Deck the Scripts: Lessons from the Best Christmas Screenplays

‘Tis the season to curl up on the couch and binge your favorite holiday movies, or maybe even write one over the holiday break. But what is it about these films that so perfectly evoke the spirit of Christmas? And why do we keep returning to them year after year?

Hundreds of holiday movies come out annually, yet only a select few truly capture the feeling of the season. These classics stand out because of their great storytelling, masterful use of tropes, and an empathetic touch that tugs at our heartstrings (how can you not cry during 1944’s Meet Me in St. Louis?).

Let’s explore some of the best Christmas movies and uncover lessons screenwriters can implement to craft their own holiday classics.

Scripts from this Article

A Christmas Story

The Family Stone

Bad Santa

Gremlins

White Christmas

Home Alone

A Christmas Story (1983)

Screenplay by: Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark

As one of the all-time classic holiday movies, A Christmas Story transports audiences to one particularly special Christmas in the 1940s for young Ralphie (Peter Billingsley). Told through a flashback with voice-over narration from an adult Ralphie (Jean Shepherd), the film evokes a universal sense of nostalgia we all feel when reflecting on childhood Christmases.

Nostalgia is a powerful tool, especially during the holidays. Whether you’re writing about Christmas in 2003 or crafting a modern holiday tale, consider drawing from your own cherished memories. Embarrassing gifts from distant relatives, quirky family traditions, or the joy of receiving that perfect present can all infuse your story with authenticity and warmth.

The Family Stone (2005)

Screenplay by: Thomas Bezucha

The holidays bring everyone together, which means laughs, drama, family history, and the occasional misunderstanding will unfold around the Christmas tree. While Love Actually (2003) is a fun ensemble movie that connects all the storylines together at the end, The Family Stone is a masterclass at balancing multiple characters and their stories and wrapping everything up nicely in the end, despite the heartbreak that unfolds during the holiday.

When Everette (Dermot Mulroney) returns home intending to propose to his uptight, conservative girlfriend, Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker), his eccentric and outgoing family returns him to his roots. While the story is kicked off by this strained relationship, screenwriter Thomas Bezucha navigates the changing dynamics in the house through the women characters and their pursuit of love, happiness, and a sense of peace.

The Family Stone is a masterclass in ensemble writing that doesn’t make each vignette feel disjointed or disconnected from the main storyline thread. In the end, every story matters as they bring the family closer together and solve their problems.

Read More: Screenwriting 101: Writing For Ensemble Casts

Bad Santa (2003)

Screenplay by: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and Arnie Marx

The true meaning of Christmas doesn’t have to be told through a feel-good story. Take it from Bad Santa, a crude tale about a professional thief and department store Santa who has to learn about the true meaning of the season after accidentally becoming a stand-in father.

This black comedy has become an iconic holiday movie for adults because of its Christmas spirit, which is buried deep under the lude comedy that no child is ready to hear. Similar to the Grinch, Willie’s (Billy Bob Thornton) heart grows three sizes by the end of this tale as he learns that the true meaning of Christmas is being around people you love and doing the right thing.

If you want to capture the true meaning of the season in your holiday script, introduce a protagonist who is the complete antithesis of what the season represents. Whether it’s a corporate machine working on Christmas Eve or a drunk Santa crying in a bar, there are countless ways to create a character audiences will root for as they grow to embrace the season and its iconic traditions.

Gremlins (1984)

Screenplay by: Chris Columbus

Not every Christmas movie is fueled by the festive season. While action fans have Die Hard (1989) to ring in the season, horror fans have Joe Dante’s Gremlins.

The genre-bending horror holiday film follows Billy (Zach Galligan) and the accidental hell he raises in his hometown after his Christmas gift multiplies into demonic Gremlins. This isn’t a traditional holiday movie but sets its horrors against the backdrop of the holidays. It also helps craft the backstories of some of the characters, especially Kate (Phoebe Cates), whose father died dressed as Santa as he tried to climb down the chimney on one tragic Christmas day.

Genre-bending will continue to push movies and concepts forward. Mixing holiday elements with the tropes of another genre can create a timeless story that breaks the mold of traditional holiday movies, providing a nice palette cleanser for audiences who might be tired of all the warmth and joy of the season.

Read More: Christmas Horror Movies That Slash Up Holiday Scares

White Christmas (1954)

Screenplay by: Melvin Frank, Norman Krasna, Norman Panama

There are rarely holiday movies that end on a sour note, and that’s because the magic of Christmas means characters’ get everything they wished for at the end of the day. One prime example of this is White Christmas, a musical spectacle about a group trying to host a Christmas show to save a skiing town suffering from an intense lack of snow.

In the end, the performance is a smash hit that ends with snow blanketing the entire ski resort. Logically, it might not make sense, but the magic of Christmas grants everyone the wishes they want so the film can end on a happy note.

When writing your holiday movie, happy endings are ideal but making sure that the magic of Christmas helps the characters realize their deepest desires is what captures the joy of watching tropey seasonal movies. Sure, we might know how the movie ends, but the familiarity is comforting and fills us with the Christmas spirit.

Also, who doesn’t love the iconic line, “It’s a Christmas miracle!” It’s a classic line that really rings the right Yuletide bells.

Home Alone (1990)

Screenplay by: John Hughes

To make a true classic Christmas movie, you have to nail the Four Fundamental Principles of Christmas. Coined by Den of Geeks, the Four Fundamental Principles of Christmas included holiday excess, iconography, generosity, and family. Home Alone embodies these four elements perfectly, making it the best script to learn how to utilize these elements to your advantage.

From the descriptions of Christmas lights covering every house on the block to Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) learning that the true magic of Christmas is family after bonding with his scary neighbor, Home Alone is everything that the holiday wants to be. Call it nostalgia or the intense amount of Christmas decor and music throughout the film, but Home Alone oozes Christmas in its look and story.

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Holiday movies aren’t going anywhere. Whether you’re adding a holiday spec script to your portfolio or tackling a writing assignment, these films provide endless inspiration for crafting stories that stand the test of time.

Who knows? You just might write the next holiday classic.

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