By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 57 seconds ago
The Steven Spielberg classic Gremlins was released in 1984 and wound up making movie history, in part because it was very out of place. Parents took their kids to it expecting a fun romp and not realizing that it was actually directed by Joe Dante, a famous horror director who was best known for The Howling. The mayhem caused when the Mogwai eat after midnight helped introduce the PG-13 rating to cinema when parents felt the violence exceeded the PG rating but was not strong enough for R.
However, the movie also takes place during Christmas, even though it was released in June. Does this make it a Christmas movie?
The Elements Of Christmas
There are a few elements every Christmas movie must have to distinguish it as a film for the festive holiday. Obviously, Christmas imagery like trees, lights, snow and snowmen, and gifts have to appear in it.
There should be a theme of redemption through the holiday, a “moral of the story” that involves family, giving, or love. Christmas has to be integral to the plot, as opposed to a mere setting; plenty of movies, like the Harry Potter movies, have scenes or even plots that take place during Christmas but only use it as a background.
So how does Gremlins reflect these themes?
The film opens with inventor Randall Peltzer looking for a unique Christmas gift for his hardworking and artistic teenage son, Billy. He finds a creature called a “Mogwai” in an old Chinese antique shop and convinces the wise old owner’s hip young grandson to sell it to him.
The grandson tells Randall that there are three rules to having a Mogwai as a pet: don’t expose them to bright light, especially sunlight, don’t get them wet, and don’t feed them after midnight. Although Billy gets his gift before Christmas, the holiday doesn’t even arrive before the rules are broken, and evil deformed Mogwai are running amok.
The small town that Billy lives in has all its halls decked. Kingston Falls is ready for Christmas, with Mrs. Peltzer doing Christmas baking, neighbors the Futtermans having their lights up, and mean Mrs. Deagle being mad at Billy because his dog broke her fancy ceramic snowman.
Gremlins Is A Christmas Miracle
Gizmo, the nice Mogwai that becomes Billy’s companion, is a Christmas gift. The entire plot revolves around the holiday.
When the mischievous Mogwai led by Spike terrorize Billy’s dog, they do so by tying up the poor pup in Christmas lights. Mrs. Peltzer is even attacked by her Christmas tree with the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” playing in the background. Christmas imagery baffled viewers in the summer of 1984 because it was rampant in the summer blockbuster.
If there is a moral to Gremlins, it is about being responsible and following the rules. Everything that happens in the movie takes place because rules were broken, and not only the three Mogwai rules; even selling Gizmo to Randall was a case of rules being broken.
Other acknowledged themes of the movie are about unfettered capitalism, technological encroachment, and how humans are dismissive of nature. Billy’s love interest, Kate, experiences a Christmas reawakening that redeems the holiday from her tragic past. The most important reason that Gremlins is a Christmas movie is that love, family, and community save the day.
Gremlins is currently available to stream on Hulu and HBO Max. Make it a part of your Christmas every year.
