John Alex Nunnery
Freshman Reporter
Photo by Robert Scott
Every December families begin to celebrate the holidays. College students and distant relatives flock back home from around the globe to spend time with their loved ones. Everyone has personal traditions they look forward to each year. For many families, going out to see a movie is a tradition.
The holidays are a big time for movies. Many people are off work or vacationing, allowing many movies to make much more money than they would in the spring or autumn. Movies offer a temporary reprieve from talking with family, while still spending quality time with the family unit.
“When you’ve got other people around; you have to entertain, and going to the movies is probably the cheapest thing to do,” said Dr. Van Roberts, professor of Communication and Film at Mississippi University for Women. “We don’t have any thrill or amusement rides around here.”
This holiday season holds many anticipated titles that are practically guaranteed a success at the box-office. Many movies during this time of year often use nostalgia to draw viewers such as “The Grinch,” “Robin Hood” and “Mary Poppins Returns.” These films are marketed heavily in the months leading up to the end of November and December to create a conversation and a sense of familiarity around the movies. There is also an increase in movies with holiday themes that parents are more willing to take their children to.
“I absolutely see more movies during the holidays,” said Will Balestrino, a freshman Legal Studies major. “It’s a tradition on Christmas to go see a movie. This year I am really excited to see Mary Poppins on Christmas Day.”
The fact that movies are so important to the culture of the holiday season may be attributed to the common-place tradition of watching certain holiday specials. Many families watch one or multiple holiday movies each year. Some become so popular that they even receive annual merchandising around the holiday season. This could possibly be the reason why so many venture to theatres to see re-imaginings of their favorite holiday characters.
“I love watching (Jim Carrey’s 2000) ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ every year,” said Nicole Rensink, a freshman Kinesiology major. “I plan on seeing the new Grinch and Nutcracker this year! I’m at the movies all the time this time of year.”
The real reason the holidays are such a good release date for movies is still up for debate. It could be as simple as going just to go see a movie or as complicated as the comfort of seeing familiar stories and settings on the big screen. This upcoming holiday season offers a wide variety of movie selections from “Bohemian Rhapsody” to “Bumblebee,” so there is something for everyone who enjoys movies big and small. With many people planning on attending a movie this holiday season, there is anticipation that this will be another jolly holiday season at the box office.