 207, 224, 225, 231, 265, 282, 283, 284, 313

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 519

519

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, 26, 90n156, 128, 129, 151, 231, 400 Home By Christmas, 26, 28, 85n78, 110, 115, 154, 298, 315, 322n18 Home for the Holidays (1972), 80–81n33, 81n35, 230, 233, 266, 304, 311, 332n138 Home for the Holidays (1995), 389n10 Home for the Holidays (2005), 8, 243n8 Home Improvement, 169 Homecoming: A Christmas Story, The, 96 Homeless for the Holidays, 419 homeless shelter, 12, 28, 30, 35, 88n117, 184, 195, 245n25, 271, 289, 346, 365, 446–447n97 homelessness, 12, 14, 25–35, 42, 85n78, 88n117, 169n121, 184, 193, 195, 196, 271, 272, 275, 283, 285, 289, 310, 365, 366, 378, 379, 382–383, 387, 392n61, 441n57, 446–447n97 homicide, 10, 41, 42, 79n14, 116, 233, 243, 244n20, 266, 275, 276, 304, 313, 318, 320–321, 332n139, 327n65, 352, 388n1, 412, 435. See also car accidents, crime, serial killers, violence homosexuality, 115, 140, 141, 195, 202, 208, 223, 254, 360, 432 Honeymooners, The, 169n121, 391n40 hope, 12, 14, 22, 32, 52, 60, 61, 64, 67, 72, 73, 74, 118, 152, 183, 188, 189, 201, 203, 219, 237, 278, 279, 311, 322n10, 347, 349, 351, 389n23, 389–390n23, 398, 427 Hope and Glory, 9, 83n57, 125 horror, xii, 10, 14, 17, 42, 59, 79n14, 80n33, 90n149, 90n155, 108, 132, 231, 244n20, 275, 276, 282, 312, 313, 320, 327n63, 327n65, 388n1, 398, 430, 433, 434, 435, 436n6, 450n129, 452. See also slasher films Hounds of Love, xii, 132, 166n81, 320 House, 89n145 houseguests, 132, 252 House Without a Christmas Tree, The, 21, 97

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520 Index How About You…, 192, 223, 233, 298, 439–440n39, 446–447n97 How Sarah Got Her Wings, 17, 156, 172n154, 297, 324n33, 383, 387 How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), 128 How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), 14, 128, 184, 212, 268, 358 How to Be Single, 109, 111, 400 Hoxby, Blair, 342 Huget, Jennifer, 180–181 Hughes-Warrington, Marnie, 98 Hughey, Matthew, 384 Humanism, xvin5 humiliation, 391n45 Hunt, Rex A.E., 125, 438n24 Husband for Christmas, A, 83n57, 217, 218, 223, 344, 351, 407, 414 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, 7, 114, 171n139, 450n129 I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown, 453n2 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1988), 7, 10, 97, 234 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1997), 11, 14, 21, 84n60, 231, 234, 238, 315 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998), 80n33, 231, 361 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (2016), 17, 81n34, 242, 302, 359, 369 I’ll Be Seeing You, 7, 138, 304, 332n132 I’m Not Ready for Christmas, 17, 50, 69, 159, 172n157, 346, 381, 407, 408, 413 Ice Harvest, The, 433 Ice Quake, 172n158, 316 Ice Sculpture Christmas, 21, 30, 78, 324n32, 339, 343 Icetastrophe. See Christmas Icetastrophe identity, 21, 197, 273, 378, 432 If You Believe, 59, 60, 110, 111, 115, 144, 173n166, 386, 400, 445n89 Il Natale che quasi non fu (The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t), 433, 446– 447n97

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 520

Il sogno dell’usuraio (Dream of Old Scrooge), 77n5 illness, 107, 111, 112, 140, 144, 178, 200, 206, 213, 226, 233, 271, 304, 305, 315, 332n132, 336, 361 Illouz, Eva, 40 immaturity. See maturity Impossible, The, 316 In Bruges, 7, 11, 36, 285, 310, 311, 312 In Search of a Midnight Kiss, 293 In the Bleak Midwinter. See Midwinter’s Tale, A In the Good Old Summertime, 109 In Which We Serve, 133 Independence Day, 277 individualism, 198, 199, 342 industrialization, 25, 94, 103, 191, 367 in-laws, 3, 9, 15, 27, 37, 118, 146, 150, 151, 156, 166n80, 209, 210, 217– 219, 220, 245n25, 264, 269, 271, 273, 290, 295, 302, 303, 317, 319, 338, 346, 354, 414, 428 infidelity, 15, 41, 68, 128, 139, 154, 208, 219, 225, 232, 242, 285, 286, 293–294, 295, 296, 298, 299, 336, 349, 417, 428 inheritance. See bequeaths Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The, 4 innocence, 54, 65, 176, 274 insanity, 65, 205, 269–272, 274, 275, 276, 301, 404. See also asylums, madness, mental illness Islam, 267 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, 14, 141, 272, 291, 318, 376, 377, 387, 400, 401, 403 It Happened on 5th Avenue, 7, 8, 25, 26, 35, 96, 191, 193, 367, 399, 441n57 It Happened One Christmas, 7, 48, 309, 310, 311, 332n138, 347, 348, 379, 385, 386, 387 It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas, 49, 76, 148, 156, 203, 229, 419, 438n22, 446–447n97 It’s a Wonderful Life, xiii, xiv, 7, 41, 48, 83n55, 101, 117, 128, 129–130, 131, 149, 197, 198, 199, 230, 234,

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Index 305, 308, 309, 310, 311, 316, 322n10, 325n49, 332n138, 347, 348, 356, 366, 379, 385, 386, 387, 392n52, 405, 443n72, 443n75, 452. See also Capra, Frank It’s Christmas, 313–314 It’s Christmas, Carol!, 77–78n5, 445n89 It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, 2 It’s Never Too Late, 77n5 Itumeleng, Mosala J., 15 J.T., 17, 369, 453n2 J’ai rencontre Le Pére Noèl (I Believe in Santa Claus), 247n55 Jack and Sarah, 23 Jack Frost (1997), 327n65 Jack Frost (1998), 16, 153, 282, 283, 284, 318, 372, 373, 383, 418, 445–446n5 Jackson, Sue, 323n28 James, Caryn, 246n52 Jameson, Frederic, 95–96, 98, 161n14 Jarman-Ivens, Freya, 427 Jeffrey, Lord Francis, 33–34 Jeffreys, Sheila, 245n27 Jenkins, Alison, 291 Jerry Maguire, 18, 20 Jersey Christmas, A, 422 Jesus of Nazareth, 1 Jingle All the Way, 21, 30, 155, 173n169, 255, 259, 358, 418, 423, 449 Jingle All the Way 2, 173n169, 255 Jingle Hell, 230 John Grin’s Christmas, 77–78n5 Johnson, David Kyle, 395, 396 Joulutarina (Christmas Story), 243n8 journalism, 33, 242, 285, 291, 309, 357, 368, 430, 445n89 Journey Back to Christmas, 97, 106, 282, 301, 350, 446n96 Joyeux Noël, 96, 133, 134 Judaism, 218, 399. See also Hanukkah Juslin, Patrickn, 126 Just Friends, 81n35, 106, 143, 144, 210, 231, 239, 445–446n89

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 521

521

Just in Time for Christmas, 31, 83n55, 83n58, 129, 348, 354, 355, 382, 443n75 Kar-Purkayastha, Ishani, 291 Karácsonyi ének, 77n5 Karácsonyi varázslat (Christmas Magic), 353 Karroll’s Christmas, 2, 12, 68, 77–78n5, 83n57, 116, 225, 297 Katrandjian, Olivia, 297 Kayne, Peter B., 40 Keep on Dancing. See Come Dance With Me Khazan, Olga, 308, 310, 311 Kid Who Loved Christmas, 21, 82n52, 203, 207, 208, 317, 442n61 kidnapping. See abduction Kind Lady, 111 kindness, 31, 33, 43, 62, 64, 135, 176, 195, 197, 356, 360, 363, 365, 378, 392n61, 394, 439n27 King Kong, 400 King of Kings, 1 King of Queens, The, 130, 131 King, Albert, 428 Kinkade, Thomas, 93–94. See also Christmas Cottage Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 430 Kisses, 26, 27, 106, 203, 212, 384 Kitt, Eartha, 428 Knickerbockers, 228 Koskoff, Ellen, 94 Krampus, 388n1, 418 Krampus Unleashed, 388n1 Krampus: The Christmas Devil, 90n149, 388n1 Krampus: The Devil Returns, 388n1 Krampus: The Reckoning, 388n1 Kristin’s Christmas Past, 81n35, 83n56, 222, 430, 446n96 Kubrick, Stanley, 140. See also Eyes Wide Shut Kudzu Christmas, The, 16 Kuper, Adam, 121, 134, 135, 167n95, 217, 301, 371

