Shane Black: Christmas as a thematic backdrop

During this jolly time of the year, many families will sit down together by an open fire, make a nice cup of eggnog, and watch a wholesome holiday classic like Elf (2003), Home Alone (1990), or The Polar Express (2006). Other families will stray from the Christmas convention and watch John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988) or Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (1974). As for me, the best way to spend Christmas with the movies is to revisit the works of one of the most intelligent writers in the business. He is a man who has consistently provided the scripts for some of the best action comedies since the 1980s, and the pinnacle of his work takes place during the holidays: Lethal Weapon (1987) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). This man is Shane Black, one of Hollywood’s most intelligent and witty writers.

Following a period where studios hired him to polish scripts, Black’s first solo screenplay was a film that would develop the buddy-cop genre into its modern identity: Lethal Weapon (1987). This film follows two Los Angeles homicide detectives, Riggs and Murtaugh—played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, respectively, —as they attempt to take down a heroin ring run by ex-special forces Vietnam Veterans. 

Now, a plot like that could take place during any time of year, but the Christmas setting enhances the feelings of loneliness that Riggs feels. Riggs’s backstory is that his wife was killed several years prior, and his crippling loneliness and depression drive him to near-suicide at night, and into reckless and dangerous situations during the day. The Christmas ambiance emphasizes his lonely state when juxtaposed with the visceral emotion of Riggs’s character arc: Christmas cartoons are playing, stores are lined with decorations, and police officers are singing “Silent Night,” but one of them is at his lowest point, contemplating whether or not he has a purpose without the woman he loves.

After Lethal Weapon, Black would dominate the 1990s with scripts including The Last Boy Scout (1991), Last Action Hero (1993), and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). Yet Black would take a hiatus after this film for nine years, until he returned to write and direct his next project, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). I consider this to be Black’s most excellent film, and the pinnacle of his creative works; it is where his dialogue is at its wittiest, with quotable line after quotable line.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) follows Harry, a thief-turned-actor who is paired with “Gay” Perry, a private detective whom Harry researches for an upcoming role; the two are played by Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, respectively. The world of this film is one of corrupt, abusive people in power, whether it be actors, producers, or even fathers; the world is dark, and the innocent are usually punished. The Christmas setting serves as a comedic juxtaposition to the film’s dark subject matter, resulting in some of Shane Black’s trademark dark comedy. Thematically, the Christmas season and spirit operate as a reminder of how things should be in the world, and it is Harry and Perry’s job to set things right in the spirit of the holidays, albeit with many shootouts and profanity. 

These two aren’t the only two of Shane Black’s works to use their Christmas setting. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) uses it to explore themes of family, and both The Last Boy Scout (1991) and Iron Man 3 (2013) use it to signalize redemption. In 2013, in anticipation of the release of Iron Man 3, Black was asked why so many of his films took place at Christmas. He responded: “Christmas is fun. It’s unifying, and all your characters are involved in this event that stays within the larger story … At Christmas, lonely people are lonelier, seeing friends and families go by. People take reckoning, [they take] stock of where their lives are at Christmas.” 

It can be easy to feel lonely at Christmas. It can be even easier to see the world as a dark place. In the face of this harsh reality, Shane Black’s unconventional Christmas films accept these darker parts of the season and try to include warm, uplifting messages to counter these darker aspects. In Lethal Weapon, Riggs learns he is not as lonely as he thinks. Murtaugh and his family welcome him as one of their own, giving Riggs another chance at having loved ones in his life. In Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Harry and Perry overcome their dark, oppressive world to do some good where it counts. These are messages that all of us should take to heart. 

So, instead of watching Ron Howard’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) for the hundredth time, sit by the open fire, pour yourself some eggnog, and watch a film written by Shane Black! 

Thumbnail Photo of Shane Black courtesy of Wikimedia Commons