Tim Burton and Henry Selick The Nightmare Before Christmas is a timeless and groundbreaking classic, but the message behind the film and the character arcs require some deliberation. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, is in a creative slump when he decides to steal Christmas and run the holiday himself instead of Santa Claus. In the end, Jack realizes the mistake he made, returns Christmas to Santa Claus and remains the Pumpkin King. Along the way, he realizes his love for the downtrodden resident of Halloween Town, Sally, who has always loved him.
The plot is moderately indirect, but filled with fascinating characters and production design, as well as Danny Elfman’s masterful musical work in one of his earliest films. The best lyrics and quotes from The Nightmare Before Christmas are deeply impactful, even if viewers don’t fully understand why. It’s a silly adventure and an exciting mix of two drastically opposing aesthetics that weren’t appreciated by Disney when Burton came up with the idea. perhaps in part because the meaning of Jack and Sally’s story is subtle, coming together through many smaller plot elements.
Jack Skellington returns to contentment with catastrophe
Jack shouldn’t have taken control of Christmas, but the disastrous experience helps him find meaning in life again
It is practically certain that at the forefront of The Nightmare Before Christmas is the basic statement: Jack shouldn’t have stolen Christmas. This is part of what makes the story confusing, as it may seem to some that the lesson is, bluntly, never try anything new. For all his faults, Jack is a deeply resonant character who goes through an ordinary life experience, imbued with the emotions of a real person. Elfman states in the episode The films that made us on The Nightmare Before Christmas that he identified with Jack, tired of his rock star career.
Jack probably just likes chaos, but the usual chaos of Halloween Town has become routine for him, so he looks for something new.
Because of this, Elfman was motivated to provide Jack’s singing voice and began to focus on composing music for films, but Jack gets a different ending. At Christmas, Jack finds a new way to do Halloween and revitalizes your passion for your work. It’s realistic to feel miserable and nihilistic because of the mundanity and routine of life, but Jack’s character arc has larger consequences for everyone else involved. Jack probably just likes chaos, but the usual chaos of Halloween Town has become routine for him, so he looks for something new.
Jack really enjoys the experience of his busy Christmas, even if the results are bad, which helps him get back to the role he truly enjoys on a good day. One small flaw in the film’s story is that it doesn’t provide context for how long Jack has been bored; This really could be just a brief, bad episode in your fulfilling existence. Owen Keenan also argues (via The Daily Targum) that the events of The Nightmare Before Christmas are a metaphor for cultural appropriation, contextualizing even greater harm caused by Jack’s actions.
Sally’s character highlights the injustices of Halloween Town
Sally is self-reliant and resilient and makes the Nightmare Before Christmas story better
There is an argument that Sally is the true heroine of The Nightmare Before Christmas when what Jack does is hardly heroic. Writer Caroline Thompson rewrote the character of Sally from a typical femme fatale who was experiencing “Little Match Girl’s world view” (The films that made us). Sally’s life is unfair: she is the creation of a Frankenstein-inspired scientist who expects her to obey him, she has no power in Halloween Town, she wanders its alleys without help from others. She is so self-sufficient that she is used to literally destroying and then sewing back together.
Essentially, Sally’s character is evidence of a greater meaning behind The Nightmare Before Christmas plus the boredom of a powerful party planner wreaking havoc. Jack’s actions affect people in the real world for one day, but Sally is pressured and suppressed the entire time. Even Jack, who seems to think highly of her, speaks to Sally in a condescending manner and does not heed her warnings. ‘Sally’s Song’ is a lovely, deeply sad song that is strictly about Sally caring about Jack, but something of her dark worldview also comes through.
The “real” villains of The Nightmare Before Christmas are extensions of Jack
Oogie Boogie and Dr. Finkelstein demonstrate some of the same harmful habits as Jack
There’s a very toxic aspect to Jack’s character, because of how his existential crisis spells disaster for others. Many real people may feel the same things he does, but it’s not the rulers of a holiday who can incite such chaos. If The Nightmare Before Christmas it’s about selfish people in power who look to have fun and hurt other people in the process, so Jack is on one side of the story and Sally is on the other. Meanwhile, the “real” villains, Oogie Boogie and Dr. Finkelstein are extensions of Jack’s characterization and its consequences.
Jack is the protagonist of the film, if not the hero, so he realizes he was wrong and gets better.
It’s fitting that Oogie Boogie and Finkelstein were originally one character; like Jack, both are inventive, chaotic, and have little regard for others. They have some power in Halloween Town and use other people as toys. Jack is the protagonist of the film, if not the hero, so he realizes he was wrong and gets better. Meanwhile, Oogie Boogie needs to be destroyed by the more powerful character, while Finkelstein simply manages to create a being as subservient as he expects. However, these characters create an underrated theme in the film.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Still Features Traditional Christmas Movie Themes
The Nightmare Before Christmas is an even darker film when its meaning is considered, but it is still filled with Christmas cheer
The Nightmare Before Christmas has several dark stories that are made more light-hearted by the wacky nature of the film, but still tackle themes of the lonely and forgotten versus the celebrated. However, it could be called a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie, both because of the various holiday trappings and the happy themes. Like other Christmas movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas carries a resolution about peace and love. Jack fights to save Christmas and succeeds; Santa Claus, for some shocking reason, brings snow to Halloween Town for the holiday.
The residents of Halloween Town reprising “What’s This?” When It’s Snowing shows what the film’s most superficial lesson is – trying new things, but in a way that doesn’t hurt other people. Then, as part of his character’s growth, Jack realizes he’s been ignoring Sally for years, and they reunite in the strangely otherworldly and sweet final scene. After all the destruction caused in The Nightmare Before ChristmasThe juxtaposition of the literal plot and Christmas motifs becomes part of the film’s charm, and Jack and Sally find happiness.
Source: The films that made us, The Daily Targum