My favorite movies to cozy up and get ready for the winter season with
As the weather starts to shift towards colder temperatures, the Christmas season inches closer and closer. Being one of my favorite holidays, I always look forward to the season where I can just snuggle up and sit on my couch to watch a fun Christmas movie. A lot of these movies do end up being pretty cheesy, but I like when movies are able to balance that with the perfect amount of holiday spirit.
5. The Holdovers directed by Alexander Payne (2023)
My first movie on this list would be The Holdovers. It’s a great Christmas movie with a lot of heart baked into it. The story follows the main character, Angus Tully, a student at an all-boys private high school, who is stuck there over his winter break. The movie follows him as he stays over winter break alongside the cranky instructor, Paul Hunham, where he learns a lot about himself in the course of a couple of weeks that they spend together. This movie is pretty sad, but it really encapsulates the feelings of the Christmas season including the weather, the decorations, and the meaning of the family.
4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik (1989)
The next movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which is a raunchy comedy that takes place as the Griswold family tries to host a family Christmas occasion at their house. A lot of things go wrong, which can be expected from a movie like this, but it is always able to make me giggle at all the things that go awry. This movie had to be on my list as it is one that my dad introduced to me at a very young age and that we’ve watched together every Christmas since.
3. Elf directed by Jon Favreau (2003)
It is only right that I put Elf on this list. It has become a family tradition at this point to watch Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf accidentally serenade Zooey Deschanel’s Jovie in the bathroom as she showers. The movie is full of laughs and cheer that is perfect for the holiday season, and I can’t get through a holiday season without watching this movie at least once.
2. Home Alone directed by Chris Columbus (1990)
The movie follows Kevin as he defends his home from invaders who plan to rob his home while the rest of his family is on vacation. For me, no Christmas season is complete without Home Alone. While the movie isn’t really about Christmas itself, the sets, music, and snowy environment help create the Christmas atmosphere that I adore.
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas directed by Bill Melendez (1965)
To me, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the best Christmas movie. It has an amazing soundtrack that is instantly recognizable and on all of my Christmas playlists. Also, the animation of the movie makes it so warm and cozy. Watching this movie always gets me ready for the holiday season and super excited for the first snowfall of the year to happen.
Movies are the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. They provide the warmth and coziness to get anyone ready for the holiday season. They also provide such a great moment of togetherness that we sometimes forget to have through all of the chaos of the holiday season.