Not a Nightmare in Sight
Happy 30th! The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
This 30-year-old film has never been more popular, and it’s not hard to see why!
Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? This is a question that fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas have been asking since its release 30 years ago. It’s hard to imagine that this film, one that’s hailed as one of the best stop-motion movies ever made, has reached this milestone, especially knowing that it was only half-heartedly accepted by a small audience at the time of its release.
I was surprised to find out that Tim Burton created the characters and plot overview, but he is not the director or writer of the screenplay. The film took two years to complete because it is stop-motion, which is partially why Burton had little to do with making the film. If you know anything about this film-making process, you understand that it is a huge undertaking. I can only imagine the tedious and time-consuming hours that the filmmakers put into making this picture come alive.
When one considers the plot of TNBC, it’s quite genius, and oddly relatable. Jack Skellington, the main character and all-around popular dude in Halloween Town, is tired of the same old hullabaloo of being in charge of Halloween; he longs for a change from his ordinary role of being the Pumpkin King. So, what does he do? After discovering the Christmas holiday, he gets some ghouls to kidnap Santa Claus, so he can take over. Jack puts his own spin on it, and it obviously goes terribly wrong. Things turn out alright in the end, and all’s well that ends well.
Jack is tired of keeping up with the facade of the Pumpkin King persona he has taken on for many years, and who hasn’t felt like that every now and again? People get stuck in jobs that they no longer care for, or end up being that friend who always does that specific thing people rely on or expect. At some point, all of us will get stuck playing a role in life that no longer serves its purpose in our existence; this is how Jack feels and what starts his haphazard adventure.
Maybe one of the reasons why people love this character, along with the other well-known characters from TNBC, is because it’s strangely relatable. I might be thinking too deeply about it, though. Maybe it’s because it’s a fun movie. It has an amazing set of songs and a whimsical musical score from the crazy talented Danny Elfman that gets stuck in your head for days upon days. Either way, TNBC does an excellent job.
The movie is so beloved that TNBC has taken on a life of its own. The Hollywood Bowl will oftentimes have a night where they show the movie and a live orchestra will play the score. There have been live readings and performances of the script with the original cast members in front of audiences. People get tattoos of their favorite characters, or dress up for Halloween as one of them. Disneyland transforms the outside of its Haunted Mansion ride into an homage to the film during October. TNBC has also been referenced in Blink 182’s song “Miss You”.
My assumption is that TNBC will be considered a classic film, if it’s not already, as well as a must-see movie for generations to come. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie is still making its mark in 30 more years, and I truly hope that it does.