For many people, winter break means family time. An easy way to pass the time with family is a movie night, but when your family has a wide range of ages and tastes, picking a movie can take longer than watching one.
If your family celebrates Christmas, the choice of a movie can be narrowed down quite a bit in the month of December. However, if you are finding that you just can’t bear the thought of having to watch “Elf” or “Home Alone” one more time, here is a list of Christmas movies to try with your family and friends and where to watch them.
“White Christmas”: Taking place in the years following World War II, the movie features a musical duo that meets towards the end of the war. After discovering their dual musical proficiencies, the two became popular singing acts in the U.S. Upon meeting another musical team of sisters, their Christmas plans in New York City are quickly derailed as the four take off for Vermont in hopes of a white Christmas. This movie, in all its musical delight, can be found on Netflix.
“The Santa Clause” movies 1, 2, 3 and the series: starring Tim Allen, the series explore the aftermath of a divorced single dad who finds himself being forced into a new job. He takes on the different challenges of becoming Santa ranging from needing a Mrs. Clause and the waning belief in Christmas magic. These new four-episode series can be found on Disney+ along with all three movies which can also be purchased for $3.99 each on Amazon Prime.
“Santa Paws”: A bit of a wild card, Santa Paws is a go-to movie if you want to watch something purely for the cuteness factor. Featuring talking dogs, an Annie-Esque orphanage and a lost Santa Clause, this movie is ideal for watching with young children. Santa Paws can be found on Disney+.
“It’s a Wonderful Life”: This movie spends two hours showing the worst of humanity to spend 10 minutes demonstrating how wonderful it can be. For anyone who has yet to watch this classic from 1946, stream it ASAP on Amazon Prime.
“Christmas with the Kranks”: This movie follows a married couple trying to get through their first Christmas as empty nesters. They quickly discover the consequences of attempting to cancel Christmas while living in a nosy neighborhood. With a perfect balance of comedy and feel-good moments, this movie makes for a fun watch. Christmas with the Kranks is available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon Prime.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas”: The 25-minute cartoon follows Charlie Brown in his journey to find joy and meaning in the Christmas season. Determined to make Christmas less commercial, Brown goes with his gut and finds the perfect Christmas tree to bring the spirit of the season to his pageant. For everyone able to get past the questionable lack of anyone over the age of 10, this movie serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and how hard it can be to find it.
“Spirited”: Having come out on Nov. 22, this is the newest movie on this list. Starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, this movie took an interesting twist on the Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol”. The movie stays true to the original theme of a humans capacity to change for the better while incorporating the humor that one should expect from a Ferrell and Reynolds collaboration. The movie goes through twists and turns that are—odd, but ultimately ends with the heartwarming ending that is expected of a Christmas movie. Spirited can be streamed on Apple TV.
*This article also appears in the St. Bonaventure University student newspaper, The Bona Venture.*