Non-Christmasy "Christmas" Movies?

[mofford]

A Midnight Clear - WW2 during battle of the bulge, a group of green GI's posted out in the countryside, try to facilitate a Christmas truce and surrender from the nearby German encampments, they play mind games with each other and the arranged surrender goes horribly wrong.

Ironweed, set in the late 30's in Albany NY, the movie starts out in the fall and follows the lives of homeless people played by Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. As winter and the holiday season close in, they have to make some tough choices. This is a very grim picture of alcohol fueled poverty in the depression, with the holiday season as a backdrop.

Dutch, starring Al Bundy, this one is about Thanksgiving, not Christmas, but has the same kind of feel the OP is looking for. Al Bundy's mission is to pick up a horrific bratty kid and take him home to his mother for Thanksgiving. Many bad things happen on their trip, and the kid learns many life lessons along the way, and so does Al Bundy. This one does pull out of the grit at the end to produce a happy ending.

[ciceropolo]

Don't know if some of these may have been mentioned - definitely not "Christmas'y":
The Ice Storm 1997 (Thanksgiving) drama
Eyes Wide Shut 1999 (NYC holiday season)
Stalag 17 1953 POW camp WW2 classic
Enemy at The Gates (2001) WW2 Battle of Stalingrad
Reindeer Games 2000 Heist movie with a young Charlize Theron and Ben Affleck
The Shining 1980 off season at resort but there is red and snow!

A sci fi which to me is excellent Christmas movie- you'll need to watch it to understand why
Gattacca 1997

If you want an adventure
Shackleton 2002 Kenneth Brannagh ..the failed expedition to South Pole.

Forgot another classic which seems like it could be good Christmas movie (probably that snow thing)
Lost Horizon, 1937 version

There are a few other heist movies based on using the holidays as an opportune time but titles elude me.

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by Joey2k

Die Hard is the big one that comes to mind, with fans arguing (in good fun) that it should be considered a Christmas movie because it takes place during the Christmas holiday, even though the plot itself has nothing to do with Christmas.

What are other films like this, that take place on or around Christmas but where that fact is incidental or inconsequential to the plot?

Trading Places

[duster1979]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned "It's a Wonderful Life". The only thing in the movie that has to do with Christmas is that the final scene takes place on Christmas Eve.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

This is my ongoing list of the greatest non-Christmas Christmas movies:

1 Die Hard 1988 ★★★★★

2 The Godfather 1972 ★★★★★

3 First Blood 1982 ★★★★½

4 Stalag 17 1953 ★★★★

5 Lethal Weapon 1987

6 The Family Man 2000 ★★★★

7 The Ref 1994 ★★★★½

8 Home Alone 1990 ★★★★½

9 Gremlins 1984 ★★★★

10 The Thin Man 1934

11 An Affair to Remember 1957

12 GoodFellas 1990 ★★★★★

13 RED 2010 ★★★★

14 Auntie Mame 1958

15 The Long Kiss Goodnight 1996 ★★★★

16 Cast Away 2000 ★★★★

17 1941 1979 ★★★★

18 Wild Card 2015 ★★★★

19 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 1992 ★★★★

20 Less than Zero 1987 ★★★★

21 Gia 1998 ★★★★

22 The Shining 1997 ★★★★

23 Rocky IV 1985 ★★★★

24 Die Hard 2 1990

25 Death Race 2008 ★★★½

26 Trading Places 1983

27 Get Carter 2000 ★★★½

28 Grumpy Old Men 1993 ★★★½

29 Batman Returns 1992 ★★★½

30 Black Sunday 1977 ★★★½

31 Donnie Brasco 1997 ★★★½

32 The Bone Collector 1999 ★★★½

33 The War of the Roses 1989 ★★★½

34 Robin and the 7 Hoods 1964

35 The Apartment 1960

36 Meet Me in St. Louis 1944

37 Ocean’s Eleven 1960 ★★★½

38 Fast Times at Ridgemont High 1982 ★★★½

39 While You Were Sleeping 1995

40 Full Metal Jacket 1987 ★★★½

41 The Man I Love 1946

42 Memory 2006 ★★★½

43 3 Godfathers 1948 ★★★½

44 Donovan’s Reef 1963

45 Walking Tall 1973

46 The King’s Speech 2010 ★★★½

47 Last Action Hero 1993 ★★★½

48 Looking for Mr. Goodbar 1977

49 Charlie Wilson’s War 2007 ★★★½

50 Three Days of the Condor 1975

51 I Met My Love Again 1938

52 The Dead Zone 1983 ★★★½

53 Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave 1976 ★★★½

54 Cobra 1986 ★★★½

55 A Force of One 1979 ★★★

56 The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire 2002 ★★★

57 Enigma 1982

58 The Ice Harvest 2005

59 The Traveler 2010 ★★★

60 Love Story 1970 ★★★

61 Look Who’s Talking Too 1990

62 The Man Who Came to Dinner 1942

63 Dead Presidents 1995

64 Rabid 1977

65 The Conversation 1974 ★★½

66 RoboCop 3 1993 ★★½

67 Heat 1986 ★★½

68 Mob War 1989 ★★

69 Ted 2012 ★★

70 Nadja 1994 ★★

71 Assignment: Outer Space 1960 ★½

72 Zombieland: Double Tap 2019

[ciceropolo]

This movie was on the other night and as the intro was rolling with credits, there was various Christmas songs being played. But it wasn't a Christmas 'movie', so I checked the IMDB database to get the story and it was there in the trivia section. Thought cinema-philes would enjoy Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe for Christmas.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039545/

[somready]

I think Enemy of the state (1998) might be able to be added (I dunno if it has been listed yet or not)

[Aeran]

Black Christmas

[P47P47]

John Waters' "Female Trouble" has not been mentioned in spite of its containing this unforgettable Christmas scene.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP1sHc8yCH4

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by ciceropolo

The Shining 1980 off season at resort but there is red and snow!

Well, Shelley Duvall was dressed in elf clothes the entire movie.