The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Perfect Holiday/Christmas Movie

 



There are various sub-genres and elements to be considered when writing a Christmas or holiday movie. Not all Christmas movies are as romantic as "Christmas with You." There are horror Christmas movies like “Silent Night” and comedy Christmas movies like “Home Alone." 

Writing a Christmas story might seem overwhelming, but in this article, you’ll find a breakdown of everything you need to know when writing a holiday movie.

What is a Christmas Film?

It is easy to know a Christmas holiday movie from the opening scene. The elements shown in the film's setting and theme demonstrate this. Whatever the genre, there's snow, heavy decoration, and a festive atmosphere to remind the viewer of the festive period.

There are various types of themes to keep in mind when writing a Christmas film. These themes are grouped into major and minor themes.

What are these themes, and how are they exemplified in a Christmas film? 

What is a Theme?

A theme is a central and unifying idea that explains the human experience in your film. 

A theme explains the human experience in one or more words like "love, tragedy, loss, selflessness, etc.” A theme can be unspecific, but it is portrayed through the plot, dialogue, setting, cinematography, symbolism, and music. 

The Major Themes in Christmas movies are Love, selflessness, self-discovery, homecoming, value, etc. The minor themes portrayed are kindness, food, etc. 

Types of Christmas Genres

Christmas movies are not all about love and romance. When most people think of Christmas movies, they envision a businesswoman returning home after years to meet her cowboy ex-lover and reuniting under the mistletoe. 

There are various genres of Christmas films, and they often intersect to create sub-genres. These genres will help you find the right tone and market for your movie.

  1. Lifetime Christmas Films & Hallmark: Christmas is when everyone wants to reunite with family, eat and enjoy the holiday together. This genre belongs to mushy and cheesy romantic and family-centered movies. They are all about the mistletoe and saccharine Christmas feelings. The significant elements in this genre are reuniting ex-lovers, family gatherings, and finding love, which can be found in the setting and holiday decorations.

  2. Fantasy: This genre fuses magical and supernatural elements that do not exist in real life. In the case of building a holiday story, imagination recreates established real-life Christmas traditions in the phenomenal world for it to be relatable to the audience watching. 

Examples are National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

  1. Romantic Comedy Holiday: This is a typical example of a sub-genre and one of the most popular ones that provide a subtle, cozy, relaxing, and emotional ambiance for the viewers who want a witty plot but with a sprinkle of romance and Christmas because it is a holiday. This sub-genre of comedy includes comical storylines, dialogues, and characters. The significant genre here is romance, so a romantic comedy illustrates romantic feelings in a funny setting. Examples are The Princess Switch (2018), Last Christmas (2019),

  1. Action: Christmas can be mushy but also twisted. How do you get the twisted message across without ruining the theme or neglecting it altogether? You can do this by placing Christmas in the foreground or background of your film. Two examples are “Die Hard” and “Reindeer Games." In Die Hard, a character, John McClane, is seen trying to save the day in the backdrop of his wife’s Christmas party. Here, Christmas is in the background, while Christmas is in the foreground of Reindeer Games as robbers dressed in Santa’s suit. This genre shows that Christmas can be festive with unexpected events.
     

  2. Horror: While psychologists try to understand why people watch horror movies, some watch horror holiday movies (and they enjoy it!). Who wants horrible things to happen on holiday? Well, different folks have different strokes. This holiday film genre evokes fear and terror but with a sprinkle of thrill. It is like a typical horror movie but with a festive context in the foreground or background. While many argue that this film genre is not a real Christmas movie, it explores the concept of Christmas in a fun, terror-filled, and creative way.

  1. Adventure Holiday: Adventure transports us from real life to an exciting made-up place through the lens of the protagonist. In holiday films, the audience is taken through the protagonist's transformation as they embody and show the nature of Christmas and its essence. The significant part of this type of film is the adventure and the Christmas thrills attached to it.

  1. Musical: Musical movies have always been about singing, dancing, and acting around a strong storyline that depicts the emotions and essence of the story. Different characters are developed in Christmas films with a musical genre to contribute to a unified story. Music and dancing are ways to heighten emotions, and they are perfect for a Christmas film as it is a festive period when people want to forget their troubles for a while and enjoy the holiday.

  2. Family comedy: The essence of Christmas is to bring families together in unity and love. The family comedy genre emphasizes that point and portrays it well. What is a family reunion without some funny drama? They are usually relatable and a copy of real-life family situations. The stakes are raised, and the storylines are stretched for the comical effect to kick in. The significant element here is nostalgia.


Essential Elements of a Christmas story

Every year, people watch Christmas movies and rewatch their favorite Christmas classics. What makes people choose these types of movies over and over again? The secret sauce is in the elements portrayed in the film. Stick around. 

