Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas move?

[Aeson]

Thoughts? You put way too much of it into this.

 

[MarkB]

I think the big rules are:

• It needs to take place around Christmas (or otherwise involve Christmas overtly), and the plot would not easily work at another time of year/ holiday.
• It needs to have a happy ending and/or positive message
• The central theme needs to be one commonly associated with Christmas (miracles/ family/ gift giving/ birth of Jesus Christ)

Thoughts?

I thought the only big rule was "it needs to be a movie that at least one of the big networks will, without fail, put on TV sometime in the latter half of December."

Lethal Weapon has certainly never been broadcast as a Christmas movie, at least not here in the UK. It took this thread to even remind me that it's set during that period.

 

[megamania]

Fairly certain the villain declares it is Christmas while shooting up the house and the TV. So yup.

 

[Tonguez]

I would say it's a Christmas movie just as much as Die Hard. In my opinion, no.

Die Hard is about an estranged Dad who is trying to get back to his family on Christmas eve but is stopped by a Grumpy old man who wants to spoil everybodies fun

Thats the quintessential synopsis of a good number of Christmas movies

Lethal Weapon is NOT a christmas Movie however - its Riggs redemption arc


Gremlins is a Christmas Parable about the dangers of overindulgence and is as much a Christmas story as Krampus is

 

[Zardnaar]

How about Bad Santa?

 

[Ryujin]

Die Hard is about an estranged Dad who is trying to get back to his family on Christmas eve but is stopped by a Grumpy old man who wants to spoil everybodies fun

Thats the quintessential synopsis of a good number of Christmas movies

Lethal Weapon is NOT a christmas Movie however - its Riggs redemption arc


Gremlins is a Christmas Parable about the dangers of overindulgence and is as much a Christmas story as Krampus is

Is "A Christmas Carol" a Christmas story? It's an Ebenezer Scrooge redemption arc.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Is "A Christmas Carol" a Christmas story? It's an Ebenezer Scrooge redemption arc.

Yes, one in which the (secular, at least) meaning of Christmas is core to the plotline, and the main character goes from displaying none of the social virtues of Christmas to displaying all of them. See also “The Grinch who stole Christmas”.

 

[Tonguez]

Is "A Christmas Carol" a Christmas story? It's an Ebenezer Scrooge redemption arc.

While both might be Redemption stories Scrooge is redeemed by learning the value of Christmas goodwill, RIggs is redeemed by um Friendship?

Scrooged must happen at Christmas for it to exist, Lethal Weapon could happen any time - being invited to join Murtaughs family for Christmas is just a benefit of Friendship

 

[Nytmare]

What about "Eyes Wide Shut"?

 

[trappedslider]

so this got me thinking what "Christmas" movies do you watch?

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (takes place at Christmas because the home legal home owner is at his summer home )
The Ref ( this could have perhaps been set at any other time?)
the lion in winter (Eleanor is let out of her prison (?) twice a year i think Easter and Christmas)
Muppet Christmas Carol

TCM shows Meet me in Saint Louis during this month because of Judy Garland singing "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas" and speaking of both TCM and It Happened on 5th Avenue, if not for TCM showing it back in 2014, it might have remained obscured.