If there were feelings about music, I suspect there will be F.E.E.L.I.N.G.S. about movies.
There is something so festive about holiday films; I could watch Les Misérables or Beauty and the Beast any time of year (to be fair, Die Hard would be fine in August; and, I hate to break it to you, but Die Hard is NOT ACTUALLY A CHRISTMAS MOVIE – #Feelings). But something like Home Alone oozes holiday vibes – it is set at Christmas, after all – and I think it requires twinkle lights and cozy blankets to be appreciated in full.
I’m sure we can all agree that holiday movies are not created equal, and I suspect many readers have very strong sentimental ties to their favourite Christmas films. For the most part, I’m relatively neutral. If I see A Charlie Brown Christmas – fantastic. Elf? Will Farrell as Buddy always makes me laugh (when we were in New York City last summer, one of the first things the kids wanted to see was the Lincoln Tunnel because of the tunnel scene from Elf, and L bought a small NYC snow globe because he wanted “one like Buddy”). The Muppet’s Christmas Carol? Sure, sounds fun. It’s A Wonderful Life? A bit depressing, but a classic for a reason. The Holiday? I won’t say no to a good “meet-cute.”
But there are a few films that rise to the top for me and require annual viewing…and a few that I never want to see again.
TOP FIVE CHRISTMAS MOVIES
- Home Alone. My parents were very careful about what media was consumed in our house growing up, yet we watched Home Alone every year. I do think we were watching the TV version, which likely edited out a few of the unsavory parts. I continue to mute a few sections because my kids don’t need to hear or see clips from Angels with Dirty Faces. We also like Home Alone 2 and Home Alone 3, and the kids chuckled quite a bit during the latest release – Home Sweet Home Alone – but nothing beats the original.
- White Christmas. White Christmas, how I love thee; let me count the ways. I feel like this is either a you-love-it or a you-hate-it movie. I happen to love it, but I think a lot of this stems from sentimental attachments to the film from my youth. It also helps that I’ve paired it with a movie-viewing party with my best friend each December and I look forward to this night every year. (Spoiler alert: our annual viewing is planned for this. Friday. night. Bring on the cozy blankets, festive treats, and recitation of about half the movie word-for-word as we watch it.
- How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966): We watch this animated classic every year and I love it more with each re-watching. I have so many memories of this “movie” from my childhood Christmases and the kids would be getting lumps of coal in their stockings if they didn’t join me on this bandwagon (thankfully they have, without coercion).
- The Grinch (2019): This was the first movie the kids saw in theatres and it did not disappoint. I am such a huge fan of the 1966 version (see above), but this reboot managed to live up to all my expectations. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in all the right ways. An instant classic in our house.
- Miracle on 34th Street (both!). Such a classic movie and I like both versions for different reasons.
Hallmark Bonus: Ice Sculpture Christmas. This is a nondescript Hallmark movie, but I really enjoy it and so do the kids. We’ve watched it for years now (it came out in 2015). It is everything you’d expect in a Hallmark movie complete with predictable tensions and resolutions…but it feels special to me. (I also like rewatching Window Wonderland and The Royal Nanny.)
BOTTOM FIVE CHRISTMAS MOVIES
- Home Alone 4&5. These were the Home Alone movies that went straight to video. It is obvious why this decision was made; what is less obvious is why these movies were made in the first place. They are horrible. One of them only has a handful of (completely lame!) traps. What is a Home Alone movie without traps?
- A Christmas Story. Okay, this might be contentious. My only context for A Christmas Story was the fact that one of my best friends in high school watched this every year with her family. I was so excited to finally watch it a few years ago…and found it was completely and utterly depressing. If I never see this movie again in my life, that would be wonderful. (An alternative would be to shoot my eyes out.)
- Christmas in Connecticut. Years ago someone recommended this movie; I thought it sounded like something similar to White Christmas, and couldn’t wait to watch it. I can’t remember now what exactly it was I disliked so much about this movie, but it was a visceral response.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). A very creepy Jim Carrey? Um, no thanks. It’s dark, it’s scary. It’s a hard pass…forever.
- The Family Stone. Okay, this WILL be contentious. But how/why is this a Christmas movie? I’ve only seen it once – years ago – but I found it very awkward and not at all festive! It’s about messy, sad family relationships at Christmas. Oh, and one of the main characters DIES.
