Six of the Best: Not Quite Christmas

We can debate all day as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is, they’re at a work Christmas party, for crying out loud!) but that has already been done to death. While we’re at it, technically neither Gremlins or It’s A Wonderful Life have Santa as central to their plot but we seem to watch those every December without complaint.

In our latest Six of the Best, we’re going to look at films that just so happen to be set around the holiday season, but have absolutely nothing to with Christmas in terms of the plot.

Have we missed any? Let us know in the comments or via our social channels.

Eyes Wide Shut

What’s Christmas without a masked orgy or two? Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 psychological drama stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as Bill and Alice Harford, a married couple who find themselves in a tangled web of seduction and crisis. The film is based on a 1926 novella by the German author, Arthur Schnitzler. It transposes the action from Mardi Gras in Vienna to Christmas time in New York. It’s probably not one to gather all the family round to watch with a mulled wine but New York will never look anything less than decadent at Christmas.

You’ve Got Mail

Nora Ephron’s film is peak 90s rom-com. A remake of the James Stewart film The Shop Around the Corner, it casts Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as romantic leads who happen to be business rivals. Ryan, as Kathleen Kelly, runs an independent book shop whilst Hanks, as Joe Fox, runs the behemoth that is Fox Books. The pair chat anonymously in an online forum, without realising who the other is. Whilst the film takes place from Autumn through to Spring, there are enough gently falling snow and Christmassy Manhattan scenes for us to count it on this list.

Carol

Todd Haynes’ 2015 romantic drama is simply gorgeous to look at. The costume design alone is worth seeking the film out. Set during Winter in the early 1950s, the film centres around the love affair between Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), an aspiring photographer, and Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett). They meet in a New York department store when the former helps the latter to pick out a Christmas gift. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt, the film explores themes of identity and motherhood, set against a stunning festive backdrop. It is a compelling watch.

Lethal Weapon

A bit like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon is one of those films that regularly gets trotted out in the Christmas movie debate. Richard Donner’s 1987 action classic stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a pair of LAPD detectives. The festive season is mentioned regularly throughout – the film even ends with Christmas dinner – and Jingle Bell Rock is played over the opening credits. There’s even a Christmas tree business being used as a front for drug dealers. Surely that’s festive enough?

Batman Returns

Gotham at Christmas? Yes please! Tim Burton’s 1992 contribution to the Batman franchise stars Michael Keaton as the caped crusader, facing off Christopher Walken’s Max Shreck and Danny De Vito’s The Penguin just in time for the holidays. Burton’s visual stamp is all over this (it could also be argued that Edward Scissorhands should be on this list, too) and there are overt seasonal set pieces throughout the film. Batman and Catwoman stand under some mistletoe whilst various henchmen are launched from giant Christmas presents. And Walken’s character easily makes allusions to that most festive of tight-arse’s, Ebeneezer Scrooge.

Little Women

Whichever version you choose to watch of the Louisa May Alcott classic, Little Women is one of those films that just feels right during the Christmas period. We meet the March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) when they are on the receiving end of Christmas gifts and a common theme throughout each film adaptation is acts of service for those in need. Most versions contain scenes with snow and cosy open fires, whilst the costumes tend to be wooly and trimmed with tartan or ribbons, making it feel seasonal.

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Mary Munoz

Editor at Moviescramble. European cinema, grisly thrillers and show stopping musicals are my bag. Classic Hollywood Cinema is comfort food. Spare time is heavily dependent on a lot of pizza and power ballads.

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