Throughout my freshman year at college, the two most controversial topics that have come up are 1. The election and 2. When it is socially acceptable to start celebrating the coming of Christmas. Since I’m not quite in the mood for a political debate, we’ll move on to the better of the two conversations. I, for one, started daydreaming about reindeer and sugarplums by Halloween morning, much to my roommate’s dismay. However, it is a universal truth that it’s okay to go full Christmas mode after Thanksgiving without getting eye rolls from everyone around me. It is finally almost that time, and what better way to celebrate than by watching movies? Below I’ve listed the top five movies I’ve seen over the years that I consider essential to properly enjoy the holiday season.
1. Elf – If you’ve never heard of this movie, I’m going to assume you live in a cave in a far off, very remote country. This is the ULTIMATE Christmas movie, I’ll even go as far as saying it is the Christmas gem of our generation. Buddy the Elf is basically me when I have too much coffee and am feeling particularly cuddly. There’s just something about seeing an overly excited and affectionate Will Ferrell that always puts me in a good mood.
2. The Holiday – Rom Coms are my ultimate weakness, and this one features British characters, which automatically makes it irresistible. Movies like this may be a bit predictable and a little sappy, but they’re nearly impossible to turn off, and make you go “awww” despite yourself. Watch it and thank me later.
3. Unaccompanied Minors – Since I was a kid, I’ve always wondered what would happen if the adults just let us run free for a day or two. This movie answers some of those pressing questions. A blizzard cancels all the flights going out on Christmas Eve, and a group of unaccompanied minors become friends by stealing golf carts, sneaking into the luggage area, and general badass things that I wished I could do.
4. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – This plays into that same wonder of what would happen if the adults just let the kids fend for themselves for a bit (I was very sheltered growing up, can you tell?) and is another classic. I feel like if burglars would ever break into my house and try to kidnap me, I have learned enough about setting traps and tricks from this movie to be able to survive. Because, you know, calling 911 just isn’t as much fun.
5. Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh – Yes, this movie was very cheesy. Yes, I loved it all the more for that reason. Drake and Josh was one of my favorite shows when I was younger, and this movie was a nice little bonus. If you like the show’s humor, you’ll like this movie.