How to Write a Great Christmas Movie: 5 Important Things to Remember

Christmas films have always been huge earners at the box office. The holiday season is one of the best times for families to go out and spend quality time watching warm Christmas films together.

Some of the most memorable Christmas films of all time have been successful in making us feel warm and nostalgic. A Christmas film has various elements that make it so special for us. During the holiday season, various television networks have Christmas movie marathons.

The crowd’s favorite Christmas movies are playing everywhere during the month of December. People enjoy watching these movies that have a special place for them during the festive season. These movies help bring out the festive spirit in everyone.

The Most Memorable Christmas Films

Although everyone enjoys most Christmas films that release during the holiday season, some of these movies become a staple for the festivities. These movies are always playing on networks during Christmas month, and no matter how many times you have watched them before, you always make time for them.

Here is a list of Christmas films that have become a must-watch during the holiday season:

The Essential Elements Of A Great Christmas Movie

Now that you have refreshed your fondest memories of the holiday season through the Christmas films list, let's have a look at some of the elements that make a Christmas movie so special for us.

Nostalgia

An excellent Christmas movie gives the audience a chance to feel the joys of being a kid again. Even if the movie is dealing with adult life and themes, the scenes have a sense of nostalgia that helps us feel like we are watching something familiar and close to heart.

The nostalgia factor is what enables these Christmas films to become a part of everyone’s holiday traditions. As we grow up, Christmas becomes more stressful. We don’t spend time getting excited over snow anymore.

There are preparations to make and gifts to buy. Christmas movies help adults get lost in the winter wonderland once again and relive childhood memories of the holiday season.

Magic

The holiday season has always been a time of hope and belief. Everyone who celebrates Christmas has grown up with the belief that Santa Claus enters our house through the chimney and leaves us presents.

Even after we grow out of it and learn about the truth, it is still something we grew up with. Once we become adults, we lose that magic we once believed in. Christmas movies that use magic help us tap into a part of our lives we have lost over the years.

Watching a Christmas film that transports us to a magical world, we can feel like there is something to believe in once again, even if that something is Santa and the elves. For everyone, the spirit of magic in Christmas movies can stay alive as long as writers keep incorporating it into their stories.

Hope

Christmas films often give us hope. They make us believe in all the good in this world, something we all need at the end of each year. We can all use some hope in our lives, and that is what makes us come back each year to watch the same movies over again.

A Christmas film without hope is like Christmas without presents. These movies use redemption and character development to show us that there is always something better waiting for us. After a tiring year, we love to indulge ourselves in these movies and feel better about the world we live in. 

Holiday Cliches And Tropes

When it comes to holiday movies, the audience loves watching something familiar. Many film critics think tropes and cliches have ruined cinema. This could not be further from the truth if you ask us.

The art of a great Christmas movie is giving us something new while also letting us enjoy things we already know. Familiar tropes and cliches can provide the audience with a sense of home and comfort.

People already know what to expect, and they are not taken out of their zone of comfort. The naughty child, the rebellious teen, the funny uncle, these are all cliches, but they can be used in numerous movies in countless different ways, and people love them every single time.

Redemption

One theme the audience seems to enjoy and love watching is redemption. People love to see characters become better with time. It gives us something to believe in ourselves more. If the worst character in the movie can change and become lovable, so can we.

An excellent redemption arc proves that everyone deserves love, and there is always room for growth. Who doesn’t wanna believe in something so pure?

Christmas films like It’s A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol show us how someone who is not the best person in everyone’s eyes can go on a journey of self-improvement. After all, there is a reason both these movies are two of the most loved and watched Christmas films of all time. 

5 Things To Remember When Writing A Great Christmas Movie

Of course, the elements mentioned above are essential to every great Christmas movie. However, writing a Christmas film is not an easy task. There are various aspects you have to consider and keep in mind.

To make your Christmas film stand out from the hundreds of other Christmas movies being released during the holiday season, you must focus on the following when writing.

1.    Write When You Want

People often have the misconception that a Christmas movie should be written during the holiday season. They think that the Christmas atmosphere can inspire them and help them write better. However, that is not the case. You should write when you feel like writing.

During and near the Christmas season, the festivities can get too much for you. It is possible that you feel overwhelmed by the holiday spirit. We understand it can get too much at times. When you’re already tired of Christmas being around you, you won’t be able to write anything enjoyable about the season.

One of the best times to write your Christmas film can be during the summer or fall. The two seasons where everyone has forgotten how tiring last Christmas was, and can’t wait for the holiday season to start again. Writing during the time can help you channel all your excitement.

2.    Focus On The Concept

You can’t just focus on all other aspects and not pay attention to the concept of your Christmas film. No movie gets a chance to be produced in any industry if the concept does not blow everyone away.

Using ideas that have been done time and time again can make your Christmas film seem dull. If you want to sell the movie, which everyone does, you have to get people’s attention with the concept.

Try something different and get people intrigued. A weak concept will not be useful when it comes to marketing the Christmas film. The holiday season every year brings the release of countless Christmas films, and you need to present a unique idea to get the audience to watch your movie.

3.    Incorporate Other Themes

Of course, the most important setting for a Christmas movie is Christmas itself. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t choose other themes and incorporate them into the storyline. You can come up with various exciting ideas and use them to tell your Christmas story.

Some positive themes you can use in your Christmas film are hope, faith, magic, joy, redemption, etc. There are other themes like thriller and mystery that you can use in a Christmas setting to challenge the norm.

However, using positive themes for Christmas films can help you write something that will definitely be successful. People love feeling hopeful and comforted during the holiday season, and providing them with such messages through your Christmas film can help you deliver the best to the audience. 

4.    Think Outside The Box

Try something new. Yes, we know Christmas films are supposed to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort for the audience. But sometimes, you can use some crazy plotlines to make the movie more exciting.

When writing a Christmas film, you can take a tale as old as time and put a fun and exciting spin on it. For example, the movie Scrooged took the story of A Christmas Carol and modernized it for a new audience.

5.    Give Horror A Chance

Even if it doesn’t seem like it, people love going to watch horror movies during the holiday season. During the most festive time of the year, some people enjoy watching something terrifying to counter all the happiness and cheer.

Horror movies always have a cult following. You can throw in some horror and mystery themes in your Christmas film to make it stand out from the rest of the holiday movies being released during the time. People often don’t realize that one of the most terrifying and famous horror movies, The Exorcist, was released in December.

Final Takeaway

The holiday season makes everyone feel happy and full of joy. People love going to the movies and watching Christmas films. Writing a movie apt for the festive season takes a lot of skill and effort. There are a lot of tips and tricks you need to keep in mind when writing your perfect Christmas film.

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