BY ELIZABETH EGAN, STAFF WRITER
I love a good cheesy Christmas movie. You know the ones Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and Netflix seem to produce in bulk every time December rolls around.
For as long as I can remember, watching Hallmark Christmas movies with my mom has been one of my favorite Christmas traditions. When I tell people this, I typically receive one of two responses:OMG I love those movies too or I hate those movies.
To those who side with the latter, I will say in my defense that I do not consider any mass-produced Christmas rom coms to be cinematic masterpieces. I also acknowledge that they are incredibly predictable and follow four different plot lines. Two people meet and start out disliking each other until some odd turn of events forces them to spend time together and slowly fall in love. Then through some sort of misunderstanding they break up until someone clears it up and they reunite, and profess their love for each other, likely on either Christmas or New Year’s e. Every movie is essentially a variation of this.
My argument is that sometimes, that is ok. I love the holiday season, probably more than most. However, I will be the first to admit the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is stressful. Whether you are in high school, college or out in the working world, the time will inevitably become as busy and stressful as it is merry and bright.
To me, there is just something so unbelievably relaxing about watching two people fall in love surrounded by Christmas. There is no stress about whether or not it will work out because you know it will, and every once in a while that is what I want in a movie. Adding an abundance of over the top Christmas décor, makes it all the better.
Most romantic Christmas movies do not even come close to mirroring the reality of the holidays. While my overly festive self would love nothing more than for a guy to profess his love for me on Christmas Eve after saving my town’s Christmas festival or learning I landed my dream job, I do not think this reflects the majority of our holiday experiences.
I am the kind of person that goes absolutely all in on Christmas, but I still acknowledge that there are many imperfections to the season. Hosting a series of family events that always manage to bring out just a little bit of family drama, getting the perfect gift for everyone on your list, even finding parking at the mall where I work is enough to produce angry tears from me. There is an expectation of perfection that can never quite be reached and while this is perfectly reasonable, it can be disappointing.
In a cheesy romantic Christmas movie, reality just is not the case. Instead they demonstrate a perfection of the season to the extent that it is so unrealistic you would not feel bad about not meeting the same standards, but you find it very enjoyable to watch.
The holiday season can be insane and taking a minute (or two hours) to turn your brain off can be a beautiful, and I would argue crucial, step in making it through to Dec. 26.
