This weekend, my mom and I convinced my dad to switch TV providers after discovering that our current plan wouldn’t allow us to watch Hallmark Christmas movies until the beginning of December. We are hardcore fans, and the 15 days that we would need to wait were 15 days more than we could bear.
This week I’ve watched three Hallmark Christmas movies. (Yes, I know it’s before Thanksgiving. I really like to live on the edge.)
Whenever my dad walks into a Hallmark marathon, he makes fun of the predictable storyline. He’ll say “I’ll bet she jumps on the plane, tells him she loves him, and they have a Christmas wedding,” or “Let me guess, he’s her secret Santa?”
Usually, he’s right. There are always happy endings and 99.9% of the time, a Christmas wedding is the closing scene.
It got me thinking: if I already know the ending, why do I, along with 85 million people, love cheesy Christmas movies so much?
Whether it’s movies, TV shows, or real life, people have a tendency to view characters, places, and events in terms of their own experiences. For example, a child may remind you of how you were at that age, a character in a TV show may have the same favorite food as you, or a peer may have a similar style to you. We view the world through the lens of who we are.
This is also true when watching Hallmark movies. I find myself relating to the characters even in the smallest ways. I may not have perfect blonde hair, a perfect white smile plastered on my face, and an always chirper voice, but maybe the character’s dog looks kind of like mine if you squint hard enough. Maybe the character eats ice cream to avoid her problems, and, you know what? So do I.
It’s these little things that make us say, “Wow, that character is kind of like me.” So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the hopeful, credulous of us are up for a predictable happy ending.
The happy ending for the perky blonde girl might mean I’ll get a happy ending one day too. And who doesn’t want a touch of magic and hope around the holidays?
I am not very familiar with Hallmark Christmas movies but I still found myself relating to this. The number of times that I have seen How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, Elf, and Christmas Vacation is almost ridiculous. Still, though, there is something about those movies that makes them classics in American house-holds. I am sure that the happy ending is a reason for this. After reading your blog, though, I found myself asking, "why do I watch these movies every year? It's not like it's different every time I watch it." I suppose it's just become part of Christmas now. I am sure that I am going to watch all of those movies this year once again, and I probably will next year too. Whatever the reason is, I enjoy watching Christmas movies every year, and that is what really matters to me.
ReplyDeleteI think the greatest Christmas movie of all time has to be Die Hard. Now it doesn't feature Santa or the traditional Christmas movie model but it does take place during Christmas and if you look for it on Itunes you can find it in the Christmas movie section so I geuss it counts. Another classic is Its a Wonderful Life. I have to be honest, however, I have never seen a Hallmark movie before but from how you describe them, I should definitly check them out this holiday season.
ReplyDeleteI am a hallmark Christmas movie junkie!! Yes they are cheesy and predictable but they are so great..being a hopeless romantic I am obsessed. I think I watch the cheesy romantic holiday movies because a girl can dream right? A snowy sleigh ride in Christmas town sign me up! Or the proposal under the mistletoe, sounds perfect. I wish my life was a hallmark Christmas movie.
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