Bonus: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (stop-motion). I know it’s a classic, but even as a kid, I was not a fan of this movie. I find the stop-motion animation oddly creepy.
Your turn. Do you have much-beloved classics you watch every year? Any movies you actively avoid around the holidays? Are there any of my selections with which you vehemently disagree?
Header photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Sophie
Ooh this is fun!
Growing up we didn’t watch a lot of Christmas movies as a family but I do have a few faves. Home Alone and The Grinch (2019) are on my list too, as is Love Actually. Not the best Richard Curtis film (Notting Hill is my favourite) but it’s got some great moments and I’ve seen it so many times!
I haven’t seen Miracle on 34th Street (crazy I know), so maybe this year will be the year!
Bottom 5 I agree with the Jim Carrey Grinch movie, otherwise I haven’t watched many Christmas movies to have a bunch I hate, which I guess is a good thing?
Elisabeth
I find there are too many “Ick” moments in Love Actually, now. I liked it as a teen, but the Alan Rickman stuff I just…can’t handle it.
Miracle on 34th is a classic; I think if I had to choose I’d pick the original one as my fav.
Sophie
Oh yes the Alan Rickman character/story line is so ick, and I don’t love the best friend unrequited love one either. But the others are fun.
sarah
I LOVE The Family Stone. It was one of the reasons I thought 5 kids would be the perfect number. We watched it last night, in fact 🙂
Elisabeth
I know you LOVE The Family Stone.
Nicole MacPherson
The movies I always watch around the holidays are Elf, Christmas Vacation, Little Women (both the one from 2019 and the one from the 90s), and When Harry Met Sally, although technically that one is a New Year’s movie to me. Next week we are adding in Muppets Christmas Carol which my kids have never seen, and I haven’t watched in 30 plus years.
Elisabeth
I still have never watched either of those Little Women movies OR When Harry Met Sally.
I saw the Muppet’s Christmas Carol for the first time two Christmases ago. It was fun, but the kids were Meh about it, so I’m not sure if we’ll watch it again this year?
Lindsay
My family loves their Christmas movies and takes watching and rewatching very seriously! We hold the 1966 and 2019 Grinch movies in high-esteem (I almost love the original and the CumberGrinch equally – we watched them both over the weekend!) (we don’t do the Jim Carrey one anymore because it reads creepy and sad for us), and always watch the classic stop-motion Rudolph, Frosty (the first one only), and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. For more modern watches, they love Home Alone and Elf; and, my guy’s Christmas tradition revolves around A Christmas Story, so I watch that 2.5 times through (and no more) (and I get to read during it). One year, we watched 25 movies and had a whole ratings card and system, but this is not the year for that, haha!
Elisabeth
YES! The Grinch movies are held in VERY HIGH ESTEEM in our household, too. I like them both, equally, for different reasons.
I also like Frosty; haven’t seen that in a few years!! I really miss getting the newspaper and seeing the holiday lineup. I used to plan my WHOLE DAY around what special was on each night on the public broadcasting network here in Canada. Now we stream everything and it’s…not the same.
I hated A Christmas Story, but it is soooo beloved. Maybe if I’d seen it sooner?
Jenny
Ooh, I bet people will have opinions about this! I think I’ve mentioned I’ve NEVER seen White Christmas! I really want to- but I know what you mean when you say part of your attachment to it comes from tradition. Sometimes I wonder what I would think if I were to see one of my old favorites now for the first time.
I also think I’m the only one in the world who hasn’t seen Elf. I also haven’t seen the Jim Carrey Grinch (don’t want to) but I love the original, along with Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Santa Claus is coming to town… I was a kid in the 70s and that’s what we looked forward to seeing each Christmas.
Every year the kids and I watch Polar Express, so that’s one of our favorites. And we like to watch one of the Home Alone movies (1-3 that is) on New Year’s. Oh, Love Actually is another movie I’ve never seen but want to! I guess I really don’t watch a lot of movies.
Elisabeth
I think White Christmas is very hit and miss. You might HATE it and that would be 100% understandable. It’s just very, very sentimental for me so I can’t imagine Christmas without watching it.
