C/O Jessica Yang
By: Serena Habib, Contributor
These films are sure to make your holiday season brighter
Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas began on Oct. 22, but in the midst of the midterm melee, online lectures are the only films I have seen. I am itching to watch a holiday romance. Every year, my mother and I record an absurd number of films as they come on TV, only ever managing to steal away some time to watch a few.
However, those moments have left me warm and cozy memories and something to look forward to when I come home for the winter break. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry and sometimes we try to predict which corny line will come next (often succeeding and thus feeling very accomplished).
Whether they take place in sparkling winter wonderlands or toasty tropical destinations, holiday romances are a chance to live vicariously through fictional characters and escape into happy endings, brightening up every holiday season. There are many holiday romances on my watchlist, but based on those I have seen, here are 10 holiday romance recommendations from me.
The Holiday, 2006
Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and Jude Law are captivating to the end in this charming romantic comedy. In this film, two girls switch places with one seeking to escape her current life in pursuit of solace only to find love. This movie is sure to make you laugh and to make your heart melt.
Love Actually, 2003
I think the fact that this is Taylor Swift’s favourite holiday movie says it all. Love Actually is a classic holiday rom com, following 10 couples’ relationships as their paths all interconnect. The characters are relatable and played by a well-known cast. Additionally, every couple experiences a different narrative that illustrates the highs and lows of love. This classic deserves a spot on your watch list!
Serendipity, 2001
Serendipity is a story about fate and love that is meant to be. Sara Thomas and Jon Trager come from two different worlds, but when they meet they feel instantly connected. Instead of staying in touch, Sara decides to leave their future to fate. The dramatic irony in this film as Sara and Jon are greeted by coincidence repeatedly kept me invested until the very end, hoping and praying that their true love would prevail.
A Christmas Prince, 2017
This movie is followed by two others, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby. All three films are worth watching! Although a royal romance seems cliché, the plot has unexpected twists and turns that make it unique, mysterious and heartwarmingly wholesome. This film is sure to keep you on your toes all the while making you laugh and fall in love with its characters.
The Princess Bride, 1987
The Princess Bride may not be on a typical holiday romance list, but it does actually take place during the holiday season and follows an overarching romance. It combines comedy, fantasy, action, drama and a fairy-tale for an experience that everyone will enjoy, regardless of their taste in movies.
Holiday in the Wild, 2019
Kate takes her second honeymoon alone after getting dumped by her husband to find passion, community and love. This movie is a must-watch if only to watch the friendship and beauty that comes with caring for elephants.
Ghost of Girlfriends Past, 2009
Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner are sensational in this whimsical satire on the traditional Scrooge. It is simply worth watching to see McConaughey terrified by ghosts that haunt him about his playboy ways and nothing screams swoon-worthy like a reformed playboy.
Bridget Jones’ Diary, 2001
Bridget Jones is a realistic and relatable character whose awkwardness brings charm and comedy to this hilarious film. With Colin Firth and Hugh Grant as the two romantic interests, this movie follows a love triangle that you do not want to miss.
I’m Not Ready for Christmas, 2015
This is a Hallmark movie that I personally found memorable due to its unique plot, which is both heartfelt and hilarious. After her niece makes a wish to Santa Claus, seasoned fibber Holly Nolan can no longer lie, resulting in some truly comical mishaps as she attempts to navigate her career and relationship, finding new meaning in her life.
Christmas Connection, 2017
After Leah forgets a package on her flight, flight attendant Sydney delivers it, causing her to miss her next connection and subsequently spend the holidays with Leah and her father. This movie is about family, holiday traditions, the reasons to celebrate and finding a place to call home.
Whether you watch one film on this list, get hooked and watch all 10 or spend time enjoying your own favourites, watching a holiday romance is sure to provide some comfort and joy this season.
C/O Thibault Penin
Young women are disproportionately ridiculed for their popular interests
Time and time again, we’ve heard the word “basic” being used to describe popular trends in mainstream media. Everything from Starbucks Frappuccinos to UGGs to One Direction has at least once fallen under the umbrella of being “basic.” Designating popular trends as basic has extended to an unwanted label on those who consume them.
It’s no surprise that the label of being basic falls largely on what is liked by women. I consider 2016 as the golden era of what was and is still considered to be basic. As an eighth grader at the time, I completely remember the satisfaction of buying that one dark green fall jacket with the gold buttons that everyone around me seemed to wear.
To me, buying that jacket was nothing short of an achievement as its popularity at the time truly cannot be described. Imagine my surprise when that jacket was lumped into the multitude of trends that were designated as “embarrassing” to participate in.
This notion of being undervalued as young women, especially in the context of following the status quo, wasn’t isolated to small-level interactions. Throughout history, musicians have lamented against being known as artists liked by crowds of young women.