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522 Index Kwanzaa, 202 Kwei-Armah, Kwame, 15 L.A. Confidential, 320 L’arbre de Noël (The Christmas Tree), 112 La banda dei Babbi Natale (The Santa Claus Gang), 314 La bûche (Seasons Beatings), 446n93 La La Land, 419 La senda (The Path), 332n132 Lady and the Tramp, 111, 453n2 Lady in the Lake, 399 Larceny, Inc, 313, 423 Last Chance for Christmas, 17, 56, 68, 74, 81n35, 157, 165n69, 187, 195, 203, 245, 297 last Christmas, 111–114. See also death Last Christmas, 113, 372 Last Christmas, The, 113 Last Holiday, 113, 144, 186, 422, 436n4 Last Song, The, 442n66 Law, Stephen, 32–33 Lawson, Charlie, 332n139 Le Père Noël est une ordure (Santa Claus is a Stinker), 164n51, 321n1 Lee, Christina, 95 Legend of Bagger Vance, The, 384 Lemon Drop Kid, The, 11, 98, 99, 147, 313, 399, 412 Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherboug), 136 Les rois mages (The Three Kings), 1 Less Than Zero, 13, 41, 188, 214, 314, 318, 332n138, 428 Lester, Julius, 277 Let it Snow, 21, 143, 226, 229, 259, 324, 404, 424 letdown, 278–281. See also anticlimax Lethal Weapon, xii, xiii, 106, 128, 172n153, 309, 310, 316, 392n54 leukemia. See cancer Lévi-Strauss, Claude, 44, 437n16, 449n111 Libera, xii, 320 liberal guilt, 31 liberalism, 119, 142, 399, 405

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 522

Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, The, 90–91n159, 243n8 Life of Brian, 14 Like Father, Like Santa, 423 Lion in Winter, The (1968), 96, 244n14 Lion in Winter, The (2003), 96, 244n14 literature, 31, 100, 131–133, 170n135, 193, 198, 299, 342, 387, 408 Lites, Chris, 23, 81n40 Little Angels: The Brightest Christmas, xiv, 21, 375 Little Christmas Business, A, 418, 420 Little Drummer Boy, The (1968), 243n8 Little Drummer Boy, The (2001), 243n8 Little Women (1933), 16, 80n33, 96, 263, 363 Little Women (1949), 16, 80n33, 96, 263, 363 Little Women (1994), 16, 80n33, 96, 263, 363 Littlest Angel, The, 375 Lockyer, Herbert, 7, 8 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 169n121 loneliness, 8, 18, 30, 100, 101, 128, 135, 140, 164n57, 188, 189, 191, 196, 235, 252–256, 281, 288–294, 299, 301, 303, 306, 308, 310, 365, 367, 382, 432, 433–434 Long Kiss Goodnight, The, 4, 326n58, 429, 433 Looks Like Christmas, 16, 21, 72, 137, 172n157, 173n166, 186, 266, 324n33, 446–447 Loose Women, 253 Los Angeles, 13, 41, 45, 135, 136, 210, 232, 237, 248n85, 298, 338, 401, 403, 440n45, 440n48, 441n53. See also cities loss, 26, 72, 87n104, 100, 137, 281, 282, 301–303, 397, 421. See also grief Lost Christmas, 33, 83n56, 286, 287, 318, 386, 446n96 Love Actually, 2, 3, 4, 12, 21, 138, 171n138, 222, 245n26, 293, 357, 428, 430, 445n89, 449

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Index Love Affair (1939), 79n15, 109, 136, 340, 399 Love Affair (1994), 109, 136, 340 Love Always, Santa, 16, 49, 56, 83n57, 261, 323n26, 347, 445n89 Love and Sex in An Age of Pornography, 427 Love at the Christmas Table, 39, 83n57, 108, 116, 130, 139 Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, 129, 344 Love Story, 110, 111, 115, 150 Love the Coopers, 16, 104, 113, 116, 129, 146, 147, 162n30, 221, 230, 256, 264, 276, 293, 295, 297, 315, 323n26, 332n138, 419, 432, 444n80, 445–446n89, 449n117 Love You Like Christmas, 21, 70, 99, 106, 150, 338, 369, 400, 407, 446–447n97 Love’s Christmas Journey, 13, 70, 96 Lovely Still, 7, 310 Lowe, Rob, xii, 34, 102–103, 149, 217, 366 Lucky Christmas, 17, 39, 48, 149, 173n162, 298, 323n26, 352, 362, 390n24, 390n33, 401, 419, 446– 447n97 M*A*S*H, 303 Maaginen kristalli (The Magic Crystal), 243n8, 354 Macdonald, Fiona, 398 MacGowan, Shane, 294 Mackey-Kallis, Susan, 230, 405, 406 MacLynn, Rachel, 297, 299 Macy’s, 272, 284, 403, 422. See also department stores Mad Men, 98, 408 Madea Christmas, A, 4, 5, 218, 422 Madison Avenue, 406, 408. See advertising, marketing madness, 138, 269, 270, 271, 272, 275, 276, 404. See also insanity magic, 22, 23, 32, 34, 44, 45, 46, 50, 52, 54, 55, 57, 61, 64, 68, 71, 74, 75, 76, 99, 114, 119, 120, 134, 136,

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523

138, 140, 141, 150, 158, 169n118, 193, 201, 227, 229, 242, 252, 255, 258, 274, 276, 284, 321, 347, 348, 351, 352, 353–357, 379–380, 390n37, 398, 410, 425, 427, 438n22, 440n45, 440n48, 451 Magic Christmas Tree, 353, 388n1 Magic Christmas, A, 354 Magic of Christmas II, The, 353 Magic of Christmas, The, 353 Magic Stocking, 17, 38, 74, 88n134, 107, 151, 172, 173, 234, 235, 302, 319, 351, 379, 380, 381 magical negroes, 382, 383–384, 393n73, 407. See also race magical thinking, 335, 347 Make the Yuletide Gay, 215, 262, 268 malls xi, 44, 46, 50, 51, 58, 61, 74, 78n11, 122, 126, 127, 140, 159, 177, 221, 240, 246n46, 255, 279, 310, 313, 355, 396, 405, 412, 422– 423, 425, 430, 431, 432, 441n59, 444n79, 446–447n97. See also department stores, shopping Mame, 154 Man in the Santa Claus Suit, The, 16, 83n57, 103, 132, 332n138, 357, 381–382, 400, 403, 418, 424, 445n89 Man Who Came to Dinner, The, 195 Man Who Saved Christmas, The, 96, 107, 113, 222, 352, 401, 402 Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas, 96 manger, 2, 14, 25, 365, 399 Manhattan. See New York City March Sisters at Christmas, The, 80–81n33, 83n57, 114, 136, 214, 230, 363, 445n89 marketing, 1, 99, 105, 117, 213, 221, 280, 398, 403, 404, 407–409, 411, 421, 423, 426, 431, 443n73, 445n89. See also advertising Marling, Karal Ann, 24, 93, 156, 228, 257 marriage, 12, 23, 49, 50, 61, 68, 85n78, 86n95, 103, 104, 107, 113, 116, 120, 121, 149, 171n139, 217, 219,

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524 Index 224, 242, 247n54, 252, 266, 295, 296, 298, 338, 344, 357, 360, 362, 377, 385, 415, 450n129. See also divorce, newlyweds, proposals, weddings Married by Christmas, 83n58, 221 Married with Children, 130, 131 Marry Me for Christmas, 83n57, 221, 230, 231, 239, 324n33, 392n54, 407 Martin, Dean, 428 martyrdom, xv, 261–267. See also selfsacrifice Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith, 1 Mary Christmas, 7, 445n89 masculinity, 21, 160, 369. See also gender Matchmaker Santa, 36, 37, 38, 50, 185, 214, 323n26, 324n32, 391n48, 393n63, 401, 415, 418, 420 matchmaking, 189, 265, 367, 368, 369. See also cupid materialism, xvin5, 60, 395–396, 405, 406. See also capitalism, commerce Mathijs, Ernest, 443n72 Mathur, Aparna, 18 maturity, 74–75 immaturity, 58–60 Mayer, Louis B., 95 Mazumdar, Ranjani, 26 McDonald, Jane, 280 McGiffin, Carol, 253, 280 McInally, Mike, 277 McKiernan, Derek W., 198, 199, 202 McKim, Kristi, 119, 166,n84 McPike, Casey, 15 McQuiston, Kate, 140 Me and Luke. See Dad for Christmas, A Mean Girls, 430 meant-to-be-ness, 240, 296, 337–341, 406. See also serendipity media theory, 8, 98, 134, 198, 227, 290. See also communications theory, film theory Meet John Doe, 106, 119, 308, 309, 310, 325n49, 445n89. See also Capra, Frank

