Families up and down the UK are beginning to gather together to awaken the festive spirit with a Christmas classic on the TV.
And while movies like Elf and Home Alone have become timeless staples in our festive routines, they’re not the picture perfect movies you might think – with a plethora of plot holes and camera trickery threatening to spoil the magic.
From a child as smart as Kevin McAllister not thinking to call 911 when his home was burgled to how they REALLY made Will Ferrell look that big among the elves, there are plenty of details that we overlook during our festive watch.
The Holiday’s perfect bubble was burst for some fans when Jude Law spilled filming secrets from the Christmas classic on BBC Radio 2 this week and revealed the cottage owned by Kate Winslet’s character Iris is not even real.
So, with Christmas just weeks away, MailOnline has rounded up all of the aspects of our favourite festive flicks that are not quite realistic…
Families up and down the UK are beginning to gather together to awaken the festive spirit with a Christmas classic on the TV (pictured: Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone)
So, with Christmas just weeks away, MailOnline has rounded up all of the aspects of our favourite festive flicks that are not quite realistic… (pictured: Will Ferrell in Elf)
Home Alone
Home Alone has cemented its place as a Christmas classic due to it’s entertaining plot and belly-laugh moments.
However, Kevin McCallister’s extravagant Christmas journey is on another level of unbelievable when you sit down and think about what actually happens.
The youngster found himself home alone at the tender age of eight, under the mistaken belief that his family had ‘disappeared’.
In truth, his parents, Kate and Peter, failed to realise their youngest son had not awoken from the attic as they jetted off on a family holiday. Instead, they seated themselves in first class without bothering to do a head count.
Then, the real plot begins when Kevin’s house is besieged by the prolific Wet Bandits Marv and Harry.
Home Alone has cemented its place as a Christmas classic due to it’s entertaining plot and belly-laugh moments
However, Kevin McCallister’s extravagant Christmas journey is on another level of unbelievable when you sit down and think about what actually happens
From understanding the physics of heating up a golden door handle without it shattering to the exact height and weight the paint cans needed to be extended by to get a direct shot, it’s safe to say Kevin was a gifted child.
So, as an incredibly smart kid who cleverly set military-grade traps to catch the burglers all on his own, it begs the question of why he didn’t know to call the police.
On top of that, many fans have questioned how Marv and Harry actually survived.
From having their head set on fire, being hit in the head with a can of paint, stepping barefoot on glass ornaments, BB gun to the groin to stepping on a nail, surely the human body would have gone into at least a state of shock – it is borderline torture.
On top of that, the police do essentially nothing to help and instead send one police officer over to ring the doorbell, yet when the youngster stole a toothbrush from a local store, he was chased down the street by coppers.
Love Actually
What better time is there for romance than Christmas? Except a lot of the characters of this romcom have awful morals
From Natalie being described as ‘the chubby girl’ to Mark creepily filming his best friend’s wife the entire time at their wedding, the ethics are questionable
What better time is there for romance than Christmas? Except a lot of the characters of this romcom have awful morals and as many viewers have pointed out, Love Actually isn’t actually about love at all.
From Natalie’s main character trait being that she is ‘the chubby girl’ to Mark creepily filming his best friend’s wife the entire time at their wedding instead of capturing any moments of them together, the ethics are questionable.
Not to mention that cheating husband Harry – played by the late Alan Rickman – gifts his wife Karen (Emma Thompson) Joni Mitchell’s album Both Sides Now.
Having been a fan of the singer for at least 20 years, fans have rightly pointed out that she would definitely already own it, which makes it even worse that he gave an expensive necklace to his work mistress.
Additionally, Sam’s sweet quest to learn the drums to impress his crush makes for a great story line.
But, according to the timeline of the movie, Sam not only learnt the drums in a matter of five weeks but was supposedly so good he could back a future popstar.
Not to mention that cheating husband Harry – played by the late Alan Rickman – gifts his wife Karen (Emma Thompson) Joni Mitchell’s album Both Sides Now
Having been a fan of the singer for at least 20 years, fans have rightly pointed out that she would definitely already own it
And of all the far-fetched moments in Love Actually, Colin’s storyline takes the crown. Frustrated by his lack of romantic success in England, Colin decides that the solution is to head to Milwaukee.
Once there, he strolls into a dingy dive bar and, unbelievably, finds himself surrounded by not one, not two, but three stunningly beautiful women – who are instantly charmed by his English accent.