5 Seconds of Summer is a band that rose to popularity around the same time that One Direction did. In fact, they joined the latter on multiple tours and consequently gained a fanbase that largely resembled that of One Direction’s. However, in 2014, they expressed that their credibility as a “real band” was hindered by being known as a band that was “just for girls” and revelled in the fact that they had started to gain more male fans.
It’s incredibly troubling to note that the impact of being labelled as basic has led to a perceived decline in credibility of anything with a female-majority fanbase.
While the “basic” label may have peaked in popularity in the 2010s, many other labels have come and gone that seem to only have the purpose of ridiculing women. As a reaction to the “basic” title, internalized misogyny began to manifest in the minds of many young women. Suddenly, the scales tipped in the other direction and being “not like other girls” was highly valued. The only way to gain any sort of unique identity was straying away from what we all loved just months ago.
Eventually, the story repeated itself and the label “not like other girls” began its turn in the cycle of ridiculing what girls choose to like. On TikTok, a social media platform that recently gained popularity in 2020, videos posted under #notlikeothergirls have over 85 million views with the majority of them mocking “alternative” trends enjoyed by young women.
If it seems as if you can’t enjoy anything without some form of backlash, then you’re not far off from reality. It’s time for us to make the active decision to focus on all the benefits that come from adoring the same songs, clothing and movies as the majority.
I’m proud to admit that nearly everything I like could be considered basic. Perhaps the most basic of all is my adoration of Taylor Swift’s discography. However, it’s also gratifying to have so many interests that others can relate to when you freely accept the value of being basic.
Why wouldn’t you choose to enjoy the fact that your favourite song is also at the top of the charts in the world right now? What’s the true disadvantage of being able to see yourself in women around the world? On the other hand, if you choose to let the criticism in and affect every aspect of your life, you only compromise your own happiness.
The unfortunate observation from the persistent mockery of both being like and unlike other women has cemented the fact that we gain nothing from trying to please others. We shouldn’t view this observation as a battle we “can’t win,” but rather a battle that doesn’t need to be fought.
Immediate disdain of an entire demographic for their interests isn’t a reflection of your shortcomings, but of those who choose to make such blanket statements.
Dear crazy girl, I love you.
You’ve had a great year. From Rosamund Pike’s mesmerizing turn as the ultimate femme fatale Amy Dunne in Gone Girl to TSwizzle riffing off her public image in “Blank Space”, 2014 has been the year of the crazy girl. While there have been some bumps in the road (Is Amy a misogynist? Are we laughing at or with Orange is the New Black’s Crazy Eyes?), ultimately this is a boon for women.
Crazy used to be one of the worst insults you could call a girl. It allowed a girl to be easily brushed off and unable to defend herself. If she’s overreacting, starting a scene, emotional annoying, just call her crazy. The list goes on. There’s no need to understand a crazy girl because she’s crazy. A crazy girl lies, cheats, and maybe even kills. You either laugh at a crazy ex-girlfriend or you hate her. Responding with “I’m not crazy” just reinforced your craziness. So what happens if you can’t beat them? You join them, but in your own way – in a way where people might not even notice that you’re actually winning.
This is, for the most part, the case in 2014. In Gone Girl, I saw Amy as a cunning and intelligent woman, who takes society’s perception of her, and uses it to stick it to the assholes in her life. And maybe she does some questionable things, but so do the men, and she wins. She’s not a good person, but she doesn’t have to be. It’s about time a female character in pop culture became popular without having to be the stereotypical cute girl next door. The titular character in The Mindy Project is an unashamed crazy basic betch, who is sometimes irrational and presents herself as a person some may consider to be a vapid idiot. But she’s also a successful, lovable, and relatable gynecologist, and she never apologizes for who she is.
Something similar has been going on with “bitches”. A few years ago there was no possible interpretation of the term that wasn’t derogatory. But now it can be used as a means of empowerment (and frequently alliteration). Bitches get shit done. Don’t like me? That’s fine. I’m better than you.
That’s what “Blank Space” is. In the video, Swift obsesses over the beginning of a relationship and just as aggressively destroys the man as soon as the beginnings of conflict surface. You can practically see Swift sneering at the paparazzi. You want crazy? You’ve got it. I don’t care because I’m laughing all the way to the bank. And as an added bonus, Swift makes it okay to have all these feelings that people typically have after the tumultuous end of a relationship. She’s not defined by craziness; she uses it to her advantage.
It’s easy to forget that just a few years ago the most popular female characters were the most grounded and “rational”. Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy is a career-focused doctor. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy is badass fighter, but she still conforms to gender stereotypes. These characters were conflicted, but they were not proud of anything that made them appear crazy.
So sure, you’re crazy. But you’re also a badass mofo, and all you do is win, win, win no matter what.
