I haven't been watching a whole lot over Christmas, but the other day I did sit down to watch something I wasn't sure I had seen before as a child. I had conflicted thoughts over similar films featuring the same actor, though eventually I realised I was thinking of the film Kindergarten Cop. This had me remember an era of family films that had come and gone, with nothing really similar replacing it in more recent days. The family film which is in fact made for everyone, but doesn't feel forced or leaning in much of a direction. It comes and goes, not trying to be more than it needs to be. This period of Hollywood mostly utilising familiar faces under what we used to assume were A list celebrities. Around 2010 was the last time I recall seeing similar films, where action hero type actors would get family film roles with relatively decent budgets, something I believe relied more on DVD sales than the blockbuster ticket sales. While I'm sure such films are still being made and instead going straight to streaming services, I can't help but still feel that the film industry should return to the structure of making cheaper, shorter films that perhaps are less ambitious, but tell simple stories.
In the case of Brian Levant's Jingle All The Way, I couldn't help but admire the simplicity it had. As it told a story that felt festive, wholesome, and comedic in ways that would benefit varying ages. Though far from being something you would expect to be winning any awards, but does that matter? If anything I found it more impactful than most films that do actually win awards! Anyway, Brian Levant's Jingle All The Way felt like a glimpse into an era long-gone, where films following it in a similar nature had shifted and adapted to more modern expectations and situations. Though I'd argue this isn't a good thing. Watching Jingle All The Way was almost like seeing into a time capsule from the past that revealed a society certainly healthier. Which is strange to be able to say about a family film from the 90s! Don't worry, though, I will elaborate on this soon.
Jingle All The Way
The idea behind Jingle All The Way is simple, and far from unique. It tells the story of an overworked father that unfortunately has missed much of the events most important to his son. A common theme in these types of movies, where the father has their call to action and realises what is most important to them, and thus embarks on an adventure to right the many wrongs and seek redemption. This father, Howard, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, realises his time for obtain the one gift his son really wants for Christmas has ended. The holiday is here, and the popular action hero toy is selling out like crazy, leaving only extreme measures to be chased after in attempt to obtain a model. This sends him all around the town in search for these few models that can be obtained in various ways: winning a radio show, winning a raffle by obtaining a specific coloured ball in the mall, as well as falling for schemes surrounding the black market of toys where cheaply made copies are circulating in sketchy warehouses full of Santas and elves.
Our adventure throughout town is met with a mail man that in turn has also struggled to find a model for his own son, leading to the two characters having a comedic conflict with each other as they both run to and from various locations and run into each other, trying to stop each other from winning for their own benefit. For the most part, this sort of aspect of the film pertains to the comedic style aimed more for the children. The humour is a bit more slapstick. Which brings me to the more adult side of the film: humour. It surprised me that a big portion of the film surrounded the marriage itself, and the entry of a single, but seemingly well sought-after father that seems to tick off all the boxes to the nearby women of the area. This man certainly getting too close to the wife, flirting around, clearly pushing limits and agitating. This character, Ted, was played by Phil Hartman, who did a pretty good job as acting as this sleazy individual that's trying to break into marriages with some signs of weakness.
This promotes a more crude humour in such moments, where the dialogue references more adult themes. We see innuendos throughout, as well as more direct statements; in one moment we see Howard phoning home to be met with Ted answering, Howard asking where his wife is, and Ted stating that he believes she's in the shower, but he can go and check. Little snippets of dialogue such as this are delivered in ways that are clearly intended for the more adult members of the family, but in a way I found it quite cool to see how it juggled various themes and didn't seem to be afraid to surprise. Howard being called a pervert in the mall for trying to steal something from a child in a ball pit, and even the mail man attempting to make claims that he was holding explosive devices. I knew I was watching a film that would not be made today in its more softer climate, but it made me appreciate the film much more. And the film isn't even very good!
Though it's the idea of family and connection that I found rather interesting in the film, and somewhat ignored in today's more modern family films. Where weakness in relationships result in an epiphany and thus change, one that avoids conflict, but also promotes a healthy family. The film's conclusion quickly spans over the idea that Christmas doesn't need to be riddled with consumerism, nor does consumerism display a person's true feelings for their loved ones. Extending beyond Christmas, it has a narrative that shows that the greatest strength within family is simply just being present. Forgetting about the unimportant parts of life like work and what toys you buy your children. You just know that these days the film would've been made with a divorced couple and the father has to fight his way back into his child's life now that there's a stepfather figure present, effectively displaying a broken home.
Directing
For the type of film that it is, I did notice some interesting styles of directing. The way the camera would zoom in and warp the background to heighten a moment of tension, or how the camera would show unique perspectives of the characters and environment. Though the film doesn't display a whole lot of movement, much of the action shots are filmed with a still camera, or from afar in which much of the action can be pieced together with different angles and cuts. Sometimes revealing more of the environment that the characters engage within. It has a very typical 90s style to it, but I can't say that's necessarily a negative, but not really a positive either. It does what it needs to, and it does it well enough to get the point across and tell its story. Perhaps the critics were a bit too harsh on the film. I don't think the review scores are entirely justified. Especially compared to today where films with 4x the budget with similar styles are supposedly masterpieces now.
