Why are Christmas films so popular?
If you were to turn on your TV right now or open up Netflix, the chances of you stumbling upon a cheesy Christmas movie would be pretty high. They tend to be full of cliches, cringeworthy one-liners and predictable plots.
But still, we just can't seem to get enough. Let's take a moment to delve into the psychology behind Christmas movies and how they got to be so successful.
Who made the first Christmas film?
It was a Brit, actually. Mormon director George Albert Smith released a short silent drama called Santa Claus in 1898, which showed Santa visiting a house on Christmas Eve.
Moving into the 20th century, the history of Christmas movies reflects the evolution of Hollywood itself. In the US, they really became a genre, or even tradition, in their own right. The first wave came in the 1990s. Of course, there was the Home Alone series. The first edition generated a whopping $286 million at the box office.
The year 2000 saw Jim Carrey portray the Grinch: "I must stop this Christmas from coming! Now!" While Love Actually, released three years later, became a masterpiece in the Christmas rom-com genre.
In the last decade or so, Christmas films have really boomed thanks to American TV stations Hallmark and Lifetime going all in on the concept and reaping the rewards. Not to mention the rise of online streaming. The number of new Christmas movies produced each year has quadrupled since 2009.
According to Entertainment Weekly, 2022 will see around 170 Christmas films, of which Hallmark and Lifetime account for 66. The formula for a magical Christmas film is pretty simple, both in terms of script writing and production. Forbes says that the budget is most often under $2 million,
If they're repetitive and predictable, how come we keep coming back for more?
Watching a Hallmark movie, or a Christmas movie in general, has become a kind of ritual, and the fact that there are so many new ones each year just reinforces that. Heck, even without the new ones, we're happy to tune into reruns of the classics year after year. After all, Christmas comes once a year, and these films can get us in the festive spirit.
They also provide escapism and certainty. We can't control a lot of what's going on in the world, but we can enjoy the familiar structure and predictable outcome of a Christmas movie. They're family-friendly, too, which helps when members of multiple different generations are gathered together.
What are the key ingredients to a good Christmas film, then?
To start with, snow, of course, and lots of it. And just in general, the more holiday-themed tropes, the better. There's almost always a love story at the center of the plot, which is often an old romance being rekindled.
Another safe bet is that of the Grinch or Scrooge turning gracious through the magic of the season. Many actors like Lacey Chabert and Laurie Loughlin have built up a reputation for appearing in Christmas films. Seeing a familiar face is bound to get viewers in their comfort zone. There you have it.
词汇表
stumble upon [ˈstʌmbəl] 偶然发现，碰到
cheesy [ˈtʃiːzi] adj. 俗气的，低俗的
cliché [ˈkliːʃeɪ] n. 陈词滥调，老生常谈，俗套
cringeworthy [ˈkrɪndʒˌwɜː(r)ði] adj. 令人尴尬的，令人难堪的
one-liner [ˈwʌn ˈlaɪnə(r)] n. 俏皮话，妙语，金句
predictable [prɪˈdɪktəb(ə)l] adj. 意料之中的，可预见的，老套的
delve into [delv] 深入研究，探究
Santa Claus [ˈsæntə klɔːz] 《圣诞老人》（无声短片名）
genre [ˈʒɑːnrə] n. 类型，体裁
Home Alone 《小鬼当家》（电影名）
whopping [ˈwɒpɪŋ] adj. 巨大的，庞大的
Grinch [ɡrɪntʃ] n. 圣诞怪杰，扫兴者（角色名，一个试图破坏圣诞节的绿色怪物）
Love Actually [lʌv ˈæktʃuəli] n. 《真爱至上》（电影名）
masterpiece [ˈmɑːstə(r)ˌpiːs] n. 杰作，代表作，经典之作
rom-com [ˈrɒm kɒm] n. 浪漫喜剧（romantic comedy的缩写）
boom [buːm] vi. 繁荣，迅速发展
go all in 全力以赴，全力投入
reap the rewards [riːp ðə rɪˈwɔː(r)dz] 获得回报，收获成果
online streaming [ˈstriːmɪŋ] n. 在线流媒体
quadruple [ˈkwɒdrʊp(ə)l] v. 使成四倍，翻两番
formula [ˈfɔː(r)mjələ] n. 公式，配方，准则
ritual [ˈrɪtʃuəl] n. 仪式，惯例，习惯
reinforce [ˌriːɪnˈfɔː(r)s] vt. 加强，强化
tune into [ˈtjuːn] 收看，收听
rerun [ˈriːrʌn] n. 重播，重放，重映
festive spirit [ˈfestɪv] n. 节日气氛，喜庆的氛围
escapism [ɪˈskeɪpɪzəm] n. 逃避现实，解脱
family-friendly adj. 适合全家观看的，合家欢的
holiday-themed tropes [trəʊps] 节日主题元素，节日相关桥段
rekindle [ˌriːˈkɪnd(ə)l] vt. 重新点燃，使复燃
safe bet 稳妥的做法，准能赢的赌注
Scrooge [skruːdʒ] n. 吝啬鬼，守财奴（狄更斯小说《圣诞颂歌》角色）
gracious [ˈɡreɪʃəs] adj. 宽厚的，仁慈的
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