Best Christmas Movies for the Holidays

Last Year we broke down Christmas movies into three categories:

Best Christmas Movies for Adults including:

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Scrooged (1988)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Batman Returns (1992)

Christmas Holiday (1944)

Trading Places (1983)

Bad Santa (2003)

White Christmas (1954)

 

 

Best Animated Christmas Movies including:

The Snowmen (1982)

The Nightmare before Christmas (1993)

The Polar Express (2004)

Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

The Nutcracker Prince (1990)

Bugs Bunny Christmas Carol (1979)

 

 

And Christmas Movies for Kids of All Ages:

Home Alone (1990)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The Santa Clause (1994)

Elf (2003)

Jingle All the Way (1996)

A Christmas Story (1993)

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)

 

 

This year I’m sharing with you my personal favourites. Time tested, tried and true, I watch each of these seasonal gems year after year.

 

Miracle on 34^th street (1947, the Original)

Like many of the best Christmas movies, Miracle on 34^th Street is about Christmas spirit, good will and belief in the impossible (or improbable). This is the touching story of a young girl who does not believe in Santa Claus and a man who believes he is Santa Claus.

In the hope of sparing her much of life’s disappointment, Susan’s mother has raised her to be a sensible young child, dispensing with all of the usual childhood fantasies like make-believe and Santa Claus. However, when Kris Kringle—the man hired to be Macy’s Santa Claus—meets Susan he embarks on a mission to spark a bit of Christmas spirit in both Susan and her mother’s lives. Staring a young Natalie Wood as the adorable Susan Walker, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Edmund Gwenn: arguably the best on-screen Santa of all time. There have been a number of re-makes but none as good as the original, and their Kris Kringles pale in comparison.  

 
 

Meet me in St. Louis (1944)

One of the often-overlooked Christmas classics, Meet Me in St. Louis is a delightful musical starring Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien. Set at the turn of the century, it is centred around the Smith family’s possible uprooting from their long-time home in St. Louis. Song, dance, young love, family drama and fantastic costumes make Meet Me in St. Louis a beloved classic movie for many. Meet Me in St. Louis also houses one of Hollywood’s most iconic Christmas moments of all time—and my favourite— Judy Garland signing, “Have Your Self a Merry Little Christmas”.

 

 
 
Elf (2003)

Will Ferrell brings Christmas hilarity to NYC as Buddy the elf (or elf-raised human). After spending his formative years in the North Pole raised as one of Santa’s elves, Buddy embarks on an adventure to New York City to meet his birth father. While trying to find his place in the human world Buddy shares his childlike wonder, Christmas cheer, and insatiable love of sweets with all. Also starring Zooey Deschanel as Buddy’s quirky coworker/love interest. Elf boasts much holiday amusement and family laughs.  

 
 
Love, Actually (2003)

Love, Actually is a British romantic-comedy from the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Featuring ten interconnected story lines about love—of all kinds—and Christmas spirit, it is guaranteed to warm your heart. Bill Nighy, Keira Knightly, Collin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Laura Linney are just a few of the A-list stars that balance comedy and romance to perfect degrees in this romantic Christmas treasure. Even if the character relationships fail to move you, the film opens and closes with real footage of loved ones reconnecting at Heathrow airport; and those moments may inspire a tear… even if your heart is two sizes too small.  

 
 
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Dr. Seuss’ original, this film almost needs no introduction. The animated telling of Seuss’ Christmas story about a Grinch, who was so devoid of Christmas cheer he decided to try steal everyone else’s as well. Mistakenly believing that Christmas spirit resides in physical items: stockings, trees, presents, decorations; he disguises himself as Santa and takes every last thing. But his attempt to ruin Christmas is thwarted by real Christmas cheer as the Whos down in Whoville celebrate community and generosity of spirit.  

 
 
Just Friends (2005)

My personal favourite Christmas movie is Just Friends (fair warning: Roger Ebert and I strongly disagree on this). Starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Amy Smart, Just Friends is a Christmas comedy in the style of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Reynolds is on comedic point as Chris Brander: the once fat high school reject who begrudgingly returns to his hometown ten years later, much transformed, to confront ghosts of high school days past. Reluctantly in tow is Anna Faris as Britney Spears-esque pop icon Samantha James, providing many comedic moments. While placing far less emphasis on the true meaning of Christmas than other films on my list, its comic factor is right up there with Elf.    

–Astrid Handling

 

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