Christmas movies are a delight to watch around the holiday season, but most viewers do not look deep enough to recognize the important lessons inside of them. Holiday movies follow the traditional format with protagonists and antagonists and plot complexities, and so much more. There is good and evil and love and hate along with brightness and darkness, too. And as it relates to the winter holidays, there is, of course, Santa drama and nervous children, tired parents, presents and lots and lots of snow.
But certain movies dive into the importance of the Christmas message and the impact it can have on someone. These movies go beyond the basic story and make viewers think about their purpose and position.
“A Christmas Carol”
The story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his Christmas Eve dream can inspire anybody who watches it. The movie starts on Christmas Eve, with Scrooge working in his office. Scrooge is a rude and grumpy man, and most people try to to avoid being around him. He has been treating his cp-worker, Bob Cratchit, very badly and turned down his nephew Fred’s offer for Christmas dinner.
After Scrooge leaves the office, he returns home and proceeds to sit by the fire alone and eat. And that is when weird things started to happen. Bells above his door start ringing. He finds this weird, and then out of nowhere the ghost of his old worker, Jacob Marley enters his room and tells him that he will be visited by three ghosts during his sleep.
His first visit is with the Ghost of Christmas Past, who leads Scrooge through his past Christmas days. Scrooge sees his days of school, and his engagement to a woman named Belle. He remembered these times and returned to his bed.
He then meets the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows him the events of this year’s Christmas day. He sees Cratchit’s family and the bravery of Cratchit’s younger son, Tiny Tim. This warms his heart, and we see for the first time Scrooge is a character with emotion.
He also sees his nephew’s dinner and how Scrooge is laughed at and shamed. Scrooge wonders if he is really that terrible.
Scrooge then meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who shows Scrooge his own funeral and how nobody attends. The image and the whole situation leaves, Scrooge uneasy and lonely.
Scrooge wakes up on Christmas Day and knows he needs to change. Throughout the day, he acts more jolly and ecstatic and even attends his nephew’s dinner.
From this movie, viewers uncover the lesson that anybody can change themself, they just have to have the will to do it. Through the Scrooge character, who went from being angry all the time to becoming joyful and finding his true personality, viewers see that change really isn’t that hard if it is something you want to do and dedicate yourself to it.
Ellie Puma (‘25) believes everyone, especially high school students, can learn from Scrooge and the storyline.
“The way we act around other people can have a big impact. And in ‘A Christmas Carol’ I think it’s powerful to see that anybody can change,” Ellie Puma said. “Scrooge goes from a mean old guy to a joyful guy.”
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
The claymation holiday movie, “Rudolph,” is one of the classics. Every kid knows the story of the red-nosed reindeer who was born with a strang, glowing nose.
The movie is narrated by Sam the Snowman who tells the story of Rudolph. He is the son of Donner, one of Santa’s strongest reindeers who pulls the sleigh, and is a shock even to his parents when Rudolph’s beaming red nose aluminates for the first time.
All the creatures of the North Pole found his nose strange, even Santa, and Donner attempted to conceal his son’s peculiar difference. To be accepted, viewers learn, it is best not to be different or an individual.
Sam the Snowman then introduces Hermey, an elf who is discontent with his toy making job and aspires to be a dentist. Viewers quickly see that elves cannot be dentists, they must make toys because that is who they are.
After a mishap during the Reindeer Games, Rudolph’s glowing secret is uncovered and he gets teased then ostracized by his peers. The North Pole can be a pretty brutal place.
Rudolph decides to run away and in the process he meets Hermy and the two misfits become quick friends.
The claymation film then follows their adventures and comes to a feel-good ending when Rudolph helps Santa deliver toys in a snowstorm. It turns out being different can be an advantage, Rudolph saves Christmas.
The story of Rudolph is an entertaining one but it also carries a strong message. Rudolph is an outcast from his fellow reindeer and is looked down upon because of his different nose but when he saves Christmas from a snowstorm that only his nose could shine through, the outcast becomes the star.
Aiden Lewis (‘25), shares a strong message for viewers to accept.
“Society is unique with so many different cultures, jobs and things to do that I think it’s good that everybody is different,” Aidan Lewis said.
The movie shows that even though some people might seem different they should still be valued by society and have an important role to help the community.
“Elf”
“Elf” is a generational favorite Christmas movie. Nearly anyone you ask will have “Elf” in their top five Christmas movies. And rightly so.
The story follows Buddy, a human who snuck into Santa’s bag and was brought to the North Pole by accident. Buddy grows with the elves and becomes a giant among them. Literally, and figuratively viewers see a character desperately trying to simply fit in but one who is clearly different.
In the toy room, viewers see how clearly different he really is. Buddy always lags behind and gets relegated to the toy testing room. He is singled out for his differences rather than embraced for them.
