The+Nightmare+before+Christmas

The Nightmare before Christmas (1993)

The main character Jack wants transfer Halloween town into Christmas town.
 * Plot (What does the character want)**

Jack needs to find out what he’s missing in his life, find out why he feels emptiness in his heart, and find out who he truly is.
 * Theme (What does the character need)**

Throughout this film, Tim Burton doesn’t make the main character an outcast as he does in his other films. In this film, the subordinate character Sally reflects the common theme Tim Burton often tries to convey. Sally is more of the outcast in this film. But throughout the film, Sally is revealed to be a kind person and she gains acceptance from Jack. However, it can also be argued that Jack is an outcast as well. He is an outcast to himself because he had trouble “completing himself” in regards of his soul. He kept feeling like something is missing in his heart and that he doesn’t know who he is anymore. Later on, through a series of adventure he successfully managed to realize his true self and acknowledge his purpose of life. Also Jack was an outcast in regards of Christmas. However, when Jack realized his mistakes, he saved Santa and was accepted by Santa as well. Therefore the theme of acceptance and self-realization fits into the body of themes for Tim Burton’s work.
 * How the theme fits into the body of themes for Tim Burton’s work?**


 * 1) The first scene of the film is with a narrator describing where holiday came from. It starts with a symmetrical shot where trees are formed around a circle. On the trees there’s doors to different towns representing different holidays. Then the camera pans smoothly towards the door that leads to Halloween town, which is the main setting of the story.
 * 2) The inciting incident is when Jack realizes that he feels emptiness in his heart due to him doing the same things over and over again during Halloween.
 * 3) The balance is upset when the main character enters into a new world. Jack discovers Christmas towns and learns about Christmas. Then Jack returns to Halloween town and calls a town meeting to introduce the idea of Christmas.
 * 4) During Act 2, Halloween town is preparing to take over Christmas. Everyone is busy doing their job and making contribution at transforming Halloween town into Christmas town.
 * 5) The threshold guardian appears in Act 2, which is Sally. She helps Jack to figure out the components of Christmas and inspires Jack.
 * 6) Sally starts to think that Jack trying to take over Christmas is a bad idea. Oogie catches Sally while trying to rescue Santa to help Jack, Jack also figures that he is scaring people rather than making people happy while he took over Santa’s job.
 * 7) The reversal of fortune that happened is when policemen bomb Jack. Everyone thought he was dead. Jack is frustrated at the fact that he failed to carry out Christmas.
 * 8) Sally thinks that Jack is making a mistake.
 * 9) Jack’s crash made him realize that he is not suitable for Christmas. He realizes his purpose of life and discovers who he is.
 * 10) Jack goes back to Halloween town to try to fix things. Jack also tries to rescue Sally and Santa Clause from Oogie.
 * 11) The Climax of the film is when Oogie heard that Jack is dead then tries to kill Sally and Santa Clause. Later Jack appears and rescues Sally and Santa. The climax changes what Jack wants, he realizes what he truly wants is to help everyone in Halloween town to successfully carry out Halloween. The climax changes what the main character wants by linking to what the character needs. Jack later gets what he needs, which is self-realization and self-acceptance. And by obtaining that, Jack also gets what he wants, which is to carry out Halloween with the towns people every year.
 * 12) The falling action is when Jack realizes that he belongs to Halloween town and he accepts himself of being the Pumpkin King. Jack enters a new “world” where he finally learns to accept himself for who he is and accepts Halloween town for the holiday it represents.
 * 13) The denouement is that Jack realizes that Sally has always been by his side supporting them. Jack accepts himself and accepts Sally. Sally and Jack fall in love and the film ends with the scene of them kissing.