Millions of Americans tuning into holiday movies won’t just be getting a dose of holiday cheer.
Holiday films have become something of a juggernaut for television networks. Last year, 110 million viewers tuned in to the Christmas content featured on The Hallmark Channel and its sister network Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. On The Hallmark Channel, the number of viewers who watched the “Countdown to Christmas” movie line-up rose 22%. And this year, the network, which is otherwise perhaps best known for its syndicated reruns of sitcoms like “The Golden Girls” and “I Love Lucy,” attracted 3.4 million viewers for its kick-off holiday movie event back in October.
But holiday cheer isn’t just a money-maker for The Hallmark Channel. Christmas movies are splashed across most of the major networks during the yuletide season. NBC CMCSA, +1.51% is set to air “It’s A Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve. TBS TWX, +0.67% has a 24-hour marathon of “A Christmas Story” planned for Christmas Day. While nostalgic holiday films are few and far between on streaming platforms, Netflix NFLX, +0.30% is rolling out its own original holiday films this year, including “A Christmas Prince” and “Christmas Inheritence.”
Movies like these aren’t only good for filling viewers with warm-and-cozy feelings. Indeed, tucked inside their festive plot lines are kernels of wisdom on how to manage your career, your personal finances and even your romantic relationships.
Here are some of the most important life lessons hidden away in your favorite Christmas movies:
—Jacob Passy
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)
The financial lesson: Your money isn’t in the bank and think twice before hiring a relative
This 1946 classic, starring Jimmy Stewart as suicidal George Bailey and Donna Reed as his supportive — but not a pushover — wife, reminds viewers to be thankful for their family, friends and community -- and that a man’s worth isn’t measured in how much money he has, but in the strength of his relationships. The movie remains relevant because the lessons are timeless and, now, backed by research: fruitful relationships are more likely to makes us happy than material possessions.
But the movie also gives a primer on how lending institutions work. George’s family runs a building and loan institution that lends money to immigrant families to build their own homes. In a pivotal scene, there’s a run on the bank and customers demand that George hand over their money. He explains that their money isn’t in a vault in the bank — it’s in their friends’ and neighbors’ homes.
George reminds his customers that they’ve been able to skip some of their loan repayments with no consequences, but they wouldn’t get the same treatment from the movie’s heartless capitalist, Mr. Potter. And he talks about the value of owning your own home versus renting from Mr. Potter — a theme that resonates today.
The movie “focuses on some issues that our economy is still wrestling with today, notably the power and relative security that society offers to homeowners in contrast to those who are perpetual renters and subject to the whims and graces of landlord,” a 2016 article Atlantic magazine suggested.
The movie is also a reminder of the friendlier role that small community banks once played in American life — a stark contrast to what homeowners experienced during the 2008 foreclosure crisis. These days, fewer Americans than ever take advantage of institutions like George’s. Some 10 million households don’t use banks at all.
Another takeaway: think twice before hiring relatives. It’s George’s dotty Uncle Billy who (accidentally) lets the bank’s cash deposits fall into the hands of Mr. Potter, which nearly ruins the family business.
—Leslie Albrecht
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947)
The financial lesson: Have faith in things you may always not understand
The film focuses on a single central question: Is Santa Claus real? In the film, Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) manages to get a job at Macy’s department store playing the man in the red suit. After a series of run-ins with non-believers, Kringle is put on trial and forced to prove whether he’s really Santa or not.
That remains an open-ended question. But, as this year has shown, it’s important to have faith in the unknown even if you don’t fully understand. After all, that’s basically the whole idea behind bitcoin BTCUSD, -1.57% : the digital currency that has soared in value even though it’s not used widely and it cannot be held in the palm of your hand. The blockbuster cryptocurrency’s value isn’t anchored to anything in particular except expectation itself — as compared with a traditional investment which is rooted in people’s expectations of a company’s actual performance.
And despite all of bitcoin’s naysayers warning of the likelihood that its value will plummet inevitably, bitcoin continues to set new highs at a rapid pace. It’s now worth nearly 20 times more than it was a year ago. Much like believing in Santa Claus is rewarded with bountiful gifts, those who had faith in bitcoin — and got in on the ground floor — were handsomely rewarded this year.
