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. :)
"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)
"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)."
"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."
"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."
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!
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I didn’t realize how much of Christmas Vacation was cut/altered by the networks when playing it. Zowie! Going to have to break out the DVD for sure. Thanks for your comments, Haggislaw!
I saw an ad for one I know I’d missed called, “Surviving Christmas”. Anyone seen this one/care to enlighten me?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252028/
have to echo the sentiments for…
The year without a Santa Claus, still love that Rankin/Bass Heat Miser/Cold Miser thang. Kinda scary how much of a hold those old stop action things had on my generation. I watch them every year and the wife and I had these goofy grins on our faces singing the songs like “One foot in front of the other” and “first toymaker to the king”.
the While You Were Sleeping was a good call too, don’t know if Bullock has ever been more engaging and Pullman more of a regular guy. Really great cast.
Now if you’ll forgive me, Zuzu left her petals all over the carpet and the cats have gotten into them.
I am a big fan of The Night They Saved Christmas. It stars Art Carney and Jacklyn Smith. I reccomend it to everyone.
1) Charlie Brown Christmas. I never go through a holiday season without watching it.
2) Muppet Christmas Carol because everything is better with the Muppets.
3) Die Hard because it’s awesome.
Honorable mention goes to ItsJustSomeRandomGuy’s “Twas the Dark Knight Before Christmas” video.
1. A charlie brown christmas (I’ve watched it 5 times this month)
2. Rudolph the red nose reindeer (love the stop motion)
3. Santa clause is coming to town (another stop motion)
4. Elf
5. Home alone (only the first one)
6. Jingle all the way
7.the santa clause
8. Its a wonderful life
9.
Holy moly there are comments from a year ago… anywho….
Our local TV station from small town Ontario, Canada journeyed to Seneca Falls this week (west of Syracuse, New York)reporting that this little town was the inspiration for the look and feel of Bedford Falls. Particularly the bridge and changing the original story the film is based on to reflect a real life suicide attempt. A woman jumped from the Seneca Falls bridge in 1917 and a man jumped in after her. She survived. He did not. The year before It’s a Wonderful Life was released Capra stayed in the town. The real-life actresses who played Janie and Zuzu show up every year in December for the town’s festival celebrating it’s connection to Hollywood history. Seeing them interviewed by our small time news anchor was surreal.
My favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone Part 1 & 2, since I was growing up
Batman Returns……(crickets chirp)….I don’t care. I count it as a Christmas movie.
Last year I saw Disney’s A Christmas Carol on Netflix and it was good to watch.
A Cosmic Christmas.
testing testing
Sorry about that. I keep getting the SPAM error trying to respond to 7-9-0. Just wanted to see if I could still post.
BTW, my favorite Christmas movies: Scrooged and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The Snowman has to be by far my favorite Christmas movie. The animation which mimics that of a watercolor/pastel painting partnered with an incredible score and narrated by David Bowie, makes this film unforgettable. My childhood wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t for this movie. If you have never seen it, be an adult or child, it’s quite the visual treat.
Of course I have to watch all the Rankin/Bass specials (Rudolph, Year Without a Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, etc.) which are the most essential.
I LOVE the obscure ones (Die Hard, Batman Returns, Gremlins), much to the lament of my cliche, conformist friends.
I only ever watch The Grinch nowadays to hear the song.
The Polar Express isn’t that bad and actually passes as a traditional Christmas Special in my book.
As Arnold’s Biggest fan, I think Jingle All the Way is a necessity.
We can never forget the reason for the season, which makes The Nativity Story another essential.
And of course, what Christmas is complete without A Christmas Story?
But my all time favorite has to be A Christmas Carol. Any of ‘em! George C. Scott’s is probably the one that nails it the most.
1) Christmas Vacation (without question)
2) Elf
3) A Christmas Story
Merry Christmas SR, thanks for providing us all with the best movie news website around.
Thanks, Timothy – we work hard at it… and LOVE IT!
Vic
The great holiday classic JINGLE ALL THE WAY!!!!
easy call here…scrooged for sure…bill murray is hilarious. Runner up? the muppets chrismas carol
christmas top ten, 10-5 listed as comes to my head, but rest are in order.
10)just friends
9)home alone 2
8)the ref
7)the santa clause 3
6)miracle on 34th street, old one
5)ernest saves christmas
4)scrooged
3)lethal weapon 1
2)rudoplh the red nosed reindeer
1)die hard
I love “Just Friends.” Excellent addition to any Christmas movie list.
Patrick Stewart’s version of A Christmas Carol.
My new favorite Christmas movie is “Cooper’s Christmas.” This little known gem is absolutely hysterical and is one of the most quote worthy movies I’ve seen in year. Warning though – it’s not for kids. It’s rude, crude and just plain funny. Still on Netflix instant streaming if you want to check it out.
One of my favorites is 1982′s Christmas Comes to Pac-Land.
Video games and Christmas together!
If you’ve never seen it, it airs tonight at seven on Boomerang.
Yeah, my wife and I watched the ’61 Babes in Toyland last week. Utter crap. That movie isn’t for Christmas at all. 1. They don’t even get to Toyland until over half way thru the movie. 2. He’s a toymaker, not Santa. 3. It’s Toyland, not the North Pole. 4. It’s October. The ONLY thing even REMOTELY Christmas about that movie is the snow in the final scene.
Blech.
I’ll take Die Hard (Now I have a machine gun! Ho Ho Ho), Lethal Weapon and Muppet Christmas Carol. With aside of A Christmas Story (Oh, Fudge!) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas for dessert.
A Christmas movie feast for all!
I think My favorite christmas movies are Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon.
elf…
Christmas Vacation is not only the best Christmas movie, but one of the greatest movies, period. Just like the Jelly of the Month club, it’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year. “That it is, Edward, that it is.”
no home alone on the list? =/
vlad,
If it makes you feel better, it’s one of my wife’s favorites – and we DO watch it every year.
Vic
DIE HARD!!!
Love your list and wouldn’t change a thing. However I’d like to just add Home Alone as number 11, a movie we, as a family watch every Christmas.
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New year to all the Screen Rant Staff xxx
Over the last couple of years I have really grown to love “Fred Clause” it has heart, family, and a twelve step program scene that kills me every time i see it.