In order to guarantee a happy ending that leaves you joyful, there has to be perfect romance, a quaint little town, and just the right amount of holiday cheer. "And that's pretty cool.When it comes to Christmas movies, certain things are prerequisites. "The reason people love Hallmark films is that the characters are always kind to one another, even in the middle of fighting," she said. "I get why these movies have become time-honoured traditions for many people, but I also think there's room within them for more conflict than they often have."Īs for Matthews, she says one of the best ways to lighten the mood when characters have a disagreement or address a tough subject is through humour - and that shows how being cheerful and dealing with conflict don't have to be mutually exclusive. "These stories are based on tropes that inherently don't take into question things like sexuality, gender or race," said VanDerWerff. "These movies are inherently unrealistic and inherently uninterested in presenting anything like real life - and that's OK."ĭespite being loved for offering that sense of escapism, VanDerWerff said there could be more space in holiday films for nuance - especially if it allows for more diversity in the genre. " don't even share the lived experiences of straight white people," she said. "I wish the industry could just look at folks as human beings and tell human stories."īut VanDerWerff says holiday movies are popular precisely because they don't address the messiness of being human. "Often when other ethnic groups are involved or included, it is some stereotypical version of ," said Renata.
Renata agrees that inclusivity in holiday films can't be achieved unless those working behind-the-scenes, like Matthews, accurately capture the lived experiences of those they are creating movies about. "They feel like I've given voice to the voiceless." "People contact me, and they've been leaving comments about how they feel affirmed," said Matthews. It follows business executive Jazmin Carter, played by Denzel Washington's daughter Olivia Washington, as she returns to Harlem to celebrate Christmas in the neighbourhood where she grew up. That trip would later inspire her to write the Hallmark film, A Holiday in Harlem, which released on Nov. It's an issue that screenwriter Monique Matthews was able to address, when she travelled from Los Angeles back to her home of Harlem, New York for Christmas in 2019. The move prompted heavy criticism and boycott calls, and CEO Bill Abbott stepped down in January 2020. In 2019, Crown Media Family Networks, the production company that operates Hallmark channels in the U.S., pulled a commercial for wedding website Zola that featured two brides kissing. Increased awareness, as well as changes in industry leadership, have helped to create a more inclusive on-screen holiday experience, said Emily VanDerWerff, the critic-at-large for Vox. Renata said audiences and television networks have begun to recognize the importance of on-screen representation through cultural reckonings like the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. "The people on-screen are one thing, but the writers and the showrunners have to reflect that diversity as well." "Holiday films are still mostly all-white films, with a smattering of a Black person or a Latino person," said Carla Renata, a film critic based in Los Angeles.
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Streaming giant Netflix is also debuting Single All The Way, its first queer-led Christmas movie, while American television network VH1 is rolling out its Naughty or Nice holiday special, with new movies featuring primarily Black casts and producers.īut while the film industry is making moves to change what some have previously called a "whitewashed" movie genre, some critics say more work remains to be done. One year after airing their first holiday movies featuring LGBTQ characters in prominent roles, television networks Lifetime and Hallmark are releasing new films starring gay leads, including Under the Christmas Tree, Lifetime's first movie featuring a lesbian couple. And for an industry that's long been criticized for its lack of diversity, this year's seasonal offerings are taking steps toward inclusivity. It's the most wonderful time of the year to binge-watch holiday movies, with a new slate of festive films being released on the small screen as we head into the winter months. (Netflix/Crown Media/Crown Media - image credit) While these movies feature diverse characters in leading roles, a number of critics say some gaps in the genre still need to be filled. Single All the Way, The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls and A Holiday in Harlem are part of this year's slate of holiday films.