But it doesn’t stop there. The women invite him back to their place, where he meets yet another gorgeous roommate, and they all spend the night together.
The whole sequence is so over-the-top and improbable that it is more like Colin’s wishful daydream rather than a scenario in actual reality.
The Grinch
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, is a beloved Christmas movie while also somewhat resembling a bizarre fever dream
Whoville was almost entirely CGI and over 125,000 pounds of crushed marble were used to make the snow that dusted all of the fake houses they actually did build from scratch
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, is a beloved Christmas movie while also somewhat resembling a bizarre fever dream.
The film follows the Grinch, a grumpy, green creature who plots to ruin Christmas for the Whos of Whoville, only to have his heart changed by the holiday spirit.
While everyone knows the film is intended to be fantasy, there a few aspects of the plot that really go the extra mile, not to mention all of the filming secrets that have been spilled over the years.
Whoville was almost entirely CGI and over 125,000 pounds of crushed marble were used to make the snow that dusted all of the fake houses they actually did build from scratch.
And while the original plan was to film the movie entirely in front of a green screen, it ended up being a blend of both digital and real life.
According to Animation World, ‘the ambitious nature of The Grinch meant much of the atmosphere surrounding Whoville had to be created digitally,’ so if you wanted to visit you’re out of luck.
Additonally, Max, who is the Grinch’s beloved dog, was actually played by six different pooches named Kelly, Chip, Topsy, Stella, Zelda, and Bo.
Each of them were used for short periods of filming to spread the workload and an animal trainer spent 15 weeks coaching them beforehand.
After years of anger, viewers are supposed to believe that The Grinch has been moved to repentance in a matter of minutes
Despite these fantastical elements being part of the movie’s charm, they certainly make for a less-than-believable holiday tale.
When it comes to the plot, the Grinch’s dramatic descent down the 10,000 foot Mt. Crumpit is up there with the most ridiculous scenes
The sleigh, which seems to defy the laws of physics, hurtles down the mountain at breakneck speeds, only to stop just inches from the edge—perfectly intact.
It’s a miracle the sleigh (and everyone in it) didn’t crash and burn never mind ace a perfect landing.
And on top of the mountain of inaccuracies, the Grinch’s sudden change of heart—after a lifetime of misanthropy, also stretches the possibility of reality.
After years of anger, viewers are supposed to believe that he has been moved to repentance in a matter of minutes.
While touching, this rapid transformation is more fairy tale than real life, leaving fans questioning how one single song can undo decades of hatred.
Despite these fantastical elements being part of the movie’s charm, they certainly make for a less-than-believable holiday tale.
Elf
Elf, starring Will Ferrell, has become a cult classic since debuting on screens in 2003
Elf, starring Will Ferrell, has become a cult classic since debuting on screens in 2003.
It tells the story of loveable Buddy, a human raised as an elf at the North Pole, who travels to New York City to find his biological father and spread Christmas cheer.
To make Buddy look so huge compared to his counterparts, the crew had to use forced perspective – where you build two sets, one smaller than the other.
Director Jon Favreau told Rolling Stone: ‘One set is raised and closer and smaller, and one is bigger and further away.
‘And if you line up those two sets and measure them, you can have one person on one set appear to be much larger than a person on the other set. We did that for all the shots at the North Pole.’
He added: ‘And if you look closely, you can see the two sets meet because we didn’t use CG to paint over that or blur it. I wanted it to have the same flaws that it would have had, to make the movie feel more timeless.’
When it comes to the plot, several of the most iconic moments in the show are plagued with inaccuracies and glaring plot issues.
Buddy’s incredible, yet unplausable, journey from the North Pole to New York City is just the start.
To make Buddy look so huge compared to his counterparts, the crew had to use forced perspective – where you build two sets, one smaller than the other
He added: ‘And if you look closely, you can see the two sets meet because we didn’t use CG to paint over that or blur it’
Raised by elves and completely unfamiliar with the human world, it’s hard to believe Buddy could navigate a modern metropolis without a hitch or even a map.
The idea that he could travel from the icy wilderness to the chaos of New York City without any real-world survival skills, no money or prior travel arrangements, is just not possible.
On top of this, Buddy’s seemingly effortless quest to find his father in the Big Apple is far too convenient – anyone who has tried to naviagte their way around the New York subway will know this.
