Clearly it is an unconscious effect, but evidently it works and also explains the success of these films which perhaps, from today, we will begin to see with different eyes
Are you a fan of the genre or do you abhor it? In any case, know that Christmas movies even play a beneficial role. Word of science. Every year Hallmark Channel, the Canadian cable TV chain, produces dozens of Christmas films for the whole world: from 27 films in 2018 to 40 in 2022, with the promise of doing even better in 2023. Production increases, quality decreases but it doesn’t matter, it’s an extraordinarily profitable market in which everyone, including Italians, throws themselves into – for example with the TV series I hate Christmas 2 by Laura Chiassone. All it takes is a quick tour of the Netflix platform or Prime Video to find old and new films to brighten up the Christmas holidays. There are also films coming out on the big screen, such as Suddenly I’m getting married at Christmas (sequel to Suddenly at Christmas), con Diego Abatantuono and Violante Placido. Then, of course, you can watch classic and timeless films like It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), or other “neoclassics” like An armchair for two o Mom I missed the plane. In short, there is no shortage of choice. But all these films more or less share common denominators that distinguish the genre: they are the magical ingredients of the Christmas mix.
Recipe for a Christmas movie
Whether funny, romantic or adventurous, all these films have a happy ending in common: broken relationships are reunited, those who have lost their jobs find them again, the dream of love is fulfilled, etc. There are stereotyped characters, such as Christmas fanatics, convinced to the core of the value of this holiday and capable of involving sceptics; the bad guy, who in the end repents not because he is punished, but because he is pushed to reflect; the grinch, grumpy and hostile, but also destined to mend his ways. The family always appears and, of course, Santa Claus, perhaps incognito and recognized only at the last moment. Obviously there are the main protagonists: ordinary people, with unprofitable but stimulating jobs. Everything is seasoned with a pinch of magic (spectres, gremlins, because anything can happen on Christmas Eve), with many good feelings – as per Christmas practice – a few sprinkles of snow here and there and themed music. And here is the recipe ready! Contrary to what one might rationally think, these situations, very far from everyday life with all its troubles and crowned with a happy ending, they are the keys to the success of Christmas films.
A sense of security
“Compared to the past, today more than ever we live in an unstable historical period, a world that is increasingly falling apart, with an economic and values crisis”, contextualizes Dr. Carmen Di Muro, psychologist and psychotherapist. These obvious films therefore become real points of reference because they don’t cause stress. “Watching a film with a happy ending gives a sense of certainty and ensures peace of mind”. And it is a tranquility that has repercussions on a physical level, explains the psychotherapist. “Give it Scientific studies of frontier emerges that when we move from a state of internal disturbance, in which there is always an alert system to react to everyday stressful situations, to a state of tranquility, emotions and thoughts calm down and you have a positive outlook on life. They are physiological processes that are reassuring.” Everything that is routine and repetitive”turns on ontological mechanisms and physiological ones indelibly connected with emotions”.
Nostalgia and intimacy
Christmas movies rely on nostalgia. stimulating melancholic and sentimental associations that often take us back to the period of childhood, when everything seemed simpler and more beautiful – or at least that’s how it seems to us today, because memories are pruned by time. In fact, observes Dr. Di Muro, “CAnyone who binges on these films did so already as a child, when perception was different, when we were still able to believe in magic and hope.” These very similar films also have the advantage of immersing us in an intimacy shared with the family. They show us a postcard Christmas, but reassuring, perhaps with snowflakes falling silently. And we, who pray for the rest of the year that it doesn’t snow on the plains, hope for it that day because then the house becomes a warm and intimate cocoon to rediscover values that are perceived as lost. In the warmth, in the light of the Christmas tree, we dream in front of the screen.
A shower of endorphins
Laughter, tears of joy, happiness: these simple films, without intellectualistic pretensions, stimulate the neuronal centers of reward and therefore the tone of the mood, which in this period of the year is put to the test by the short days, the commitments that accumulate to wrap up everything before the holidays, from gift hunting and related shopping. This humoral improvement affects the chemistry of the organism. “Emotions, without which we could not live, orchestrate the body-psyche leap and vice versa, also triggering healing dynamics”. Laughter thus becomes a real antidote to stress, economical and without side effects.
Align with yourself and with life
“The repetitiveness ensures that everyone finds their centre and is more aligned with himself and with life.” Clearly it is an unconscious effect, but evidently it works and also explains the success of these films which perhaps, from today, we will begin to see with different eyes.