The holiday films of yesteryear have advantages for television networks and cable stations that show them.

Pieces of Easter is an independent holiday film produced by Kelly's Filmworks.

USA Today called the film "beautifully acted", and included it on a list of top 10 holiday films in 2008.

The Grinch is the second highest-grossing holiday film of all time with $345,141,403 worldwide, only behind Home Alone.

This is not a sweet, old-fashioned holiday film about people with admirable values.

FEW of this year's holiday films are actually holiday films.

The status of numerous holiday films, many of them aimed at women, remains uncertain.

Big summer and holiday films cost much more - about $40 million on average, several marketing experts estimated, with some campaigns running to $70 million.

But ask a top studio executive or producer to define a holiday film and the responses are blurry.

That has not stopped the two countries from producing a holiday film together, however.