So it’s Christmastime once again, and every year at this time I like to relay a Yuletide story of good will or good people that stir the spirit of the holiday. Unfortunately for me, this year I have drawn a blank. Not that I can’t think of people that deserve to be recognized for their good nature and Christmas cheer, but just that I don’t have full knowledge or permission to tell these stories at the moment. So, I have decided instead to regale you with my self-proclaimed expertise in picking the best Christmas movies! Now I’m going to list these in order of the timeline in which I watch them. This is important (at least to me), because the order relays how much the movies have come to mean to me. The starting picks are somewhat interchangeable, but the last six are iron-clad and significant.
Christmas Story 2: I start with this one because it is newest to my growing collection of must-watch Christmas movies. It is a continuation of the classic Christmas Story. This is a cute and funny coming-of-age story about a now teenaged Ralphie. The original was released in 1983 and this one 2007, so there was no way the original actors could play the parts (provided they even wanted to), but the new actors do a really good job and make this worthy of watching.
A Christmas Carol: Although it’s not in my Top 5 movies, it is arguably the No. 1 Christmas story of all time. This Charles Dickens classic has been remade so many times you may have starred in a version of it and not known it. Here are my favorite renditions: the 1951 British adaptation, starring Alastair Sim, (he’s the creepy uncle type, which makes it really interesting when he gets a spiritful of Christmas cheer while still being creepy), the 1984 version starring George C. Scott and Disney’s version with Scrooge voiced by Jim Carrey. This last version is animated and takes a lot of liberties with the original story. But, when and where they get it right, and aided by CGI, it’s worth the viewing.
Miracle on 34th St.: In this sweet 1947 movie, a Macy’s executive tries to find a new store Santa. She hires an old man named Kris Kringle who claims to be the one and only Santa Claus. Of course, such claims can get you into trouble, and Kris ends up being hospitalized for a delusional disorder. Hope comes in the form of a young man who wants to help Kris prove that he is really and truly Santa. Best scene: The little girl pulling Santa’s beard.
The Bishop’s Wife: This one is a bit obscure and may be hard to find. Best chance of getting it would be eBay or Amazon. This is relatively new to my collection. I saw it on someone else’s list a couple years ago and decided to see it for myself. I’m glad I did. The movie was released in 1947 and revolves around an angel visiting with a troubled bishop and his wife. Cary Grant plays the angel with the same cool swagger that made him famous in his day. Before the big Christmas feel-good ending, complete with a soul-revealing sermon by the bishop (David Niven), the humor is delivered by the angel making life hard on the bishop, who suspects the supernatural being is trying to take his wife. This is a movie that old-movies buffs should really enjoy. Best scene: The refilling bottle.
Deck the Halls: This is one of those comfortable feel-good movies that just works so well on a cold afternoon with a cup of coffee. The plot: A set-in-his-ways suburbanite becomes increasingly irritated by his new neighbor. After the gloves come off and they really start going at each other, the movie is really entertaining. The movie stars Danny DeVito, so you know it’s gotta be funny. Best scene: Matthew Broderick and DeVito making catcalls at the dancing girls, and then discovering it’s their daughters dancing.
The Polar Express: In my opinion, this is one of the better children’s Christmas movies to come out in long time. The first time I saw it, I didn’t really get it. Then I watched it with a 6-year-old, and all of a sudden it made sense. The movie is animated, but isn’t a cartoon in the sense of its plot and humor. It is not a particularly funny movie although it has its moments, like pulling the engineer’s beard to move caribou off the tracks. But it does a fine job of dealing with child issues like shyness and feelings of being separate from everyone else.
Scrooged: The effects in this one are definitely from the 1980s, but so is the vintage Bill Murray. He is as funny in this movie as he was in Ghostbusters. This movie meanders through a modern Christmas Carol plot and does have some cheesy effects, but the interaction between Murray and the spirits will keep you laughing. Best scene: Trying to staple antlers on a mouse.
Christmas With the Kranks: This movie is just a really comfortable holiday movie. The plot involves a middle-aged man and wife, whose daughter has just come into young adulthood and left home. The parents handle the empty nest by booking a Caribbean vacation. At the last minute, the daughter has a change of heart and wants to bring her fiancé home for a traditional Christmas. The best scene in this tale is Jamie Lee Curtis trying to score some canned ham.
Bad Santa: Warning: If you have not seen this yet, it is not for the kids! This movie is violent, politically incorrect, full of foul language . . . and funny. My favorite scene is when the kid makes Billy Bob Thornton a wooden pickle as a Christmas present.
