The Great Movie Tournament - 1990s: Round 3 - Group 23 of 32 - Tiebreaker

[mae]

For the tiebreaker poll, please vote for one title to move on to the next round. The poll will be open for four days.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Home_alone_poster.jpg
Home Alone (1990) ("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone")
Directed by Chris Columbus


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwDyAfAJwVQ

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/35/Biglebowskiposter.jpg/220px-Biglebowskiposter.jpg
The Big Lebowski (1998) ("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Lebowski")
Directed by Joel Coen


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5SwmkpQqtc

[mae]

Should be Home Alone. It's a Christmas classic!

[St. Troy]

Should be Home Alone. It's a Christmas classic!

Interestingly (or perhaps not), the (online) debate rages as to whether Home Alone is even a Christmas movie.

[fernandito]

Home Alone has a very special place in my heart.

[Iwritecode]

Should be Home Alone. It's a Christmas classic!

Interestingly (or perhaps not), the (online) debate rages as to whether Home Alone is even a Christmas movie.

Home Alone suffers from the same problem Die Hard does. It's set during Christmas time and has a lot of Christmas decorations and references in the movie, but the time period really has very little to do with the plot of the movie.

They could have set the movie in the middle of July where everyone is gone for summer vacation rather than Christmas vacation and it would pretty much be the exact same movie.

[fernandito]

How is Home Alone not a Christmas movie?

The story is about wanting to be with your loved ones during Christmas.

The family forgets about him during Christmas, when familial bonds are supposed to be at their strongest.

The Old Neighbor's daughter finally returns to see her father after so many years apart, teaching Kevin about the healing power of Christmas.

John Candy's character goes out of his way to drive Kev's Mom home, in the spirit of Christmas.


It's absolutely a Christmas movie.

[St. Troy]

These two posts pretty much sum up the positions out there.

[Iwritecode]

How is Home Alone not a Christmas movie?

The story is about wanting to be with your loved ones during Christmas.

The family forgets about him during Christmas, when familial bonds are supposed to be at their strongest.

The Old Neighbor's daughter finally returns to see her father after so many years apart, teaching Kevin about the healing power of Christmas.

John Candy's character goes out of his way to drive Kev's Mom home, in the spirit of Christmas.


It's absolutely a Christmas movie.

I think you're putting too much into the "because it's Christmas" reasoning. It's possible to want to be with your family or do nice things for strangers during the other 11 months of the year too. :shrug:

[St. Troy]

Yeah, this is playing out exactly as it has in other places. Minds can't be changed.

[Iwritecode]

Honestly, I can see the other side and understand why people say certain movies are Christmas movies when other people say they aren't.

I just think there's a really fine line between a Christmas movie and a movie that happens to take place around Christmas time.

Iron Man 3 is a good example. It's set during Christmas time, but I've never heard anyone make the argument that it's a Christmas movie. Although I'm sure someone has.

Rocky IV is another one. But I'll admit that Home Alone blurs that line a little more than others. :cool2:

[Still Servant]

Should be Home Alone. It's a Christmas classic!

Interestingly (or perhaps not), the (online) debate rages as to whether Home Alone is even a Christmas movie.

Home Alone suffers from the same problem Die Hard does. It's set during Christmas time and has a lot of Christmas decorations and references in the movie, but the time period really has very little to do with the plot of the movie.

They could have set the movie in the middle of July where everyone is gone for summer vacation rather than Christmas vacation and it would pretty much be the exact same movie.

I will never understand that argument.

The entire reason John MaClane is at Nakatomi Plaza is because of the Christmas party. Yes, it's important. It's one of the reasons why there aren't even more people in the building. They are gone for the Christmas break.

At the end of the film, McClane uses Christmas decorations to tape the gun behind his back. Yes, there are ways around these aspects of the film where you can apply it to any time of year, but you could theoretically do that for every Christmas film.

How about I counter with this, It's a Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas movie! A majority of the film doesn't even take place at Christmas!

[Iwritecode]

I will never understand that argument.

The entire reason John MaClane is at Nakatomi Plaza is because of the Christmas party. Yes, it's important. It's one of the reasons why there aren't even more people in the building. They are gone for the Christmas break.