—Jacob Passy
‘The Santa Clause’ (1994)
The financial lesson: Read the fine print in the contracts you sign
Scott Calvin should have read the fine print. When Calvin (Tim Allen) put on the Santa Claus suit after the bearded gift-giver seemingly died after falling from Calvin’s roof, he unwittingly agreed to become the new Santa, hence the film’s title. In the 2002 sequel, Calvin-turned-Santa finds out that he may be out of a job unless he gets married (per the Mrs. Clause).
This is an issue that crops up everywhere from tuition bills at public colleges to credit-card agreements to holiday sales, and not just in the movies.
Indeed, “fine print” was headline news this year thanks to the political debate over arbitration clauses that bar consumers from participating in class-action lawsuits. The Senate voted in October to overturn a rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that banned companies from inserting such language into contracts.
Consumers were also dismayed to find such a clause in the fine print when they signed up for credit monitoring from Equifax EFX, +1.12% following the credit bureau’s major data breach, though the company later clarified that the clause did not apply.
—Jacob Passy
‘Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (2000)
The financial lesson: The problems of excessive consumption
Gifts don’t always have to be a physical product, wrapped tightly with a nice bow. Why? Because sometimes those gifts go untouched, or worse, are thrown out, as even the Grinch (played by Jim Carrey) pointed out. “Do you know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me… in your garbage,” he says, citing wish list items like neckties, golf clubs and diamonds. Even gift cards go unused — about $1 billion in value, to be exact.
Not only can the wrong gifts be disappointing to the recipients, but it’s money lost: On average, expect to spend $983 on holiday shopping, up 6% from 2016, according to the American Research Group. Christmas was always about consumption to a degree, what with a feast of food and drink, but during the 19th century shifted to focus on presents, Judith Flanders, author of “Christmas: A Biography,” told Marketplace.
—Alessandra Malito
‘Elf’ (2003)
The financial lesson: Know when to call it quits
When it came down to choosing between family and his executive position at a publishing house, Buddy the Elf’s real dad, played by James Caan, chose family, and quit his job on the spot. There are rare times when this makes sense. You should quit your job if it is negatively affecting your health or if you risk becoming embroiled in illegal activity through work, Priscilla Claman, president of Career Strategies, Inc., a Boston-based career coaching firm, recently wrote in the Harvard Business Review.
Though courageous as Caan’s character was, there are more graceful ways of quitting. Among them: thanking your bosses and being honest about what didn’t go well; talking about the next steps in your career and continuing to see through your responsibilities until your last day.
December is the season of quitting for some. The number of Americans who voluntarily left their jobs rose 7% to 3.1 million in December, according to the Labor Department, possibly because employees are confident about other job opportunities available. Also, be open with your colleagues about the decision to leave and the workload they’ll be taking on in your absence.
—Alessandra Malito
‘The Family Stone’ (2005)
The financial lesson: Find a work-life balance
“The Family Stone” will appeal to anyone who has navigated the beauty and dysfunction of family togetherness during the holidays. Watching it gives the cozy feeling of peering in on the Stones, a family of adult children and their parents grappling with tragedy and joy as their family grows and changes.
You might decide to watch the movie for its lighthearted moments, like the scene when the tightly-wound Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) — the girlfriend of handsome, type-A son Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) — lets loose in a dive bar after several rounds of drinks. But you might leave your time with the Stone family questioning your career choices.
When Meredith’s sister Julie (Claire Danes) shows up, the family is enthralled by her easy going demeanor and stories about exotic travel. Her arrival underscores the tension that has been present during the entire movie: What does Everett want to achieve in his life? What does being a “good” son really mean? What is truly important to him?
Workers who don’t feel passionate about their jobs, like Everett, aren’t alone. More than half of U.S. employees were not “engaged” at work between 2010 and 2012, according to a report from polling company Gallup. And people who are happier at work are 12% more productive.
We can’t all schedule some one-on-one time with Julie Morton, so maybe “The Family Stone” should be required watching.
—Maria LaMagna
‘Home Alone’ (1990)
The financial lesson: The value of comprehensive homeowners insurance
Perhaps it’s not one of the more explicit morals from the film, but “Home Alone” is perhaps the best cautionary tale around when it comes to depicting the importance of homeowners insurance. In the film, the so-called “Wet Bandits” hatch an ill-fated burglary scheme targeting the McCallister residence. Their attempt is thwarted by the McCallisters’ eight-year-old son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin), who was mistakenly left behind when the family traveled to Paris. Kevin lays booby-traps throughout his home that stop the would-be robbers, while also causing significant property damage.