  1. Nostalgia: A tradition that will never die is watching Christmas films on Christmas holidays, and a film that tops the list for adults and kids is Home Alone. Why? Because it brings back memories of what Christmas should feel like. The older we get, the more stressful Christmas becomes. Our getaway is watching Christmas films to transport ourselves back to when Christmas was all about new dishes, foods, and presents when it was about uniting with one's family. These Christmas movies have relatable and familiar settings for audiences to hold on to and make their own. 

Nostalgia is a significant element and emotion to exploit when writing a holiday scene. It gives people a break from the present and returns them to when everything was easy and sweet. You can write scenes on this element using childhood experiences. People relate to Hope because of these details.

  1. Hope: As cliche as it might sound, hope keeps us moving. Every Christmas movie, irrespective of its genre, is not void of hope. There is the hope of spending time with your family, the hope of making amends, and the hope that a character will change. In “Home Alone," Kevin’s mom travels miles to return to her son, which is hope. Hope can take on different forms, but as long as it is a yearning for something, then it is hope. This element draws the viewer in and makes them reflect on their hopes. 

  1. Conflict: Conflict is the pillar of a great story. There is no story without a character in the process of transformation who encounters roadblocks all along the journey. It imitates life in a way that depicts, “When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade.” This element makes a Christmas film more accurate because it mirrors real life, where it is not all rosy. There is no single movie without conflict because it builds the storyline for redemption, which is what Christmas is about: bringing the family together, adding a sprinkle of drama, and then resolving it at the end with a more robust and healthier family.  

  1. Redemption: Redemption is a prominent element across all genres of Christmas films. Everyone hopes and works hard to be a better version of themselves, overcoming roadblocks. In Christmas films, redemption comes after conflict.  

In "Home Alone,” Kevin’s conflict started when he finally got the independence he craved and had to defend his home from intruders. His redemption point was when he realized the essence of family and togetherness. 


You will find these in two lines: “When I grow up and get married, I’m living alone!” and “Instead of presents this year, I just want my family back.” Kevin moved to the window after reuniting with his family and saw his bearded friend reconciling with his son and granddaughter. Christmas is when we reflect on our lives and understand the essence of family, peace, and other aspects of life. This is what many Christmas films portray through the protagonist’s transformation.

  1. Tropes and Cliches: Tropes and cliches are familiar but overused elements like the rebellious teenager, the career-focused parent, and the overly-caring grandparent. While many scoff at this element, it is necessary because people embrace the familiar and relate to it. The best way to make it creative and excellent is to add a new spin. That way, you’ll give the audience a familiar element in a  different way. 

  1.  Romance: Romance can take up the story's main arc or a subplot. Either way, it is an excellent element that your audience can relate to, as everyone wants to find love. The storyline is infused with this element to portray the mushy aspect of love. It also helps the audience reflect on what/ who they want. 

  1. Family: Christmas is all about family, and people who cannot travel home or enjoy the holiday with their families feel the desire to do so. This desire is what Christmas movies explore to create relatable and familiar settings like matching Christmas jumpers, presents, Thanksgiving dinner, etc. This helps viewers appreciate their families through the transformation of a character. In “Home Alone,” Kevin, who initially took his family’s presence as a bother, learned to appreciate his family more after Kevin was faced with fending for himself while alone.

  2. Magic: It might have been different in most African homes, but through stories, we were made to believe in the existence of a fat, jolly Santa Claus, popularly known as Father Christmas, who comes around bearing gifts. This element provides adults an escape from the natural and harsh reality and transports them through a magical world where everything they believed in as kids happened. 

  1. Atmosphere: How do you know you're watching a horror movie? The atmosphere is essential for a holiday movie. A Christmas movie without lights and decorations is like soup without salt. 

There are loads of things that spell out Christmas in a Christmas movie: Christmas trees, snow, lights, decorations, bells, crowded toy stores, costumes, excited kids on skateboards, etc. 

Regardless of your film’s genre, the opening scene should depict a Christmas atmosphere. Even a haunted house should have Christmas lights.


Extra Tips on Writing an Excellent Holiday Movie

  1. Make it relatable. Don’t be afraid of adding little details from your childhood or adulthood. (Nobody’s going to notice it’s you)

  2. Add Christmas elements for effects. You can use all the features listed above or a few of them. You can tweak them to your advantage, but in all you do, ensure you include the family element. 

  3. Pay attention to details. They go a long way toward lasting success. A missing ingredient can spoil the meal, just as a missing element can ruin the overall effect of your movie. 

  4. Write from your heart. Writing from the heart is the best way to write a good story. That way, it is emotional, relatable, and satisfying. 


  5. Never give up. If you give up, the world will be one movie short. Your story matters and should be read/ watched. Cheers to your success!


Conclusion

Christmas stories are not just about lights and decorations. They are practical tools of transformation and learning that help people reflect on their lives and make necessary changes. 

As a filmmaker, you must tell an excellent story that will have a lasting effect on people and inspire them to become better. 

In essence, happy holidays!


P.S. The best way to write better is by reading. Download A Christmas Story’s script and analysis to learn how to write a Christmas story better. 

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