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 524

Meet Me in St. Louis, 95, 96, 114, 128, 164n67, 230, 399, 439n39 Meet the Santas, 16, 20, 80n29, 83n58, 132, 257, 258, 260, 272, 273 melancholy, xi, xii, 23, 24, 100, 131 memories, 34, 46, 71, 72, 75, 93, 94, 97–100, 103, 104, 105, 107, 113, 114, 115, 117, 118, 119, 124, 135, 148, 162n35, 212, 229, 233, 253, 260, 264, 283, 287, 301, 362, 363, 371. See also nostalgia mental illness, 271, 304, 305, 332n132. See also anxiety, asylums, depression, insanity, madness, psychosis Mermaids, 86n86, 190 Merry Christmas Miracle, A. See Merry Friggin’ Christmas, A Merry Christmas, Baby, 106, 230, 301 Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, 97, 133 Merry Ex-Mas (2014), 17, 83n57, 262, 263, 266, 324n33, 362, 368, 383 Merry Ex-Mas (2016), 17, 84–85n73 Merry Friggin’ Christmas, A, 30, 46, 55, 59, 72, 114, 132, 178, 208, 217, 225, 231, 332n138, 355, 364, 401 Merry Gentleman, The, 5, 150, 154, 184, 191, 290, 309, 370–371 Merry In-Laws, 17, 59, 83n57, 219, 324n32, 355, 398 Merry Ingalls Christmas, A, 96 Merry Kissmas, 78n7, 154, 298, 324n32, 442n61, 445–446n89, 449n117 Merry Little Christmas, A, 3 Merry Matrimony, 106, 136, 240–241, 344, 400 Metropolitan, 18, 167n98, 214, 400 MGM, 95 Michael, George, 92n176 Mickey’s Christmas Carol, 77n5, 96 Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, 353 Midnight Clear, 7, 17, 126, 293, 310, 332n138 Midnight Clear, A, 97 Midwinter’s Tale, A, 78n7, 80n33, 241, 304, 446n97

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Index Miller, Daniel, 8, 175, 176, 228, 398 Miller, Michael Vincent, 23 Millions, 2, 21, 114, 376 Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie’s Story. See Ebbie Miracle at Moreaux, 97 Miracle at Sage Creek, 96 Miracle Down Under. See Bushfire Moon Miracle in Manhattan. See Call Me Mrs. Miracle Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, The, 14, Miracle of the Bells, The, 4, 136, 138, 235, 288, 336, 393–394n73 Miracle on 34th Street (1947), 17, 44, 49, 53, 56, 64, 73, 76, 122, 128, 129, 130, 165n69, 236, 244–245n22, 272, 274, 332n138, 397, 399, 402, 412, 443n72 Miracle on 34th Street (1959), 17, 49, 56, 64, 73, 122, 236, 274, 399, 412, 422 Miracle on 34th Street (1973), 17, 49, 56, 64, 73, 122, 236, 274, 399, 412, 422 Miracle on 34th Street (1994), 11, 17, 43, 44, 46, 49, 56, 64, 73, 83n57, 122, 143, 236, 274, 399, 422, 432 Miracle on Main Street, 7, 17, 41 miracles, xiv, 10, 49, 55, 67, 73, 131, 139, 168n110, 213, 225, 306, 339, 345, 350–353, 355, 356, 390n29, 415, 422 Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol, 77n4 Mister Scrooge to See You, 77–78n5 Mistle-Tones, The, 21, 78n11, 159, 343, 350, 418, 423, 431 mistletoe, 94, 138, 297, 391n48, 398, 427, 428, 449n117 Mistletoe Over Manhattan, 76, 80n29, 83n57, 153, 171n138, 172n154, 254, 400, 403, 407, 418, 443n74, 449n117 Mistletoe Promise, The, 16, 78n11, 127, 129, 163n48, 172n157, 212, 221, 297 Mitchell, Joni, 246n45, 294 Mixed Nuts, 14, 81n34, 83n57, 103, 112, 164n51, 189, 252, 291, 295, 296,

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525

297, 306, 309, 321n1, 353, 354, 446–447n97 mockumentary, 115 Mom For Christmas, A, 21, 68, 141, 196, 282, 284, 313, 380, 418, 421, 422, 444n84, 445n87, 447n99 Mon oncle Antoine (My Uncle Antoine), 79n18 monarchy, 125, 167n99, 199, 244n14 Money Train, 400 Monster Calls, A, 172n150 Moody Christmas, A, 7, 27, 82–83n52, 88n117, 116, 145, 166n81, 189, 195, 211, 224, 298, 315, 318, 332n138, 337–338, 445n89 Moonlight & Mistletoe, 11, 39, 71, 72, 90n153, 106, 148, 233, 239, 240, 390n33, 418, 446–447n97 Moonlight Over Manhattan, 104 Moore, Clement Clarke, xiii, 132, 133, 222, 228, 283 Moore, Lucy, 297 morality, 19, 23, 35, 47, 64, 97, 176, 197, 198, 344, 345, 349 mortality, 32, 111–115, 352 Most Wonderful Time of the Year, The, 17, 83n57, 91n167, 114, 146, 159, 163n38, 172n154, 195, 197, 214, 256, 268, 345, 357, 367, 414, 425 Mother’s Day, 277, 404 Motl, Luboš, 119 Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, 442n66 Mr. Christmas, 96, 132 Mr. Destiny, 443n75 Mr. Krueger’s Christmas, 30, 196, 290, 382 Mr. Miracle, 106, 115, 173n166, 302, 324n32, 368, 386, 387 Mr. Soft Touch, 62, 74, 80n33, 138, 172n159 Mr. St. Nick, 83n57, 148 Mr. Stink, 26, 30, 33, 196, 197, 286, 419 Mrs. Santa Claus, 51, 80n29, 87n114, 96, 157, 184, 244n22, 400

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526 Index Mrs. Miracle, 2, 21, 106, 223, 225, 227, 368, 380 Mrs. Parkington, 230 Ms. Scrooge, 34, 62, 77–78n5, 105, 215, 229, 271 Mullender, Rosie, 253 Munby, Jonathan, 305, 312 Mundo-mercado do Sexo (World-Market of Sex), 445n89 Mundy, John, xvin10, 133 Muppet Christmas Carol, The, 77–78n5, 96, 148 Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery, 11, 150, 320 murder. See homicide Murray, Bill, 12, 89n139, 105, 163n40, 285, 294, 446n96. See also Very Murray Christmas, A, music, 78, 95, 97, 102, 111, 125–128, 131, 138, 155, 167n102, 168n105, 190, 214, 221, 277, 294, 299, 375, 377, 384, 387, 395, 397, 398, 399, 412, 427, 430, 445–446n89, 447. See also carols, soundtrack musicals, 41 musicology, 94, 427 Must Be Santa, 21, 43, 318, 370 My Angel, 375 My Christmas Dream, 21, 71, 81n35, 172n157, 187, 214, 229, 405, 421 My Christmas Love, 115, 218, 298, 361, 373, 445n89 My Dad Is Scrooge, 77–78n5 My Dog’s Christmas Miracle, 16, 21, 83n57, 87n99, 453n2 My One Christmas Wish, 16, 31, 190, 212, 227, 290, 399, 332n138, 347, 356 My Santa, 16, 68, 75, 83n57, 90n158, 116, 148, 154, 172n154, 173n162, 256, 258, 273, 288, 289, 291, 297, 360, 401, 404, 413–414, 440n43, 445 Myers, Max A., 94, 95, 126, 316 Myth of Fingerprints, The, 389n10 Nadkarni, Neelesh, 290 Nakagawa, Mana, 84n61

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Nanny for Christmas, A, 49, 99, 123, 172n157, 363, 407, 409, 410, 412, 413, 416, 418, 445n87 Natale a casa Deejay (A Christmas Carol), 77–78n5 Natale al campo 119 (Christmas at Camp 119), 134 Nathiel, Susan, 48 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 106, 112, 118, 129, 132, 155, 172n158, 209, 210, 218, 256, 260, 279 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Eddie’s Island Adventure, 115, 247n62, 293–294, 309, 419 National Tree, The, 21, 81n34, 89n137, 114, 150, 407, 408, 442n70 nationalism, 202 Native Americans, 393n66, 375–376, 393n73 Nativity, 1, 2–7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 20, 25, 35, 37, 40, 77, 78n6, 78n7, 79n12, 79n14, 79n17, 79n18, 79n19, 80n24, 89n145, 132, 149, 182, 375, 396, 431, 437n12 Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger!, 14, 78n11, 87n104, 177, 221, 356, 430 Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey, 21, 49–50, 83n58, 326n58, 400, 446–447n97 Nativity Story, The, 1 Nativity, The, 1, Nativity!, 2, 3, 4, 68, 136, 172n156, 431, 450n125 natural disasters, 316, 340, 389n7. See also disaster films Naughty or Nice, 45, 47, 81n35, 83n57, 268, 269, 401, 407, 419, 421 Navidad, S.A. (X-mas, Inc), 446–447n97 NCIS, 129 near-death experience. See death. neighbors, 8, 30, 53, 56, 113, 118, 120, 123, 150, 153, 154, 155, 156, 164n57, 182, 187, 196, 199–200, 201, 202, 207, 212, 213, 215, 226, 237, 246n43, 256, 263, 264, 268, 269, 270, 273, 276, 287, 289,

