As someone whose primary research area is economics in literature, I can't help but apply this perspective to holiday films. I don't mean to ruin these classics for you, but these are some different ways of considering these favorite flicks.
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswold is a terrible father.
Clark's greatest attribute is that he's willing to do anything for his family. His worst is that he's willing to do anything for his family. The fact that Clark is constantly trying to create perfection as a means of enticing his family to love him more may be humorous for us, but it's awful parental leadership. Clark assumes that he will be receiving a Christmas bonus from his company, so he puts a down payment on a backyard pool. He has visions of his entire family loving his gift and spending time with each other. However, Clark learns his boss isn't giving out big bonuses this year, so he has put his family in financial jeopardy by purchasing something they can't otherwise afford. Cousin Eddie then commits a felony to try to make Clark happy. His need to spend exorbitant amounts of money he doesn't have just to feel good about himself makes him emotionally selfish and financially idiotic. The lesson of the film should be that we love our families no matter what, but instead it's that we should buy things we don't need and be willing to kidnap and hold hostage those that won't give us the money we want.
2. It's a Wonderful Life: George Bailey is a terrible businessman.
While Frank Capra's vision of American small-town life is beautifully quaint, with an entire town pitching in to help one another, it's also not even close to how the real world operates. There's a reason the Savings and Loan is struggling, and it's the same reason for the financial crash of 2008: you shouldn't loan money to people who can't afford to pay you back because everyone suffers for it. The Baileys are the heroes of the film, while Mr. Potter (the wealthiest man in Bedford Falls) is portrayed as the villain. But why is he the villain? He runs a successful bank where people have to follow rules for borrowing. The horror! He is even nice enough to offer George a prominent job and an excellent salary when George is at his most desperate. The alternate reality of the town shows thriving businesses and a booming economy, which would be better than George's vision of working class citizens constantly scraping by. Mary even has a job--scary! Potter may be grumpy, but he's no villain. And he could teach George plenty about operating a successful company.
3. A Christmas Carol: Scrooge is not terrible at all.
This Dickens classic is perhaps the most famous Christmas story ever and has been remade on screen countless times. Scrooge is automatically what people think of when they think of a greedy miser with no Christmas spirit. But is that accurate? First, Scrooge kindly gives his employee, Bob Cratchet, Christmas Day off from work even though many in Victorian England would probably have to labor every day. But it is Scrooge's unwillingness to help the needy, as exemplified by his refusal to donate to two poverty relief workers who knock on his door on Christmas Eve, that gives him his bad reputation. However, what many viewers ignore is the reason why Scrooge denies donating. He refuses to give because he knows of numerous government programs in place that were specifically implemented to battle poverty, which he openly discusses with the relief workers. When asked to donate to the charity, Scrooge wonders if the prisons, workhouses, and the Poor Law system are still in place to house those who lack food and shelter. When the relief workers answer yes, Scrooge says, “Oh I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course. I’m very glad to hear it.” As the relief workers continue to plead for a donation, Scrooge clarifies his stance: “I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there." It is not Scrooge’s meanness that keeps him from donating; it is that he assumes he doesn’t need to because someone else (the government) will do it for him through the use of the very tax dollars he has already contributed. Scrooge is not the capitalist devil we assume him to be; he is actually defending the welfare state. Scrooge’s transformation by the end of the story is based not upon his suddenly becoming a swell guy who loves everyone and gladly gives his money away. Scrooge changes as a character because he realizes the power of the individual and the failures of government. He learns of the possibility that more might be accomplished to reduce poverty and promote happiness through individual initiative than by government coercion and inefficient bureaucracies. A Christmas Carol is thus a story of individual and capitalistic triumph and enlightenment, not the evils of industrialization that everyone has assumed.
There you have it! Though these interpretations may flip these classics on their heads, they do not diminish their entertainment value, and I still watch them every year. Remember, sometimes good guys and bad are not so easily defined. Economics is based on the actions and values of individuals, and individuals are infinitely complex--even in the realm of fiction. Take a new look at these Christmas stories this year.
