If you are looking for a
stress-free tradition to add to
your holiday celebrations this
year, let me offer one suggestion.
Make some hot chocolate,
gather your favorite people,
and enjoy a Christmas movie
marathon. For those inclined to
take my advice, here is a list of
Christmas movies to view with
your family.
Beginning with the classics,
I would put White Christmas
(1954) at the top of my
list. This is one of our family
favorites, and I must say that I
never get tired of watching it.
Starring Bing Crosby, Danny
Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and
Vera Ellen, this film is a masterpiece
from the golden age of
Hollywood. With lots of music
and incredible dancing, you are
sure to enjoy it. If you see no
other movie with your family
this season, watch White Christmas.
Another must see classic
is It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).
Considered one of the greatest
films of all time, Frank Capra’s
timeless gem stars Jimmy Stewart
and Donna Reed. In the
movie, George Bailey, played
by Stewart, has given up his
personal dreams to serve his
community. Discouraged to the
point of suicide on Christmas
eve, his guardian angel Clarence
intercedes. In the end,
George realizes that he has a
wonderful life.
Miracle on 34th Street
(1947) in another Christmas
classic, featuring a very young
Natalie Wood who does not believe
in Santa Claus. She and
her mother meet an elderly gentleman
named Kris Kringle and
come to believe otherwise. This
story has a very happy ending.
Rounding out the category
of recommended vintage movies,
I would add the following.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1942) is
a wonderful film featuring Judy
Garland. Holiday Inn (1942)
stars Bing Crosby and Fred
Astaire and features a wonderful
musical score by Irving Berlin.
And the often-overlooked
Christmas in Connecticut
(1945) is a hilarious romantic
comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck
and Dennis Morgan.
One of my absolute favorites
on our Christmas movie list
is the 1983 comedy A Christmas
Story. This movie is now
considered a classic, and in
2012 was selected for preservation
in the United States
Film Registry by the Library of
Congress for being “culturally,
historically, and aesthetically
significant.” In the movie, set
in 1940, Peter Billingsley plays
nine-year-old Ralphie, whose
one desire is to receive a Red
Ryder lever-action BB gun for
Christmas. The writing in this
movie is superb, and the story is
filled with humorous vignettes,
including Ralphie’s father’s
continuing fight with the household
furnace. His profanity “is
still hanging in space over Lake
Michigan.”
A Christmas movie list
would be incomplete without
the family favorite Home Alone
(1990). Macauley Culkin’s portrayal
of Kevin McCallister, the
eight-year-old boy left alone by
his family and forced to defend
his suburban home from a pair
of bungling burglars is beyond
funny.
Another family favorite in
our house is Elf (2003). Will
Ferrell’s antics as Buddy the
Elf, growing up with Santa at
the North Pole, and then traveling
to New York City to find his
human family are hysterical.
For those who prefer a
little more action, I will include
the following. Die Hard (1988)
starring Bruce Willis has often
sparked debate about whether
or not it is a Christmas movie.
I would say that it is. Bruce
Willis is invited to a Christmas
party, and the resulting action
ensures that the bad guys involved
get what’s coming to
Cozy Up for a
Christmas Movie
Marathon
them. This is a very satisfying
holiday film.
Another shoot-em-up
movie that I will add to this list
is Lethal Weapon (1987). Here
Mel Gibson is paired with Danny
Glover, and the action begins
in a Christmas tree lot. You will
definitely enjoy this movie.
If you like romantic comedies,
I will include the wonderful
Nora Ephron film Sleepless
in Seattle. Starring Tom Hanks
and Meg Ryan, this is a great
Christmas movie. The story
begins on Christmas eve and
plays out until Valentine’s Day.
The movie highlights Ephron’s
talent for comedy and romance,
and the on-screen chemistry between
Hanks and Ryan makes
this movie really work. Watching
it makes you appreciate
those you love.
More Christmas worthy
romantic comedies include
these movies. You’ve Got Mail
(1998), is another Tom Hanks
and Meg Ryan film to make
you feel warm and cozy. While
You Were Sleeping (1995), is a
funny comedy starring Sandra
Bullock that is fun to watch.
Serendipity (2001) is a John
Cusack film often overlooked
as a Christmas movie. Another
romantic Christmas movie that
is worth watching is Love Actually
(2003). This star-studded
British comedy addresses the
different aspects of love and
features a great soundtrack. I
love movies with good music!
If you prefer pure and potent
humor, I recommend National
Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
(1989) starring Chevy Chase,
along with Planes, Trains, and
Automobiles (1987), with Steve
Martin and John Candy. Both of
these movies are wet your pants
funny, and I guarantee you will
enjoy them.
One movie that I would
add to our list is A Charlie
Brown Christmas (1965). This
is another holiday classic, and a
good reminder of the true meaning
of Christmas. Linus, on
stage and holding his blanket,
recites the Christmas story from
Luke chapter 2. That says it all.
Merry Christmas!
© 2023 Jody Dyer