The latest gathering for my local Christmas Con gave me cause to reflect on memories of conventions past. I remember the Q&A for a screening of The Gift of Peace wherein Nikki DeLoach posed a question to the audience: What would we like to see in these films? I gave her my reply directly when speaking to her (something to the effect of “More like Gift of Peace,” i.e., stories more firmly grounded and featuring a larger faith component), but the idea had stuck with me ever since.
After more thinking over the years, I’ve arrived at five ways that might improve things. So to Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, MarVista, The Asylum, Tubi, Pure Flix, UPtv, Ion, Great American Family, Fox Nation, and whoever else makes and/or distributes this sort of fare, if you’re reading, consider this advice when crafting your next films. And if there indeed already are films with these suggestions implemented, please do let me know.
All is Bright
If we’re going to insist on using “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,” we need to mean it. Holidays, you might have guessed from that “s” at the end, is a plural word. It’s great that Adam Sandler’s lead has been followed and we now have a few more Hanukkah movies, but what about Kwanza? Ramadan? Diwali? Boxing Day? Let’s shine some light on traditions beyond Santa.
As for what the characters can do…
Many Times, Many Ways
Call it Rule 1225: If a film exists, there must be a Christmas version of it.
Numerous non-holiday stories have been mined for plots, some multiple times over. There are Christmas variations of Liar Liar (I’m Not Ready for Christmas), What Men Want (All I Want for Christmas 2013), Groundhog Day (Pete’s Christmas, 12 Dates of Christmas, A Christmas Wedding Date), The Breakfast Club (Secrets in the Snow), Coming to America (A Prince for Christmas, My Christmas Prince), Back to the Future (Next Stop, Christmas – complete with Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd), Wedding Crashers (Holiday Crashers), Jumanji (12 Games of Christmas), Guess Who (Greyson Family Christmas), Three Men and a Baby (Three Wise Men and a Baby – put a pin in this one), Sliding Doors (All About Christmas Eve), The Intern (A Christmas Intern), Mannequin (A Mom for Christmas, Holly’s Holiday), Meet the Parents (Merry In-Laws, Becoming Santa), Pleasantville (A Christmas Movie Christmas), Welcome to Mooseport (Candy Cane Candidate), The Bachelor (A Ring for Christmas), National Treasure (The Christmas Quest), even Death Note (Naughty or Nice).
It is a whole lot (and I did find it necessary to list all of those to show that this iceberg goes deep), but there’s more that can be done. A Rule 1225 surely would be followed by Rule 1226: If there is no Christmas version, a Christmas version will be made. So bring on Planes, Trains, & Snowmobiles; Mr. Claus Goes to Washington; There’s Something About Merry; Dances with Reindeer; The Krampus Wears Prada.
Now, concerning the actors to get for these movies…
The More the Merrier
Take a look at any year’s roster of Christmas Con celebrity guests and you’ll see a veritable who’s who of the subgenre. If we can gather all these actors together to just sign autographs for a day, why not unite them for an Expendables-esque romp? Sure, Love Actually exists, but does not count in this context since none of those actors were particularly known for Christmas films.
Some efforts have put this in mind. The aforementioned Three Wise Men and a Baby had the, well, wise idea to bring together Andrew Walker, Paul Campbell, and Tyler Hynes (plus Kimberley Sustad, Ali Liebert, and even Margaret Colin from the original 3 Men ). It’s a promising start, but could use ramping up. I imagine there’d be a bit of a budgetery issue, but surely fans will forgive a weekend or two of reruns if those resources could go towards producing a Christmas Short Cuts.
On the other hand…
Spread the Cheer
With the frequency and volume at which these films get pumped out, a great opportunity is given for character actors to level up to lead. They’re always seen in tertiary parts when they can more than easily handle a protagonist. For example, why has Katharine Isabelle – who’s probably best known for playing someone named Ginger, plus was also Virginia, as in Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus – never been a star in one of these? Or how about Chelan Simmons, Kandyse McClure, Miranda Frigon, Luisa d’Oliveira, Jessica Harmon?
Similarly, leading actors known for other genres could make the jump. The likes of Grace Patterson, Samantha Boscarino, and Paige McGarvin would give these films a new energy and get to show off greater versatility. Or even look at different fields. Wrestlers like Trish Stratus, the Miz, and Paige have gotten their holiday on, and Love on the Spectrum subject Abbey Romeo made her acting debut in Get Him Back for Christmas. The world of stand-up would be a good place to look for performers who can add some more com to the rom.
Something else to consider…
From 1 to 92
One thing a Christmas miracle can’t do is reverse the aging process. Time marches on and our favorite stars of these movies get older. But this doesn’t mean that their viability as leads should take a hit.
Largely thanks to an influx of recent reality shows, the mainstream is getting used to the idea that people past middle age are looking for love just like anyone else.
By the same token, so long as we’re dealing with characters beyond adolescence, age gaps (particularly where the woman is the older party) need not be so verboten. I highly, highly doubt the average viewer is going to clutch their pearls over Danica McKellar being paired romantically with a guy 10-15 years her junior (and I doubt even more that an actor in that age range wouldn’t jump at the chance to play her beau).
For those who would take advantage, Christmas (or other seasonal holiday) movies can tell engaging tales with uncommon characters. Widening the possibilities for who could be in these stories and what they can be about will help to make them more interesting.
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