“Bad Santa”
Fred Claus: This movie has a good moral undertone, but the reason it makes my list is the part that features elves dancing to “Rubberneckin’” by Elvis. That scene alone is enough reason to watch this movie every year.
Joyeux Noel: This movie could be anywhere on this list, except No. 1 or 2, because it’s true and shows the best in human nature in the worst possible circumstances. This is based on the unofficial Christmas truce of 1914, between the opposing armies in the trenches during WWI. Once the truce is confirmed, soldiers from all sides of the conflict exchange greetings and small gifts and play games between the trenches. To me, this may be the single most inspiring Christmas movie of all time. Imagine it: Against orders, soldiers lay down their guns by the thousands and celebrate Christmas. For one day, they were humans, not mere assets on a battlefield. That may be the biggest Christmas miracle ever.
The Homecoming: This one is also a bit obscure. It was the unintended pilot movie for The Waltons series and premiered as a TV movie in December 1971. The movie was so popular that it spawned the TV series. You will notice a couple characters that were not in the series, but the overall feeling is the same. The plot is one of a wife longing for her husband to return home and a big Christmas ending of everyone getting their Christmas wish granted. The best parts of this feel-good movie revolve around stolen turkeys and John Boy’s search for his father.
Okay, now for the Top 6. These are the Christmas movies I must see, or it isn’t really Christmas. . . . Drum roll, please . . .
6. The Ref: Starring Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey, this is hands-down the funniest Christmas movie ever made. That’s my opinion, and it should be yours. This movie is full of great one-liners, with Kevin Spacey giving the best one while addressing his mother with a fire poker in his hand. This movie involves a botched jewel heist and hostages, along with some foul language and adult themes. Needless to say, it’s not for the small kids. Put ’em to bed, make some popcorn and watch Dennis Leary at his best. Best scene: Family dysfunction around the Christmas tree.
5. Elf: A little more than a decade ago, I had the pleasure of taking a bright-eyed 3-year-old to see her first movie, on Christmas Day. I was worried about her being bored and fussy, but she watched this movie with the wide-eyed wonder that only a child that young can. She remembered the plot accurately and told us all about it all the way home. The best scene is the entire movie.
4. Christmas Vacation: This is one of the greats when it comes to holiday movies. Every year at least once, I have to watch Clark Griswold suffer through Christmas and still manage to keep his Christmas spirit. There are so many funny moments in this movie, and Chevy Chase is a master at comedic timing. Best scene: Any scene with Randy Quaid in it.
“Christmas Vacation”
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas: I’m sure that there are many who don’t think this movie belongs in the must-see category. Well, they are wrong. It is true that there are many liberties taken with this Dr. Seuss tale, but I think it’s only fair to add that there isn’t enough of the original story to make a two-hour movie. Once you get over the wide strokes taken to make this movie, it is really funny, with some of the best one-liners in any Christmas movie. The Grinch costume, cave settings, the Whos and Whoville give the feeling of the Seuss original. If you’re not a fan, you should be. Best scene: Sledding down the mountain.
2. It’s a Wonderful Life: I am always amazed to find that there are people who have not seen this movie. It was released in 1946 and is one of the most-loved Christmas movies of all time. I was 11 years old the first time I saw it. My parents worked third shift and I would sneak out of bed late at night and watch TV. This movie came on one cold night and it was just me sitting on the floor in front of the black-and-white glow of the midnight movie. I watched the entire movie and was glued to it. I didn’t even realize it was a Christmas movie until almost the end. My parents liked the movie, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t chased back to bed. Besides the fact that it is a great movie, the memories surrounding it will be with me for the rest of my life. This one is watched every Christmas Eve or it isn’t Christmas. Best scene: Clarence the Angel scaring the bridge guard.
Which brings us to No. 1 . . .
1. Christmas Story: This Christmas phenomenon has become America’s favorite, with the 1983 film being aired all day, back to back, on Christmas Day. My best memory of this movie is sitting with my dad after all the festivities of the day are over and laughing with him at little Ralphie. My dad’s name was Ralph and, although he never said it, I think that movie reminded him of his childhood. This movie has become so ingrained in my Christmas tradition, I don’t think I could go to sleep Christmas night without having seen this movie. Best scene: Ralphie in the Easter Bunny suit. Best Line: Some men are Baptists, others Catholics; my father was an Oldsmobile man.
Well, there it is, and I hope in some small way some of these movies give you the same Christmas cheer they give me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Honorable Mention:
Jingle All the Way
White Christmas
The Bells of St. Mary
Classic TV shows for kids:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (1970)
’Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974)
The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas (1977)
Jack Frost (1979)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
