Of course Philosopher’s Stone is a Christmas film

There’s no doubt in our minds when we say, and we’re sure yule agree, Philosopher’s Stone is a Christmas film. Yes, it is true that the other films feature Christmas, but much like we would consider Prisoner of Azkaban the Hallowe’en film out of the series, everything from the plot to the direction to the musical score makes Philosopher’s Stone the Christmas one.

Firstly, just look at who directed it. Chris Columbus is the genius behind several wholesome family films, plus one of the most iconic Christmas movies to exist (and his name spells the first part of Christmas). Couple that with the John Williams score, which twinkles and fills you with festive cheer, and you can’t deny that the first Harry Potter movie was destined for the Christmas film hall of fame.

Plus, so much happens at Christmas in that first year. It’s when Harry receives his dad’s old Invisibility Cloak – giving him so much more freedom. It’s when he finds the Mirror of Erised – a real moment of discovery and reflection. Plus, the Christmas holidays provided Harry with an opportunity to keep looking for information on Nicolas Flamel – leading him one step closer to the Philosopher’s Stone. So much of the story hinged on this day, it’s impossible to separate Philosopher’s Stone from Christmas.

Then there’s the magic of this being Harry’s first ever Christmas (that he can remember) in the wizarding world. Growing up with the Dursleys, we doubt he ever had a joyful Christmas. While Dudley would have been showered with presents, if his birthday is anything to go by, Harry was pretty much ignored with the odd pair of Uncle Vernon’s old socks or toothpick thrown his way on special occasions. Yet in the wizarding world, he was with his best friend, he was in the festively decorated halls of Hogwarts, and he finally got proper presents which showed him that people truly did care about him.

And that’s what Christmas is all about, friends, family and being with those you love. While we don’t deny that presents are important, it was seeing Harry finally find the place he belonged, seeing the joy of a child discovering Christmas for the first time and witnessing him realise that he does have the bones of a family that cemented Philosopher’s Stone an as a Christmas film in our mind.

Finally, Philosopher’s Stone just has that certain unexplainable something that makes it a Christmas film. You know what we mean… that warm, fuzzy feeling that only appears at Christmastime. The feeling you get when you’re waiting to see what Father Christmas has brought you. Or when you dig into that first roast potato during your Christmas dinner. Or when you see the smile on someone’s face when they open their gift and you realise you’ve nailed it. That’s the feeling that Philosopher’s Stone gives us and that’s why it truly is the ultimate Christmas film.

Philosopher’s Stone is just a very good film that happens to have a Christmas scene in it

Alright, let’s not get over-excited. We love Christmas as much as the next eggnog-swilling person. But the first Harry Potter film is simply just a film. A good film, of course. But a Christmas film? Are there snowflakes on the movie poster? Does the soundtrack have sleigh bells? Does the main plot focus around the magic of Christmas? Nope, no and nah. It has magic in it, sure. But just standard non-seasonal magic, at least for the most part.

Not to get too technical, but for a Christmas film to officially qualify as a Christmas film, it needs to be specifically, diametrically about Christmas, rather than having one scene set around the festive period. It is statistically inevitable that many, many films will have a Christmas scene in them, due to... you know, the passing of time? And if we were going to count every single film that had a Christmas scene in it as a Christmas film, you would have... lots and lots of Christmas films, to the extent an actual Christmas film begins to lose all meaning.

Would you call Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban a horror film because of the werewolf scene? No, because if we’re calling a Christmas film a genre, just like how horror is a genre, Prisoner of Azkaban would need to be inter-spliced with several other scary moments to officially acquiesce to said genre. For a Christmas film to officially sit in the pantheon of festive classics, the season needs to be baked into the very essence of the story.

We’re talking... a cantankerous old man who gets haunted by three spirits on Christmas Eve... a hapless father who must suddenly take on the job of Father Christmas... a snowman that comes to life... we’re talking films that mention “Christmas” at least every ten minutes, or are set around the festive period, or involve hi-jinks that could only occur at Christmastime.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a beautiful, heartwarming film, all about a young, neglected child who discovers he has a magical home far beyond what he could ever imagine. And we do concede that, tonally, that is the sort of thing you might imagine happening in a Christmas film. But as with every instalment in the Harry Potter series, we get to see an entire year of a Hogwarts term – set around different seasons, believe it or not. Honestly, you couldn’t tell with the amount of knitwear everyone’s wearing all the time. That’s Scotland for you.

And Harry’s first Christmas at Hogwarts is a genuinely joyous thing. We’re not Scrooges. But rules are rules and much like Hermione – we love them and we’re sticking to them. We need to have some order in this cruel world. It actually helps make Christmas more special. No, it does. Seriously, you would go mad if you started eating mince pies in July.

And look. If you want to watch this lovely Harry Potter film in December, with a cup of cocoa, with marshmallows, wrapped in a fluffy blanket with the magic of Christmas alive in your heart, go right ahead. But remember to whisper to yourself, “this is not technically a Christmas film” before you switch it on. It’s a theory anchored in proven reality, and you know it. Season’s greetings, everybody!