10
Nov '25
As fall comes to an end, the days get darker, the air gets colder, and Starbucks rolls out their holiday menu, we’re entering one of my favorite cinematic seasons. Christmas movie season!
Holiday movies shouldn’t work. They’re formulaic, saturated in red and green and fake snow and always have a happy ending. And yet, here I am, every year in my Christmas pajamas, wrapped in a blanket, holding the perfect cup of hot cocoa in my favorite Christmas mug, watching all my favorite Christmas movies for the 100th time.
As someone who loves to be moved by stories, it’s no surprise that I love Christmas movies! I’m a sucker for redemption and a happy ending. But what is it about Christmas movies that keeps us coming back year after year despite the tinsel, mistletoe, and predictable ending? Perhaps it’s nostalgia, or the warm glow, but maybe it’s because underneath all of that, they aren’t about Christmas at all.
Christmas movies are grounded in our emotional core: connection.
We see it in It’s A Wonderful Life when George Bailey feels he’s failed his family and his town and that the world would be better without him. He gets a glimpse into what the world would be like without him and sees the difference he made. But what really seals the deal is when the town shows up for him and his family to save their business because they know the impact he made on them. Connection.
We see it in The Holiday as Iris meets her elderly neighbor, Arthur Abbott, and both of them find healing in their connection despite their age and cultural differences. We see it when Amanda meets Graham’s kids and they connect with her immediately with that kind of beautiful adoration only a child can bestow. Connection.
We see it in White Christmas as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis change their holiday plans to spend more time with Betty and Judy Haynes and they discover that their general from the war owns a failing inn. They bring their broadway show up to the inn and bring out all the men from their regiment to come celebrate the general on Christmas Eve. No one makes them do this for the general, but they do it because they care. Connection.
Stories of connection draw on our natural desires to belong and to believe there is still good in the world. This theme is solidified with the warm cozy nostalgia that is evoked from the lighting and production design of these films. I doubt anyone would find the cinematography groundbreaking, but it perfectly fits the theme and storytelling and creates a glow that draws the viewer in.
Cozy lighting and interiors are accomplished through string lights on anything the production designer can get their hands on, soft lamp light in the shots, and warm interior colors contrasted with cold snowy exteriors.
Think of the cozy English cottage in The Holiday. When you watch it this year, count the number of lamps you see. Nancy Meyers is known for her specific style of creating a cozy home vibe through lighting and texture. Notice the rough stone of the walls, the luxurious texture of the velvet ottoman, and the soft pillows on the couch. Notice how the warm lamp light combined with all those textures makes you want to curl up on that couch next to the fire.
Think of the red and green stained glass that decorates the walls and doors at the North Pole in The Santa Clause. This movie uses the traditional red and green colors of Christmas to create a sense of comfort and nostalgia even in scenes that happen during the spring, summer, and fall. We constantly see red associated with the North Pole in Scott Calvin’s outfits, Judy the elf, and Bernard the head elf in his classic red stripes. We see green in the jumpsuits worn by the elves with attitude, Charlie’s coat, and Santa’s new sleigh. These red and green tones make this movie feel like a classic Christmas.
Think of the hundreds of strands of Christmas lights, snowflakes, and paper chains in Elf in the mall scene when Buddy has decorated it for Santa. The simplicity of the decorations being made mostly of paper creates a familiar homemade feeling inviting us to join the fun and transform our own space. Buddy carries the same decorations into the apartment when he decorates it for Christmas complete with popcorn garlands and a tree that is way too big!
Whether we come for the stories of connection or the warm cozy tones, they work together in perfect holiday harmony to create a sense of nostalgia and joy that is hard to come by in the real world.
In our increasingly unpredictable and chaotic world, these stories offer us 2 hours to put our cynicism on hold and to believe that happy endings are real. They draw us in because even with the classic holiday songs, the predictable depressed character who just doesn’t know how to be in the holiday spirit (I’m talking about you, Charlie Brown), and the obscene amount of Christmas decorations, they touch on real human themes. Loneliness, grief, family tension, redemption, self-discovery, hope, love, forgiveness and belonging.
As you watch holiday movies this year, watch for the themes of connection and notice how the lighting, cinematography, production design, and music give you a comfortable cozy feeling.
Merry Christmas and happy holiday movie watching!