“Sure, you may have seen these already, but there’s a reason you liked them in the first place, right?”
What beats curling up on the couch with someone you love, sipping on delicious hot chocolate topped with a little too much whipped cream while watching a holiday film? Can’t think of an answer? Neither can I. Once Thanksgiving is over, everyone seems to be filled with holiday spirit and can’t help but be merry. Sure, it’s finals week, but instead of being a Scrooge, I have switched my study music to include the N’Sync and Justin Bieber Christmas albums and I am choosing to look forward to the Grey’s Anatomy holiday special that’s bound to air within the next few weeks. You know the time has come for holiday films when ABC Family releases its “25 Days of Christmas” line-up, which they did on Saturday, December 1st. Feel free to check out the full list here: ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas.
If you’re a seasoned veteran of holiday films, you know that there are just some movies you never grow tired of watching. These are the films that are littered with witty one-liners, lovely heartfelt messages, and killer soundtracks. For whatever reason, we return to them time and time again with just as much fervor and appreciation as the first five times we saw them. Here are a few of my and my friends’ favorite holiday films. Some are classics and some just deserve a league of their own.
Home Alone What is there not to love about this film? An 8 year-old kid gets left behind as his flustered parents try to usher the entire family into an airport shuttle for a Christmas vacation in Paris, France. He immediately does what any sane unattended minor would do…eats all of the junk food in the house, stays up late watching movies he knows he shouldn’t watch, and the quintessential ‘home alone’ deed, jumping on his parents’ bed. Overhearing a devious plot to rob his house, the boy quickly (and impressively, I might add) booby-traps his ENTIRE house in an effort to thwart the bandits. This movie is a sure fire hit for all age groups – it’s got a bit of something for everyone. Punchy humor and little quips, fantastically written references to pop culture, a phenomenal cast, and an excellent writer! Seriously, did John Hughes ever write a single flop? There’s really no way to go wrong with this film at a holiday party. Let’s be honest, we have all wished to be Kevin McCallister at some point, as we watch him battle the Tweedledums and Tweedledees of suburban burglars.
Elf This film speaks for itself. If you haven’t seen it, let alone heard of it…you live under a rock, or “you sit on a throne of lies!” Will Ferrell plays an elf named Buddy who really isn’t an elf at all…I don’t want to ruin the film for you, but let’s just say Buddy gets a sneak peek at life beyond the North Pole. Ferrell has an amazing supporting cast including Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, and Peter Dinklage, among others. Elf is a fun film littered with a multitude of quotable one-liners, filled with holiday cheer, and bursting with color and familiar holiday tunes. If this movie doesn’t get you in the spirit, you’re surely a Grinch.
Love Actually This is one of those movies you don’t feel out of place watching even if it’s during the month of July. Sure, it’s set during the holiday season, but its story is about so much more than Christmas cheer. Love Actually, a British RomCom, tackles the issues of love in a very realistic way, chronicling eight characters’ understanding of it. I like to think of Love Actually as the blueprint for the likes of later films such as Valentine’s Day or New York, I Love You. Seeing as the movie has an overarching theme of love, you can’t help but pop in the DVD during a Holiday Film party. After all, what are the holidays all about? Love, actually.
A Rugrats Chanukah Ok, I cheated a little and included a TV episode. Sue me! This special Chanukah episode holds a special place in my childhood for teaching me all about the Jewish holiday. Grandma Minka ends up reading the babies a story about the origin of Chanukah and of course the tiny tots imagine themselves to be the story’s characters. What follows is a great battle between Judah and the “Meany of Chanukah”, quests for jelly doughnuts, hilarious quotes from Grandpa Boris, and little Tommy Pickles in a yarmulke. This one is fun to watch and educational!
The Muppet Christmas Carol Kermit and Miss Piggy, holiday style? Yes, please! The Muppets put their spin on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and they do not disappoint. With Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Mrs. Cratchit, and Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, this movie is bound to provide quality entertainment. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a winner, especially if you get roped into babysitting the family tots at your holiday gathering.
It’s A Wonderful Life Disclaimer: I have never seen this film. My friends have tried time and time again to get me to watch it, but I once caught a clip of the film and I can’t bring myself to do it. The reason A Wonderful Life has made it onto this list is because I may be the only person on the planet who refuses to watch it. “A Wonderful Life” is truly a classic. Though there are some majorly depressing moments, the overall message of the story is so beautiful that you can’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside as you accompany the protagonist, George, on his tumultuous journey through life. The end of the film leaves you feeling particularly grateful for all that you have while simultaneously wanting to give back to the community any way that you can. This one’s a real tearjerker, so if you’re like me, and look positively horrible while crying, you may want to save this one for a night in with your closest friends.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Let me preface this by stating the obvious: Tim Burton is a cinematic god. There hasn’t been a single Tim Burton film that I have not liked. All biases aside, The Nightmare Before Christmas is too quirky not to love. Set in ghoulish Halloweentown (yes, such a place existed before the Disney Original Movie), the movie follows Jack Skellington as he makes a wrong turn and finds himself in Christmas Town. Unsatisfied with his scary routine and completely smitten by the spectacles of this newfound town, he returns home and attempts to get his fellow residents to partake in their own Christmas. When that doesn’t work, Jack tries a different approach, which has some comedic results. My roommates and I watched this one just the other day! It really doesn’t get old.
The list of timeless holiday movies is far more extensive than what has been covered in this article, so think of this as a truncated version. No matter what films you watch this holiday season, make sure you’re spending quality time with the people you care about the most! Happy Holidays!
XOXO,
Whit