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Index 302, 306, 314, 325n46, 363, 364, 365, 368, 377, 391n45, 425, 430, 448n105 New England, 36, 81n36, 132, 139, 144, 177, 190, 191, 232, 233, 236, 237, 238, 249n88, 343, 361, 363, 412, 417, 423, 442 new starts, 11–13, 147, 379 new year, 11, 93, 103, 110–111, 113, 134, 147, 281, 297, 374, 427 New York Christmas, A, 400 New York City, 9, 19, 27, 114, 116, 119, 135, 138, 140, 144, 147, 149, 157, 184, 190, 203, 214, 230, 232, 233, 235, 236, 237, 238, 241, 249n94, 288, 298, 338, 350, 361, 363, 366, 372, 375, 388n3, 399–408, 411, 416–417, 431, 439n32, 439n39, 440n40, 440n49, 442n61. See also cities newlyweds, 9, 37, 86n95, 110, 165n77, 262, 295, 359. See also marriage Newman, Kim, 6, 45, 222, 283, 312–313 NewsRadio, 6 Night Before Christmas, The, 5, 11, 126 Night Before the Night Before Christmas, The, 46, 56, 91n166, 108, 117, 172n154, 203, 204, 260, 272, 273, 418 Night Before, The, 83n57, 111, 114, 136, 164n60, 171n140, 194, 244n15, 254, 270, 318, 354, 360, 362, 387, 400 Night of the Dark Full Moon. See Silent Night, Bloody Night Night of the Hunter, The, 111 Night They Saved Christmas, The, 7, 30, 55, 56, 60, 80n29 Nightmare Before Christmas, The, 337, 388n1 Nilsen, Sarah, 382 Nine Dog Christmas, 453n2 Nine Lives of Christmas, The, 26, 172n157, 351, 362, 419, 421, 449n117, 453n2 Nisbet, Robert, 97, 104 Nissenbaum, Stephen, 326n57, 397

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527

Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas, 388n1 No Toys for Christmas. See Once Before I Die Noah, 80n24 Nobody’s Fool, 364 Noch pered Rozhdestvom (Christmas Eve), 388n1 Noel, 10, 12, 13, 66, 106, 178, 179, 189, 212, 226, 281, 283, 284, 289, 292, 295, 304, 306, 309, 310, 319, 378, 400, 445n89 Noget i luften (Something in the Air), 388n1 Nora’s Christmas Gift, 290, 332n143 Northpole, 16, 55, 56, 62, 66, 73, 106, 158, 172n157, 173n166, 202, 203, 445n89, 446–447n97 nostalgia, xiii, xvi, 77, 94–95, 98–100, 102, 104, 105, 106, 113, 117, 118, 119, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 162n35, 163n39, 166n84, 283, 313, 324, 402, 409, 443n72. See also memories nostalgia film, 95–100, 162n30. See also period dramas nostalgie de la boue, 97, 104 Note, The, 81n35, 148, 204, 241 Nothing for Christmas, 26 Nothing Like the Holidays, 9, 113, 206, 223, 261, 295, 432, 442n61 Novalis, 342 November Christmas, 65, 70, 86n85, 113, 200, 401 Nutcracker Christmas, A, 17, 78, 372 Nutcracker in 3D, The, 7, 176, 338 obesity, 142, 143 O’Brien, Margaret, 230 O. Henry’s Full House, 9, 86n95, 137, 262, 359 O’Hellige Jul! (Christmas Cruelty), 320, 327n62 Oberholzer, Leigh, 180 Office Christmas Party, 6, 7, 152, 189, 353, 389n21 Oh Christmas Tree! See Fir Crazy

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528 Index old-fashioned, 81n40, 117–118, 119, 160n2, 166n81, 303, 410 Oman, Manal, 267 omnipotence, 45, 339, 344, 354, 381 omnipresence, 45, 90n156 omniscience, 44, 45–48, 287 On Strike for Christmas, 106, 115, 258, 264, 266, 267 On the Second Day of Christmas, 46, 62, 68, 130, 138, 151, 183, 203, 211, 297, 313, 423 On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, 8, 70, 159, 318, 360, 445n89 Once Before I Die, 97, 133 Once Upon a Christmas, 76 Once Upon a Holiday, 88n119, 124, 172n157, 196, 319, 362, 400 Once Upon a Starry Night, 96 One Christmas, 83n57, 96, 332n138, 401 One Christmas Eve, 16, 21, 115, 185, 192, 215, 264, 336, 363 One Fine Day, 18 One Hell of a Christmas, 388n1 One Magic Christmas, 49, 203, 206, 271, 352, 353, 354, 355, 387, 390n31, 419, 421 One Special Night, 14, 39, 106, 136, 224, 332n138, 341, 345, 361 One Starry Christmas, xi, 80n32, 83n57, 125, 142, 146, 165n69, 171n138, 244–245n22, 259, 341, 353, 362, 400, 403, 415, 425 One True Thing, 111, 173n166 online dating, 221, 297 Operation Christmas, 14, 16, 21, 87n99, 106, 111, 177, 215, 228–229, 297, 338 Ordinary People, 13, 285, 304, 309, 310, 332n132 orphans, 34, 39, 41, 43, 47, 50, 60, 82n52, 119, 144, 147, 151, 166n86, 179–181, 199, 207, 221, 243n8, 301, 351, 371, 376, 381n42, 414, 446–447n97 Our First Christmas, 2, 57, 80n33, 91n166, 106, 115, 121, 172n158, 172n160, 173, 264, 290 outsourcing, 259, 424–427

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 528

P2, 32, 418 Padovani, Martin H., 279, 325n37 Paganism, 171n141, 374, 398, 437n16 pageants, 2, 41, 78n6, 123, 312, 361, 416, 438n22 Palin, Sarah, 397 Paper Angels, 11, 16, 61, 85n78, 151, 322n18, 323n26, 332n138, 344, 357, 364, 375, 407 parallel universe. See alternate reality paranormal, 335. See afterlife, ghosts, supernatural Parent Trap, The (1961), 369 Parent Trap, The (1998), 369 Passion of the Christ, The, 6 Passions of Carol, The, 319, 428 pastiche, 96 patriotism, 236 Paula, 257, 261 Pease, Allan, 255 Pease, Barbara, 255 Peberdy, Donna, 23 penance, 26, 285, 286 Perfect Christmas List, A, 16, 30, 69, 106, 112, 178, 217, 324n32, 414, 429, 431, 445n89 Perfect Christmas, A, 10, 13, 15, 36, 115, 172–173n160, 209, 258, 298, 419 Perfect Day, A, xii, xiv, 34, 102, 217, 284, 418, 419, 445n89, 451 Perfect Holiday, The, 17, 84n73, 132, 177, 203, 219, 260, 445–446n89 perfectionism, 82n49, 166n80, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 325n37, 325n38. See also gender period drama, 67. See also nostalgia film Period of Adjustment, 83n57, 86n95, 165n77, 295 Perks of Being a Wallflower, The, 319, 360 Perry, Joe, 397 Pete’s Christmas, 69, 83n54, 106, 149, 157, 196, 210, 221, 260, 261, 262, 322n14, 379, 390n36, 407, 408, 414, 419, 446n96 Peter’s Friends, 13, 170n131, 445n89 Peyton Place, 109 philology, 44

