Top Holiday and Christmas Movies

Some holiday movies instantly become classics as soon as they are released. Other holiday movies tend to grow on you over the years. Here are some of my favorite holiday movies.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
The Griswolds stay home this time and the fun comes there. Upon the arrival of many relatives, they try to adjust and deal with both Clark & Ellen's parents, who don't get along. While Clark tries to create the ideal Christmas with his over-the-top lawn ornament and light display, and deals with the current family Crazy cousin Eddie and his brood show up unexpectedly and things spiral out of control from there.

A Christmas Story
This hilarious tale, set in the 1940's, focuses on nine-year-old Ralphie's desperate adventures and schemes to make his dreams of getting a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas come true. Rated PG due to the "suggestion" of adult language, which is humorously obscured.

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Director Ron Howard offers this live-action adaptation of the famous Christmas tale by Dr. Seuss, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Comedian Jim Carrey plays the title role the Grinch with his usual manic flare. Great special effects help to make the story of a freakish green monster living in a mountainside cave who disguises himself as Santa Claus, and steals the Christmas goodies from every single home in Whoville, into a hilarious holiday comedy.

Home Alone
A season favorite, Home Alone is the story of a family who goes on Christmas vacation, only they forgot one minor detail: their 8-year-old sone Kevin! Left to fend for himself, Kevin is a clever boy who takes charge of protecting his house when would-be burgulars attempt to break in. The booby traps and antics are wild and crazy, but hugely entertaining.

The Santa Clause
It's Christmas, and Single Dad Scott Calvin and his son Charlie hear noises on the roof. Scott accidentally startles Santa, who falls from the roof and is injured. Charlie makes his dad put on the suit and take Santa’s place. Once in the sleigh they take a wild ride to deliver toys, ending up at the North Polek where head elf Bernard tells Scott about "the Santa Clause"; When he put on the outfit, he legally accepted the job as Mr. Kringle.

The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause
In Santa Clause 2, Scott Calvin aka Santa Claus discovers that his head elf Curtis has failed to inform him that he has to find a wife by Christmas Eve or he can no longer be Santa. He finds himself slowly fading back to his human appearance as the "de-Santification process" begins. His son has been put on the naughty list and is at war with the high school principal, so Santa returns home as Scott, leaving a toy Santa to run the North Pole while he seeks a wife and tries to help his son. I think I like this one more than I did The Santa Clause.

It's a Wonderful Life
In the classic, It's A Wonderful Life, James Stewart gives a superior performance as the good hearted George Bailey who endures a series of letdowns and hardships and finally decides to off himself after a banking error that really wasn't his fault. His guardian angel-in-training shows up to show him what life in his hometown would be like if he'd never been born and seeks to restore his faith in mankind and his winning spirit.

White Christmas
This holiday classic is filled with Irving Berlin tunes such as "White Christmas," Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as two war buddies who start a song and dance routine.

Holiday Inn
Bing Crosby stars as song and dance man who runs an inn only open on holidays. There are lots of Irving Berlin song and dance scenes with Crosby and Fred Astaire as they work the inn and vie for the attention of Linda (Marjorie Reynolds). A magical holiday-themed movie.

A Christmas Carol (AKA Scrooge) (1951)
Alastair Sim was said to have played the perfect Ebenezer Scrooge in the Dickens’ classic adaptation about a miser who doesn’t believe in Christmas until three ghosts come to take him on three voyages. Vivid with what life was like in 19th-century London, the terrific performances of the cast, including Kathleen Harrison as Mrs. Dilber, make the story come to life. This version of "A Christmas Carol" is by far the best.

Christmas In Connecticut
Barbara Stanwyck (Elizabeth) sparks as a prominent food writer and self-described hard working farm woman, mother and excellent cook. In truth she’s only trying to impress her boss, and the unmarried liar can’t even boil an egg. When her boss decides to send a sailor (Jefferson Jones) to spend Christmas with her, Elizabeth fears she’s done for. A fun and lively movie with a touch of nostalgia and patriotism. Stanwyck is wonderful in the role.

Jingle All The Way
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad sure deliver the laughs in this holiday movie. Arnold plays Howard Langston, a dad who has promised his young son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas, and doesn’t realize what he’ll have to go through to get it. You’ll laugh as you watch James Belushi plays a sleazy Santa impersonator.

And it wouldn’t be Christmas for kids without the likes of Charlie Brown and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Children’s faces light with glee when seeing the red-nose of Rudolph light up. In this sweet story, Rudolph gets kicked out of the reindeer games because of that nose. The tale takes a life of its own from there with a mix of elves, dentists, and snowmen. Of course everyone knows that Rudolph saves Christmas Eve by helping Santa deliver his toys, but younger kids will want to watch this movie over and over again. Burl Ives narrates.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Kids of all ages love Charlie Brown and along with him they discover that things haven’t changed much at holiday time. What is the real meaning of Christmas is what Charlie wants to know. He’s annoyed by the commercialism. He and Lucy team up to direct the school Christmas pageant and it turns into a rescue mission with Linus' to save a Christmas tree. When they sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," it all comes home again.