Top 5 Christmas Movies
Christmas is just around the corner, so I thought I’d take it upon myself to make a list of my top five Christmas Movies.
Does Someone Need A Hug?
First and foremost is Elf (Will Ferrell, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel). I consider Elf a classic because of how well-known it still is after coming out in 2003. I feel like most people know about Elf and love it. My family and I still watch Elf every year because it’s our favorite Christmas movie. For those of you who don’t, here is a quick summary: On Christmas Eve at an orphanage, Buddy, an infant, crawls into Santa’s toy sack and is accidently taken back to the North Pole. Buddy is raised in the North Pole believing that he is an elf. After finding out that he is a human, he decides to go find his real father in New York City. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this movie, but I still enjoy it every time. There’s just something magical about it, not to mention it’s hilarious. Highly recommended if you haven’t seen it, and even if you have, Elf always makes a good Christmas movie.
Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal
Second on the list is Home Alone (Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern). This one is a little older than Elf, coming out in 1990, but I would argue that it’s almost as well-known. The night before the McCallister family travels to Paris, Kevin acts out and wishes that he didn’t have a family and is sent to sleep up in the attic.The next morning, the family leaves for the airport and forgets about him, so when he awakens, he assumes that his wish came true. With his new-found freedom, Kevin does whatever he wants. But this all turns sideways when he discovers that two thieves plan to rob his house and it’s up to him to protect it. I love Home Alone for its cheesy humor and the idea of being a kid and having the home to yourself to do whatever you want. Along with all that, it has a good story and a heart-warming message at the end. This is another movie that I’d recommend checking out to spark your Christmas spirit. I also really like Home Alone 2, but would still recommend the first movie more. Home Alone 2 has a similar story except instead of leaving Kevin at home, the McCallisters lose track of him at the airport and he gets on a plane to New York City while the rest of the family goes to Florida (Seriously, how bad of parents are you to lose a child this many times?). So he’s alone in New York City and does what a kid alone with his Dad’s credit card would do: go to a nice hotel, order pizza, and watch movies he’s not supposed to. But what happens when he has a run in with the same bandits that tried to rob his house the year before?
What’s that sound? You hear it? It’s a funny squeaky sound.
Third is Christmas Vacation. This movie shows the Christmas vacation of the Griswolds, and how Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) tries to make everything perfect. Although, this goes awry when unexpected, wacky family members show up and Clark doesn’t get the Christmas bonus from work that he was expecting. This is another one that we watch every Christmas and has humor for the whole family to enjoy. This came out in 1989 and, like Home Alone, was written by John Hughes with a similar style of humor.
Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.
Fourth is The Polar Express. This is the only animated Christmas movie to make the list, so you know it’s got to be a good one. The Polar Express is about a young boy who takes a train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. On this journey, he makes friends and learns the magic of believing. This one is really good, and even though I don’t watch it every single year, it still has a magical feeling to it. And besides, it has Tom Hanks singing about hot chocolate. What more do you really need to know?
I Triple-Dog Dare Ya!
Last, but not least, is A Christmas Story. This movie is a fairly new addition to our Christmas movie watchlist. It came out in 1983, but takes place in the 1940s and follows Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) and the story of how all he wanted for Christmas was a Red Ryder BB-gun. This one seemed less humorous than the movies previously mentioned but is still considered a classic. Although it isn’t my favorite, I would still suggest checking it out if you haven’t yet.
These are just my top five Christmas movies, even though I like more like Rudolph, The Santa Clause, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. All of these movies are great for Christmas spirit and always a good time to watch, either alone or with family.