The beauty of film is that it affects each and every one of us in many different ways. During the holidays, it's no different. The way snowflakes float through the air on a cold, crisp night; the way the Christmas tree glows from a far or simply the way baked goods smell sweet and warm throughout the house, Christmas films give off a heartwarming and tender affect for the holidays. Watching festive movies with the family and friends somewhat becomes tradition and gives us an escape.
Deciding what films you should include to watch in your holiday hustle and bustle isn't easy. There are dozens of remakes and then there are the classics you never get bored of and then again, there are the original stories that just aren't worthy of a view but alas, you're in luck!
In no particular order, here are 12 holiday movies for you, your family and friends to feast your eyes on that are worthy of watching over and over again:
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore & Henry Travers
Running time: 2 hours 10 mins
The film, which is regarded as a classic and a staple of Christmas television around the world is one of the most recognized holiday films and has been honoured by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made and been placed on AFI's list as one of the most inspirational films of all time. The film directed by Frank Capra, follows George Bailey (James Stewart), a frustrated and deeply depressed man who doesn't realize his full worth until an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) shows him what life would be like if he never existed. Much of the film is narrated by Franklin and Joseph, unseen angels who dive into flashbacks spanning throughout George's entire life and it's through these flashbacks we see all the people whose lives have been touched by him and the difference one man can make. This film is undeniably worthy of watching at least once a year without the interruption of commercials and is a genuine American classic. There's something about this film that just appeals to all audiences and has lovable value to it.
Available on DVD
Home Alone (1990)
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Peschi, Daniel Stern & Catherine O'Hara
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Everyone enjoys a comedy and this one is a favourite amongst many during the holiday season! Written by the late master of 80s teen comedies, John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, the film follows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) and his adventures of being all alone at home during the Christmas holiday as his parents mistakenly left him behind when they fly off to Paris for vacation. While Kevin thinks of this as an opportunity to relish into what he wants to do, he's greeted by intruders – the Wet Bandits and the fun ensues!
Available on DVD
Elf (2003)
Starring: Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan & Ed Asner
Running time: 1 hour 37 mins
Directed by Jon Favreau, Elf has became an instant classic with fans. Buddy (Will Ferrell), an oversized elf who's really a man raised as an elf, resides in the North Pole and unintentionally wreaks havoc on the elf community. He is then sent to the United States in search of his true identity after learning that his biological father (James Caan) is a businessman in New York City and is on Santa's naughty list. It's a sweet holiday movie for the whole family with just enough comedy and yuletide cheer to put a smile on one's face.
Available on DVD
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo & Randy Quaid
Running time: 1 hour 37 mins
Another Christmas film, one deemed as a modern holiday classic brought to you by the genius writing of John Hughes. It's the third instalment of the National Lampoon's Vacation series and follows the Griswold's as they prepare for Christmas and all its festivities but things never quite run smoothly for Clark (Chevy Chase), his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and their two kids, Audrey and Rusty. The Griswold's consecutively bad luck runs are worsened by unbearable family guests but he manages to keep going, knowing that his Christmas bonus will be arriving soon.
Available on DVD
White Christmas (1954)
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney & Judy Haynes
Running time: 2 hours
Featuring the songs of Irving Berlin, White Christmas is a holiday classic with heart-warming music that finds two army buddies, Bob and Phil who team up with a sister act in order to help their old Army commander save his failing country inn. There's romance, there's comedy, there's dancing and snow. It's the perfect holiday movie to escape to with your family. The film which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1954 for Best Music, Original Song is unforgettably, one of the first films ever shot in VistaVision.
Available on DVD
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Starring: Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, John Payne & Edward Gwenn
Running time: 1 hour 36 mins
Another perennial heart-warming holiday classic, this time about the tale of "Kris Kringle" and the spirit of a little girl who stands firm in what she believes. After a Macy's department store Santa Claus, who claims to be the genuine thing is institutionalized as insane, a good-hearted lawyer fights to prove that the man is really old St. Nicolas much to the city's chagrin. Written and directed by Academy Award winning screenwriter George Seaton, Miracle on 34th Street is a memorable story of family, romance and the evergreen spirit of Christmas.
Available on DVD
A Christmas Story
Starring: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon
Running time: 1 hour 34 mins
This film has been a holiday classic since its inception back in 1983 and has a growing audience each year. Based on the short stories and partially fictional tales from author Jean Shepherd, the film sees Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), a highly imaginative nine-year old growing up in the 1940s and his point of view of how he and his family spend Christmas one year. He dreams of owning a Red Ryder BB gun and makes it his mission to have it but along the way he faces disagreement from his teachers, his parents and even Santa Claus. In essence, it's a story about childhood and the yearning for that perfect Christmas. It won two of the prestigious Canadian Genie Awards back in 1983, one being for the screenplay written by author Jean Shepherd, Bob Clark and Leigh Brown.
