6 Surprising Holiday Movies Screenwriters Should Watch

It’s officially holiday season! For writers, this can be a time of major upheaval. There might be time off of work, giving you hope that you’ll be able to buckle down and finally write this month. But there are also seemingly endless holiday parties, family functions, and all the prep leading up to those events. Then it’s January 2^nd, and you haven’t even thought about your screenplay.

One way to keep in touch with the screenwriting and story-generating part of your brain in the month ahead? Watch holiday movies.

You can absorb structure, character, theme, and dialogue… while also spending quality time with your loved ones. (They won’t even know you’re multi-tasking.)

Here are six holiday movies to watch and learn from:

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Produced and directed by Frank Capra, with a screenplay by Capra and Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett. Based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. What makes a movie become an enduring classic? A resonant theme and a story with a compelling emotional journey are two timeless ingredients, and both are in full effect here.

Die Hard (1988)

Directed by John McTiernan and written by Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart. The screenplay is oft-cited in screenwriting how-to books, and for good reason. As screenwriter William Martell says: “Every nuance, every twist and reversal, every shading of character is spelled out on the page; making “Die Hard” the ideal learning screenplay for the action genre.” Double your learning opportunities by watching the movie now and reading the screenplay later.

Scrooged (1988)

Produced and directed by Richard Donner, with screenplay by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue, the film is a modernization of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. With adaptation of intellectual property being a popular strategy for screenwriters trying to break in, it’s worth seeing how others have gone about updating existing source material.

>> Want more tips on adaption? Read 7 Adaptation Rules from the Screenwriter of "Dracula" and "Contact"

Home Alone (1990)

Written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. Though the situations are implausible, the movie works because it stays consistent to its chosen tone. And it’s a master class in how to mine a concept for all it’s worth.

Elf (2003)

Directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. In this movie, character is concept, and it’s another strong example of mining a hook and exploiting it for maximum entertainment value.

>> Want to write for the most influential moviegoing audience? Read The Secrets to Writing Successful Movies for the Whole Family

Bad Santa (2003)

Directed by Terry Zwigoff from a screenplay by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa, this black comedy is also executive produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. It’s another prime example of character-as-concept, and may be of particular interest if you want to know how to get away with writing an unlikeable main character.

Make time to immerse yourself in some great stories this holiday season! Each movie you take in helps to hone your story instincts, and also keeps you connected to your passion and inspiration. What will you be watching?