My Top 10 Christmas Movies

Christmas is my favorite time of the year without question. It might be because I am a winter child since I was born in December or because I love everything about the holiday itself, but it is my favorite holiday, bar none. Easily one of the best parts is the movies that show up constantly on cable television from Thanksgiving to New Year's, though access to these films has changed with the existence of various streaming networks. What I intend to do with this list is layout my ten personal favorite Christmas movies. These are not the ten films I think should be considered the greatest Christmas movies ever made, it is just my personalized list that I go to every Christmas, though I don't restrict myself to watching these just in December. Like with every list, there are ground rules. First, these are all films that take place during Christmas or the month of December where Christmas plays a part in the film, small or central. For example, I consider Die Hard to be a Christmas movie because of the setting it takes place in. It may not be central to the plot and driving the action, but I think it is a Christmas film. Now Die Hard isn't on my list, but I just wanted my opinion to be known on the "Is Die Hard Just An Action Film or a Christmas Film Debate?" Second, I am not including any 30 to 60-minute specials, like the old-school claymation ones or the original animated Grinch special. These are all hour and a half or longer feature films. Lastly, this is my opinion. I am not the end-all-be-all of everything Christmas movie related.

10. Bridget Jones's Diary

This is my "should it really count?" pick for the list, which is why it is tenth on this list. In terms of actual movies, this would be higher on this list, but with Christmas being the theme, this one is low. The movie begins during the holiday season and ends around that time as well. It is the interactions at the Turkey Curry Buffet that drives the narrative, so I am counting it for this list. The entire story revolves around the characters played by Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant with good supporting characters throughout. All in all, the idea of Christmas doesn't serve as the crux of the story, but I still have a soft spot for it. 

9. The Muppet Christmas Carol

There are a lot of reimaginings of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. I was tempted to put the Disney version of the story starring Jim Carrey on the list, but I instead have chosen the Muppets version of it instead. Call it sentimental reasoning but I love the Muppets, especially the older movies and shows. Seeing all of the classic muppets in roles that I have come to know and love along with Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge is why this movie makes my list. The story is familiar with the type of humor and nuance the Muppets are known for. I think this is the most perfect version of the story that has been put on the big screen.

8. Home Alone

I go through stages where I really like this movie and I don't really care for it. Macauley Culkin carries the action for the entire film which is not why I dislike it at times. The entire supporting cast outside of Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern leaves a lot to be desired. I don't find the family with all the kids to be all that great. I get that might be part of the point, but it puts me off to the rest of the film. The end scene with the Rube Goldberg-like contraptions is easily the best part of the film and helps me to overlook some of the smaller things I didn't like about it beforehand. Also, who thought it was smart to take this giant family on a trip to France for Christmas? This is definitely a post-Christmas thing. 

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas

This is both a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie and I enjoy it as both. Part of its appeal is the claymation style and the songs throughout it are good too. My biggest knock against it is the forced love story at the end of the film. I could sense a little bit of tension but not enough for it to culminate in the two falling in love. But I digress. Oogie Boogie is a villain but his presence isn't felt at all until the very end which doesn't put him on par with many of the other great Disney villains. This is a unique take on a Christmas film that sets it apart from a lot of the other ones. Its style and story make it a mainstay that I watch at any time of the year.

6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

I didn't care for this movie the first time I watched it. It might have been because I didn't understand the humor at first, but now every little thing makes me laugh. It is the small, awkward moments in the film that make it rewatchable time and time again. Randy Quaid at Uncle Eddie is my absolute favorite part of the cast. He doesn't understand any of the ques people are trying to throw at him and it is funny every time. Chevy Chase is over the top in every scene but his speech once he gets his "Christmas bonus" is the single best moment in the film. I know I love Christmas, but my love pales in comparison to that of Clark Griswold. 

5. The Polar Express

When I was first putting this list together, I honestly forgot to include The Polar Express. This isn't because I forgot it existed but because it isn't one that most people think of first when talking about great Christmas movies. This has that kind of awkward animation and endearing story that I gravitate towards. Tom Hanks is great in the 90 different roles he plays and the voice actors that play the kids are good too. As a kid, I loved seeing Santa's workshop and how awesome the North Pole looked like it was an amusement park of sorts. If not for how much I love the movies ahead of it, this would be much higher.

4. The Santa Clause

It is easy to hate Tim Allen at the beginning of this movie since he is an entitled jerk from the opening scene. I personally love Tim Allen in the role. He pulls off the smugness perfectly and he makes you love to hate him. This film is all about his transition from mean and selfish toy guy to loving and revered toy guy. I think Charlie can be a bit of a whiner when he doesn't get his way which is a big damper on things, but the dynamic between Allen, Wendy Crewson, and Judge Reinhold propels this movie past some of the others on this list. It is easy to dislike Reinhold's character but I understand where he is coming from. It's a shame the next two movies were made because they gradually tarnish the legacy of the first, the third way more than the second.  

3. Love Actually

Though I may be ignorant and forgetting some amazing film somewhere, for my money this might be one of the best collections of actors ever assembled for a non-Superhero film. Just off the top of my head, the film features Rick Grimes (Lincoln), Mark Darcy (Firth), Snape (Rickman), Mr. Bean (Atkinson), Davy Jones (Nighy), Bryan Mills (Neeson), Elinor Dashwood (Thompson), Bilbo Baggins (Freeman), Mordo (Ejiofor), Meryl Burbank (Linney), William Thacker (Grant), Ferb and Oliva Doofenshmirtz (Brodie-Sangster and Olsen), and Xerxes (Santoro) and that doesn't even account for everyone. I love how interwoven all the storylines are how funny the small things are. This wasn't even on my list a short time ago but this has grown on me.

2. Elf

A good percentage of the population might find this film annoying. I'm not in that percentage of the population. This film is comedy brilliance. Will Ferrell plays an oaf like he was born to do it. James Caan plays a perfect foil for the loveable Buddy. Seeing Caan's character arc paired with Ferrell's character arc or degression if you well is interesting. It's almost as if Ferrell is being brought back down to Earth once Caan blows up at him. Zooey Deschanel also does an excellent job of embracing Buddy and their love story develops naturally. There isn't much negative that needs to be said about an amazing Christmas film.

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

There is no Christmas movie I love more than this one. This film is a perfect storm of everything I love in a movie. It's funny, self-aware, whimsical, has a clear guy you root against, and the lines are blurred as to whether the good guy is a hero or an anti-hero. Jim Carrey's performance as the titular character is one of the best, albeit unorthodox, of his decorated career. I have a theory that the Grinch is really the good guy the entire time and the Whos, except for Cindy Lou, as all the bad guys. If it weren't for how badly he was treated by all the kids at school, who knows how different the story would have been. This is Carrey at his absolute best and this film is one I won't hesitate to put on in any situation.