It’s the most wonderful time of the year
Calling all Christmas lovers! I need your input.
Since I’m going to be laid up for the week of Christmas due to a pending ACL reconstruction, I decided to save all of my Christmas movies in order to watch them that week while I’m bored out of my mind. Or comatose. Whatever the case may be.
I was rattling off a list of my favorites to a friend of mine. She smiled politely while I talked about my love of the following:
1. White Christmas
Oh to have a big, ice blue feather fan for Christmas. That would come in handy during spontaneous outburst of “Sisters” when I’m in the kitchen with my own sister. Of course, we’ll have to find some tinsel or sequins to dress up the crutches a bit, but that’s fine.
2. Christmas Vacation
This show has some of the funniest one-liners that we repeat during the entire month of December. And I love how Aunt Bethany sweetly recites the Pledge of Allegiance at the dinner table.
Adorable.
3. The Grinch
Jim Carey at his absolute finest. It might be my opinion, but it’s true.
4. A Christmas Story
Ohhhhh fuuuuuuudddddgggggee. (Only I didn’t say fudge…)
I could have gone on and on for days: Miracle on 34th Street, Charlie Brown Christmas, The Santa Clause (parts 1 and 2. Part 3? Not so much.) It’s a Wonderful Life and the original Grinch that plays 24-hours on TBS when A Christmas Story isn’t playing 24-hours on TBS.
My friend then offered a few of her own that just floored me:
Love Actually and Home Alone.
Dear reader…never in my years of owning BOTH of these movies has it occurred to me to watch them during CHRISTMASTIME. Which makes perfect sense because THEY ARE SET AT CHRISTMASTIME.
Are there any others that I’m blatantly missing? It’s going to be eight hours a day in the bendy machine. And traditionally (remember…I’ve been down this road twice before) my body refuses to sleep in the bendy machine. So I’m going to need movies to watch to keep my mind off of the evil bendy machine.
Before you mention Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, please note that claymation sort of freaks me out. And the sound that Rudolph’s nose makes when it lights up is like scratching a chalkboard to me. I don’t know. I’m weird.
OK. Sound off in the comment section. I’m totally stoked about the possibilities of new holiday movie-watching traditions!
The two movies I love that take place during Christmastime are ‘The Holiday’ with Cameron Diaz and Jack Black and ‘The Family Stone’ with Rachel McAdams and Luke Wilson.
i feel the same way. I also love Holiday and “The Family Stone” but also, the sound of Music, Borrowed Hearts, 3 days, family man and Recipe for Christmas
Good call Linds. I love The Holiday and Family Stone too. Charlie Brown Christmas is the absolute best though. Linus telling the Christmas story is the most precious thing ever (that and Sally drafting her letter to Santa…”All I want is what I have coming to me; all I want is my fair share!”) Lincee, you’re right on about Rudolph’s nose noise–very annoying!
Our family Holiday tradition movies include: (keep in mind we are a family of all girls)
1. Little Women – any of the versions are great but the most recent (read Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst and Claire Danes) feels the most Christmas-y to me.
2. Meet me in St. Louis – given that it is a musical you may have already seen this one and not necessarily classified it as holiday but the whole climax of the movie is the Christmas season. Judy Garland is great and the soundtrack is so fun! If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out. Even if it isn’t at Christmas!
3. In recent years we have added Love Actually but you already have that one on your list!
Good luck with your surgery!
Agree with everything on your list. In addition, Meet Me in St. Louis, Frosty the Snowman, The Holiday (with Cameron Diaz), A Boyfriend for Christmas. As a fellow knee-problem-haver (not a word, I realize), I wish you all the best with your surgery!
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Elf.
1) Full Metal Jacket – the sing “Happy birthday, Jesus” on Christmas and the Drill Instructor physically beats a recruit for not loving the virgin Mary.
2) Lethal Weapon – movie starts with “Jingle Bell Rock” and ends with Christmas dinner at SGT Murtaugh’s house.
3) Christmas Vacation – Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid. YOu can’t beat that combo.
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Little Women, The Holiday (my oldest daughter forced me to watch this and I love it!), Charlie Brown’s Christmas. Good luck with the knee thing. 🙂
Definitely Elf, The Santa Clause, and my favorite A Muppet Christmas Carol. Happy watching!
Everyone is forgetting ELF!!!! That is one of my all time favs. You can also turn on Fa La La La Lifetime Channel or Hallmark and they have sappy/cheesy movies that make you think why in the Hell am i crying but you cry anyway like Hallmark’s the Christmas Letter about a solider in Iraq that gets a Christmas card from someone and tracks her down. The muppetts Christmas Carol is also a riot.
How about Polar Express and Die Hard. You need a variety I think. Good Luck.
Ooo, “Little Women”, good one! I’m not quite sure why its a Christmas tradition (can’t think of any Christmas scenes), but my family used to watch “The Sound of Music” every year around Christmas time. Don’t forget “Home Alone 2” as well! Hope your surgery goes well and that you recover quickly!
Isn’t Gremlins set at Christmastime too?
Elf is awesome! Funny, funny, funny. And a little sweet with a good Christmas message.
• Elf
Because everything should be served with maple syrup! Also, I have tried to get on an escalator while doing the splits . . . props to Will Ferrell cuz it isn’t easy!
• Grumpy Old Men
The funniest of family/friend relationships, because it is so REAL! And because who wouldn’t want to have a roof avalanche hit a government worker!!!
• Planes Trains and Automobiles
John Candy & Steve Martin at their best!
• Scrooged
Bill Murray is now “What about Scrooge?” not Bob!
• Muppet Christmas Carol
Kermit & Mrs Piggy at Christmas? Can’t go wrong!
• A Muppet Family Christmas & A Christmas Together (with John Denver)
Our favorite muppets with a holiday/broadway flair!
• Christmas on Sesame Street
It’s an oldie, but a goldie in my book. How I LOVED this as a kid. Also the interviews with children explaining how Santa gets down the chimney . . . PRICELESS! Plus, the song “Keep Christmas With You” will be stuck in your head!
• The Polar Express
Beautiful depiction of the North Pole and GREAT music!
• Chronicles of Narnia
The world that is always winter-time!
• Prancer
A heartfelt reminder of what Christmas is all about!
• Meet Me in St Louis
Has a holiday scene where Judy Garland sings the now famous “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
• Forrest Gump
Again has a holiday scene, but most of all it’s just one of those “good” feeling movies that motivate you when you’re bedridden!
• Little Women
Always makes me think of when the holidays used to be just about family! The gorgeous snow scenes are truly “spot on” for the true Christmas feel! Plus the obvious, Christian Bale is hot!
• The Cutting Edge
So it’s not Christmas, but the ice skating and comedy are too good! Plus, I was a figure skater so maybe I am biased? TOEPICK?!?!
• The Bishop’s Wife
The Whitney Houston version back when she really could sing!
okay – I had to put together the ‘all time’ list of Christmas movies for a website so here are some you may have missed (doesn’t include those that have already been mentioned above):
The Preacher’s Wife (or the original “The Bishop’s Wife”)
Four Christmases
Fred Claus
The Santa Claus (Tim Allen)
Christmas with the Kranks
Bridge Jones’ Diary (starts and ends at Christmas)
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Miracle on 34th Street (the newer one w/ that hot actor from The Practice)
Polar Express
Holiday Inn
Jingle All the Way
Gremlins
Prancer
Die Hard
The Night before Christmas
of course: It’s a Wonderful Life and any of the Christmas Carol movies
and my personal ‘most obscure favorite’: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians