This is my newest article for Risen Motherhood. You can read the entire article here.
We are squarely in the middle of Christmas movie season—not to be confused with Christmas in general or even Advent. No, the “Countdown to Christmas” on the Hallmark channel started with its first movie on October 18; holiday movies from Great American Family channel began on October 12.
Christmas-themed movies have created their own space on the calendar, and each year, it seems to grow by a few days. And so, before we’ve even fully settled into fall, viewers (by the millions!) are settling in for a long winter’s movie marathon. We gather the kids and laugh through a family favorite together, or we count down the minutes until bedtime when we can put up our feet for a sweet movie with a side of sleigh bells.
But why? Holiday movies are often similar in structure and plot, with several tropes appearing and reappearing again and again: a heroine faces a life change that requires her to move to the country from the city (or vice-versa), or she’s stuck in a boring life until her hometown crush moves back home, or she has to come to terms with the fact that the high-powered job she’s been pursuing won’t meet all of her (emotional) needs. Toss in some candy canes, a handsome hero, and several Christmas songs, and you’ve got yourself the trappings of a classic, made-for-TV Christmas movie.
Sometimes we love the vibes these movies offer—the “cozy feels” and the guaranteed happy ending. And that’s why we keep coming back for more. Because although the characters change and the setting shifts, the narrative arc ends with the girl getting her guy, the company being saved, and Christmas arriving with a blanket of snow.
True love, salvation, and a happy ending: this is why viewers tune in. And although we might not be able to articulate it—and will never fully find it in these movies—what we’re really longing for is the gospel.
You can read the rest of the article here.
