I'm a big fan of Christmas - that's a given what with my seasonal job. (Ho. Ho. Ho.)
I'm also a fan of Christmas movies. The classics, that is; most modern Christmas movies have issues, and I can't endorse them and rarely enjoy them.
But there is a subgenre of contemporary Christmas movies that I have to admit I sometimes enjoy.
The Great American Family Channel's Christmas romance movies.
Romances? Well, with a Christmas spin, sure.
Given the fare on most other channels, these are often the most tolerable offerings. I get sick of the morally questionable programming of those other channels, and the endless talking heads, so unless there's a good classic movie on, I either turn off the television and listen to music, or I switch to Great American for their Christmas movies.
Since it's July, the channel has been offering Christmas in July - back-to-back Christmas movies.
Like most romances, the movies tend to have similar premises, tropes, and characters.
Most often there is a young woman, in her 20's or 30's.
The movies frequently involve a small town. Either the woman is from there, or is thinking of living there, or has been sent there on some mission. One of the variations is the woman has to travel to another land - Scotland is quite popular, involving a castle or family estate.
In the small town there is a manly man - sometimes an ex-romantic interest.
In the small town there is also often some business or institution that is in some kind of danger - a farm, an inn, a bakery, a restaurant, the annual Christmas fair or pageant. The woman is frequently called upon to help save the situation, especially as it often involves family members.
Another common plot element is that some outside developer or corporation is threatening to buy up or tear down some beloved institution. Sometimes the woman is a representative of that outside interest sent to scope out the situation, but then, after discovering the nature of the small town or meeting the manly man, begins to have doubts.
In terms of doubts, the young woman sometimes has a romantic relationship which she is seeking to escape or about which she it trying to discover her true feelings.
And a number of them involve a prince or princess, sometimes keeping his/her true identity a secret.
By the end, the young woman ends up with the manly man and decides to move to. return to, remain in the small town.
A few other common elements I observe. If the manly man is a prince, he will almost always have to wear the standard prince costume at some point. Indeed, they seem to recycle the costume in movie after movie.
The manly man sometimes has a slightly scruffy look, as if he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Or even has a neat beard. Maybe the facial hair is proof of testosterone?
All the homes and towns sport elaborate Christmas decorations. Even the bachelor pads are decorated.
I've also noticed that while the movies are set at Christmas, the snow is almost always fake, and the actors, while supposedly outside in the cold, breathe without their breaths showing. I recently saw one of the movies where the snow was real, and you could see the breaths of the actors. it was a surprise.
Oh, there are variations. Occasionally it's a man who left town returning to find his old flame still there. Some of the movies involve a quest of some sort. or brings in a fantasy element, such as time travel.
The movies are not great art. And there are some silliness to them. But they are better than many of the alternatives. They are entertaining.
The network is Christian and family-oriented one. The characters are all basically moral. There is no sex or suggestion of sex. No one smokes cigarettes. No one reveals visible tattoos. There is no swearing. Many of the movies involve prayers or set some of the action in a church.
There's a reason the very-Christian Candace Cameron Bure quit Hallmark - which was starting to stray into less moral and decidedly unchristian waters Great American and become not only an actor there, but to become the chief content officer there.
I am glad the channel exists, and I enjoy many of their movies. It's nice that there is moral fare on television.
Their movies make me feel like saying, "Merry Christmas"
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