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Discuss your favorite holiday films on The Fence Post
Christmas is fast-approaching, and there is no better way to get in the Christmas spirit than to watch movies about Christmas! Snuggle up with a mug of hot cocoa, a candy cane and a plate of Christmas movies and take a break from the holiday rush with these movies.
Christmas Classics
These ten movies are some of the best Christmas-themed movies ever made. They each capture the happy feeling of the holidays and many are sure to be forever connected with Christmastime in your memories.
“A Christmas Story” (1983, starring Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley) - This Christmas classic, based on the stories of Indiana writer Jean Shepherd, started out as a Christmas cult classic but has caught on due to repeat airings on TV during the holiday season. It’s an offbeat story of a less-than-perfect Midwestern family and their adventures throughout the holiday season, centering around little Ralphie’s all-consuming desire for a Red Ryder BB gun.
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” (2005, starring Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy) - The movie, based on C.S. Lewis’ classic children’s book, isn’t a strictly Christmas movie. However, the story of four children saving the magical land of Narnia from the clutches of a witch who makes it always winter and never Christmas has a sweet, magical spirit that makes it great for the holiday season.
“Elf” (2003, starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel) - Will Ferrell stars as a human who, as a baby, stows away in Santa’s pack and is adopted by an elf. After growing to be twice as tall as the rest of the children in the North Pole, Buddy sets out to find his curmudgeonly birth father in New York City and discovers that the rest of the world isn’t filled with Christmas cheer.
“Homeless for the Holidays” (2009, starring Matt Moore, Crystal Dewitt-Hinkle) - This locally-made film, directed by George Johnson of Waterloo, speaks to the real reason for the season better than most Christmas fare. The inspiring movie follows smug executive Jack Baker, who loses his job, begins working at a burger joint and realizes that his family could lose everything they hold dear - their home and stuff - by Christmas.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946, starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore) - This holiday staple chronicles of George Bailey, a hardworking, self-sacrificing man who gets the chance to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. The uplifting film shows just how much one person can change the world, and has been bringing a tear to many an eye for decades.
“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947, starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood) - A lawyer sets out to prove that a man claiming to be the real Santa Claus isn’t crazy while wooing a jaded divorcee with a whip-smart daughter in this classic Christmas movie. It’s darker than many - Kris Kringle is thrown into a mental institution - but comes to a cheery conclusion.
“The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992, starring Michael Caine and a whole cast of Muppets) - There are many great retellings of Charles Dickens’ spooky tale of a cranky miser’s change of heart, but it sure is a lot of fun with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the Great Gonzo get ahold of the story. It gets pretty silly at times, of course, but it’s still a great version of the story with some great music to boot.
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989, starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo) - Chevy Chase reprises his role as Clark Griswold in the story of a wild Christmas with a cast of colorful characters. It’s not quite as family-friendly as many movies on the list - there are more than a few double entendres and naughty language - but, for the slightly older set, its a hilarious alternative to more sugary Christmas flicks.
“The Santa Clause” (1994, starring Tim Allen, Wendy Crewson, David Krumholtz) - Divorced executive Scott Calvin has his life turned upside-down when Santa Claus falls from his roof and Scott is tapped to take the big guy’s place. He must deal with his rapid transformation into Santa (white hair, beard, insatiable appetite for cookies) and get his affairs in order before becoming Santa Claus full-time. It’s a modern Christmas story, but one that’s still sweet.
“White Christmas” (1954, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney) - If you love old movie musicals, “White Christmas,” featuring the wonderful music of Irving Berlin, is probably at the top of your Christmas movie list. Two Army buddies who have hit it big as entertainers team up with a sister act to save a Vermont inn run by their former commanding officer.
Off-beat Christmas Cinema
Not everybody likes the saccharine stories, uplifting messages and sweet endings of normal Christmas movies, though. If you have a stomachache from all the sugar of the holidays, try these quirky movies. They’re all technically Christmas movies, but with a twist.
“Die Hard” (1988, starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman) - Action fans probably already have this classic on their shelf, but it’s easy to forget that New York detective John McClane saves a building full of Los Angeles officer workers, including his estranged wife, from terrorists that attack during the Christmas office party once the shooting starts. One of the best action movies ever and a Christmas movie? Sounds pretty perfect to me!
“Gremlins” (1984, starring Hoyt Axton, Corey Feldman) - This creepy, funny horror-comedy is about a creature called a mogwai which reproduces when it gets wet and turns into a beast called a gremlin if it’s fed after midnight. Not your normal Christmas fare, but it does take place around the Christmas season.
“Home Alone” (1990, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) - Leaving your 8-year-old at home alone to defend against bumbling thieves while the rest of the family goes to France doesn’t exactly give me the warm Christmas fuzzies, but it is a funny and fun movie with a decently happy ending. It’s perfect when you still want to celebrate family togetherness at the end of the movie without all of that annoying sweetness throughout the entire movie.
“Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” (1991, starring Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy) - This movie is one of the worst movies ever made - it tells the story of Santa Claus being kidnapped and taken to Mars with two Earth children to make toys for the Martian children - but with human Joel Hodgson and robots Tom Servo and Crow adding hilarious commentary to the movie, it becomes not only bearable, but a quirky Christmas classic. If you’ve never experienced MST3K, this is a perfect introduction.
“Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993, starring Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara) - This creepy stop-motion movie tells the story of Jack Skellington, who decides to kidnap Santa Claus from neighboring Christmas Town and have the residents of Halloweentown spread Christmas cheer instead. The result is a freaky mix of horror and Christmas cheer that is both scary and sweet.
Christmas TV Specials
Don’t have a full two hours to devote to a Christmas movie? Want something shorter and sweeter? Check out these TV specials for a dash of Christmas fun!
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) - Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas amid growing commercialism in this essential Christmas short. Despite its age, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is still the best at getting to the heart of the reason for the season in a sweet, simplistic way. To me, it’s just not Christmas if I haven’t seen this special at least once.
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966) - Dr. Seuss’ off-beat book translates perfectly into a half-hour special directed by animation great Chuck Jones and narrated by iconic actor Boris Karloff. The story of the sour Grinch trying to steal Christmas from the chipper Whos down in Whoville is a true Christmas classic with a slightly quirky edge.
“Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983) - Disney favorites Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Jiminy Cricket, Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck (playing the role he was born to play, Ebenezer Scrooge) retell Dickens’ classic tale. It’s not too scary and a clever adaptation that is pitch-perfect for children.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964) - Poor misfit reindeer Rudolph, with his shiny nose, sets out with Hermey the elf, who wants to be a dentist, after they are both banished from the North Pole for being different. On the way, they meet Yukon Cornelius, avoid the Abominable Snowman and land on the Island of Misfit Toys. The special is a little silly and stuck in the ’60s, but it’s still a fun classic after all these years.
“South Park: Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo” (1997) - It’s not really appropriate for children or, really, anybody with an ounce of taste, but the very first Christmas episode of “South Park” is also a very funny satire on political correctness around the holidays. The story follows Jewish child Kyle, who feels left out on Christmas, and his friend, Mr. Hankey, who wants the whole town to just get along.
Did I miss a classic Christmas movie? What are your favorite things to watch around the holidays? Share your opinions on our online forum, the Fence Post, at kpcnews.net/fence_post. Registration is free and takes minutes!
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