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Index philosophy, 32, 47, 98, 100, 272, 335, 342 photo albums. See photography photography, 5, 11, 82n49, 105–107, 116, 172n157, 178, 183, 206, 227, 260, 301, 358, 400, 403, 428, 435, 445n89 Picking Up and Dropping Off, 146, 341, 445 Pieces of April, 389n10 Pilgrimage Play, The, 1 Pinsky, Mark I. Pitt, Brad, 431 Plácido, 29 Planes, Trains & Automobiles, 231, 389n10 Pleck, Elizabeth, 267, 280, 296, 305, 323n25, 326n54, 425 pneumonia. See also illness Pocketful of Miracles, 110–111 Polar Express, The, xiv, 45, 62 political correctness, 78n7, 78n8 politics, xiii, xiv, 18, 22, 30, 79n22, 148, 202, 236, 268, 325n49, 400, 402, 403, 405, 452 poor but happy, 103–105, 405 pop psychology. See pseudopsychology pornification, 427. See also sexualization pornography, 319, 427–429 poverty, 29, 32, 34, 35, 74, 97, 103–104, 105, 151, 168, 176, 252, 313, 315, 317, 353, 363, 396, 405 Powder Blue, 17, 19, 42, 66, 89–90n147, 188, 189, 307, 310, 311, 331n121, 332n138, 333n147, 353, 392n54, 434 Prancer, 2, 21, 114, 447 Prancer Returns, 16 Pranks. See Dorm That Dripped Blood, The Preacher’s Wife, The, 2, 4, 62, 82n52, 129, 172n157, 377, 385, 387, 389n23, 418, 446n97 pregnancy, 2, 9–11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 26, 41, 63, 81n44, 82n47, 82n49, 82n51, 115, 183, 188, 190, 199,

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 529

529

218, 220, 223, 286, 292, 309, 342, 353, 360, 366, 410 presents. See gifts, gift-wrapping Presley, Elvis, 100 Prince for Christmas, A, 149, 153, 236, 280, 298, 319, 446–447n97, 453n1 Princess for Christmas, A, 58, 70, 83n57, 151, 152, 159, 243n8, 302, 319, 414, 419, 421 Prisoners, 205 Profundo Rosso (Deep Red), 320 promotion, 3, 9, 406, 407, 410, 411 proposals, 12, 68, 83n57, 107, 190, 200, 344, 362. See also engagements, marriage pseudopsychology, 344, 421 psychic. See telepathy Psycho Santa, 327n62 psychology, 56, 71, 91n170, 109, 121, 126, 167n94, 253, 255, 273, 280, 283, 297, 299, 305, 339, 340, 344, 395, 421, 444–445n86. See also pseudopsychology psychosis, 275. See also mental illness psychotherapy, 23, 48, 264, 325n37 PTSD, 304. See also war Puppy for Christmas, A, 26, 83n57, 107, 150, 173n163, 282, 298, 302, 344, 352, 369, 445n89, 453n2 Quinlan, Áilín, 262 Rabbit Test, 81n44 race, 84n73, 157, 218. See also Asians, magical negro Ransom, 204 rape, 14, 412. See also crime Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, 21, 44, 58, 327, 443 Reagan, Nancy, 257 Real St. Nick, The, 17, 72, 117, 152, 159, 275, 343, 404, 426 rebirth, 35, 39, 40, 70, 75, 89n139, 102, 140, 144, 269, 296, 352, 408, 421, 451 Recipe for a Perfect Christmas, 148, 224, 279, 298, 362, 400, 404, 445, 447

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530 Index reconciliation, 14, 27, 84–85n73, 86n95, 91n166, 104, 127, 136, 137, 139, 159, 178, 206, 219, 222, 224–228, 248n73, 296, 346, 366, 367, 368, 372, 383, 451. See also gender Red Christmas, 166n81 redemption, 34, 41, 63, 225, 235, 269, 311, 357, 360, 385 Ref, The, 5, 128, 129, 195, 216, 263, 295 reincarnation, 327 reindeer, 46, 157, 187, 201, 270, 273, 277, 306, 369, 399 Reindeer Games, 132, 133, 163n38, 314, 412, 428, 432 relationships, 17, 20, 23, 24, 38, 40, 105, 109, 110, 115, 121, 134, 139, 140, 145, 154, 156, 171n139, 172n157, 178, 183, 186, 193, 199, 204, 211, 216, 221, 222, 223, 226, 239, 241, 242, 243, 251, 253, 254, 278, 293, 294, 295, 325n38, 338, 340, 359, 361, 371, 381, 383, 418. See also marriage break-ups, xv, 10, 20, 26, 67, 68, 104–105, 109, 110, 116, 128, 137, 153, 159, 217, 218, 219, 220, 232, 251, 253, 266, 270, 277, 283, 292, 296, 297–299, 302, 309, 330n104, 343, 337 strained relationships, 216–220, 295–296, 415 religion, xiv, 1, 5, 6, 34, 40, 42, 44, 48, 79n22, 79–80n22, 199, 287, 349, 352, 399, 437n14. See also Catholicism, Christianity, church, faith remakes, 17, 29, 44, 48, 56, 59, 77, 108– 109, 136, 164n51, 272, 309, 321, 321n1, 340, 347, 385, 411, 422 Remember the Night, xvi, 8, 138, 211, 324n32, 399 remembrance. See memories, nostalgia reminiscence, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 120, 124, 163n47, 200, 361–362. See also wistfulness Renfroe’s Christmas, 96

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 530

Renfroe’s White Christmas. See Renfroe’s Christmas Rent, 41 repentance, 284, 285, 420 resentment, 222, 427 resurrection, 2, 12, 28, 40, 42, 52, 54, 75, 127, 141, 153, 239, 335, 352, 360, 370, 371, 373, 375, 377, 385, 386 retirement, 35, 193, 353, 431, 432 reunions, xvin5, 39, 102, 107, 127, 136, 137, 138, 170n131, 224, 227, 237–243, 341, 343, 364, 370, 371, 372, 407 romantic reunions, 89n139, 136, 240–241, 336, 351 rhetoric, 125, 185, 211, 261, 270, 335, 351, 376 Ri¢hie Ri¢h’s Christmas Wish, 83n55, 347, 348, 443n75 Richards, Jeffrey, 129, 195, 199, 216 Right to Be Happy, The, 77n5 risk, 204, 207 Ritson, Darren W., 316, 373 ritual, 93, 109, 129, 134, 149, 157, 176, 179, 271, 289, 423 Road to Christmas, The, 21, 146, 341, 393n66, 393n73, 418, 442n61 robbery, 85, 138, 195, 242, 313–314, 352. See also heist Rockefeller Center, 109, 150, 353, 403. See also New York Rockoff, Adam, 434–435 Rockwell, Norman, xiii, 47, 93, 101, 128, 168n109, 222, 269, 283, 284, 325n45 Rocky IV, xiii, 111 Rodeo & Juliet, 445n89, 446–447n97 Rolling Stones, The, 342 romance, xii, 18, 23, 24, 25, 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 70, 81n40, 86n95, 89n137, 102, 136, 137–141, 150, 160, 165n69, 188, 198, 223, 228, 235, 238, 239, 240, 241, 291, 295, 296, 299, 319, 337, 338, 340, 341, 342, 344, 345, 346, 357, 361, 363, 368, 386, 388n3, 391n48, 401, 415. See also holiday romance

11/14/17 8:02 AM

Index romantic comedy, 37, 102, 396 Rooftop Christmas, The, 1, 173n166, 212, 225, 232, 297 Rose for Christmas, A, 38 Rothwell, Katie, 253, 287 Royal Christmas, A, 21, 154, 219, 401, 444n85 Royal Family Christmas, 369 Royal Family Holiday, A, 234 royalty. See monarchy runaways, 26, 82n52, 116, 190, 202– 207, 245n29, 246n46, 247n55, 369, 384 Rundgren, Todd, 127 Russell, Stefene, 162n30 Sabin, Lamiat, 299–300 sadness, xi, xvin6, 150, 153, 253, 289, 291 Sales, Nancy Jo, 430 salvation, 47 Salvation Street, 21 Samantha: An American Girl Holiday. See An American Girl Holiday Sands, Kathleen M., 162n35, 324n31, 328n74 Santa, 17 Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny, 378, 388n1 Santa Baby, 7, 83, 106, 233, 264, 315, 418, Santa Baby 2: Christmas Maybe, 7, 106, 324n32, 418 Santa Buddies, 29, 51, 196, 438, 453n2 Santa Claus, 326n57, 388n1 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, 54, 380 Santa Claus Versus the Zombies, 388n1 Santa Claus: The Movie, xii, 37, 39, 76, 80n29, 80n33, 82n52, 163n38, 272, 314, 380, 430, 438n22 Santa Clause, The, 21, 46, 51, 53, 55, 56, 58, 74, 132, 203, 258 Santa Clause 2, The, 46, 83n58, 148, 273, 360 Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, The, 11, 209, 219, 418, 448n110