Available on DVD
Love Actually (2003)
Starring: Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson & Emma Thompson
Running time: 2 hours 15 mins
Noted by some as a lovely modern day Christmas tale of finding and losing love, Love Actually is a romantic comedy that dives into the different aspects of love and eight very different couples who deal with their love lives in variously diverse and interconnected ways all during the frenzy of the Christmas holiday. Sure it's a long movie but it's worth the watch with great storylines that, like snowflakes, are each separate and light but make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside along with great performances from Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson and Hugh Grant. It's a joyfully entertaining movie and an endearing holiday flick that will leave you smiling and give you the sudden urge to hug someone.
Available on DVD
Scrooged (1988)
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Alfre Woodard & Bobcat Goldthwait
Running time: 1 hour 41 mins
An indignant, conceited and selfish TV programming executive who has found great success and wealth through the years has become cold hearted and cruel. On Christmas Eve, he finds himself being haunted and bearing lessons by three spirits. Scrooged is the modern retelling of Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol and was produced and directed by Richard Donner. It's a smart, comedic and entertaining watch with a sardonic edge that keeps the holidays from getting way too sugary for some who aren't into the all-out festive mood. This is a funny film that also proves remakes and new visions from older material need not be redundant.
Available on DVD
The Santa Clause (1994)
Starring: Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold & Peter Boyle
Running time: 1 hour 37 mins
Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorcee ad-executive with a young son, Charlie. On Christmas Eve, he spends time with his son and inadvertently kills Santa Claus. He soon finds a business card in Santa's pocket that states if anything should ever happen to him that someone should put the suit on and the reindeer will know what to do. Calvin discovers a sleigh and eight reindeer on his roof and puts the Santa suit on to please his son, only to begin delivering toys from rooftop to rooftop. It's a simple and well-crafted family film that is a staple in acclaimed Disney cinema. It's hip and has a likeable comedic twist on the Kris Kringle tale.
Available on DVD
Remember The Night (1940)
Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck & Beulah Bondi
Running time: 1 hour 34 mins
A breezy mix of comedy, drama and romance finds Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck), a pickpocket in New York getting caught for shoplifting right before Christmas and no-nonsense District Attorney, John Sargeant (Fred MacMurray) assigned to prosecute her. Facing a third offense, Leander's trail is set before Christmas but Sargeant generously posts bail for her and postpones her trial as he feels she does not need to spend Christmas in jail. Discovering she is a fellow Hoosier, he generously offers to drop her home but while on their road trip they get lost in Pennsylvania and love blooms along the way. It's an impressively sweet film with fine performances from both Stanwyck and MacMurray; a definite watch for the whole family!
Available on DVD
Die Hard (1988)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman & Bonnie Bedelia
Running time: 2 hours 12 mins
This is not a film you would conventionally think about during the warm and toasty Christmas holidays but it is a Christmas movie of sorts. A Christmas movie of sorts with lots of action, explosions and non-yuletide cheer but remnants of the festive spirit! John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a New York City detective who's just arrived in Los Angeles in time to spend Christmas with his wife (Bonnie Bedelia), unfortunately as timing would have it, a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is holding everyone in the Nakatomi Plaza building hostage and no one has any way of getting in or out. Will McClane do it? Will he stop the terrorists and save Christmas? Die Hard is a fun watch – not with the whole family, but after dinner when you stop by a friends' house and want to deter from the sugar rushed children. The film's got great pace, great wit and is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This film, after almost 20 years still remains one of the most amusing action films that set a bar for the blockbuster films of that genre.
Available on DVD
This holiday season, whether you're throwing a party and having family and friends over or just lounging on the couch with a loved one, staying indoors from the frequent overwhelming snowfall be sure to watch these timeless classics and don't forget the eggnogand fruitcake!
Whether you're into the classic traditional films or the modern ones with a new-age twist, here are some honourable mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
The Polar Express (2004)
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Mr. Krueger's Christmas (1980)
A Child's Christmas in Wales (1987)
The Ref (1994)
The Holiday (2006)
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
The Shop Around The Corner (1940)
A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Nativity Story (2006)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
One Magic Christmas (1985)
Black Christmas (1974)
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
The Family Stone (2005)
Surviving Christmas (2004)
Mixed Nuts (1994)
I'll Be Home For Christmas (1998)
Bad Santa (2003)
Interested in Christmas tunes? Check out The 12 Days of Christmas...Music.
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