Which Holiday Movies to Watch and Which to Skip

1. Noelle (2019)

Noelle on Disney+ follows the story of Noelle Kringle (played by Anna Kendrick) and her search for purpose during the Christmas season. Her and her brother Nick (played by Bill Hader) are the children of Santa Claus. When it’s time for Nick to take over the family business, his stress drives him away from the North Pole. It’s Noelle’s job to find her brother in order to save Christmas. What she doesn’t expect is to learn so much about herself in the process.

I would say to WATCH this movie. It’s funny and original and the actors were obviously having fun while they were making it. This was the first year that I’ve seen it and it will definitely become a staple on my Holiday Movie Watch List.

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Miracle on 34th Street is about Kris Kringle, the real life Santa Claus, and his desire for everyone to believe in him. He befriends a mother who wants her daughter to always know the absolute truth, doesn’t tell her fairy tales, and has firmly told her that Santa is not real. 

I would say to WATCH! This is by far my favorite classic Christmas movie. It warms my heart every time I see it. They remade it in the 1990s, but I believe that no remake can top the original. It’s got humor, heart, and above all, Christmas spirit.

1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

This may be the only Thanksgiving movie on the list. Neal Page (played by Steve Martin) is just trying to get home for Thanksgiving when he loses a cab, misses his plane, and has to stay in an awful hotel. He soon realizes that all of his problems are caused by fellow passenger Del Griffith (played by John Candy).

I would say to SKIP! This movie made me want to pull my hair out. I think that Steve Martin and John Candy are both incredible comedians and I love them in other films. However, I didn’t find the humor funny in this film and I found myself also being annoyed by Del along with Neal Page. I think that there are funnier holiday movies to spend your time watching.

     4 and 5. The Grinch (2018)

There comes a time where you just have to stop remaking the same film. The original short television program of How The Grinch Stole Christmas aired in 1966. Then, in 2000, Director Ron Howard brought it to life with a remake of the same name starring Jim Carrey. The Grinch follows our same lovable Grinch in his attempt to steal Christmas from the Whos. Cindy Lou Who is trying to capture Santa in order to tell him directly what she wants for Christmas. We come to the same conclusion in the end as the first two films. However, in 2018’s The Grinch, the Grinch isn’t that… grouchy! Jim Carrey really embodied his loathing for Christmas and the Whos but also his sympathy for Cindy. I feel that that was lost in the 2018 remake.

I would have to say SKIP The Grinch this year. But, WATCH How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

     6 and 7.  Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Home Alone follows mischievous Kevin McCallister, the youngest of the McCallister household. When his family accidentally leaves him behind on their trip to Paris for the holidays, he must defend his house from two professional robbers. This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. Watching it as an adult has made me realize some things: Kevin’s family is awfully mean to him, Kevin is significantly smarter and more creative than most adults, and finally that the robbers were not all jokes. They definitely were going to hurt him if they could’ve gotten a hold of him! I think this movie is a lot of fun and we get to see Kevin’s development from the beginning to the end. The second film in the franchise, is practically the exact same movie… it’s just set in New York. But I still think it’s a lot of fun regardless.

I would say WATCH both Home Alone movies. 

8. Elf (2003)

I may get some heat for this one: I don’t like the movie Elf and I will tell you right off the bat that you can skip this film this Christmas season. Will Ferrel plays Buddy, a human that believes that he is an elf after growing up in the North Pole. He comes to New York to find his real father and discovers that his dad is on the naughty list. He will stop at nothing to have a relationship with his dad, much to his dad’s dismay. The reason I say that this movie can be skipped is because I believe there are much funnier Holiday movies and this one is frankly overrated. 

Funny Christmas Movies besides Elf: Noelle, The Santa Clause, A Christmas Story, Deck The Halls.