In real-life, many families could find themselves in the McCallisters’ position. The rate of household property victimization, including burglary, generally trends downward during the winter according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. But the period around Christmas is an exception, and December is the peak month for home break-ins across many states, according to CNN Money.
In 2010, the value of stolen property and money average $2,119 per offense — and just a fifth of stolen property was recovered. Nevertheless, an estimated 5% of homes, which equates to between 3.5 million and 4 million properties, are uninsured, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
But robberies aren’t the only threat to homes in the holiday season. Christmas trees cause damage to the structures of an average of 200 homes, resulting in $14.8 million in direct property damage between 2011 and 2015, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Choosing a comprehensive policy — and keeping a copy of that policy in a safe place — is important come the holiday season.
—Jacob Passy
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ (1964)
The financial lesson: Know what makes you unique and don’t lie on your résumé
On the surface, this animated television special is a simple re-imagining of the beloved children’s song. But for job-seekers there are innumerable pearls of wisdom.
For starters, Rudolph’s experience lays out the pitfalls that job applicants face if they lie to a hiring manager. Rudolph covers his bright-red nose during the Reindeer Games in an attempt to blend in with his competitors — but when his nose-cover falls off he is rejected by his peers. That’s not surprising though, since 38% of hiring managers reported they have removed a job applicant from consideration for lying, according to a study by staffing firm OfficeTeam.
Meanwhile, the characters’ journeys in the film show the importance of doing some self-reflection and honing one’s skills in personal marketing, particularly after losing a job. Rudolph’s nose may have come across as a hindrance at the start, but learning to recognize its benefits made him an invaluable member of Santa’s team.
Similarly, a handful of short-term job experiences might not look great when listed individually on a résumé, but together they can create a compelling narrative. Similarly, when the Abominable Snowman lost his teeth, he re-evaluated his other skills, discovering he could have a fruitful second career as a tree decorator.
—Jacob Passy
‘White Christmas’ (1954)
The financial lesson: Innovation can save your struggling small business
“White Christmas” follows two former Army men, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye), as they travel with a singing and dancing act. They accompany two sisters and fellow performers to Vermont in hopes of seeing snow there — and the potential for romance. They soon discover their former commander, General Waverly (Dean Jagger), owns the lodge where the women are supposed to perform, and the business isn’t doing well. It hasn’t snowed all year and it’s taking a toll on their profits.
This problem isn’t just in the movies: lack of snow can be a big issue for winter season getaways, with the $3 billion-strong ski and snowboard industry in the U.S. Less snow means less business, and consumers can see their trips cancelled without refund if the hills are empty. And it’s getting worse: climate change is expected to create even more “dry” Decembers, and in the Alps, businesses are bracing for less snow in the future.
In the case of the Columbia Inn in White Christmas, Bob and Phil hatch a plan to save the business by putting on a big musical in honor of General Waverly, and televising it. Pivoting from vacation rentals to musical acts saves the business and gives Waverly back his pride. In the grand finale, snow is softly falling outside. They realized a valuable lesson: their ability to innovate — not snow — saved the business.
—Kari Paul
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ (1965)
The financial lesson: Shiny isn’t always better
One of Charlie Brown’s responsibilities as director of the school play is to find a Christmas tree. Though shiny tinsel trees were most popular in the 1960s, he ends up going for a small real tree missing most of its pines. At first, the other kids are appalled, but soon come to love the tree and decorate it. (His best friend Linus even says “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”)
Charlie Brown had more self-control than a lot of shoppers, who fall prey to psychological retail tricks, such as pricing items one cent short of a dollar or offering to solve all your problems in life. About 40% of America’s lowest-income families splurge on luxuries (the wealthiest spend about 65% of their income on luxury goods in comparison) — defined in a recent Deutsche Bank report as goods and services consumed in greater proportions of a person’s income as it rises.
Luxuries may shift depending on the individual. For some, it’s eating out once a week. For others, it could be a screwdriver or a $1,000 handbag. And those purchases depend on emotions. Almost half of Americans in a January Nerdwallet survey said their emotions drive them to spend more than they can afford.
There are times where spending more money can be beneficial, however. Happiness can come from spending money on a pet or an experience with loved ones, research shows. Other “luxuries” could include spending even $5 on someone else, which improves the gifter’s own happiness, investing in experiences and traveling.
—Alessandra Malito