My Favorite Christmas Films
One of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays is to curl up and watch movies. I kick the holiday season off with Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987). The John Hughes film is about Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) trying to find their way home in time for Thanksgiving. When it comes to Christmas films, I enjoy a mix of classics, comedies, and sentimental stories.
10. Gremlins (1984) – Directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus, Gremlins is a horror comedy about a gift gone wrong. Gizmo is cute, but when his mischievous siblings take over the town, destruction reigns. Favorite scene: when the gremlins sing “Heigh Ho!” in the movie theater.
9. This Christmas (2007) – Directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, This Christmas centers on the Whitfield family. For the first time in years, the entire Whitmore clan comes home for Christmas. With everyone under the same roof, secrets are revealed, making the family come together. Favorite scene: when Lisa (Regina King) finally stands up to her husband. It’s a great use of baby oil. Bonus: at the end, Idris Elba shows off his dance moves.
8. Home Alone (1990) – Directed by Chris Columbus, Home Alone shows how ingenious a young boy, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), can be when he is accidentally left at home by his family. Favorite scene: when Kevin throws his holiday party, making the thieves think people are at home. Kevin is clever without being violent.
7. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – This classic, directed by Frank Capra, stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who thinks his life isn’t worth much. One angel proves how one man can impact an entire community. Favorite scene: after George realizes he’s alive and runs through the town, going home a happy man even though he’s facing arrest.
6. Lethal Weapon (1987) – Directed by Richard Donner, Lethal Weapon brings Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and Riggs (Mel Gibson) together during the Christmas season to investigate a drug case. The film is a great mix of humor and action and shows how a forced partnership can transform into a friendship. Favorite scene: when Murtaugh and Riggs are drinking beers on Murtaugh’s boat parked in his driveway. The two men have stopped posturing and started to respect each other.
5. A Christmas Carol – Instead of using three spots for my favorite versions, I decided to cheat and put them all here. This tale, based on the story by Charles Dickens, has been told many times. Spirits visit Ebenezer Scrooge in one last attempt to save the man’s soul. Favorite versions: A Christmas Carol (original title, Scrooge, 1951) starring Alastair Sim and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, Scrooged (1988) starring Bill Murray and directed by Richard Donner, and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) directed by Brian Hanson. I also like the one starring Patrick Stewart, but that was a TV movie.
4. White Christmas (1954) – Directed by Michael Curtiz, the film stars Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace, Danny Kaye as Phil Davis, Rosemary Clooney as Better Hanes and Vera Ellen as Judy Hanes. White Christmas is a tale of the bonds formed during war and the loyalty the 151 has to their general, proving family can be more than blood. Favorite scene: when General Waverly (Dean Jagger) comes down the stairs, in uniform, and enters the ballroom, shocked to see his division in attendance. Gets me every year.
3. Elf (2003) – Directed by Jon Favreau, this film succeeds because of Will Ferrell’s performance as Buddy, the human who was adopted by an elf and raised in the North Pole. Buddy’s pure enthusiasm for the holiday infects even the hardest of hearts, his father Walter (James Cann). Favorite scene: when Miles Finch (Peter Dinklage) proves why you don’t call him an elf.
2. Die Hard (1988) – Directed by John McTiernan, Die Hard is a tale about how the best of plans can go awry due to one man’s determination. Instead of giving him coal, Santa sends John McClane (Bruce Willis) to foil Hans Gruber’s (Alan Rickman) scheme to loot a vault during an office Christmas party at the Nakatomi building. Favorite scene: I’ve cheated once, so saying the whole movie would be cheating again, so I’m going with when McClane sends one of his victims to Hans by elevator. The message, “Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho,” is made by Rickman’s reading of the line.
1. A Christmas Story (1983) – Directed by Bob Clark, all Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants is a Red Ryder B.B. gun, but he encounters opposition because he could shoot his eye out. The film deals with family dynamics, bullies at school, the value of things, and having to suffer wearing a pink bunny suit before you get what you want. Favorite scene: it’s a difficult choice, but it has to be the scene when the family has to go out for Christmas dinner. Melinda Dillon’s reaction to the duck’s head being chopped off is classic.
