Classic Movie Review: 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Directed by Henry Selick

Written by Caroline Thompson

Starring Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shaddix, Danny Elfman

Release Date October 29th, 1993

Published October 31st, 2023

The Nightmare Before Christmas was a slightly troubled project. It carried a $25 million dollar price tag. It was made by Henry Selick who, at the time, was not a big name. It had no star power behind it, in terms of the main voice cast. So concerned was Disney about how the film's horror aesthetic frightening the core demographic of Disney Animated films that they removed the Disney label from the film. Instead, the film was released by Disney subsidiary Touchstone Pictures. But Disney wasn't done fretting about The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Despite a gorgeous look, an absolutely stunning production design, and an incredible soundtrack from Danny Elfman, Disney didn't think the film would make money without a big star involved. The only big star on hand was Producer Tim Burton. Burton had helped oversee production but was not involved in the creative, this was Henry Selick's baby. But, Burton was coming off of a pair of hit Batman movies and having his name on the marquee in front of The Nightmare Before Christmas might provide a hook that was needed for the film to make money.

They need not have fretted so much. 30 years later, The Nightmare Before Christmas isn't merely a successful cult classic, it's a smash hit. The $25 million dollar, 2 year production, has now returned a massive profit and even returned to near the top of the box office after 30 years. Since the film was released on October 29th, 1993, it has gone on to gross nearly $100 million dollars. Moreover, the film is a Halloween staple and still moves a mountain of merchandise including costumes, plush toys, decorations, and digital downloads for Danny Elfman's beloved music.

The Nightmare Before Christmas became a meme before such things existed, before the internet. The Henry Selick horror aesthetic launched a million Hot Topic fashions and gave Gen-X goth kids an inspiration for years worth of style choices. That's a remarkable legacy for something that barely clocks in at feature length and has a story as desperately threadbare as this one. From a story perspective, there is hardly anything to describe. I will do my best, but the truth about The Nightmare Before Christmas is that it was never much of a movie, it was always more of a lifestyle.

The Nightmare Before Christmas centers on The Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, voiced by Chris Sarandon when just speaking and Danny Elfman when he sings. Jack has just completed another highly successful Halloween but he's weary. Scaring people, making them scream in terror, is no longer fulfilling for Jack. He now wants to be loved and admired. While walking through the forest, lamenting his place in the world, Jack discovers a series of trees with doors in them. Each door leads to another holiday kingdom to rival his Halloweentown.

Jack decides to investigate and winds up in Christmastown, a vibrant, happy, singing place where elves dance about making toys, reindeer fly, and Santa Claus is a beloved and benevolent King. Seeing the joy radiating through Christmastown reinvigorates Jack. He wants this feeling for himself. So, Jack hatches a scheme. He will have three of his town's residents capture Santa Claus and hold him hostage. Then Jack can sweep in and save Christmas. To do this, Jack enlists the horror denizens of Halloweentown, Witches, Vampires, and other such monsters to make toys and decorations that Jack can deliver around the world, just like Santa.

To say this goes poorly would be an understatement but the getting there is fun, filled with many, many songs and underlined by a longing love story. While Jack is hatching his big scheme, Sally (Catherine O'Hara), looks on in longing. Having to escape from her mad scientist creator, Dr. Finkelstein (William Hickey), every night, Sally has fixated her fantasies on Jack. When she has a premonition that Jack's Christmas scheme will result in him being blown up, she tries to warn him. He ignores her but eventually, they will see eye to eye and a romance may indeed bloom in Halloweentown.

There is plenty to describe but not much happening in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Before you know it, the 70 plus minute movie is over. This is an understandably short feature film as stop motion animation of the kind used to make The Nightmare Before Christmas requires a remarkable amount of work. Each movement of each character in any scene in The Nightmare Before Christmas must be painstakingly moved centimeters at a time to evoke the lithe and gentle movements that we see in the completed film. Stopping at about 70 some odd minutes is a natural, even as it must leave some of the story of The Nightmare Before Christmas out of the final film.

For me, I don't love The Nightmare Before Christmas. I do appreciate aspects of it and I can definitely see what others enjoy about it. It does have a remarkable and distinct aesthetic and there is no denying the incredible artistry involved in its creation. I do feel the movie as a whole rings a little hollow, there isn't much depth to any aspect of the movie, but it is a wondrous spectacle. And there is always room for spectacle in the world of film. There is especially room for the kind of spectacle that Henry Selick can create. Depth and meaning would come eventually for Selick as his future in 1993 included his masterpiece, Coraline, a film of remarkable artistry and depth.

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