7 Holiday Movies To Help Heal Your Grief
The holiday season is impossible to get away from, thrown in our faces as “full of joy” and “magic.” But for many of us, that may not be the case.
Many people have lost loved ones they used to spend the holidays with, whereas others may be going home to families broken up by politics, illness, or other interpersonal dynamics.
But regardless of what we’ve gone through, the holidays are a time to reflect and be grateful for what we do have, whether that consists of long-lasting friendships, delicious wine, and of course, magical movies. Movies have become a mainstay of the holiday season, and in many ways, the grief we feel around the holidays can be helped by watching some holiday or simply nostalgic favorites. So we’ve compiled a few of our favorite films to help with holiday grief.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
A Christmas classic, Miracle on 34th Street is a must-watch for everyone during the holiday season, but especially for those who are grieving (if you’re looking for a good cry). There’s a cynicism and indifference that often arises around the holidays when you can’t bring yourself to feel the corporate joy thrust upon you, but Miracle on 34th Street is the perfect film to overcome that. It follows 8-year-old Susan who meets the real Kris Kringle as she reckons with what’s true and if miracles are possible. (Hint: they are.) Remember that miracles and hope can still exist among a bleak world is exactly what we need during the holiday season.
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
The 1969 animated film about the eponymous snowman is a Christmas classic, made even better by its emotional undertones. Of course it seems to just be a cute story about a snowman who comes to life (eventually inspiring 1998’s too-depressing Jack Frost), singing songs with children and sprinkling a little bit of Christmas magic around the town. But how does Frosty the Snowman end? He melts away, providing a perfect allegory for life and death wrapped up with a neat Christmas ribbon. For many Christmas-loving kids, this was our first foray into understanding and grieving the loss of life, making it doubly as meaningful as a grieving adult.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994)
Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas has cemented its legacy by becoming a favorite holiday film for both Halloween and Christmas. And while some people can classify it as a simple piece of escapism, diving into a fantasy world to escape the realities of the holiday season, it is actually the perfect film to watch when you get a touch of snowtime sadness. Jack Skellington begins the film in a bit of an existential crisis about his purpose in life (or death since he is a skeleton). He’s never heard of Christmas before he visits Christmastown, and he loves it so much that he decides to kidnap Santa and deliver presents himself.
Of course, this backfires and nearly ruins Christmas for children around the world. Nightmare Before Christmas shows that sometimes, things don’t always work out the way we hope, but there’s still love and joy in who we are and who our friends are. Just like someone who may be grieving a loved one, Jack looked for acceptance in the wrong places. But by the end, he found closure in his Halloweentown friends, such as Sally, who adore and appreciate him.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
A favorite Christmas classic for many, It’s a Wonderful Life follows George Bailey after he contemplates taking his own life because the world would be better without him. While this is an incredibly dark opening to a Christmas film, it’s also raw, vulnerable, and probably relateable for many who have lost loved ones. Like George, many people have let it enter their heads that the world would be better without them, but It’s a Wonderful Life shows George how many people loved him.
But by the end of the film, anyone with a heart will be in tears over how his life has transformed through the years, and how the constant burden of societal pressures pushed him to the brink. As the townsfolk come together to show their appreciation for George, he realizes that there’s so much else to live for, and hopefully anyone grieving can see that in their own life too.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The Grinch is the biggest poo-poo on Christmas in the world of Whoville. But he wasn’t always like that — he used to love Christmas. However, he was bullied out of Whoville one year during the holiday season, so he retreated to his isolated home on the mountain. Many people who are grieving during the holidays may sometimes feel like a Grinch themselves — isolated, misunderstood, and the sense of a hopeful sadness around the holidays. In How the Grince Stole Christmas, Cindy Loo Who reaches out to bring the Grinch back to Whoville and show him the Christmas he once loved. This movie is not only a piece of nostalgia for millennials, but it also shows us that no matter how long we’ve felt alone, we never know who or what may show up to help our heart grow three times larger.
Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
This holiday movie is known as one of the only Chanukah films, finding its way onto most of my holiday lists as a Jewish person. The holidays are a tough time for those who have lost loved ones, but it can also be difficult to feel excluded from the mainstream “accepted” culture. Christmas is everywhere, and many Jews feel the grief of losing a way to connect with others. It’s definitely not the same, but especially for Jewish people who have lost loved ones, Eight Crazy Nights is the perfect film to watch.
Adam Sandler’s Davey Stone lost his parents when he was younger and has made a name for himself as a bit of a menace around town, acting out to deal with grief he’s never grappled with. But this holiday season is different when he meets someone he wants to share eight “crazy” nights (and more) with. Through the film’s goofy and, at times, disgusting humor, it may not seem like the trademark film for holiday grief, but its cross-genre adaptability is exactly what makes it a must-watch.
Klaus (2019)
A newer film on the list, Klaus was Netflix’s animated answer to how Santa Claus came to be. The town of Smeerensburg in Norway is divided and dark, especially during the holiday seasons, representing how lonely and sad many may feel. But when the unlikely duo of the isolated toymaker and egocentric mailman come together, they’re able to make magic and bring joy to a little village. Magic may happen when we least expect it, and Klaus gives us the hope that sometimes, we’re the masters of our own magic and that we have the power to make our lives and those around us better.
