There’s nothing better than snuggling up on the sofa watching Christmas films with our loved ones over the holidays – particularly the old classics.
But many of our favourite festive movies feature moments that would be unlikely to make it past script editors in the politically correct world of 2017.
Some viewers have suggested that John Hughes’ classic comedy Home Alone – in which eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind when his family leave for a Christmas holiday – is actually a story of child neglect.
In black and white favourite It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey silences Mary during an argument by kissing her – a controversial approach in light of the current conversation around consent.
And in Love Actually, some argue that Mark’s obsession with his best friend’s new wife – from filming close ups of her face throughout their wedding day to showing up on her doorstep to confess his love – strays into stalker territory.
The Santa Clause, meanwhile, peppered with jibes about Tim Allen’s ever-expanding waist line, would definitely fall foul of the body positive movement.
And in an even darker film fan theory, the classic musical Oliver! has been accused of anti-Semitic undertones in its depiction of greedy gang leader Fagin.
Below FEMAIL reveals some of the most controversial Christmas movie scenes of all time…
LOVE ACTUALLY
Love Actually’s Mark is in love with his best friend’s wife Juliet, and spends their entire wedding filming close up footage of her face
It’s many people’s favourite Christmas film, but rom-com Love Actually has come to be regarded as problematic by some.
Andrew Lincoln’s character Mark is in love with his best friend Peter’s wife Juliet, played by Kiera Knightley, and struggles to suppress himself from acting on it.
Tasked with filming their wedding video, viewers later learn that Mark spent the entire ceremony zooming in to get close up footage of Juliet’s face.
There is also the endearing story of the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) and his secretary Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) falling for each other, but in this modern world, the seduction of a secretary by the most powerful man in the country would certainly be frowned upon.
In another scene we see unlucky in love Colin (Kris Marshall) manage to take home not one, not two, but three American girls after charming them in a bar with his British accent.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
George Bailey shouts in Mary’s face in It’s a Wonderful Life and kisses her passionately just seconds later
The original Christmas film has been criticised for a fiery scene between its main character George Bailey (James Stewart) and his wife Mary (Donna Reed).
The scene in question from It’s a Wonderful Life shows George shouting in Mary’s face after an unpleasant phone call.
In the middle of ranting at her he grabs her and gives her a passionate kiss as a visibly shaken Mary falls into his arms.
In light of the current global conversation around consent, it’s difficult to imagine a scene like this getting past editors in a family film.
SCROOGED
A secretary at the Christmas party in Scrooged photocopies her bottom and hands out copies to men in the office, who leer at it
The classic Billy Murray movie Scrooged was a 1980s spin on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
And while the film has stood the test of time, some of the scenes certainly place it in a less enlightened era.
In one scene we see Murray’s character Frank Cross shown an office party by the ghost of Christmas past in which some very questionable behaviour occurs.
One of the secretaries in the company is drunk and photocopies her bottom, which she then hands out to her male co-workers.
At the same party Frank sees his married boss attempt to flirt with the same secretary, which a cheerful Frank sees as behaviour to aspire to.
HOME ALONE
The parents in Home Alone would be guilty of child neglect in 2017 after accidentally leaving their son Kevin at home to fend for himself
To most of us it’s a hilarious tale about a brave young boy taking on burglars after being mistakenly left at home for a few days.
But to some it’s a story about hapless parents who are guilty of child neglect.
Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is left home alone by his parents and forced to fend himself against criminals who try to break into his home in the John Hughes classic.
The very same thing happens in the sequel, when Kevin finds himself on the wrong flight by himself, and is left wandering around New York alone while his family is in Florida.
OLIVER!
The character of Fagin from Oliver! has been accused of being an antisemitic portrayal of a Jewish person
Though not strictly a Christmas film, the 1967 musical Oliver! has become a festive favourite.
Now 50 years old, some of its scenes have become dated -and occasionally controversial.
The depiction of Fagin, the leader of the gang of thieves of which Oliver is part, has been described as antisemitic.
In the original Charles Dickens novel he is referred to as ‘the Jew’ more than he is even called his own name.
He is depicted as villainous and refuses to share his wealth with the boys who helped create it.
THE SANTA CLAUSE
Characters from The Santa Clause fat shame Scott for putting on weight while he transforms into Santa
The Santa Clause sees Tim Allen’s character Scott transform into Father Christmas when he accidentally kills the original one.
By magic Scott’s hair turns white and he grows a bushy beard, before putting on weight and developing a big belly.
Characters mock his weight at every turn, with a little girl telling him ‘you’re fatter this year’ when he leaves presents under her tree.
In 2017, a year when there have been more calls for body diversity than ever before, a film like this would leave itself open to accusations of fat-shaming.