Ok, it may be a stretch to say we all love those cheesy Christmas romance movies (think Hallmark). But clearly a lot of us like them, or they wouldn’t make approximately 5 million each calendar year.
So, for you Grinch’s (before he turned nice) out there, here’s my list of 7 reasons why we love those cheesy, horrible movies.
They contribute to the spirit of Christmas
Think about the things we associate with Christmas. The music, the decor… We don’t surround ourselves with these things all year round, now do we? No! Because they can be gaudy or cliched. A little goes a long way, so we reserve them for one isolated time of year.
Cheesy Christmas romances are much the same. They contribute to the atmosphere and help put us in the Christmas spirit. Then we relegate them to the dusty cupboards until next year.
They’re comfort viewing
Christmas traditions are a comfort. No matter how rotten a year we’ve had, they’re something us Christians or decendents of Christians can look forward to all the depressing year long.
These movies are just like that – no matter how terrible they are, we know they’ll at least offer us a few familiar sights and sounds, capped off by a happy ending.
They celebrate community
Cheesy romances tend not to be very romantic (trust me). But, they do tend to be suffused with community spirit. So, while you may not get a romance fix, you might still feel uplifted as you witness a community coming together to save the town, or save the tree, or simply to celebrate.
They let you bond through complaining
I’ve been told I can be a touch… critical, when watching a new movie. I can’t help it. I’m a critical person, and now a writer, which has made me even more critical. I always imagine how I would have written things differently.
But, when watching a cheesy romance, no one really minds if you tear it to shreds. In fact, half the point is to get off a good zinger or two about how absurd the movie is.
They provide a reason to gather
It’s really no surprise that I and my womenfolk started gathering for these cheesy movie marathons during Covid (while carefully monitoring symptoms and making judicious use of Covid test kits): we were craving company. And celebrating the season by watching two or three dreadful movies was just the excuse we needed for a gathering.
They improve if you’re wearing wine-goggles
This isn’t Inception or even Love Actually, where you have to follow a few storylines. So, you can rest assured you’ll still be able to follow the, ahem, plot, even if you go a teensy bit overboard with the season’s good tidings.
Some are good (?)
In my experience, none of these movies are good. But, I’ve only really watched maybe a handful of them in my life, so maybe I’ve missed some gems. And some are definitely better than others. So, maybe you’ll find one to satisfy that romantic craving. Maybe.
In conclusion…
Cheesy Christmas romances tend not to reside on the ‘quality’ end of the spectrum, but that doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer. They parcel comfort, community, and Christmas spirit into tidy, 90-minute packages.
So don’t scoff! Get that Hallmark subscription, or tune in to Peacock, Hulu, Crave, or even just Netflix (you can find some variation pretty much anywhere). And let the cheese melt all over you!