My Top 5 Christmas Films

Elf

Released in 2003, Elf became an instant Christmas classic. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a man who was raised by Elves after he was accidentally taken by Santa as a baby. The story plays almost as an alien first experiencing human culture. Buddy heads to New York to find his father, (James Caan) and meets his new family (Mary Steenburgen.) Of course Buddy falls in love, with a department store employee (Zooey Deschanel), and ends up having to help save Christmas and help Santa(Ed Asner).

What I like about Elf is that when I am older it will be considered my generation’s holiday classic.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Narrated by the great Boris Karloff, Dr. Seuss’s how the Grinch Stole Christmas is a great adaptation of the book. Of course they made a live action movie staring Jim Carrey, but it does not compare with the original. The Grinch lives in a mountain near Whoville, and is not a fan of the Who’s yearly Christmas celebration. He dresses as Santa Claus and takes his faithful dog Max, and goes to steal Christmas. Of course he has a change of heart at the end and becomes a friend of the Who’s.

A Christmas Story

The definitive Christmas classic. So much so, that TBS runs it for 24 hours straight on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There are so many iconic scenes. Flick sticking his tongue to a pole. Randy not able to put his arms down in his snowsuit. Ralphie with soap in his mouth. The old man getting his award. Santa pushing Ralphie down the slide. The pink bunny suit. The turkey with its head still on. I know that I will watch it a least once during the 24 hour marathon.

Home Alone

Some might not consider the adventures of Kevin McCallister a Christmas movie, but it is. Kevin’s family goes to Paris for Christmas, and accidentally leaves Kevin at home. Two house burglars, the Wet Bandits Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, plan to rob the McCallister’s house, but they don’t realize Kevin is inside and has a bag of tricks up his sleeve. The film is loaded with great quotable lines and is always a fun watch.

Christmas Vacation

My absolute favorite Christmas movie and one of my favorite comedies. Chevy Chase plays Clarke Griswald wants to have the ideal family Christmas. Of course everything goes wrong. Like A Christmas Story, this movie has iconic scenes. The house covered in lights. Uncle Eddie(played by the hilarious Randy Quaid). The cat being electrocuted. The giant Christmas tree. The Christmas tree on fire. The squirrel running through the house. The sled ride. The police breaking through the house. Every line in the movie is quotable and hilarious.