The Nightmare Before Christmas
Director: Henry Sellick
Cast: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Edward Ivory
The Nightmare Before Christmas follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king - a lonely king, with a heart of gold, who longs to cast aside his crown and embrace a new identity as “Santa Claus” after a brush with happenstance inspires him to take over Christmas. Jack has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world" on Halloween…so when Jack accidentally stumbles upon Christmas Town, with all its bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life – and he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping the real Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.
One of the strongest themes in this film is that of identity, and nowhere is this theme more strongly illustrated, than in the character of Jack Skellington.
While Jack is revered in Halloween Town for being the Pumpkin King, the tragic irony is that while he relishes his title, and he is beloved by his people, there is a secret part of Jack’s character that has grown weary of his crown and yearns to cast aside his life as the Pumpkin King and embrace something different; something that his skeleton heart can’t quite define. When Jack stumbles into a magic realm known as Christmas Town, he initially believes that the bright essence of this magical land will fill the dark void in his lonely heart and restore his purpose in life. When Jack returns to Halloween Town, he tries to make his friends understand this Christmas magic that he sees, but they fail to understand the true essence of Christmas. While initially, Jack’s heart is in the right place, his desire to become the "Christmas King" is soon transformed into something much darker when Jack’s innocent fascination with Christmas becomes an obsession that consumes him and eventually ignites his desire to take over Christmas and make the holiday his own.
There is a certain creative symbolism that is created in Sally’s flower and Jack’s Santa hat that illustrates the fulfilling their deepest and most heartfelt wishes. For Sally, her wish is to win Jack’s love. When we see Sally with the flower the first time, she has a vision of the flower being transformed into a Christmas Tree and the beautiful tree burning in her hands. Heartbroken, Sally sings her lament to Jack, concluding that her love for Jack will never be because she is not his one. As the story ends, we find Sally sitting on a snowy hill, holding another flower. This time though, as she caresses the flower, Jack joins her on the hill, and their souls are entwined together as one.
The Santa Claus hat and suit symbolizes the truth of Jack’s identity…that he not truly the Christmas King, but the Pumpkin King. When Jack is assigning the tasks to his friends, he gives Sally the task of creating his Santa Claus costume…but rather than showing Sally a picture of Jack already in his Santa Claus costume, he shows her a picture of Jack in his black pinstriped suit, and then he covers this drawing with one of him in his Santa Claus costume…thus, creating the illusion that Jack is Santa Claus. As Jack lies broken and defeated in the snow, he laments over his failure until he realizes what makes him genuinely happy is not hiding behind someone else’s identity, but rather, embracing his own identity as the Pumpkin King. He sheds his false identity as Santa Claus, and it is only when Jack accepts who he truly is, that he can rescue his friends and understand the true meaning of Christmas. Although Sally makes Jack his Santa Claus costume, she doesn't make the hat for him. Jack, instead, takes the hat from the real Santa Claus, and when he puts the hat on, his transformation into Santa Claus is complete and he goes on his sleigh ride to bring "Christmas toys" to the children...but it is not Jack’s hat to wear. When Jack restores the hat to the true Santa Claus, this moment symbolizes Jack returning to his original identity as Jack the Pumpkin King.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a brilliant film that defines the very essence of both Halloween and Christmas. The animation is stunning, the songs are timeless, and the story’s core message is one that both children and adults can identify with. If you enjoy a good musical, then “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is one you won’t want to miss.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Henry Sellick
Cast: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Edward Ivory
The Nightmare Before Christmas follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king - a lonely king, with a heart of gold, who longs to cast aside his crown and embrace a new identity as “Santa Claus” after a brush with happenstance inspires him to take over Christmas. Jack has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world" on Halloween…so when Jack accidentally stumbles upon Christmas Town, with all its bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life – and he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping the real Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.
One of the strongest themes in this film is that of identity, and nowhere is this theme more strongly illustrated, than in the character of Jack Skellington.
While Jack is revered in Halloween Town for being the Pumpkin King, the tragic irony is that while he relishes his title, and he is beloved by his people, there is a secret part of Jack’s character that has grown weary of his crown and yearns to cast aside his life as the Pumpkin King and embrace something different; something that his skeleton heart can’t quite define. When Jack stumbles into a magic realm known as Christmas Town, he initially believes that the bright essence of this magical land will fill the dark void in his lonely heart and restore his purpose in life. When Jack returns to Halloween Town, he tries to make his friends understand this Christmas magic that he sees, but they fail to understand the true essence of Christmas. While initially, Jack’s heart is in the right place, his desire to become the "Christmas King" is soon transformed into something much darker when Jack’s innocent fascination with Christmas becomes an obsession that consumes him and eventually ignites his desire to take over Christmas and make the holiday his own.
There is a certain creative symbolism that is created in Sally’s flower and Jack’s Santa hat that illustrates the fulfilling their deepest and most heartfelt wishes. For Sally, her wish is to win Jack’s love. When we see Sally with the flower the first time, she has a vision of the flower being transformed into a Christmas Tree and the beautiful tree burning in her hands. Heartbroken, Sally sings her lament to Jack, concluding that her love for Jack will never be because she is not his one. As the story ends, we find Sally sitting on a snowy hill, holding another flower. This time though, as she caresses the flower, Jack joins her on the hill, and their souls are entwined together as one.
The Santa Claus hat and suit symbolizes the truth of Jack’s identity…that he not truly the Christmas King, but the Pumpkin King. When Jack is assigning the tasks to his friends, he gives Sally the task of creating his Santa Claus costume…but rather than showing Sally a picture of Jack already in his Santa Claus costume, he shows her a picture of Jack in his black pinstriped suit, and then he covers this drawing with one of him in his Santa Claus costume…thus, creating the illusion that Jack is Santa Claus. As Jack lies broken and defeated in the snow, he laments over his failure until he realizes what makes him genuinely happy is not hiding behind someone else’s identity, but rather, embracing his own identity as the Pumpkin King. He sheds his false identity as Santa Claus, and it is only when Jack accepts who he truly is, that he can rescue his friends and understand the true meaning of Christmas. Although Sally makes Jack his Santa Claus costume, she doesn't make the hat for him. Jack, instead, takes the hat from the real Santa Claus, and when he puts the hat on, his transformation into Santa Claus is complete and he goes on his sleigh ride to bring "Christmas toys" to the children...but it is not Jack’s hat to wear. When Jack restores the hat to the true Santa Claus, this moment symbolizes Jack returning to his original identity as Jack the Pumpkin King.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a brilliant film that defines the very essence of both Halloween and Christmas. The animation is stunning, the songs are timeless, and the story’s core message is one that both children and adults can identify with. If you enjoy a good musical, then “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is one you won’t want to miss.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.