Is “The Nightmare Before Christmas” A Halloween Movie or a Christmas Movie?
Tim Burton originally wrote the poem in 1982 while working as an animator for Disney.
In 1990, Burton struck a deal with Disney Studios to start production for “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and production started in San Francisco in July 1991. It was released in the United States in October 1993.
The film is set in a town called Halloween Town and the town’s Pumpkin King Jack Skellington is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween.
One day Jack finds himself in a Christmas Town and becomes fascinated with the idea of Christmas. He likes the atmosphere and tells Halloween Town so they can create their own Christmas with their twist.
Although it was originally a modest box office hit, it has created a huge cult following and is regarded as one of the greatest animated movies of all time. But every year it sparks a debate: is it more of a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie?
Former arts student Nyha Christoffersen has always loved “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and she sees it as both a Halloween and Christmas movie.
“I see it as both a Halloween and Christmas movie cause it addresses both of the holiday traditions in the movie,” Christofferson said. “I admire the clay animation styles and I love the soundtrack because it always stuck with me as a kid.”
Unlike Christoffersen, economics student Julie Leon sees the film as a Christmas movie over a Halloween movie.
“Although it is set in Halloween Town I see The Nightmare Before Christmas as more of a Christmas movie because the Christmas spirit is way more prevalent in Halloween Town than the Halloween spirit is,” Leon said. “I think the setting is Christmas time because there is a countdown for Christmas Day and I consider ‘Die Hard’ as a Christmas movie because of its setting”.
Just because the movie takes place around Christmas time doesn’t mean everyone thinks it’s a Christmas movie.
Riley Lewis is a student at Delta majoring in business administration and feels it is more of a Halloween movie.
“If you listen to the soundtrack, it has three separate songs which the characters are confused over Christmas tradition”, Lewis continues “The movie was released in 1993 but it was 2 days before Halloween which makes me think the writers of the movie feel it is more Halloween.”
The film’s composer Danny Elfman has gone on the record saying that it is more of a Halloween movie than a Christmas movie.
It is fascinating because you can usually distinguish what movie goes with each holiday and this one even mentions Thanksgiving and Easter.
Let’s just call it a holiday movie.