As we head into the festive season, most of us are spending our evenings watching some classic Christmas films, but there’s one that we’re sure you’ll want to avoid
During the height of the festive season, like many other people, I’ve been spending my free time indulging in the classic Christmas films that are cherished year after year.
Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually – there’s a plethora of corny yet fantastic Christmas films that (mostly) withstand the test of time and will likely be enjoyed by future generations.
However, not all festive flicks achieve the same level of fame. During an internet deep-dive one evening, I decided to explore some of the less popular Christmas movies out there.
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One film stood out, scoring zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes and topping the IMDB list of the ‘Worst Christmas Movies of All Time”, reports the Daily Record. That film was Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas, and I decided to endure it so you don’t have to.
The film, released in 2014, stars American actor and evangelist Kirk Cameron and is directed by Darren Doane, who also co-stars. The film’s description reads: “Kirk’s sister’s annual Christmas party is about to be ruined by Christian, his brother-in-law, and Kirk realises he has to show Christian how important Christ is to the holiday season.”
Sounds reasonable enough, I thought. Who doesn’t love a cheesy film about the “true meaning” of Christmas? But I was about to embark on one of the most bewildering hour and a half of my life, as nothing about this film made any sense.
Opening with a scene straight out of a Christmas card – a roaring fire, stockings hung, and the festive tree – our lead, Kirk, takes his place in an armchair. He launches into a somewhat lacklustre speech about the “true meaning” of Christmas, but from the get-go, it’s tough to pin down his views.
He appears fixated on the material side, yet oddly critical of those less so. His concluding line “Maybe… just maybe… Santa is on the team” did little to shed light. Which team? I was stumped and unsure where this journey was heading.
And sadly, this monologue wasn’t just a one-off; it persisted across the film as we dive into the main storyline. We find Kirk at his sister’s annual festive bash, and things seem pretty merry – there’s plenty of hot chocolate, gifts galore under the tree, and even Santa has dropped by.
But all’s not well, as we soon learn Kirk’s brother-in-law Christian detests the commercialisation of Christmas. His displeasure is unmistakable when he skulks onto the screen. Sometime later, Christian retreats to his car in the driveway, seeking refuge from what he perceives as madness.
Within that car, for much of the movie, Christian laments how people’s obsession with trees and presents has obscured the true spirit of Christmas – honouring Jesus Christ. It’s a reasonable standpoint, though I fear this was the last flicker of coherency in the film.
Kirk, on the other hand, is a big fan of traditional Christmas celebrations and believes they all have some connection to Jesus. He takes it upon himself to explain each tradition to his grumpy brother-in-law in an attempt to change his mind.
As he delves into the history of the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and the Nativity, it becomes clear that they do have religious roots. However, what’s most difficult to understand is his persistent preaching that anyone who celebrates Christmas “wrongly” according to his views is merely an annoyance.
He accuses Christian of “ruining” Christmas, claiming that “everything you see is all about Jesus”. This apparently includes even the hot chocolate and the Christmas ham. Finally, when addressing the materialism associated with Christmas, Kirk argues that it’s acceptable because “this is a celebration of the eternal God taking on a material body. So it’s right that our holiday is marked with material things.”
Miraculously, Christian changes his mind, re-joins the party, crashes into the tree and starts breakdancing.
This continues for a while, and then the film ends. I was left unsure about the message behind this movie. But I can see why it didn’t become as popular as Home Alone – the reviews were accurate, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
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