With no knowledge of the city, no map and no connections, Buddy somehow manages to track down Walter Hobbs with ease.
In reality, finding a specific person in a sprawling, unfamiliar city would be a monumental task, but in Buddy’s world, it is no trouble at all.
Miracle on 34th Street
Though Miracle on 34th Street is a cherished Christmas classic, several aspects of the film push the boundaries of believability
When it comes to the set, fans of the film will be disappointed to know that much of Macy’s was actually not the real store
Though 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street is a cherished Christmas classic, several aspects of the film push the boundaries of believability.
It follows a man named Kris Kringle, who is hired to be the Santa Claus at Macy’s department store and must convince a skeptical public and a court of law that he is the real Santa.
But one of the most unrealistic aspects is the use of children’s letters to Santa as evidence in court, which are treated as serious legal proof of his existence.
The portrayal of Macy’s department store, which is shown encouraging customers to shop at rival stores if they don’t have the toys they want, is another stretch.
In the competitive retail world, as people who have worked in retail will know, no store would ever turn away business during the busy festive season.
This ‘spirit of giving’ may be heartwarming, but it’s highly unrealistic in the real world.
When it comes to the set, fans of the film will be disappointed to know that much of Macy’s was actually not the real store.
Instead, they were recreated on movie sound stages as the real iconic Macy’s was always too busy so the crew couldn’t get the freedom they needed to film.
Nativity!
Nativity! sees primary school teacher, Paul Maddens, be tasked with the dreaded job of directing a Christmas play
The idea that everything could go off without a hitch, with a film crew appearing and a cheering crowd, feels more like a dream than a plausible outcome
Nativity! sees primary school teacher, Paul Maddens, be tasked with the dreaded job of directing a Christmas play.
But, his plans spiral out of control when his former love interest, and a mistaken Hollywood connection, turn the humble nativity production into an outrageous spectacle.
It’s safe to say that Mr. Poppy, the school assistant whose chaotic, over-the-top antics are essential to the film’s comedy, is hard to imagine in a real school.
His complete disregard for rules and order makes for great comedy, but realistically, he would likely be out of a job quicker than you can say Christmas carol.
Not to mention the serious safeguarding issues – Mr Maddens and Mr Poppy would have definitely been out of a job after they whisked the children out of the school, and abroad on a plane, without permission.
And of course, Alan Carr’s hilariously harsh critic, who writes negative reviews about children’s nativity plays, would definitely be branded a monster in real life rather than taken seriously.
The idea that everything could go off without a hitch, with a film crew appearing and a cheering crowd, feels more like a dream than a plausible outcome.
It’s a perfect ending, but one that’s certainly hard to swallow in a real-world context.
In short, Nativity! is full of delightful moments, but its portrayal of school life and the flawless execution of a chaotic play leave quite a bit to be desired if we’re talking realism.
Still, that’s what makes it so wonderfully festive.
The Holiday
Featuring lots of romance, stunning scenery, and heartwarming storylines, The Holiday has cemented itself as a classic Christmas comfort film that all generations enjoy.
At the beginning of The Holiday, Iris’ boss at The Telegraph tells her: ‘We are going to try and get by this week with a smaller-than-normal staff’
Time and time again over the years, fans of the movie have hilariously pointed out that there is no way Iris would have been able to afford her quaint countryside cottage on a journalist salary
Featuring lots of romance, stunning scenery, and heartwarming storylines, The Holiday has cemented itself as a classic Christmas comfort film that all generations enjoy.
Brits still sit down to watch the iconic rom com throughout the festive season, 18 years after its release in 2006 – but it turns out that all is not what it seems.
Time and time again over the years, fans of the movie have hilariously pointed out that there is no way Iris would have been able to afford her quaint countryside cottage on a journalist salary.
Despite it not being real, the cosy cottage that inspired it sold for a whopping £675,000.
Not to mention the lengthy commute into central London from Surrey every day – the area she lives in does not look like it’s home to much public transport.
The speedy home swap between Iris and Amanda, which is central to the movie’s plot, was arguably the most unrealistic part of the film.
Both women have full time jobs, with Iris working as a journalist at the Telegraph, meanwhile Amanda is a movie trailer editor.
Despite this, the characters managed to organise their annual leave, not to mention book flights, within 24 hours.
Taking impulsive to the next level, the whole arrangement was cemented less than a day after they decided to go for it, seemingly with no obstacles at all.
