1. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd
An underrated but amazing Christmas movie. This movie is about a middle-class average couple who decide to skip Christmas – and everything that comes with it – and replace it with a cruise. Their only daughter is not coming home, so they ditch the decorations, the tree, the food, and the donating. But when their daughter, Claire, decides to come home for Christmas, what will happen? It is a funny fun-filled movie about Christmas spirit.
2. Mickey’s Once/Twice Upon a Christmas (1999/2004)
Starring: Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer
I watched this adorable movie just a few days ago. It is a great pair of feel-good movies starring Mickey Mouse and his friends. Each is a series of short films, starring two or more characters who learn some type of life lesson about friendship or love or caring. It is meant to show how everyone, know matter who you are, should be happy and kind during the holiday season. It is meant for children, but is a great set of feel good movies no matter how old you are.
3. The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005)
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Bill Fagerbakke, Jeannie Elias
This is a movie about Christmas magic. The loveable character of Frosty, goes to the small town of Evergreen – a town that does not believe in magic. When he meets the mayor’s kids and their friends, and he begins to show the whole town what magic truly is. A cute kid-friendly movie that is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.
4. Love Actually (2003)
Starring: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth
This is your classic romantic comedy, with a bit of Christmas spirit. It follows eight different couples through their lives at Christmas, set in London, England. This includes a rock & roll legend, a couple and their friend, a writer, and the Prime Minister. It is a happy movie, about love and friendship, perfect for a night in with some friends.
5. The Search for Santa Paws (2010)
Starring: Madison Pettis, Bonnie Somerville, Wendi-McLendon-Covey
This is a newer Christmas movie, brought to us by Disney. It follows Santa Paws, Santa’s best friend, who must find help to save Santa who is lost lost in NYC. He recruits the help of a cute orphan named Quinn and all her friends, who really need the Christmas magic that Paws brings. It is filled with feel-good songs and characters, and has a happy ending.
6. Radio City Christmas Spectacular (2007)
Starring: The Rockettes
This is a recording of the Radio City Christmas Spectaular, which, as the title suggests, is spectacular. It stars the famous Rockettes, various Christmas stories, and of course Santa Clause. It is a great way to see the show without spending all of the money to go to New York to see it yourself.
7. A Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott
This classic Christmas show is back! This movie is about a man who believes he is Santa, and the lawyer who defends him when people put him in an institution, categorizing him as insane. It is a cute, old movie, and one filled with Christmas joy.
8. White Christmas (1954)
Starring: Bing Cosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
This show is actually a musical turned into a movie, much like The Sound of Music or Annie. The plot revolves around four characters, two song-and-dance teams, who join together to try and rescue the Vermont Inn. It has over 10 songs, including the iconic “White Christmas”. It is an oldie-but-a-goodie, as my dad says.
9. Scrooged (1988)
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe
This film revolves around the good old Christmas Story about Scrooge being visited by 3 ghosts. This story is similar, as it stars the famous Bill Murray, who is a cynical TV exectuvie that is haunted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. It is a modern take on an old story.
10. 12 Dates of Christmas (2011)
Starring: Amy Smart, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jayne Eastwood
This is the typical rom-com Christmas movie, except for it’s on ABC Family/Freeform not Hallmark. It is the Groundhogs Day movie for Christmas, a young women, Kate, wakes up to find out she must repeat the day prior. What happened on that day? It was Christmas Eve, where she had a rough blind date. It is a funny, cute Christmas movie.
I hope these movies are perfect for your binge-sessions or escapes from all of the finals work of the semester. Enjoy your holidays!