Since There’s no Place to Go, Watch a Hallmark Christmas Movie
Have you found yourself on the Hallmark Christmas Movie channel this season? Admit it, you’ve watched a few of them. Why are they so popular?
The Hallmark Movie channel plays Christmas movies from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve- all day, every day. View just one, or perhaps two movies, and you can predict the ending. In fact, you can predict most events during the movie. Along with a real traditional view of Christmas, there are several foreseeable elements to these movies.
In most of the movies, the plot involves a professional woman who works in a city and leaves the city for a small town, due to family needs, a business opportunity in the small town, or job stress. Sometimes, she has little Christmas spirit, and finds it in this new place. She usually finds a boyfriend there, too – sometimes an old flame. She is reluctant at first, eventually gets close to him, they have a disagreement, and then at the very end, they’re together. Eventually, she finds her Christmas spirit, and is ready to give up her career in the city and move into the small town that knows the real meaning of Christmas. That’s the plot, you’ll find in most of the movies. But, there’s more.
The characters like to drink lots of hot cocoa. Hot cocoa makes everybody feel better. They like to drink it from pretty Christmas mugs. They don’t add Peppermint Schnapps to their cups, but you might want to add a bit to yours if you’re watching a Hallmark movie.
Christmas cookies make everyone feel better, too. Baking Christmas cookies often brings the “couple” together. One of the characters has never baked cookies before and slowly begins the traditional pull from the experience. Sometimes they throw flour at each other.
There is often a cafe’ in the little town that sells baked goods, and of course, hot cocoa. If not, there’s a gift shop that is decorated for Christmas. The characters go to the shopping area downtown quite often. They don’t shop online or go to malls, or ever really leave the town. The café owner knows everyone’s name, just like on the popular TV show, “Cheers.” But unlike the bar in “Cheers”, they don’t serve alcohol, just hot cocoa.
The characters prefer ice skating to skiing or snowboarding. Usually, one of the skaters has never skated before and falls into the arms of the other actor. Love blooms.
It snows a lot, but the sun usually shines while the snow beautifully falls. And – even though it snows a lot, it doesn’t accumulate, usually just flurries – all the time. It’s quite pretty, and it makes you think that winter is not so bad, after all. While you watch the snow falling, you can see trees in the background that are full of green leaves. Wait, it’s not really winter?!
The actors wear a lot of nice, colorful scarves and a variety of colorful coats. Nobody wears black or brown, just bright, joyful colors. They don’t look cold, although it’s always snowing, which means it is cold.
The women don’t wear snow boots, but beautiful, stylish, impractical boots while it snows. They don’t slip and fall as I do when I choose fashion over functionality in the winter.
There is a tree lighting ceremony, cookie competition, festival, dance, play or some type of Christmas event that they have very little time to plan, but they pull it off before the end. This event is usually the turning point for the character with no Christmas spirit. In fact, she often uses her expertise to help ensure its success, which makes it easier for her to stay as she now has a purpose.
There is no violence, no swearing – these are “G” rated movies with actors who are relatively unknown (most of them).
They recycle the actors. You can see the same actor in more than one movie, with a similar role, just a different name and profession.
The movies end happily 100% of the time.
With all this predictability, can these movies hold our attention? As we reflect on our complex world today, the uncertainty of events, is this what we need – a simple, mindless escape? Is it because we enjoy the happy ending, with joyful people who immerse themselves in the holiday spirit?
Whatever the attraction, watch one and see how quickly you can identify the elements of predictability during a movie. Perhaps, you’ve been doing it all season; if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.