While testing Jack-in-the-Boxes, which Buddy hates, he overhears that he is not an actual elf but a human. Buddy is shocked by this realization and immediately becomes fixed upon finding and visiting his real father in New York City. Like so many, he is looking for connection on many levels.
Before he leaves for his journey, Santa drops the bomb-shell and tells Buddy that his dad is on the naughty list. Buddy doesn’t handle the news well but nevertheless sets out to New York anyway.
When Buddy first meets his dad he realizes that Santa was correct, he is indeed a “bah humbug” sort of guy. As happy and upbeat and outgoing, as viewers see Buddy throughout the movie, his dad is the opposite.
But Buddy doesn’t give up on him and the rest of the movie follows Buddy’s adventures in the real world, finding a girl he likes, getting to know his family and, ultimately, saving Christmas.
Colby Thompson (‘25) keeps “Elf” and its messages close to his heart.
“I think sometimes we get too caught up trying to make money or in other goals that we get blinded to what really matters: our family and friends,” Colby Thompson (‘25) said.
“Elf” is a heartwarming Christmas movie and the main theme is Buddy’s childlike love of Christmas which is in stark contrast to his dad’s serious, adult view on the holiday.
Buddy shows us that enjoying life, doing what you want to do without fear of others judging you, and loving the people who are close to you no matter what makes our lives better.
“The Princess Switch”
The “Princess Switch” is a Hallmark-feeling, comedic movie which follows a baker in Chicago and her doppelganger, duchess and Belgravian princess-to-be.
Stacey is a schedule-bounded lady who loves baking and owns her own bakery in Chicago. Her friend, Kevin, enters her into a baking contest around Christmas and she is selected to compete. When Kevin tells her the news she initially declines but after she runs into her ex-boyfriend she is struck with spontaneity and says yes.
Stacy, Kevin, and his daughter fly to Belgravia for the contest.
Margaret is a duchess set to marry the Belgravian Prince Edward. She is chaffing to live just a few days as a regular person before she settles down as a royal celebrity.
While in a store, the two bump into each other and build an instant connection so much so that, even as new friends, they decide to switch places for a few days. The two are identical and after some persuasion Stacey agrees to follow. The rest of the movie ensues with romance, laughter, baking and Christmas magic.
The movie provides both a laugh while promoting the idea of a comfort zone.
“I think trying new things like in ‘The Princess Switch’ can lead us to try new things,” Peyton Parrish (‘27) said.
Without spoiling the ending, Stacey would never have had her life changed in Belgravia, met her husband, and met one of her best friends if she hadn’t tried something new.
Yes, it is a challenge at first but it opens the door to a whole new world for her.
“The Grinch”
“The Grinch” is a remade holiday classic from 2018 that is known as much for its comedy as it is for the life lessons it can teach.
The message starts with the main character. The Grinch is a green-haired and grumpy creature who lives in a cave on a mountain with his dog, Madespises, the holiday of Christmas.
Madespises hates it even more due to the citizens of the bordering town, Whoville, where Christmas is the biggest and most celebrated holiday with the people known as the Whos living there.
Viewers are then introduced to 6-year-old Cindy Lou, who is determined to deliver a letter to Santa in the North Pole. She is the cute child, the adoring character with whom viewers fall in love.
When she is told by her mother that it will take too long, Cindy Lou organizes a plan to trap Santa with her friends.
Christmas day approaches rapidly, and the Grinch has a plan to interrupt a tree-lighting ceremony in Whoville, but is stopped by his painful childhood memories without a family. Viewers begin to see the power of good over evil.
The Grinch returns home and has time to think. He then comes up with the idea to take Christmas away from Whoville and everyone who lives there. He goes out and finds a reindeer named Fred, who he eventually lets go because Fred has a family. So not only is the story about good and evil, it is also about how family rises above all else.
When Christmas Eve arrives, the Grinch gets set for his quest to steal Christmas. He uses a Santa disguise and creates gadgets and a sleigh to help him cruise through his journey.
Through the night, the Grinch is successful on his mission until he arrives at the very last house. Upon entering, he is stopped and trapped by Cindy Lou who gives him her wish.
The Grinch is inspired, but carries on with his plan. He returns home and is awakened the next morning to hear singing. The Grinch immediately feels sorry and brings his apologies into the town.
The Grinch’s heart grows 3 times larger and, later that day he is invited to dinner by Cindy Lou and is forgiven by the Who’s.
Viewers ultimately learn from this movie that bad decisions can lead to instant regret.
“I think people make rash decisions all the time because of strong emotions that they come to regret later and often it can hurt a lot of people,” Lola Smith (‘26) said.
The Grinch shows this as he makes the decision to steal Christmas and is regretful of what he did to the people of Whoville, leading to having a better personality.
By finding kindness in your heart, the lesson here is that it is better to be like Cindy Lou, not the Grinch, although, in the right situations, people can change.