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswold is a terrible father.
Clark's greatest attribute is that he's willing to do anything for his family. His worst is that he's willing to do anything for his family. The fact that Clark is constantly trying to create perfection as a means of enticing his family to love him more may be humorous for us, but it's awful parental leadership. Clark assumes that he will be receiving a Christmas bonus from his company, so he puts a down payment on a backyard pool. He has visions of his entire family loving his gift and spending time with each other. However, Clark learns his boss isn't giving out big bonuses this year, so he has put his family in financial jeopardy by purchasing something they can't otherwise afford. Cousin Eddie then commits a felony to try to make Clark happy. His need to spend exorbitant amounts of money he doesn't have just to feel good about himself makes him emotionally selfish and financially idiotic. The lesson of the film should be that we love our families no matter what, but instead it's that we should buy things we don't need and be willing to kidnap and hold hostage those that won't give us the money we want.
2. It's a Wonderful Life: George Bailey is a terrible businessman.
While Frank Capra's vision of American small-town life is beautifully quaint, with an entire town pitching in to help one another, it's also not even close to how the real world operates. There's a reason the Savings and Loan is struggling, and it's the same reason for the financial crash of 2008: you shouldn't loan money to people who can't afford to pay you back because everyone suffers for it. The Baileys are the heroes of the film, while Mr. Potter (the wealthiest man in Bedford Falls) is portrayed as the villain. But why is he the villain? He runs a successful bank where people have to follow rules for borrowing. The horror! He is even nice enough to offer George a prominent job and an excellent salary when George is at his most desperate. The alternate reality of the town shows thriving businesses and a booming economy, which would be better than George's vision of working class citizens constantly scraping by. Mary even has a job--scary! Potter may be grumpy, but he's no villain. And he could teach George plenty about operating a successful company.
3. A Christmas Carol: Scrooge is not terrible at all.
This Dickens classic is perhaps the most famous Christmas story ever and has been remade on screen countless times. Scrooge is automatically what people think of when they think of a greedy miser with no Christmas spirit. But is that accurate? First, Scrooge kindly gives his employee, Bob Cratchet, Christmas Day off from work even though many in Victorian England would probably have to labor every day. But it is Scrooge's unwillingness to help the needy, as exemplified by his refusal to donate to two poverty relief workers who knock on his door on Christmas Eve, that gives him his bad reputation. However, what many viewers ignore is the reason why Scrooge denies donating. He refuses to give because he knows of numerous government programs in place that were specifically implemented to battle poverty, which he openly discusses with the relief workers. When asked to donate to the charity, Scrooge wonders if the prisons, workhouses, and the Poor Law system are still in place to house those who lack food and shelter. When the relief workers answer yes, Scrooge says, “Oh I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course. I’m very glad to hear it.” As the relief workers continue to plead for a donation, Scrooge clarifies his stance: “I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there." It is not Scrooge’s meanness that keeps him from donating; it is that he assumes he doesn’t need to because someone else (the government) will do it for him through the use of the very tax dollars he has already contributed. Scrooge is not the capitalist devil we assume him to be; he is actually defending the welfare state. Scrooge’s transformation by the end of the story is based not upon his suddenly becoming a swell guy who loves everyone and gladly gives his money away. Scrooge changes as a character because he realizes the power of the individual and the failures of government. He learns of the possibility that more might be accomplished to reduce poverty and promote happiness through individual initiative than by government coercion and inefficient bureaucracies. A Christmas Carol is thus a story of individual and capitalistic triumph and enlightenment, not the evils of industrialization that everyone has assumed.
There you have it! Though these interpretations may flip these classics on their heads, they do not diminish their entertainment value, and I still watch them every year. Remember, sometimes good guys and bad are not so easily defined. Economics is based on the actions and values of individuals, and individuals are infinitely complex--even in the realm of fiction. Take a new look at these Christmas stories this year.