Top Five Christmas Movies to Watch with Your Teen

I watch movies with my two teenagers for many reasons. For starters, it's a great way for the family to spend a few hours together. We all get a bowl of ice cream and settle in for a nice time that doesn't involve driving anywhere or spending lots of money. It's also a great way to sneak in a little education. We mix up the movies from modern to classics of all time periods so they can become familiar with how people talked, dressed and acted during different eras. And for a little bit of fun, it's a nice way to introduce them to cultural references that are featured in jokes and other story lines. How will they know how funny the line "you'll shoot your eye out" is if they haven't heard it done in sing-song in the movie "A Christmas Story"?

That brings me to the first movie on the list, the classic "A Christmas Story" narrated by the author Jean Shepherd. This is a silly, sweet movie that shows how a real American family might have celebrated the holiday in the 1940s. From the Red Rider BB gun to the Little Orphan Annie radio program to The Old Man's frustration with the boiler, this movie is a potpourri of images of that time period. Smart enough to watch with teens, silly enough to watch with pre-teens, this is a fine way to start the holiday viewing season.

I put "Meet Me in St. Louis" on the list because this is the movie where Judy Garland sings the classic, "Have Yourself a Merry LIttle Christmas". This classic, directed by Vincente Minnelli, was released in 1944 and tells the story of a family dealing with change and growing up at the turn of the 19th century. A strong cast brings the story to life, though the dialogue can seem cheesy to a jaded 21st century teen. They should hang in there for the love story though, as everyone roots for Esther and John to live happily ever after.

The all-time funniest Christmas movie just might be "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". What teen won't be rolling with laughter as dad Chevy Chase deals with Christmas light competition, flactuant relatives and of course a cat in the tree. We've all had holiday stress, but the Griswolds take it to an extreme that only they can do. But in the end they are still a family, one that comes together when the going gets tough.

Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas is a feast for the eyes no matter how many times you've seen it and will keep teens interested till the end. The story of Jack Skellington and the holiday he tries to highjack is like the Grinch with an even more darker side. Parents will find things to relate to as well. I've always liked the two-faced mayor whose mood changes at the drop of a hat (like many elected officials I've known).

And no holiday would be complete without the classic Christmas film, "It's a Wonderful Life". Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore head the cast of the story of love and redemption in a small town. Lessons abound in this movie, not the least being that your guardian angel may not be who think they should be.