There’s something so wonderful about the holidays. Unless you’re in the shopping mall parking lot hunting down a space, people as a whole seem happier, cheerful and giving. It’s the one time of year where people from all walks of life come together and embrace mankind. Ideas of love, goodness, and faith all are rejuvenated. Anything can happen around the holiday season. Truly anything.
One of my favorite things to do around this time is to gather with friends, family, delicious treats and hot drinks and watch seasonal favorites. The list expands every year, but here is a list of my 10 must-see holiday movies:
Source: Studio Canal/Universal Pictures
Love Actually – This is the perfect film to watch with your girlfriends. Or if you’re a guy, with your girlfriend. It follows love stories of all different kinds, some you can relate to, others are just heartwarming to watch. But it’s all related to Christmas and it all makes you feel warm and fuzzy and hopeful inside.
Home Alone – This is a family classic. You’ve probably seen it 100 times since you were a kid, but somehow, it still gets you. You still wonder what’s going to happen and are somehow still amazed by all the cleverness of a young Macaulay Culkin.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – What are the holidays without Charlie Brown? Teaching you heart-warming lessons since the 1960s.
Source: MGM Television/The Cat in the Hat Productions
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – This movie is great to watch with the whole family. Whether you’re watching the classic 1966 animated version or the newer one starring Jim Carrey, it’s the perfect movie to get you into the Christmas spirit.
It’s A Wonderful Life – This is a great movie to watch year around, but is especially relevant during the holidays. Who hasn’t thought at least once about how life would be if they’d never existed? This is a great, thought-provoking film.
The Holiday – This is another one of those perfect movies for when you want to grab Cheez-Its, wine, and your best girlfriends for a night in. It’s a romantic comedy that makes you want to fall in love. Granted, it wouldn’t be hard to want to fall in love when Jude Law comes knocking on your door, I imagine.
A Christmas Story – This year marks this movie’s 30th anniversary! Who hasn’t been in Ralphie’s shoes, wanting a present that your parents just don’t think you’re ready for? “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”
Christmas Vacation – A comedy classic about the Griswold’s. Clark just wants what any patriarch wants for his family… the perfect holiday full of love and joy. The best laid plans often go astray, however, when crazy in-laws are involved.
Source: Walt Disney Pictures
A Christmas Carol – This Charles Dickens literary classic has many adaptations, with a number of legendary actors stepping in to fill the shoes of Ebenezer Scrooge. For a less conventional take on this timeless story, you could also check out 1988’s Scrooged starring Bill Murray. This is the perfect film to watch with someone who has taken on the “humbug” spirit this season.
Elf – This movie is a light-hearted tale that will undoubtedly put you and your family in the holiday spirit. Will Ferrell stars in this classic tale of a misfit trying to find his niche, all the time just wanting to belong and be accepted. It is impossible to walk away from this film without wanting to hug someone and wishing them a cheerful, “Happy Holiday!”
The holiday season is such an great time because it is focused on family, friends, and the things that really matter in life, such as loving and caring for one another. One great side effect of this is no matter what holiday movie you watch, it’ll leave you feeling like a believer–believer in goodness, in hope and even just the human race. It truly is a wonderful season.
What are some of your favorite films?
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