1. Parents Not Believing In Santa (When They Should Know He’s Real)
This one is well-documented as a Christmas movie plot hole, especially as it makes less sense than every other entry on this list combined. That is, of course, the age-old question: why don’t Christmas movie parents believe in Santa? The reason that this trope is the dumbest of all is rooted in the rules that Christmas movies establish for themselves (rather than the application of real-world logic to Christmas movies, which is far less effective than one might hope).
Most Christmas movies establish that not only is Santa Claus a real entity that delivers presents, but he’s one that’s glimpsed semi-regularly by lucky characters (that’s probably how they choose who deserves to be the protagonist). As these movies usually show him actually delivering presents (and often making them, too), it’s reasonable to assume that this is normal. If that’s the case, why don’t Christmas movie parents believe in Santa?
Think about it: Scott Calvin from The Santa Clause doesn’t believe until he’s forced to take over as the big man himself – why didn’t he believe before? After all, presents would have magically appeared in his home every year for himself and his family, but he refuses to acknowledge the man said to be responsible? It’s a pretty weird line to draw in the sands of belief, and it’s one that makes absolutely no sense. It’s by far the dumbest Christmas movie trope, owing to the fact that it ignores even the most basic logic.
And that’s our list. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow Corner of Film on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @corneroffilm to keep up to date with all our excellent content!