I’ve been watching Hallmark Christmas films again on Amazon Prime Video. Yes, these films are entirely predictable. Yes, some actors are out of their depth. Nevertheless, I love watching those scenic locations (eg, countryside, snowy mountains), and their cosy, farm, and/or majestic houses.
Hallmark films usually show rural America which is indeed quite different from urban USA (eg, LA, NYC, SF). I suppose my preference for villages over cities might explain my taste for Hallmark films. This is also why I love the 1991 rom-com Doc Hollywood (#6.3 in IMDb) so much, apart from its humour.
The average Hallmark film has a quite simple message: in small-town America, people are still friendly, honest, cooperative, and have family values – unlike in cities. Their Christmas films amplify those messages on friendship. honesty, cooperation and values. It’s like being rubbed into it, nose first.
Slowly, Hallmark introduced additional elements for gaining a broader audience, (eg, non-white actors, an occasional gay couple). However, those elements never distract from the key Hallmark messages (see above).
I contemplated using a different title: does the Hallmark version of American life still exist?
I haven’t visited the USA for nearly two decades. Before, I made quite some vacation visits because the country is sheer beautiful (eg, beaches, mountains, national parks, Redwood trees, swamps, small-towns, valleys). I suppose that the Hallmark version of rural America should still exist.
It’s intriguing that those popular Hallmark films do not appear to have a European equivalent. British country life is often used for stories on aristocracy and/or crime (eg, Downton Abbey, Midsomer Murders). European films often glorify urban life, and/or ridicule country life (eg, Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis).
An explanation might well be that America is much more conservative than Europe. In the American view, liberalism is left-wing, while European liberalism is center-right. European liberalism is also accountable and/or responsible for many social freedoms that (would) shock Americans.
Hallmark (Christmas) films may show us a Back to the Past (eg, IMDb, Wiki)
Doc Hollywood (1991)
IMDb, trailer, Wiki
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
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