Skip the live-action Grinch. It’s so depressing and horrible.
I love Charlie Brown, but have never seen Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Sounds like a classic.
And yes – the first three Home Alone movies are standard viewing for our family, too. I’m a pass on Love Actually, now. Too many “ick” moments for me. I love The Holiday more! Have you seen that one? Also a modern classic.
Jessica
Yes to Home Alone and the 2019 Grinch. I also would add Home Alone 2 – Lost in New York. I know, same story, different location but I find the friendship between Kevin and the pigeon lady so sweet. Totally agree on Jim Carey version of the Grinch, too creepy and The Family Stone is just very sad and I don’t like sad movies. My family enjoys the Polar Express and Noel on Disney+ has become a recent family favorite.
Elisabeth
Yup. We love the second Home Alone, too (I think the kids like it more than the first?) As a kid I was TERRIFIED of the pigeon lady.
I’ve never seen Noel but we have Disney+ so I should try it sometime this holiday.
Mary
There is nothing better than a good Christmas movie. I agree with all the classics (home alone, elf, miracle on 34th, it’s a wonderful life, the Grinch, I could go on and on) but with the kids we have added some other fun ones too. Noelle, Arthur’s Christmas and Klaus are all family favorites in our house now.
I think the only Christmas movie I cannot stand is Polar Express. Also recently rewatched the Santa Claus with Tim Allen and did not age well. Definitely a movie of the ’90’s and not in a good way.
Elisabeth
I’m also not a fan of Polar Express (the kids have liked the Santa Claus movies with Tim Allen, but I’m not a big fan myself.)
That’s two votes for Noelle! I’ll have to check it out!
Diane
We always watch Wonderful Life and Elf and the opera version of The Little Prince and Meet Me in St. Louis. This year the kids requested to watch Spirited again, which came out last year, and I think will be a yearly re-watch.
I like While You Were Sleeping. And we usually watch Die Hard after the kids go to bed.
There are others that we have in our “Christmas movie” list, but that we might not watch *every* year.
And then there are all the Hallmark movies. I don’t usually watch them twice, but Ghosts of Christmas Past from last year was really good and I might watch that one again. (I also did really enjoy the Royal Nanny – I thought that one was a cut above most.) The Hallmark movies this year seem kind of … meh, so I might be digging back into the archives for Hallmark watching – I’ve never seen Ice Sculpture Christmas – I’ll have to put that on my list!
Elisabeth
It’s a Wonderful Life is such a classic. I don’t watch it every year, but really do love it when I do.
I’ve never seen Meet Me in St. Louis, but I’d like to!
And we also LOVE the Royal Nanny. It’s a better-than-average Hallmark offering.
ccr in MA
Fun to think about! I love the 1966 Grinch (and no other versions), as well as the other animated specials I grew up with: Frosty, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Comin to Town, Year Without a Santa Claus, Charlie Brown, and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. (As an adult, I see that several of them are sort of dubious in their messaging, but the nostalgia wins for me.)
I am also a stickler for the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street, though I’m often tempted to watch it on Thanksgiving, since the movie starts that day. But of course it is a Christmas movie!
I enjoy White Christmas (and Holiday Inn) but not every year. I don’t think there are any I actively avoid, but there are plenty that other people love that I’ve never seen, so who knows how I would feel about them.
Elisabeth
I haven’t watched Holiday Inn in years; it has some complicated scenes that haven’t aged well, but I am such a sucker for Bing Crosby! And, of course, it is where White Christmas the song was first debuted!
Erica
My favorite Christmas movie will probably always be The Grinch, what you are calling the 2019 version. I think it must have come out in 2018 in the US, because by 2019 it was streaming here. I have vivid and cherished memories of peaceful, pregnant late-afternoon naps on the sofa while my then-two-year-old watched the first 34 minutes of the movie. I would always wake up and turn off the show just after The Grinch shot himself at the tree, avoiding excess screen time and the sad bit about the Grinch’s childhood. This was a halcyon era, pre-pandemic and pre-second-baby, when excess television was the worst parenting decision I could imagine.
