Top 10 Christmas Movies

Pete’s Top 10

1) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
A very funny movie. Re-watchable.

2) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Down for my review.

3) Home Alone (1990)
This one is also funny. Good. A funny movie with funny moments.

4) A Christmas Story (1983)
Down for my review.

5) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Maybe it’s not exactly a Christmas movie all the way, but it has Christmas in the title. And it takes place at Christmas. And it has a message. So it’s Christmas.

6) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Another TV movie. This one also gives me joy. Good movie. Great song. Great story.

7) Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Another TV movIe. TV Christmas movies are good. This one is good. It’s fun, with fun songs. Good TV movie.

8) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (1970)
Good TV movie. It gives you joy, which I don’t really like because I think depressing stuff is better. But when I walk into a movie expecting happy and get happy, I’m okay. Anyways, this is a TV movie.

9) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Down for my review.

10) Elf (2003)
Down for my review.

 

Dad’s Top 10

1) A Christmas Carol (1951)
The ultimate version of the ultimate Christmas tale.

2) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The best Christmas stories (see #1, #6, and #9) have a lot of darkness and depression. Check and check.

3) A Christmas Story (1983)
No one wants to watch a story of rich people enjoying Christmas. That’s why Home Alone doesn’t make this list.

4) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Hilarious and also features a tremendous soundtrack: Mavis Staples sings the lead song and Ray Charles’ “That Spirit of Christmas” plays while Clark is stuck in the attic.

5) Holiday Inn (1942)
Fantastic movie, but doesn’t rate higher on this list because only about 10 percent of the movie is actually about Christmas.

6) Scrooge (1970)
A musical version of A Christmas Carol, starring Albert Finney. Works better than you expect it to.

7) Elf (2003)
Sweet-hearted comedy with a great performance by Will Ferrell.

8) The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
The first of TV movies/shows on the list. The Heat Miser and Snow Miser characters (and songs) are iconic.

9) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Hard to believe this one is 50 years old this year. Lynne dislikes depressing Christmas stories so this one rates low for her. Charlie Brown does get treated horribly, although I think he fares even worse in the Great Pumpkin episode.

Tie 10) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The ’40s were the leading decade for good Christmas movies, and this is one of the best. Whatever you do, don’t watch the colorized version of this one…or especially not its 1994 remake.

Tie 10) Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
I’ve never seen this movie but it has Barbara Stanwyck in it so it must be awesome.