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 531

531

Santa Claws (1996), 327n62, 412 Santa Claws (2014), 52, 55, 56, 58, 84n73, 133, 145, 151, 404, 443n74, 445n89, 453n2 Santa Con, The, 16, 49, 154, 304, 332n138, 384, 409 Santa Hunters, 51, 52, 54, 55, 58, 59, 66, 132 Santa Incident, The, 348, 391n48, 449n117 Santa Jr., 62, 69, 81n35, 159, 180, 181, 297, 401 Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups, 453n2 Santa Suit, The, 8, 43, 52, 81n35, 125, 143, 304, 358, 363–364, 404, 423 Santa Switch, The, 51, 137, 149, 172–173n160, 279, 407, 412, 419, 448n100 Santa Trap, The, 53, 55, 56, 58, 118, 122, 165n69, 166n88, 244n22, 300, 304, 353, 383, 401, 407, 420 Santa Who?, 16, 54, 72, 76, 83n57, 122, 132, 148, 255, 256, 273, 278, 279, 307, 438n22, 445n89 Santa With Muscles, 43, 50, 147, 243n8, 326n58, 447 Santa. See Claus, Santa Santa’s Dog. See Hercules Saves Christmas Santa’s Little Helper, 419 Santa’s Slay, 7, 44, 79n14, 320, 326– 327n62, 412, 433, 434, 436n6, 443n74 Santa’s Summer House, 7, 51, 57, 273, 346, 418 Santabear’s High Flying Adventure, 243n8 Santesso, Aaron, 94 Santino, Jack, xvin7, xvin8, 54, 108, 134, 137, 142, 164n67, 170n135, 183, 244n18, 371 sarcasm, 87–88n116, 100, 105, 268, 306, 398, 402 satan, 79n14, 326n57 Satan Claus, 320, 327n62 Saving Christmas, 5, 121, 394, 396, 398, 436n8, 436n10

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532 Index scams, 98, 99, 163n38, 313–315, 433. See also crime Schaberg, Jane, 15 Schager, Nick, 205 schizophrenia, 332n132. See also mental illness Schmidt, Leigh E., 94 science, 326–327n61, 344 Scoot & Kassie’s Christmas Adventure, 453n2 Scott, Delilah, 420 screwball comedy, 190 Scrooge (1913), 77n5 Scrooge (1922), 77n5 Scrooge (1928), 77n5 Scrooge (1935), 12, 20, 62, 199 Scrooge (1951), 77n5 Scrooge (1970), 77n5, 96 Scrooge (1978), 77n5 Scrooge & Marley, 77–78n5 Scrooge and Marley, 77–78n5 Scrooge in the Hood, 77–78n5, 428 Scrooge the Skinflint. See Right to Be Happy, The Scrooge, or, Marley’s Ghost, 77n5 Scrooged, 12, 16, 20, 29, 71, 77–78n5, 81n34, 84n73, 87n104, 89n139, 105, 106, 132, 151, 163n40, 210, 211, 215, 285, 352, 356, 400, 418, 430–431, 445n89 Search for Santa Paws, The, 453n2 Season’s Greetings, 83, 109, 111, 180, 181, 306 Seasonal Affective Disorder, 300 Seasons of Love, 109, 127, 418 Second Chance Christmas, 21 second chances, 227, 340, 352, 384–386 Secret of Giving, 16, 70, 96, 148, 195, 197, 229, 401, 446–447n97 Secret of the Nutcracker, The, 97 Secret Santa, 33, 35, 59, 132, 172n157, 173n166, 263, 298, 344, 357, 366, 384, 401, 445n89 Secret Santa, The, 55 secrets, 222–223, 254, 357, 362, 363, 379, 381, 393n63, 397, 422

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 532

secularity, 1, 2, 4, 6, 35, 40, 58, 74, 75, 80n23, 115, 176, 207, 349, 356, 396, 397, 398–399, 412, 437n12 self-esteem, 92n180 self-help, 255, 280, 287 self-sacrifice, xv, 262, 263, 359, 366, 391n40. See also martyrdom sentimentality, xvin6, xviin14, 13, 49, 93, 94, 99, 100–102, 105, 106, 108, 112, 120, 124–126, 131, 132, 168n112, 178, 198, 252, 313, 316, 363, 416 Serendipity, 337, 340, 422, 445n89 serendipity, 137, 149, 196, 240. See also meant-to-be-ness serial killers, 59, 282, 320, 321, 353. See also homicide sex, 6, 9, 42, 82n47, 193, 211, 254, 271, 427–435, 450n123, 450n124, 450n127. See also anal sex Sex and the City, 429 sex appeal, 431 sex industry, 188, 245n27, 434 sex roles, xiv sex toys, xii, 320 sex work, 41–42, 189, 89n145, 89–90n147, 140, 188, 433, 434 sexualization, 137, 427, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435. See also pornification Sexton, Jamie, 443n72 sexual abuse. See abuse, crime, rape sexual harassment, 412 Shadows of a Stranger, 388n1, 392n56 shame, 285, 391n45 Shave, Nick, 167n102 Shea, John, 438n24 Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas, 177, 256, 328n82, 453n2 Shelby. See Shelby the Dog Who Saved Christmas shellshock. See PTSD, war Shifrin, Laurel, 277 Shop Around the Corner, The, 109 shoplifting, 138, 183, 211, 254. See also crime

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Index shopping, 49, 102, 134, 150, 158, 168n106, 172n157, 173n169, 174n172, 226, 242, 255–257, 261, 282, 303, 313, 323n25, 325n45, 358, 403, 405, 413, 416, 423–426, 433, 435, 445n87, 447n98, 447n99. See also Christmas trees, department stores, gender, malls Siegel, Carol, 203, 204 Signed, Sealed, Delivered for Christmas, 2, 16, 49, 50, 51, 54, 68, 116, 186, 365 silent films, 203 Silent Night (2002), 16, 97, 134, 173n161, 192, 227, 311 Silent Night (2012), 320, 327n62, 412 Silent Night, Bloody Night, 327 Silent Night, Deadly Night, 327, 412 Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, 327n62 Silent Night, Evil Night. See Black Christmas (1974) Silent Night, Lonely Night, 128, 139, 191, 285, 291, 309, 310, 332n132 Silent Night, Zombie Night, 388n1 Silent Partner, The, 314, 412 Silver Bells (2005), 21, 69, 81n35, 89n137, 116, 150, 152, 203, 216, 376, 400, 403 Silver Bells (2013), 445n89 Silver Spoons, 169n121 Simpsons, The, 168n110, 397 simulacrum, 2, 6, 98 Single Father, 24 single fathers, 18, 19, 20, 21–25, 39, 68, 85n82, 114, 116, 123, 124, 154, 158, 165n75, 187, 258, 301, 302, 318, 360, 369 single mothers, xiv, 15–20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 31, 55, 56, 62, 73, 75, 84n73, 84–85n73, 85n78, 86n85, 116, 159, 163n38, 173n162, 180, 187, 193, 194, 195, 208, 221, 224, 238, 256, 257, 322n18, 336, 352, 354, 355, 404, 413, 414, 418, 422 single parents, 18, 19, 23, 42, 87n99, 146, 181, 207, 208, 264, 299

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 533

533

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus, 17, 44, 49, 50, 53, 59, 61, 132, 148, 157, 172n157, 173n162, 272, 420 singlehood, 20, 34, 173n162, 181, 189, 220, 221, 262–263, 291–292, 294, 380, 385, 416. See also women Sint (Saint), 90n155 sitcom, 6, 130, 169n121, 303, 440n40 Six Weeks, 17, 19, 112, 193, 400 Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol, 77n5 slasher films, 320, 434–435. See also horror films Slaughter Claus, 327n62 Slaughter, Karin, 323n27 Sleeping with Other People, 400 Sleepless in Seattle, 21, 23, 128, 291, 445n89 Sleigh Bells Ring, 16, 39, 106, 237, 249n87, 265, 362, 391n48, 393n63 Sliding Doors, 135, 170n130 slut-shaming, 41 Small Town Santa, 2, 6, 21, 43, 83n57, 272, 332, 386, 404 small towns, 36, 74, 158, 159, 175, 195, 197, 199, 201, 228, 232, 234, 235– 238, 239, 240, 249n87, 249n88, 249n94, 263, 288, 316, 343, 350, 405, 408, 417, 445n87 Smoky Mountain Christmas, A, 82n52, 207, 231, 243n8, 376, 388n1, 445–446n89 Smothered. See Recipe for a Perfect Christmas snobbery, 38, 100. See also class snow, xv, 37, 48, 94, 95, 118–119, 124, 138, 155, 166n84, 166n86, 166n88, 192, 206, 228, 257, 280, 300, 308, 311, 341, 345, 346, 347, 353, 361, 374, 379, 391n42, 399, 401, 426, 440n43, 440n44, 440n45, 440n47, 441n53. See also weather, Winter Snow, 17, 84n73, 90n158, 159, 192, 194, 197, 258 Snow 2: Brain Freeze, 11, 148, 313, 326n58, 372–373 Snow Bride, 115, 132, 324n32, 445n89