Also, I love Love Actually despite how poorly it has aged. And I just discovered there is an old movie version of The Nutcracker, with the New York City Ballet and Balanchine’s choreography and Macaulay Culkin (very charming, and can dance!) as the Prince. I had been feeling sad that I can’t easily see the ballet in person, but watching it on the couch is cozier and, with young kids, less stressful.
Elisabeth
I’m so happy so many people love The Grinch! It’s amazing how quickly it has become such a treasured modern “classic” – it has a very different vibe and look to the 1966 short! Though I love them both.
NGS
I have no feelings! I have seen remarkably few of these movies (parts of Home Alone, Die Hard, and Elf, the entirety of Miracle on 34th Street) and just have no thoughts on them. What happens is that these movies get put on when we are visiting my in-laws, I get bored, and I wander off to read a book. LOL. I know there are movie buffs out there and I need them to explain to me how to stay focused when watching them!
Elisabeth
No thoughts. That’s cool! Books are pretty awesome, obviously, so no shade that you direct your attention elsewhere!!!
Lisa's Yarns
Thanks to Taco’s obsession with the 2019 Grinch, I’m obsessed with that one, too. I also like the 1966 version – we bought it off of Amazon last month to diversify our Grinch viewings. I so wished I could have teleported you to the live production of the grinch yesterday. It was SOOO good!
Besides The Grinch, I really love The Holiday and Home Alone. I think I have seen the first 3 but agree that the original is unbeatable.
I don’t like The Christmas Story. At. All. I only saw Elf once and felt pretty meh about it. I think by the time I saw it, it was so very over-hyped, it never could have lived up to my expectations.
Elisabeth
The Holiday and Home Alone are such great movies.
I like Elf a lot, but don’t have to watch it every year for sure. But The Christmas Story is a hard, hard pass.
Suzanne
There are SO MANY Christmas movies I have never seen. Love Actually, White Christmas, Yes, Virginia, and It’s a Wonderful Life, Die Hard. (Although maybe last year we tried to watch It’s a Wonderful Life?? I may have fallen asleep.) I really like Elf, both Grinches that you mentioned (NOT the Jim Carrey one, which I have no interest in seeing), and Home Alones 1 and 2. My daughter doesn’t like Home Alone!!!! I am going to try to persuade her to watch it with me this year, along with (maybe) the Charlie Brown classic and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. There was a cute adaptation of A Christmas Carol that I enjoyed last year — with Ryan Reynolds, maybe? — but I can’t remember what it was called. Oh well.
Elisabeth
I think it’s the “Switched” movie everyone is raving about?!
Rosie
A long-time lurker from the UK popping up to vote for Arthur Christmas. A children’s animation with a stellar voiceover cast and quite complex undertones; is funny yet tender. My girls are now teenagers but we still have to watch it on Christmas Eve. And I have to watch The Snowman, though the girls jokingly moan they find it B.O.R.I.N.G.
As an aside, so happy when you got the blog up and running again, was very sad when at first you disappeared seemingly without trace!
Elisabeth
Hi Rosie. Thanks so much for commenting and I’m so glad to be back! Phew. What a rollercoaster of a year, including a total blog deletion.
I haven’t seen Arthur Christmas yet, but I’ve seen it advertised before! This needs to be the year I finally get around to watching it!
Emily
So interesting! I always watch Wonderful Life but usually by myself, nobody else in my family is interested. We watch Charlie Brown and original Grinch together, maybe Rudolph and the Snowman one. I tried Elf last year and just couldn’t, but I’m not a Will Ferrell fan so there’s that. I’m usually up for Christmas Carol, like the old black and white one. Never seen White Christmas!
Elisabeth
I’ve only seen It’s A Wonderful Life twice I think, but both times I really enjoyed it. I should dig it out again this year!
My kids love Elf because of all the potty humour 😉
Melissa
I have no feelings either! We didn’t make a thing of watching Christmas movies growing up and we haven’t as a family either. I don’t know whether this is more of a North American thing? No one here that I know gets into the Christmas movie thing.
Elisabeth
Maybe it is? I definitely grew up watching things like Home Alone and Ernest Saves Christmas. And the Tv’s are full of specials this time of year. Movies, cartoon shorts. It was one of my favourite things about the holidays when I was a kid!
