Is there a Christmas movie that isn’t about family in some shape or form? I’m sure there are, but that’s usually the case, especially the best ones. This is only natural as this is the time of year when families come together, for better or for worse. For the most part, many classics do focus on the nuclear family as if any other structure might exist, which can make some movies feel a little samey in places. But there’s one film in particular that I think captures the spirit of Christmas so well through an unconventional, rarely seen on-screen shot of a family; Satoshi Kon’s penultimate feature film, tokyo godfathers.
This 2003 animated film doesn’t follow the typical Christmas movie beats in some unique ways. First, the three central characters are homeless, something we still rarely see in film and television. Surprisingly, this is probably the most timeless aspect, although several characters in the film treat the three of them poorly – runaway Miyuki, alcoholic Gin and trans woman Hana – But this is clearly meant to sympathize with them; none of these people who treat our protagonist badly are considered morally correct.
These outdated aspects relate to Hana, who, as I mentioned, is a trans woman who has been the victim of transphobia and homophobia multiple times, sometimes in a way that is hard to watch but critical Presented, sometimes, as just plain offensive. However, for a movie that’s 20 years old, it also has a trans character who is complex, flamboyant, loud, lovable, caring, and imperfect, and I appreciate that more than the perfectionist portrayal.
As you know, they’re a little weird paired together, but that’s the point. This is a story about finding family, both in an emotional sense and literally, as the film opens with the trio discovering an abandoned baby that they (or more importantly Hana) decide to take care of.
Of course, they then decide to return the baby to her parents, which in turn turns the film into a story about coincidence. While Satoshi Kon’s other works have played with reality through dreamlike imagery (and sometimes outright dreams), “Tokyo Godfathers” is more grounded in reality. But he still manages to turn it around, wrapping the three characters in a variety of bizarre events, including run-ins with gangs, nearly being hit by an ambulance, and more than one hostage situation.
All of these moments happen by accident enough to make you believe that this could actually happen, even if it’s a bit far-fetched. What really gets you is that Miyuki, Gin, and Hana are all terrible in their own way, they each bring out a different flavor of selfishness that honestly feels weird considering what they’ve been through in their lives It’s deserved. These guys feel real and messy, making them make sense of their own emotions and each other’s emotions worth investing in.
Their sense of imperfection mirrors Kon’s own work, which often feels like it has glaring flaws, but man, you just can’t help but ignore them because so much work has been put into everything and everyone on screen focus on. As I’ve already explained, “Tokyo Godfathers” has aged well, but our hero is presented more in an affectionate way than as an accidental mean figure.
But most importantly, there really isn’t a Christmas movie like this. Sure, there are plenty of games out there that don’t focus on the nuclear family, but none throw such a concept into the trash the way Tokyo Godfathers does. You’ve seen The Muppet Christmas Carol enough times, let’s give it a change.