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534 Index Snow Capped Christmas, A. See Falling for Christmas Snow Globe Christmas, A, 2, 3, 83n55, 143, 168n111, 199, 261, 348, 356, 384, 420, 445n89, 446–447n97 Snow Wonder, 80–81n33, 247n56, 445n89 Snowglobe, 4, 11, 83n55, 169n118, 220, 323n26, 325n38, 443n75 Snowmaggedon, 316 So This Is Christmas, 2, 10, 78n8, 286, 332n138 social comparison theory, 283–284 social issues, 35, 98 social work, 62, 138, 311 socializing, 135, 157, 175, 187–190, 451 sociology, 18, 24, 40, 84n61, 97, 100, 252, 290, 323n28, 342, 384, 424 soldiers, 9, 31, 38, 87–88n116, 121, 133, 134, 162n30, 192, 195, 196, 223, 227, 277, 293, 304, 332n132, 336, 350, 411. See also draft-dodging, war solitude, 188, 288, 308 Some Girls, 218, 318 Son in Law, 389n10 Song for the Season, A, 21, 81n36, 446– 447n97 Sons of Mistletoe, The, 28, 58, 126, 242, 366, 401, 440n43 soulmates, 240 Sound of Christmas, 21, 126, 157, 446– 447n97 soundtrack, xi, 95, 125, 126, 449n116, 451. See also music South Park, 79n17 Spin City, 6 spirit guides, 101, 201, 206, 338, 340, 380, 385, 423 Spirit of Christmas, The, 141, 243, 263, 298, 274, 392n56, 416, 418 Sprengler, Christine, 95 St. James, Elaine, 287 Stalag 17, 96 Stalking Santa, 55, 58 Star for Christmas, A, 142, 298, 323n26 Star of Bethlehem, The, 1

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 534

Star Shall Rise, A, 1 Star Wars, 96, 97 Starstruck, 446–447n97 Stealing Christmas, 16, 21, 111, 129, 132, 150, 195, 199, 238, 369, 423 Steel Magnolias (1989), 11, 82n46 Steel Magnolias (2012), 11, 82n46 Stella, 109 Stella Dallas, 108 Step Brothers, 428 Stepmom, 164n68 Stewart, Martha, 263, 265 Stewart, Rod, 117 Stingiest Man in Town, The, 77n5 Storey, John, 31, 94 Stranger in the House. See Black Christmas (1974) strangers, 36, 46, 65, 66, 101, 136, 139, 146, 155, 187, 194–198, 203, 231, 337, 338, 341, 346, 377, 378, 379 stress, xiv, 54, 57, 73, 75, 104, 148, 168n112, 181–182, 209, 210, 213, 217, 251, 254, 255–267, 269, 270, 290, 295, 296, 302, 307, 308, 312, 322n18, 346. See also gender stroke, 113, 315. See also illness Struthers, Jane, 397 Stubby Pringle’s Christmas, 189, 195, 365 Studwell, William E., 399 Stuever, Hank, 308 substance abuse. See alcoholism, drug abuse suicide, 13, 66, 89–90n147, 103, 126, 187, 188, 199, 233, 251, 252, 254, 270, 284, 285, 293, 299, 303, 305–312, 316, 322n10, 332n139, 333n147, 353, 366, 378, 379, 386 Sunshine Christmas, 21, 80n33, 83n57, 89n136, 164n60, 188, 221, 223, 231, 238, 289, 323n26, 445n89 superficiality, 408, 416 superheroes, 90n153. See also Superman. Superman, 51, 73. See also superheroes supermarket, 117, 258, 266, 291, 329n100, 372. See also Tesco

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Index supernatural, 44, 73, 74, 90n153, 129, 135, 141–145, 218, 321, 335, 353, 371–372, 377, 384, 388, 388n1. See also ghosts Surviving Christmas, 132, 190, 213, 258, 282, 283, 310, 362, 407 Susan Slept Here, 138, 445n89 Suzumiya Haruhi no shôshitsu (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya), 83n56 symbolic annihilation, 24 Taken, 204 Tales From The Crypt, 275, 327n62 Tang, Simone, 340 Tangerine, 42, 119, 165n69, 188, 244– 245n22, 296, 434, 441n53 Taxi Driver, 440n40 teleologic, 339, 344, 345 telepathy, 378, 388n1 Tenth Avenue Angel, 14, 375, 399 Terror on the 40th Floor, 316 Tesco, 117. See also supermarket Thanksgiving, xi, 101, 109, 136, 148, 163n47, 171n139, 183, 221, 230, 231, 261, 277, 278, 291, 299, 307, 327n73, 341, 361, 389n10, 403, 437n11 Thanksgiving Day, 389n10 Thanksgiving Family Reunion, 389n10 Thanksgiving Treasure, The, 389n10 theology, 2, 7, 15, 37, 81n39, 94, 125, 162n35, 228, 324n31, 328n74, 438n24 This Christmas, 80n33, 84n73, 218, 219, 220, 230, 239, 249n94, 363, 389n16, 428 Thompson, Frank, xvin6, 95, 203, 320, 322n10 Three Days, 10, 12, 83n56, 139, 173n166, 224, 225, 286, 287, 295, 337, 352, 362, 383, 384, 385, 400, 442n61, 445n89, 446n96 Three Days of the Condor, xii, 400 Three Dogateers, The, 453n2 Three Gifts, The, 31, 39, 82n52, 118, 172n158, 243n8, 324n32, 391n42

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 535

535

Three Godfathers, 40 Three Kings, The, 1, 40 Three Sisters, 169n121 Three Wise Guys, 41 Three Wise Women, 77–78n5, 225, 292, 386, 418 time jump, 108–111, 446n96 time loop, 446n96 time-travel, 95, 350 To All a Goodnight, 191, 214, 321, 327n62, 412, 434, 435 To Grandmother’s House We Go, 16, 132, 203, 352 Together Again for the First Time, 230, 445n89 Tokyo Goddofazazu (Tokyo Godfathers), 40 Tolia-Kelly, Divya Praful, 107 Tom & Thomas, 21, 170n131, 241 Tomten är far till alla barnen (In Bed with Santa), 82n51 Too Cool for Christmas. See Very Cool Christmas, A Torch Song Trilogy, 141, 431 Touch of Evil, 443n72 Towering Inferno, 316 Town Without Christmas, A, 49, 74, 201, 392n62, 419, 445n89 toys, 6, 37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 47, 49, 51, 102, 153, 222, 252, 255, 276, 282, 308, 320, 351, 357, 358, 402, 404, 408, 423, 425, 426, 430, 446–447n97 Trading Christmas, 11, 16, 81n34, 107, 116, 121, 129, 145, 149, 153, 252, 283, 292, 297, 445n89, 448n105 Trading Places, 275, 442n61 tragedy, xvi, 18, 19, 24, 111, 113, 179, 317, 336, 339, 342 Trancers, 388n1 transplant, 91n164, 149, 200, 206, 351, 352, 353 Trapped in Paradise, 170n136 Tree That Saved Christmas, The, 21, 69, 118, 148, 150, 172, 232, 234, 259, 400, 418, 424, 444n85, 446– 447n97 Tree, The, 115, 150, 166n81, 238, 374

11/14/17 8:02 AM

536 Index Trophy Wife, 169n121 Trouble Makers, The. See Night Before Christmas, The Troublemakers. See Night Before Christmas, The Troy, Emma, 420 Truly Everlasting, 17 Tuchman, Gaye, 24 Twelve Days of Christmas Eve, The, 83n54, 322n14, 390n36, 425 Twelve Trees of Christmas, The, 38, 61, 101, 114, 132, 149, 152, 172–173n161, 173n164, 186, 259, 388n3, 400, 447 Twilight Zone, 271 Two Front Teeth, 388 typhoid fever, 318. See also illness UFO Café. See Guess Who’s Coming for Christmas? Ultimate Christmas Present, The, 323n26, 418, 440n45, 440n48, 445n89 Umezu Kazuo: Kyôfu gekijô - Purezento (Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: Present), 327n62 Uncle Nick, 211, 332n138 Under the Mistletoe, 16, 57, 91n172, 115, 152, 372, 383, 445n89 Undercover Christmas, 124, 212, 218, 222, 226, 234, 242, 307, 324n32, 401, 418, 430, 440n43 unemployment, 54, 147, 197, 255–256, 419 Unlikely Angel, 21, 69, 106, 143, 152, 158, 172n154, 203, 317–318, 375, 386, 387, 418 unpartnered. See singlehood urban legend, 308, 396 Usmar, Jo, 4 utopia, 94, 117, 124 vacations, 27, 135, 145–147, 186, 209, 214, 215, 265 Valentine’s Day, 253, 404 values, 31, 40, 95, 97, 119, 120, 152, 154, 176, 193, 204, 226, 229, 235, 236, 249n88, 344, 345, 398, 405,