At the end of the film, McClane uses Christmas decorations to tape the gun behind his back. Yes, there are ways around these aspects of the film where you can apply it to any time of year, but you could theoretically do that for every Christmas film.

Like I said, it's a very fine line. Sure there are elements in the movie that use the fact that it's set during Christmas to move the story along. But the movie itself is not actually about Christmas or how the characters are celebrating the holiday, which is the key.

There are tons of Christmas movies where if you take out the Christmas factor you no longer have a movie. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The entire The Santa Clause Trilogy, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Bad Santa, Santa Claus the Movie, Ernest Saves Christmas.


How about I counter with this, It's a Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas movie! A majority of the film doesn't even take place at Christmas!

I'll agree with that.

I've never actually seen the movie but I've watched the Married With Children spoof of it called It's a Bundyful Life. It's another movie that takes place around Christmas but isn't really about the holiday itself.

[St. Troy]

Christmas is a logistical part of Die Hard, but not thematic (similar to a MacGuffin, except it's background, not a plot element or device) - I would say not a Christmas movie. I'd imagine there are people out there who remember Die Hard but have forgotten that it was even set at Christmas.

Home Alone traffics in Christmas themes, as detailed by fernandito above - definitely a Christmas movie.

In addition to using Christmas themes, the pivotal events of It's A Wonderful Life occur on Christmas Eve, many events not set at Christmas are actually just flashback, prayer is an element, and the movie's prime change agent is a freakin' angel - definite Christmas movie.

It's A Bundyful Life is definitely a Christmas episode of an ordinary (non-Christmas) sitcom, which isn't saying much; it's still more about why it's terrible (from Al's POV) to have a wife and kids (the same as every other episode of this show). Kinison was fun in this.

[mae]

Fascinating discussion but Home Alone is still losing :cry:

[St. Troy]

...only because TBL is better.

[mae]

That’s just, like, your opinion, man...

[St. Troy]

That’s just, like, your opinion, man...

I don't f*cking care - it don't matter to Jesus.

[mae]

Wow, we just hit 25 votes! Even the original poll had 23. More people voting is always good.

[Still Servant]

Christmas is a logistical part of Die Hard, but not thematic (similar to a MacGuffin, except it's background, not a plot element or device) - I would say not a Christmas movie. I'd imagine there are people out there who remember Die Hard but have forgotten that it was even set at Christmas.



I honestly don't know how that's possible. The film is littered with Christmas from start to finish. It opens with a Christmas song and there are Christmas songs sprinkled throughout the film.

Ho, Ho, Ho - now I have a machine gun.

Christmas is such a huge part of the film.

[St. Troy]

I'd imagine there are people out there who remember Die Hard but have forgotten that it was even set at Christmas.



I honestly don't know how that's possible. The film is littered with Christmas from start to finish. It opens with a Christmas song and there are Christmas songs sprinkled throughout the film.

Ho, Ho, Ho - now I have a machine gun.

Christmas is such a huge part of the film.

Ever eat a cupcake and you can’t remember the color of the sprinkles on the frosting afterward? It would be like that. Those things you mentioned are all sprinkles on a hostage movie.

[Still Servant]

I'd imagine there are people out there who remember Die Hard but have forgotten that it was even set at Christmas.



I honestly don't know how that's possible. The film is littered with Christmas from start to finish. It opens with a Christmas song and there are Christmas songs sprinkled throughout the film.

Ho, Ho, Ho - now I have a machine gun.

Christmas is such a huge part of the film.

Ever eat a cupcake and you can’t remember the color of the sprinkles on the frosting afterward? It would be like that. Those things you mentioned are all sprinkles on a hostage movie.

But the sprinkles are the best part!

My other pet peeve is when people call Hans Gruber and his crew terrorists. They are not terrorists! They are thieves. Nothing more. It's clearly stated in the film. Whenever I hear someone call them terrorists, it means they either haven't seen the film or didn't pay attention.

[fernandito]

Tbh I don't think most people know exactly what the word terrorist means. The crucial part of that word is that the perpetrators are using violence or intimidation for ideological aims, mainly political.

Hans and Co just want that cheddar cheese.

[St. Troy]

Now would be a good time to point out that I haven’t seen Die Hard in years...

[mae]

The poll has closed. The Big Lebowski moves on while Home Alone is eliminated.