why I like sappy made-for-tv christmas movies
Two or three years ago, I would have reacted to that title the way many of you probably did: with an eyeroll and a "did Nayana have a stroke?" But my dear mother has converted me.
Thanksgiving weekend 2008: Mom and I were sitting in her TV room, and she was insisting on yet another Hallmark/Lifetime/ABC Family original movie. Because I love my mother, I kept watching. To be sure, I rolled my eyes and told her why the cheesy movies were making my teeth hurt. "Mom," I sighed, "This is not realistic. In real life, everything doesn't just get wrapped up with a neat little bow by Christmas Eve."
She replied that that was the point. Apparently not everyone wants edgy gloom and doom when they're feeling Christmassy. My little indie-girl brain did not compute, but as I sat back and started to let the saccharine Christmas cheer wash over me, I started to get it. And, as much as I hated to admit it, I was all over the sappy-ass movies when the 2009 holiday season rolled around.
This works much better for me if I compartmentalize, and just tell myself that these "original movies" on cable are not actual movies. I watch movies for artistic value as well as entertainment, but maybe it's OK once in a while to shut the indie brain off and relax. The purpose of watching A Christmas Visitor, starring Meredith Baxter and William Devane, is not (believe it or not) to appreciate the masterful cinematography*, but to let yourself float away on a gingerbread-y, deck-the-halls-y, Christmassy cloud. And that's OK on a Tuesday night.
So if you're looking for an excuse tonight to plop down and watch Hallmark's The Christmas Card (one of my favorites), here's a list of reasons why I think it's ok for a film geek to occasionally indulge:
Thanksgiving weekend 2008: Mom and I were sitting in her TV room, and she was insisting on yet another Hallmark/Lifetime/ABC Family original movie. Because I love my mother, I kept watching. To be sure, I rolled my eyes and told her why the cheesy movies were making my teeth hurt. "Mom," I sighed, "This is not realistic. In real life, everything doesn't just get wrapped up with a neat little bow by Christmas Eve."
She replied that that was the point. Apparently not everyone wants edgy gloom and doom when they're feeling Christmassy. My little indie-girl brain did not compute, but as I sat back and started to let the saccharine Christmas cheer wash over me, I started to get it. And, as much as I hated to admit it, I was all over the sappy-ass movies when the 2009 holiday season rolled around.
This works much better for me if I compartmentalize, and just tell myself that these "original movies" on cable are not actual movies. I watch movies for artistic value as well as entertainment, but maybe it's OK once in a while to shut the indie brain off and relax. The purpose of watching A Christmas Visitor, starring Meredith Baxter and William Devane, is not (believe it or not) to appreciate the masterful cinematography*, but to let yourself float away on a gingerbread-y, deck-the-halls-y, Christmassy cloud. And that's OK on a Tuesday night.
So if you're looking for an excuse tonight to plop down and watch Hallmark's The Christmas Card (one of my favorites), here's a list of reasons why I think it's ok for a film geek to occasionally indulge:
- Made-for-TV movies provide honest work for non-movie-star actors. In just the next few days, you can see Ed Asner in The Christmas Card, Kelsey Grammer in Mr. St. Nick, or Wallace Shawn in Karroll's Christmas. Inconceivable!
- It's safe to watch this stuff with Mom. As I hinted earlier, this is perfect family viewing fare. My mother is a very sweet lady, but I can't exactly enjoy my all-time favorite Christmas movie with her. A budding romance between two body doubles on a porn set is not her idea of a fun storyline.
- Fun with clichés! When you're watching schlock, it's 823 times more enjoyable if you mock it just a teeny bit. I'm a big fan of Entertainment Weekly's annual Holiday Movie Cliché Checklist, which is fantastic raw material for a drinking game, assuming Mom's not sitting next to you on the couch. See last year's version here. (Even more fun here.)
- They make you feel Christmassy. OK, I know that's pretty damn glurgey. But it's a glurgey topic, so there was really no avoiding this. The truth is, I loves me some Christmas. LOVES IT. I usually try to show some self-control by not playing my ska version of "Joy to the World" until November... but it's a losing battle. And to be honest, these made-for-TV movies stoke those holiday embers for me till I have a lovely, chestnutty blaze. And I don't see anything wrong with that.
November 17, 2010 at 1:39 PM
I always enjoy & appreciate your posts! You always manage to bring a smile to my face. And while you mentioned holiday films, I wanted to pass a new film along that I recently discovered that came out last month on DVD for you to check out & perhaps review. Homeless for the Holidays is an amazing film that follows an executive that has lost it all & has to take a job at a burger joint - a situation many of our familes can relate to today. If you are looking for a great film for a family movie night, I encourage you to check out Homeless for the Holidays! I have to say that it's perfect for the WHOLE family, which is hard to find these days.