Disney Month III- The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Starring: Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara
Directed by: Henry Selick


Plot Summary: In a forest lies many trees that lead to worlds representing our holidays. In Halloween Town, the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington is tired of the same old routine in his world and is in search of something different. He stumbles upon the trees in the forest and finds his way into Christmas Town. Inspired by the new sights he has seen, Jack plans to convert his pals in Halloween Town so they can be in control of the next Christmas.


If you go into a Disney theme park, a Hot Topic, a Spencer's Gifts, or any high school hallway, chances are you'll see kids wearing merchandise advertising the film we'll be talking about today, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Produced by Tim Burton and implementing stop-motion animation, the film brilliantly blurs the line of what makes a great Halloween movie AND a great Christmas movie. The film has obviously been a hit over the years and is considered one of the great iconic films to come from Disney. Considering that it's also relatively short, it's an easy film to get through. Yet, it's one that makes you think. The question I'm always left asking is whether I consider it a Halloween film or a Christmas film. I've even gone down the middle and considered it a Thanksgiving film, but that's not really accurate here. Is it possible for the film to be perfectly both? Or is there a holiday in the film that has more going for it than the other? Let's find out by comparing the inclusions of Christmas and Halloween in our characters, themes, music, and animation to determine if there's a true winner.

The main character of The Nightmare Before Christmas is Jack Skellington, voiced by Chris Sarandon. Jack's a very fun character because he's looked at as a town hero and icon, yet he's bored with everything Halloween. The thing he excels at has become mundane and he's looking for a change. When he finds Christmas Town, he's absolutely captivated by it, thus giving him the inspiration to try something new. We've all been there, so he's definitely a character you can get behind. Whether or not the endeavors work out is one thing, but it's the relatable quality in wanting more that was all over Disney movies during the Renaissance, so it's very welcome here. On an animation standpoint, he's just a great looking character design as well. He's visually memorable and you can see why they'd plaster his name and face on as much merchandise as possible. As I'm writing this, I'm wearing a Jack Skellington t-shirt. Need I say more?

The side characters are all a lot of fun too, each displaying a unique Halloween flavor. We've got vampires, ghosts, witches, werewolves, and a lot more. They are all fun for background stuff and blindly follow Jack into whatever he wants to do. But there are two additional characters I want to talk about. The first is the romantic interest Sally, voiced by Catherine O'Hara. Much like Jack, she's looking for more. However, unlike Jack, she knows exactly what it is (Jack and to be free from her creator). The other character is Oogie Boogie, voiced by Ken Page, the main villain of the movie. This is a fun and crazy villain with a Las Vegas gambler personality. Ironically, these are the two characters who really want nothing to do with Christmas. Sally continues to try and warn Jack that it won't be a success and Oogie Boogie actually plans on getting rid of Santa Claus permanently.

The music, composed by Danny Elfman (who also provides Jack's singing voice), is equally split from what I can tell. Sure, there's eerie tunes like "This is a Halloween," but there's also the charmingly whimsical "What's This?" Both are amazing songs, sung by fans throughout the entire year, covered by many modern rock groups from Marilyn Manson to Fall Out Boy. There isn't one that I say trumps the other, so that's a pretty good compliment. It's probably my favorite of Elfman's music, it's just so infectious.

The music also goes hand-in-hand with the stop-motion animation. The style both reflects the creepy creatures of Halloween Town and the melodious atmosphere of Christmas Town. While more time is spent in Halloween Town, Jack tries his best to bring the Christmas spirit with him, thus creating a grim blend of the two styles. You get all the charm of the Christmas holiday wrapped in a Gothic and horrific Halloween package. By the time Jack tries to go to the human world on Christmas Eve, he's assumed the role of Sandy Claws (get it?), has presents, flying reindeer, and the outfit. But something isn't right. It's just too reflective of one particular style.

Call me crazy, but I'm more prone to labeling this a Halloween film. The moral of the story is that Jack needed something a little different to remind him of what he excels at. It's not bad to want something different, in fact, it sometimes allows you to remember the good things you have, like it does for Jack. Plus, he gets that different thing he's looking for in Sally, so it ends on a happy note. It's an alternative holiday film. You can put it on at both Halloween and Christmas and it'll be appropriate. For me, there's so many Christmas specials out there that I wouldn't want this one to get lost in the shuffle. However, amidst the endless amounts of horror films and children's television specials, The Nightmare Before Christmas can easily stand out as one of the top choices the entire family can watch during the Halloween season.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

For a 75 minute, stop-motion animated film, it's as perfect as you can get. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the top money makers for Disney over the last couple of decades and it's easy to see why. It's a simple premise wrapped in complex animation and ingenious imagery. It's one of those iconic will recommend adding it to your collection immediately and watch it over and over, from Halloween to Christmas.

The Nightmare Before Christmas and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures