John Hughes: The King of Christmas Cinema

When you think of the John Hughes filmography, which films spring to mind; Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Sure, these are the John Hughes movies that not only make you instantly think of the John Hughes formula for eighties movies and the Brat Pack that Hughes made stars of, but are also the John Hughes films that score highest on IMDB (at 7.9 and 7.8, respectively). But when I think of John Hughes I think of Christmas movies. I think all of his films have a Christmas spirit, and the vibes of the holiday season - Uncle Buck for example. As far as my memory serves me, it has no mention of affiliation with the holiday season but something about it is inherently Christmassy, nevertheless: and if you don't believe me, it's been noted as one of the most watched 'non-Christmas' movies during the holiday season. The film was released in 1989 shortly before Hughes released his first Christmas movie, but it's a film Hughes made two years prior that always kicks off my Hughes festive movie marathon.

'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' is a film about a man who desperately tries to make it home for Thanksgiving, with everything that could seemingly go wrong doing so. The film stars two of the most likeable actors in comedy, in Steve Martin and John Candy, and is still revered by many as one of the greatest American comedies of the 20th century. That being said, how I wish the film was about Neal Page (Steve Martin) trying to get home for Christmas, rather than Thanksgiving. Particularly in the UK, Thanksgiving doesn't resonate with audiences the same way the universal holiday of Christmas does - and whilst, it wouldn't change the narrative or the character or any of the things that make it a great movie, I think if it were a Christmas movie it would be recognised as one of the best Christmas movies of all time, and would be a much more widely-recognised movie 33 years after its release. And whilst for Americans, Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday of November) kicks of their Christmas celebrations, I often like to watch the movie at the beginning of December and pretend they're saying 'Home for Christmas' instead of 'Home for Thanksgiving'.

Why this interests me is that following this film John Hughes really stamped out not only his love for Christmas, but his ability to create moving and hilarious Christmas movies. I wonder if this was because he regretted the exclusion of Christmas in 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles', or perhaps it wasn't even a thought that had worried him. So in 1989, Hughes released Uncle Buck (not technically Christmas-related) as well as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the ultimate story of a middle-class American family as the perfect Christmas they prepare inevitably turns into a disaster. The film is light-hearted and almost plays out like a series of comedy sketches with the same recurring characters, which is somewhat fitting seeing how Hughes uses an array of the SNL cast in the movie, most notably Chevy Chase. Remember earlier how I said 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' starred two of the most likeable actors in comedy in Martin and Comedy: well, Chase not so much. Chevy Chase is notorious for pissing off almost every cast member, director, producer and talk show host he's ever come into contact with, and in the specific case of 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' it was new director on the scene, Chris Columbus, who found it increasingly difficult to work with the star. So much so that Columbus decided to quit the project entirely, which at the time was a shame considering this job was what many had hoped would be his directorial breakout film. Columbus, who went on to direct a couple of Harry Potter movies and Mrs Doubtfire amongst other films, didn't have to wait long to land another opportunity to direct his breakout movie thanks to a little help of John Hughes.

Is there a better Christmas movie than 'Home Alone'? Well, until two years ago, when Illumination produced a half-baked attempt at a Grinch remake, 'Home Alone' was the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time. I have never seen a top 5 Christmas movies of all time list that doesn't include the story of Kevin McCallister, an eight-year old who must defend his home from burglars during the holiday season when his family forgetfully leave him at home. I know! It sounds preposterous and highly unlikely that this film would ever be as popular as it is. It reminds me of a line from Kevin Smith's movie 'Dogma' where Serendipity claims to be responsible for 19 of the 20 highest-grossing movies of all time. "Yeah, the one about the kid, by himself in his house, burglars trying to get in and he fights them off? I had nothing to do with that one. Somebody sold their soul to Satan to get the grosses up on that piece of shit." claims Salma Hayek's character. But luckily the film incorporated meaning into a very haphazard situation, included a very good and likeable cast (Joe Pesci, Catherine O'Hara, and a breakout role for Macaulay Culkin who had starred in Hughes's Uncle Buck a year prior) and really encapsulated what the Christmas spirit is, highlighting the importance of family; whether that refers to the reconnection of outcast Kevin to the rest of the McCallisters or perhaps even Old Man Marley reconnecting with his son.

For me, Home Alone is my favourite Christmas movie, and whilst it is a film rarely associated with John Hughes (in comparison to Hughes's other films), it is the film that really showcases Hughes's ability to write and produce moving and heartwarming movies, that lend themselves so well to the Christmas movie genre. A few years later, Hughes continued his Christmas filmography by writing the remake of 'Miracle on 34th Street'. So just in case you had any doubt of which filmmaker was the king of the Christmas movie, you need look no further than the late and great John Hughes.