Screen Rant’s Favorite Christmas Movies

favorite christmas movies

It's been a couple of years since we last did this, so we thought we'd do an update for our readers. It's Christmas time once again and many, many films and TV shows have been created to commemorate the holiday, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites with you. Some of these are traditional and others are modern takes (or completely different twists) on the season. It's difficult to narrow favorites down to one (or two, or three) film(s) that really speak to each of us this time of year - but we've managed to whittle things down to keep this fairly brief for you. So read on to see what each of us here on the Screen Rant team consider the films that define the holiday season. :) Miracle on 34th Street

"I'd have to say that in a showdown between the original Miracle on 34th St. and It's a Wonderful Life, the latter takes the crown for me. It's the one movie that I think embodies the spirit of Christmas better than any other. While "Miracle" is a wonderful story as well, "Life" keeps me riveted no matter how many times I've seen it and I *always* choke up at the end. Every time. I think a runner-up might be A Christmas Story because it really takes me back to my childhood in many ways. If I were to pick a modern day favorite, I'd have to say it's Jon Favreau's Elf."

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. (1966) "The Christmas movie that takes me back to childhood. I always identified with the Grinch - except for the ending. Never forgave old Grinchy for going soft on me like that." Runner Up: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Honorable Mention: Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" (1964 - stop-motion animated version) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Raindeer

"By far my most favorite Christmas movie is Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer from 1964." "The stop motion animated TV special about the story of Rudolph and his... birth defect is something I watched every year as a child and something that I never got bored of." "It was charming, funny, emotional and the abominable snowman really did freak me out."

"While it might not not represent the most traditional Christmas movie experience, I'm still a huge fan of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - and watch it every year during the the holidays. Other film-fans might love seeing New York decked-out in holiday cheer or hand-drawn animated Christmas adventures but I'll never forget the memorable character designs and intriguing "be yourself" message of Jack Skellington." "That said, anyone who has never seen The Star Wars Holiday Special is also missing out - as Chewbacca's son, Lumpy, simultaneously epitomized and destroyed my childhood dreams."

The Muppets Christmas Carol Runner Up: Santa's Slay, The Year Without A Santa Claus, While You Were Sleeping "Since the age of 8, my philosophy has been that anything could be made better with the addition of Muppets. Since I doubt there's ever going to be a Muppets Ghostbusters, this faithful retelling of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol will have to do. Not only does this wonderful film affirm my childhood notions, but the songs are so good that they remain on my MP3 player all year 'round (just don't tell anyone -- I've got a manly persona to protect)." A Charlie Brown Christmas

"There are so many Christmas movies that I love (It's A Wonderful Life, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Muppet Christmas Carol, to name a few) that picking my favorite one is pretty difficult. However, there are two short Yuletide cartoons that I always remember to watch each holiday season." "One is The Snowman, the 1982 adaptation of Raymond Brigg's picture book. It's virtually wordless (save for the live-action prologue and the song 'Walking in the Air'), features beautiful hand-drawn animation, a fun story - and, frankly, if you don't get a little choked up while watching the end, then you may secretly be a rock." "The other short is A Charlie Brown Christmas. I just love the cartoony style, simple morals, and the "adult humor" (here, that's actually a good thing). Plus, Vince Guaraldi's jazz score is awesome."

"Not a single Christmas goes by that I don't watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Die Hard, Scrooged, Love Actually, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1966), The Snowman, and so forth. But more than any of those films, Mickey's Christmas Carol -- starring Scrooge McDuck as the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge -- fills me with the sort of whimsy and warmth that I enjoyed as a child on Christmas Eve."

1) It's a Wonderful Life 2) Die Hard 3) A Christmas Story "For me, the awesomeness of Die Hard and the hilariousness of A Christmas Story just can't match up with the sheer joy I get from watching It's a Wonderful Life. Does any movie deliver such a rich and emotionally satisfying ending? We can all empathize with George Bailey. He's basically a good and decent man, but life has a way of wearing on you. Between his responsibilities to the savings and loan, his family, and the town, no one can blame him for losing hope and falling into depression. By the time Clarence the angel swoops in to save George from suicide (and 'earn his wings'), we're right there on the bridge with him. When George finally sees what the world would be like without him, he (and we) learn just how one man really can make a difference in the world. It's a truly inspirational film and one of my favorite Christmas traditions." Laurel & Hardy in 'Babes in Toyland'

"I'm going to reach way back to the the Golden Age of Films with my choice - the 1934 version of Babes in Toyland starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Disney released a successful remake in 1961 starring Annette Funicello and Tommy Sands and while I thoroughly enjoy that version nothing can hold a candle to the wonderful film director Hal Roach gave the world. The movie is often forgotten because of the 1961 version but to me it is one great Christmas movie." "The movie isn't chock full of lots of Christmas references but it is still a film I enjoy watching each Christmas season. Hopefully when my children get old enough to appreciate classic black and white films Phineas and Ferb reign supreme right now - I can get them to watch this Babes in Toyland with me."

"Of all the films set during the Christmas season, Scrooged is the one that I return to most often. In fact, I’d say that I haven’t missed watching it in the last twenty years. In my eyes, it is festive cinematic Christmas perfection. Richard Donner’s film takes its inspiration from the classic Charles Dickens tale, smartens it up and transplants the action to 80s New York City. What makes this film so special to me? Pretty much everything!" "Billy Murray’s performance is splendid, and the film uses his smug, self-obsessed persona to perfection – making him a character that you love to hate, but leaving room for the inevitable redemption during the films climax. Donner’s direction again shows that he’s a man who can tackle any genre, and this yuletide comedy is one of his finest efforts, aided by Danny Elfman’s sleigh-bell strewn score." favorite christmas movies

So there's our list of timeless Christmas favorites - Which are your favorites that you find yourself watching year after year? Oh, and... Merry Christmas!