17_578-Rosewarne.indb 536

406, 408, 410, 415, 417, 443n76, 446n97, 451 Van Horne, Harriet, 267, 425 Vandross, Luther, 427–428 Vargas, Alberto, 429 Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (A Night Before Christmas) (1961), 388n1 Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (A Night Before Christmas) (2001), 388n1 Velamoor, Varadaraj, 290 Very Brady Christmas, A, 55, 62, 206, 208, 223, 230, 295, 419 Very Cool Christmas, A, 50, 54, 90n150, 106, 128, 144, 269, 296, 430, 443n74 Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, A, 7, 9, 49, 150, 171n140, 219, 241, 248n73, 317, 400, 412, 414, 433 Very Married Christmas, A, 295. See also Murray, Bill Very Mary Christmas, A, 5, 7, 10, 13–14, 26, 27, 40, 41, 88n131, 108, 117, 118, 173n161, 192, 203, 214, 215, 318, 342–343, 366, 446–447n97 Very Merry Mix-Up, A, 38, 88n134, 106, 120, 137, 146, 168n110, 173n163, 302, 324n32, 337, 338, 341, 414, 421, 444n85, 446–447n97 Very Murray Christmas, A, 127, 430 Veterans Day, 277 Victorian era, 31–32, 97, 118, 374–375, 398 Victors, The, 97 Vietnam war. See war violence, 7, 252, 313, 317, 319, 320–321, 358, 433, 434, 435. See also crime, homicide virgin birth, 335. See also Nativity Virgin Mary, 11, 15. 79n14, 89n145 Vizard, Steve, 165 volunteering, 28, 30, 38, 88n117, 152, 193, 245n25, 263 Voruganti, Lakshmi, 290 voyeurism, 45, 398, 433 Wagg, Stephen, 252 Waiting for ‘Superman’, 73

11/14/17 8:02 AM

Index Waits, William B. 182, 261, 435n2 Waldman, Katy, 100 Walsh, Jennifer L., 424 War Room, 6 war, 87–88n116, 107, 113, 121 war on Christmas, 5, 77, 395, 399 Vietnam war, 301, 312 World War I, 96, 133, 402 World War II, 9, 31, 97, 125, 134, 167n99, 192, 397, 441n54 Ward, L. Monique, 424 Waters, John, 246n46. See also Female Trouble We’re No Angels, 96, 166n88, 297, 313, 375, 432 weather, 35, 36, 95, 118–119, 144, 146, 166n88, 193, 299–301, 303, 316, 341, 345–347, 401, 423, 440n45, 440n48, 445n89. See also snow, Winter Webster, Patrick, 181n141 weddings, 5, 12, 61, 83n58, 142, 193, 221, 225, 233, 299, 338, 340, 364, 365, 386. See also marriage, proposals Weihnachten now (Single Bells), 407 Weinberg, Mark, 442n60 Welch, Bob, 198 What Dreams May Come, 384 What I Did For Love, 47, 69, 83n57, 152, 173n166, 301, 446–447n97 What She Wants for Christmas, 8, 16, 44, 55, 84n73, 106, 114, 172n160, 342, 343, 351, 419 When Angels Come to Town, 207, 208, 375 When Harry Met Sally…, 102, 108, 172n155, 172n157, 173n165, 220, 241–242, 307, 330n104, 416 While You Were Sleeping, 38, 83n57, 189, 262–263, 326n58, 342, 380, 442n61 White Christmas, 128, 133, 363, 367, 401, 418, 446n96 White Reindeer, 11, 17, 41, 42, 63, 84n73, 89n147, 133, 188, 318, 422, 433, 445n89

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537

Whiteley, Sheila, 8, 25, 175, 227, 290, 294 Whoever Slew Auntie Roo, 275, 388n1 widowers, 5, 21, 22, 23, 49, 68, 69, 87n99, 114, 116, 123, 157, 158, 176, 220, 290, 291, 301, 302, 318, 336, 367, 369, 387 widows, 6, 16, 18, 19, 28, 69, 87n99, 107, 121, 151, 159, 216, 275, 282, 301, 388 Wilkie, Brian, 100 Will You Merry Me?, 2, 3, 8, 37, 83n57, 118, 156, 176, 218, 248n68, 249n94, 264, 271, 295, 305–306, 337, 338, 346, 400, 448n100 Willian, Michael, 41 Willis, Tim, 396 Wind at My Back Christmas, A, 96 Wind Chill, 45, 231 Window Wonderland, 3, 78n11, 143, 405, 422, 444n83, 448n100 Winter, 23, 26, 102, 118–119, 156, 166n81, 191, 300, 326n51, 347, 375, 398, 412, 430. See also weather Winter’s Tale, 375–376 Wish for Christmas, 27, 63, 64, 229, 339, 347, 348, 349, 376, 379, 383, Wish for Christmas, A, 159, 173n164, 178, 222, 226, 234, 347, 354, 407 Wish that Changed Christmas, The, 243n8, 347 Wish Upon a Christmas, 21, 40, 101, 102, 131, 132, 149, 159, 203, 234, 239, 347, 354, 391n48, 404, 446–447n97 wishes, 6, 9, 11–12, 23, 30, 46, 48, 50, 52, 53, 57, 59, 64, 73, 74, 91n166, 122–123, 140, 141, 178, 181, 182, 187, 201, 244n11, 278, 288, 335, 347–350, 355, 356–357, 364, 369, 380, 382–383, 384, 385, 390n24, 422, 423, 427, 433, 438, 447n99 wishful thinking, xv, 350 Wishin’ and Hopin’, 97, 119, 436n10 wishing tree, 357

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538 Index Wishing Tree, The, 127, 191, 203, 214, 215, 373, 401, 407, 440n43 wistfulness, 100, 102–103, 119, 166n84, 438n22. See also reminiscence witches, 388n1, 429 Wizard of Oz, The, xvin7, 237, 304, 405, 406 women, 7, 22–24, 142, 144, 255, 380, 387, 430, 431, 434, 435. See also gender, femininity, feminism single women, 18, 20, 220, 262, 263, 294, 416 women and competition, 267–269 women and emotional work, 264 women and reconciliation, 226–228 women and stress, 256–267 women and tradition, 157–160. See also gender women’s work, 154, 155, 156, 173n169, 174n172, 177–179, 259– 267, 323n25, 325n45, 326n54, 412, 424, 425, 444n84 Wonderful Christmas Time, A, 26, 192, 214, 298, 361 woodwork. See carpentry work/life balance, 410 workaholism, xiv, 23, 34, 38, 40, 48, 49, 50, 60, 64, 65, 69, 71, 99, 123, 125, 131, 142, 145, 158, 159, 160,

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170n134, 185, 186, 204, 216, 219, 225, 233, 252, 265, 295, 296, 340, 344, 357, 358, 363, 375, 380, 385, 386, 396, 406, 409, 410, 415, 417– 421, 424, 446n92, 446n93 World Is Not Enough, The, 432 wrapping. See gift-wrapping Wyeth, Jamie, 257 Wynette, Tammy, 397 Year Without a Santa Claus, The (1974), 77 Year Without a Santa Claus, The (2006), 77 Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus, 13, 66, 96, 256, 262, 285, 309, 325n49, 332n138, 392n54, 400, 419, 445n89 You Better Watch Out. See Christmas Evil You’ve Got Mail, 109, 150, 301, 416 Young Pioneers’ Christmas, 13, 70, 96, 229, 446n97 Yule Die, 327n62, 412 zombies, 168n112, 184, 301, 388n1 Zukin, Sharon, 424 Zwei Weihnachtsmänner (Two Santas), 231

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About the Author

Lauren Rosewarne is an expert in sex, gender, media and popular culture, employed as a senior lecturer in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Lauren has previously held teaching positions at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Connecticut. She is the author of eight books including Sex in Public: Women, Outdoor Advertising and Public Policy (2007), Cheating on the Sisterhood: Infidelity and Feminism (2009), Part-Time Perverts: Sex, Pop Culture and Kink Management (2011), Periods in Pop Culture: Menstruation in Film and Television (2012), American Taboo: The Forbidden Words, Unspoken Rules, and Secret Morality of Popular Culture (2013), Masturbation in Pop Culture: Screen, Society, Self (2014), Cyberbullies, Cyberactivists, Cyberpredators: Film, TV, and Internet Stereotypes (2016) and Intimacy on the Internet: Media Representations of Online Connections (2016). For more information, visit www.laurenrosewarne.com

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