The holiday season is here...and even though I posted the movies to recommend to watch every holiday season, I'm going to go the same route that I did back in Halloween where I showcase my personal favorite horror movies. This time, I am going to post my favorite traditional Christmas films to watch every holiday because I am a sucker for these sort of movies: they are feel-good, fun and mostly humorous in some occasions.
So, without further ado, here are my personal favorite Christmas movies. (If you have opinions regarding some you like or don't like, it is ok, everybody is entitled to their own opinion.)
It's A Wonderful Life
This would be my personal favorite as it is broadcast about twice every holiday on NBC. It is that classical structure in which a man, played magnificently by James Stewart, seems to be down on his luck after every major priority goes in his way that he wishes that he had never been born and then well, a visitor arrives to show him an alternate timeline without George Bailey. It is that rare Christmas treat in which one person helps about everybody in town and when that one person is down, everybody would want to help him and cheer him up. It is a great holiday treat.
A Christmas Story
It's strange that the first time I have watched this movie was about 3 or 4 years ago and I liked it but I did not acknowledge as a great Christmas classic. Now, watching it multiple times since then, the movie caught up to me in its humor, delightful charm and also the main character, Ralph. It is basically the traditional child's Christmas story with the help fun of gleeful narration. There are a lot of great moments such as the bully scene (one scene in particular that still prevents me from saying that it is a perfect movie), the tongue scene, the soap scene, the leg lamp and then this clip above which is my favorite moment. Fantastic.
Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
The first Home Alone is a wonderful movie that is both funny and feel-good. I believe John Hughes was still in his prime as a screenwriter as he balanced both the realistic nature of a kid being home alone during the holidays and then also the entertaining humor in which he has to play booby traps on the Wet Bandits. There is a bit more emotion, for example, the church scene, than the second movie. With the second movie, it is howlingly cartoonish especially in its booby traps. I mean, come on, a few of them: you will die. But, again, it knows what it wants to be. And, to me, these two Home Alone movies starring Macaulay Culkin are the only ones to watch in the series.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
This and the original Vacation are the best and in my opinion, watchable movies in the franchise. But, Christmas Vacation is one of the funniest holiday movies ever made...Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, whatever. If you have seen it, it is basically Clark Griswold trying to have the best Christmas ever for himself and for his family. Again, there are a lot of great moments and humorous dialogue but one of the best scenes comes in the turkey dinner scene.
Elf
(for, Game of Throne fans...)
This is a recent Holiday fan favorite or some will say, classic, that basically makes me grin, chuckle or laugh because you cannot resist Will Ferrell's charisma in this movie as he is a gleeful older child in an elf costume who has to find the truth regarding his past and also his human family. All the stuff in New York is what highlights that movie and his chemistry with both Zooey Deschanel and James Caan is hysterical. It also does have a delightful climax and people tend to forget that it is directed by Jon Favreau who is one of the versatile directors right now.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Is he the true Santa Claus? We don't know. This is a classic film which basically challenges people whether or not people truly believe in Santa Claus. However, it is basic 1940s filmmaking as they stick to the main plot where a lot of people in Macy's are involved in the success and also controversy surrounding Kris Kringle. But, all the characters are memorable especially that soulless psychologist and it will get you to maybe believe in Santa again.
Scrooged
It is an underrated Christmas film and it is another adaptation of a bunch of A Christmas Carol adaptations written by Charles Dickens. But, this movie takes another angle at throwing it in Bill Murray's face, who plays a ruthless TV executive. I believe the first half of the film is truly hilarious and then dials down into dark territory in which he faces death in the second half. However, is it great? No. But, it is solely fun because of Bill Murray.
The Santa Clause
It is Tim Allen who basically changes his life while he put on the red suit that makes him the new "Santa Claus". It is a childhood favorite and even the second movie is not that bad. The third one...forget it.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
I'm cheating a bit because it is a TV special but I don't care...it is Charlie Brown and this is a classic.
Die Hard
(No video was available.) Do you really think Die Hard was going to be on my personal favorite Christmas movie list? Hell, yeah. I don't care if people it's not a Christmas movie: it is an action-packed Christmas movie. It's John McClane taking down terrorists single-handedly in Nakatomi Plaza and rescuing his wife and co-workers on Christmas Eve. Plus, R.I.P. Alan Rickman. Thank you for portraying one of the best movie villains ever.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Love Actually
I don't love this movie like many people do but this movie has grown on me in some of the eight stories even though a couple of them do not work. But, like the clip above, it deals with the reality of love especially during the holiday season in both a humorous and sadly, emotional way.
Jingle All the Way
I'm saving this one for the very last because this is the ultimate guilty pleasure for Christmas movies. I liked it and I'm not ashamed because even though it has the wrong message, basically people fighting for one toy, it is howlingly stupid but I could not resist to laugh at all the people who waited at the last minute to shop for one toy.
Merry Christmas and have a great holiday season!
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