The Movie Guide for Women
  • Home
  • Author Bio
  • Women in Film
  • Book Blog
  • Excerpts
  • SHOP

Christmas movies and Last Christmas (2019)

12/5/2020

0 Comments

 
I have been putting this off—so much to do, so little time, especially in December—but it is time to give a shoutout to Last Christmas (2019). Ask a group of men and women what their favourite Christmas movie is and chances are you will get very different answers. Many men will name Die Hard (1988) as a Christmas classic. Women are more likely to name Love Actually (2003). Most Christmas movies revolve around a man (or boy): It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, James Stewart), A Christmas Carol (1951, Alastair Sim), Die Hard (Bruce Willis), Scrooged (1988, Bill Murray), Home Alone (1990, Macaulay Culkin), The Santa Clause (1994, Tim Allen), Jingle All the Way (1996, Arnold Schwarzenegger), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey), Elf (2003, Will Ferrell), The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017, Dan Stevens), etc.

Very few Christmas movies revolve around women, and those that do have only been released recently. There is no long tradition in Hollywood of Christmas movies about a woman. Surprise, surprise. These ones do: The Holiday (2006, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz), Noelle (2019, Anna Kendrick) and Last Christmas (2019). Although Little Women (2019) is not technically a Christmas movie it includes Christmas scenes and has the most to offer female viewers. Greta Gerwig wrote the screenplay for this version and directed it and I wrote about it earlier this year (SEE: post January 4, 2020).

Last Christmas is unique in that it revolves around one woman (Emilia Clarke). Not only that but there are several significant female characters (Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson, Lydia Leonard) and even women who have bit parts are named. It passes the Bechdel test in the first 10 minutes, and women speak throughout. It is also almost totally devoid of violence against women (VAW)—Clarke is shoved at one point—which cannot be said Die Hard (women’s lives are threatened). If you only have time for a couple of Christmas movies this year Last Christmas should be at the top of your list, right after Little Women. Emma Thompson and Bryony Kimmings wrote the screenplay and Thompson rarely (ever?) disappoints.  If you think women matter then your movie picks should reflect that.

Copyright © 2020 Alline Cormier

Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    The film analyst who puts women first. Author of an upcoming film guide for women. 
    Watch related movie clips on her YouTube channel (ACPicks). 
    ​Read her articles in Feminist Current, 4W and Women Making Films India.

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Site powered by Weebly. Managed by Web Hosting Canada
  • Home
  • Author Bio
  • Women in Film
  • Book Blog
  • Excerpts
  • SHOP