As the fall season begins with shorter days and colder nights, numerous NC students embrace traditional autumnal activities. Drinking pumpkin spice lattes, dressing in warmer clothes and watching comforting fall-themed movies spark excitement in lovers of the current season. However, with increased viewership of spooky movies to reflect the Halloween holiday, one movie remains the constant subject of debate. “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” released in 1993, follows Tim Burton’s original character, Jack Skellington, as he discovers Christmas and brings his joy and delight to the scary, petrifying Halloween Town.
With heated opinions, numerous fans of the film argue about whether this film fits as a Christmas or Halloween movie. Though Yuletide proponents believe the film serves as a Christmas-themed movie due to the development of Christmas Town, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” does not stand as a Christmas movie due to the movie’s major Halloween themes, time of creation and opinion from the director and cast.
“I think ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is a Halloween movie because many people associate skeletons and creatures of that culture with Halloween. I also think because Jack decided he didn’t fit into Christmas and came back to Halloween [Town] that it should be considered a Halloween movie. I also think that this is a Halloween movie because of the vibe of it. The movie is almost consistently dark, and the animations are creepy even in the Christmas part,” magnet senior Morgan Day said.
Christmas fanatics may claim the film serves as a Christmas movie due to Jack Skellington’s fascination with Christmas and the inclusion of a Christmas city. While Burton does include a world specifically for Christmas — and the main plot displays Jack aiming to bring the jolly holiday back to his hometown — the movie shows a majority of the storyline in Halloween Town. Though Jack arrives in Christmas Town relatively early in the movie, the film also follows subplots involving Sally, Jack’s living rag-doll love interest, and her father, Dr. Finkelstein. Additionally, the film features the conflicts of the Mayor, Oogie Boogie and Boogie’s Boys — Lock, Shock and Barrel. Each of these unnerving Halloween antagonists aim to dethrone Jack as Halloween Town’s king for his attempt to introduce Christmas to the town. Due to the emphasis given to each of these plots, as well as the movie’s heartfelt end showcasing Jack and Sally’s stay in Halloween town ultimately dissipates the discussion; the movie fits the Halloween genre rather than its Christmas counterparts, even with the inclusion of minor winter elements.
“I think the goal of the movie is to show that you don’t always have to be complacent and be the same and to try new things even if they don’t work for you; hence why Jack tries to be Santa. But I think the [movie] starts in Halloween Town to show that Jack belongs there and moved to Christmas Town later so that you could understand Jack’s backstory. The movie also tries to show that change is a good thing by showing how the people on Halloween could even change up their celebration ways to try something new,” Day said.
Furthermore, the movie’s release date in early October points to the film’s ghoulish intention. Premiering October 9 at the New York Film Festival, in the heart of the Halloween season, viewers could watch the piece with the upcoming holiday in mind. Especially as celebrators decorated lawns and gathered costumes, the movie only added to the frightening excitement in the air. The film’s later release several days prior only added to the anticipation of the All Hallow’s Eve thrill.
Falling in step with the movie’s deliberate release date, the cast and crew’s perception of this debate continues to emphasize the film’s role. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” aimed to put an ominous twist to the famous Christmas story “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Through a chilling story, combined with Burton’s eerie animation style, director Henry Selick stated the staff aimed to create a Halloween movie, not a cozy Christmas film. Additionally, opinions of NC students point to their beliefs that the film falls into the Halloween category, thus displaying fans’ preference for the movie’s genre. 
Overall, though the movie does include Christmas elements and a heartwarming plotline, the primary story follows themes consistent with a Halloween film. Terror, fright and Jack’s dedication to his home all point to the movie’s intent to inspire elation for the beloved holiday capping the end of October. As audiences bundle in their blankets and curl up on couches to enjoy fall-themed films, they can rest assured that “The Nightmare Before Christmas” will emulate all of their Halloween scares and shocks found within the season.
