If you are looking for a stressfree tradition to add to your holiday celebrations this year, let me offer one suggestion. Make some hot chocolate, gather your favorite people, and enjoy a Christmas movie marathon. For those inclined to take my advice, here is a list of Christmas movies to view with your family.
Beginning with the classics, I would put White Christmas (1954) at the top of my list. This is one of our family favorites, and I must say that I never get tired of watching it. Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera Ellen, this film is a masterpiece from the golden age of Hollywood.
With lots of music and incredible dancing, you are sure to enjoy it. If you see no other movie with your family this season, watch White Christmas.
Another must see classic is It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Considered one of the greatest films of all time, Frank Capra's timeless gem stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
In the movie, George Bailey, played by Stewart, has given up his personal dreams to serve his community. Discouraged to the point of suicide on Christmas eve, his guardian angel Clarence intercedes. In the end, George realizes that he has a wonderful life.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is another Christmas classic, featuring a very young Natalie Wood who does not believe in Santa Claus. She and her mother meet an elderly gentleman named Kris Kringle and come to believe otherwise. This story has a very happy ending.
Rounding out the category of recommended vintage movies, I would add the following. Meet Me in St. Louis (1942) is a wonderful film featuring Judy Garland. Holiday Inn (1942) stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and features a wonderful musical score by Irving Berlin. And the often-overlooked Christmas in Connecticut (1945) is a hilarious romantic comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan.
One of my absolute favorites on our Christmas movie list is the 1983 comedy A Christmas Story. This movie is now considered a classic, and in 2012 was selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant." In the movie, set in 1940, Peter Billingsley plays nine-year-old Ralphie, whose one desire is to receive a Red Ryder lever-action BB gun for Christmas.
The writing in this movie is superb, and the story is filled with humorous vignettes, including Ralphie’s father’s continuing fight with the household furnace. His profanity “is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan." A Christmas movie list would be incomplete without the family favorite Home Alone (1990). Macauley Culkin’s portrayal of Kevin McCallister, the eight-year-old boy left alone by his family and forced to defend his suburban home from a pair of bungling burglars is beyond funny.
Another family favorite in our house is Elf (2003). Will Ferrell’s antics as Buddy the Elf, growing up with Santa at the North Pole, and then traveling to New York City to find his human family are hysterical.
For those who prefer a little more action, I will include the following. Die Hard (1988) starring Bruce Willis has often sparked debate about whether or not it is a Christmas movie. I would say that it is. Bruce Willis is invited to a Christmas party, and the resulting action ensures that the bad guys involved get what’s coming to them. This is a very satisfying holiday film.
Another shoot-em-up movie that I will add to this list is Lethal Weapon (1987). Here Mel Gibson is paired with Danny Glover, and the action begins in a Christmas tree lot. You will definitely enjoy this movie.
If you like romantic comedies, I will include the wonderful Nora Ephron film Sleepless in Seattle. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this is a great Christmas movie.
The story begins on Christmas eve and plays out until Valentine’s Day. The movie highlights Ephron’s talent for comedy and romance, and the on-screen chemistry between Hanks and Ryan makes this movie really work. Watching it makes you appreciate those you love.
More Christmas worthy romantic comedies include these movies. You’ve Got Mail (1998), is another Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan film to make you feel warm and cozy. While You Were Sleeping (1995), is a funny comedy starring Sandra Bullock that is fun to watch. Serendipity (2001) is a John Cusack film often overlooked as a Christmas movie.
Another romantic Christmas movie that is worth watching is Love Actually (2003). This star-studded British comedy addresses the different aspects of love and features a great soundtrack. I love movies with good music!
If you prefer pure and potent humor, I recommend National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) starring Chevy Chase, along with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987), with Steve Martin and John Candy. Both of these movies are wet your pants funny, and I guarantee you will enjoy them.
One movie that I would add to our list is A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). This is another holiday classic, and a good reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. Linus, on stage and holding his blanket, recites the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2.
That says it all. Merry Christmas!
© 2023 Jody Dyer
