Why so few UK Christmas Films?

[granth]

I agree entirely with another poster's mention of The Holly and the Ivy – the best Christmas movie I've ever seen, one made for grown-ups with grown-up family relationships and the difficulties of interacting that often attend holiday get-togethers. So many Christmas movies focus on the kiddies; so does The Holly and the Ivy, but in this one the kiddies have matured into adults with ingrained and often mistaken ideas about each other's lives.

[Johnallan]

If we can include cartoons then The Snowman takes some beating. It was on again this year of course and never fails to put me in a Christmassy mood. Hats off to those who resisted American dosh for a remake.

[Fletchy]

I don't think they showed The Likely Lads film this Christmas. Nothing to do with Christmas, but it's usually a good one for the winterval.

[GRAEME]

The whole family really rather enjoyed the Coventry-based Nativity! with Martin Freeman this Christmas.

[agutterfan]

Actually, I think this thread is misnamed. Thinking on the subject I wondered how other national cinemas treated Christmas. Then I realised thatI couldn't think of any Christmas movies made in Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Australia, old Eastern Bloc & Russia, Hong Kong, Japan etc and I could only think of one French film, A Christmas Tale. So the question should be, why do the Americans seem to be the only people who make Christmas movies?

[GRAEME]

Actually, I think this thread is misnamed. Thinking on the subject I wondered how other national cinemas treated Christmas. Then I realised thatI couldn't think of any Christmas movies made in Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Australia, old Eastern Bloc & Russia, Hong Kong, Japan etc and I could only think of one French film, A Christmas Tale. So the question should be, why do the Americans seem to be the only people who make Christmas movies?

Modern conceptions of Christmas - the secular fairy-tale of Santa and elves and flying reindeer etc - is very much an American invention. Clement Clarke Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas is the key text here - then add The Candy Cane Legend and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and so on. They all build on each other.

It was the Americans who largely created Christmas as a secular festival - associated with goodwill, but detached from religious meaning in a narrow sense.

Finally, the feel-good, sentimental, and redemptive themes enabled by Christmas stories are very much in line with the core values and approach of Hollywood cinema in general.

[CaptainWaggett]

Actually, I think this thread is misnamed. Thinking on the subject I wondered how other national cinemas treated Christmas. Then I realised thatI couldn't think of any Christmas movies made in Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Australia, old Eastern Bloc & Russia, Hong Kong, Japan etc and I could only think of one French film, A Christmas Tale. So the question should be, why do the Americans seem to be the only people who make Christmas movies?

Bush Christmas with Chips Rafferty is rather fun.

[michaelmace]

The whole family really rather enjoyed the Coventry-based Nativity! with Martin Freeman this Christmas.

A few years ago, a lady friend of mine told me that she had watched Nativity! and recommended it to me "because the guy in it reminds me of you". I watched it this Christmas and, at first, I thought she meant the Martin Freeman character which nonplussed me. Then I realised that she meant the other guy (Marc Wooton) and I found it a very funny left-handed compliment because, to be honest, there's a lot of my own enthusiasm around children and disregard of convention in the character that Marc Wooton plays

[MonicaMC]

The Crowded Day (1954) isn't overtly Christmassy but is set in the run-up to Christmas.

Oh, thanks for the reminder!!