Raise your hand if you are a sucker for cheesy Christmas movies. I hate to admit it, but I love them! My new favorite is Holiday with Emma Roberts and some guy with a great accent. Turns out there's a reason many of us are drawn to these movies. This article from NBC's Today Show explains some of the science behind it all.
Most of these movies provide some nostalgia, simple solutions to complex issues and of course, happy endings. There's always a happy ending! It's easy viewing because the plots are so predictable and during a hectic season we can all use some predictable. It's good for the mind and the heart.
I do think we have to be careful about how much we watch these movies. If it's painful to watch - don't. If you're "addicted" you may want to stop and ask yourself what exactly draws you to them and make sure you're not expecting real life to be like a Hallmark movie.
Several years ago during Covid lockdown some friends and I gathered on my Facebook page and wrote our own script for a cheesy Christmas movie. You can read it here.It was a welcome relief during a stressful season and it revealed what I was looking for, a second chance at love. That story didn't come true but the very next month I met my version of a Hallmark Prince and believe it or not, I had one of those perfect moments. As we were walking through a Christmas lit mountain town, music playing and snow starting to fall, he reached for my hand and said "This is like one of those movies". Life is not a Hallmark Christmas movie, but it's still good.