Shelly
Another vote for Arthur Christmas. Also 2019 Grinch is LOVED in our house. I have not seen all of Home Alone or 2 or 3. So this year we plan to do that.
For nostalgia I usually watch Frosty. And I really enjoy Elf. I do like A Christmas Story. It’s certainly not really uplifting but gives hope that change can happen.
Elisabeth
Okay, I need to watch Arthur Christmas! I think it’s on Netflix?
Shelly
It is on Netflix!
coco
Thanks for sharing your list. we don’t have the tradition to watch classic. this is a good list for us to start 🙂
J
Count me team HATE POLAR EXPRESS. The first time I saw it I liked it fine, but then I thought about it some and it really ticked me off.
I copied your idea on my blog today, though I couldn’t come up with 5, had to do just 4.
Elisabeth
I’ve only seen it twice, but was not a big fan and my kids have never liked it.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I will weigh in on your blog shortly!
NGS
I’ve been wracking my brain over here and I have to put a plug in for Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. It’s adorable! (That’s it. That’s my only Christmas movie recommendation.)
Elisabeth
Never heard of it – what a mouthful! Looks like it’s associated with the Muppets?
Meike
After reading J’s post I had to come check which movies you have on your list 😉 I have not watched many of your bottoms and agree with most your tops even though as I mentioned on J’s post it’s a whole different set of movies for me. There is a whole bunch of reruns in December on TV in Germany I grew up with. On the top of my list is a Czech Cinderella movie called Three Wishes for Cinderella from 1973.
Elisabeth
What an important point – of course “traditional” Christmas movies are going to vary so much by location. I suppose a few famous films might get dubbed but, in general, we’re likely drawn to movies in our native tongue for Christmas viewing!
JMH
Fun! I don’t watch a ton of movies but here’s my list.
Movies I love:
The Snowman. Not the one with David Bowie narrating, the one with only music. Beautiful and heart tugging.
Charlie’s Brown Christmas. Absolute classic and captures the spirit of the season better than any other, IMO.
Bad Mom’s Christmas. Not at all family friendly, best with a cocktail and a S.O. Raunchy and so, so funny. Sometimes you just need to laugh the holiday stress away.
Original Grinch cartoon. I cry every time, in a good way.
Movies I hate:
Frosty the Snowman, you know the old animated one. Horrible. Hard pass.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the OG claymation one. Great song, super creepy movie.
All those sentimental old black and white Christmas movies: nah. Sentimental old songs, yes, but I can only take about 3 minutes of that kind of sap.
Merry Christmas! May you watch only your favorites!
Elisabeth
Rudolph IS creepy, right?! I’m glad it’s just not me…
Stephany
The only Christmas movies I LOVE are Elf, Christmas Vacation, and The Santa Clause. Everything else, I can watch once and never feel the need to watch them again. I feel this way about Home Alone and my brother LOVES that movie – it’s a contentious opinion in my family, haha. But I’m just not much of a movie-watcher by nature so I don’t see the point in re-watching. I’ve even cut down on how often I re-watch Elf/Vacation/Clause – I watch a different one every year. I think this year it’s back to The Santa Clause!
Elisabeth
I haven’t seen Christmas Vacation in years, but definitely a classic for many people!
I like to re-watch holiday movies but think you’re on a very important point; it’s helpful to alternate every few years. Other than White Christmas and The Grinch (old and new) I can’t think of a movie or show I watch every single Christmas.
San
Haha, it’s so funny how different people feel about certain movies. I try to watch The Holiday (LOVE), Home Alone, Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, and The Polar Express every year.
I also love The Family Stone (I see your sentiments, but also think it’s about a “regular” family around Christmas time and some of these relationships get resolved in the end, so it’s a bit of a happy end, even though one of the main characters dies), A Fitzgerald Family Christmas, and Four Christmases. There’s something for me about these not-so-perfect families that come together at Christmas time.
Have you seen A Child’s Christmas in Wales? It’s an old English holiday movie that Jon and I love to watch.
Elisabeth
I haven’t watched The Holiday in years. Why? I LOVE it! I don’t think I’ve heard of A Fitzgerald Family Christmas. And I’ve never seen A Child’s Christmas in Wales, but it looks like it’s available on YouTube, so I have it all set up to watch sometime soon!