Once December hits, it seems like everyone I know has the same plans every evening. They pour themselves a drink, make a bowl of snacks, and plop on any streaming service, and settle in with a different holiday movie every night.And now that places like Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime are churning out these Christmas movies every year, you have lots of options.You might be watching it ironically, but you're still watching it. Why? Because underneath the sugar-crusted clichés, there’s a formula that works.But as screenwriters, we need to understand the tropes so we can either use them effectively or, even better, shatter them into a million glittering pieces.Let's dive in. - YouTubewww.youtube.comChristmas Movie Tropes1. The Big City Hotshot Who Hates ChristmasIt feels like there's one of these people in every Christmas movie I watch. There are the ones that are highly exaggerated, and even the subtle ones.They can be the protagonist or even the antagonist.Think about a high-powered, cynical executive like Buddy the Elf's dad, or when one of those Hallmark Type-A journalists is forced to go to a small, impossibly charming town—usually named something like Hollybrooke or Snowfall Creek—right before Christmas.They have an impossible deadline or a soulless task (e.g., condemn the local reindeer farm). They hate the local traditions, wear drab clothing, and talk too fast.And then it all changes when they begin to believe in the spirit of the season, and they fall in love with the town, the spirit, and the handsome or feisty local.Subvert the...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday