Favorite Christmas Movies

My personal favorite Christmas movies for 2009 are A Christmas Miracle, Christmas in Canaan, The Christmas Shoes, The Note, and Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Favorite Christmas Movie #1 "A Christmas Miracle" From the Touched by an Angel series first showed in 1997. Since that first year, "A Christmas Miracle" has been part of my Christmas Eve tradition. Starring the regular TBAA stars Della Reese and Roma Downey 'A Christmas Miracle' also stars country music star Randy Travis. Randy plays the part of a brother doing his best to raise his younger mentally disabled brother. Having lost faith many years before, but then angels (Reese and Downey) come to town. A Christmas Miracle is a tearjerker so if you are one to cry easily you best get the box of tissues out before it starts.

Favorite Christmas Movie #2 "Christmas in Canaan" Airing this year, 2009, on the Hallmark Channel this moved into second place on my list the first time I watched it. Ok, will admit I love watching good movies repeatedly, at the time of this writing have seen Christmas in Canaan five times, and will again next time it airs. Yet another country music star, Billy Ray Cyrus (Achy Breaky Heart). Christmas in Canaan takes place during the civil rights era and is a heartwarming story of two young boys growing into manhood (one from each side of the rights issue). I watched this the first time with my seven-year-old grandson who watched it a second time the same night. Our favorite line in the movie "I didn't know white boys liked eatin' skunk".

Christmas in Canaan was based on the book by the same name, which was co-authored by another Country Music Hall of Fame member Kenny Rogers. I am not a big country music fan but those country boys sure can kick out some terrific Christmas movies.

Favorite Christmas Movie #3 "The Christmas Shoes" What can I say - I am a big cry baby and this movie comes on I start crying right off the bat. Starring Rob Lowe, Maria Del Mar, Max Morrow and Kimberly Williams this Christmas movie first appeared in 2002 but had a history before that airing.

First came the song 'Christmas Shoes' by Bob Carlisle (Grammy Award and Dove Award winning Christian musician also performs "Butterfly Kisses"). Next a book was written by Donna Vanliere based on the words of the song. Finally came the movie based on the song/book. You can hear the song sung at the very end of the movie. General jest of the movie - two families become involved in each other's lives in different ways. Love, devotion, determination, and family are all touched on deeply in 'The Christmas Shoes'.

Favorite Christmas Movie #4 "The Note" The movie aired for the first time in December of 2007 on the Hallmark Channel and became Hallmark's highest rated movie of the year. It is no wonder, the lead character is a writer Peyton MacGruder (Genie Francis) whose column is going under but as fate has it she finds a note in a plastic bag in the debris left after an airplane crash. "The Note" which is addressed to 'T' takes Peyton on a journey across the country to find who the note was written to obviously by one of the passengers on the plane. Each person Peyton contacts is effected by the note in some way but none so much as the true owner. Her readership increases tremendously but the ending out shines her column's popularity. "The Note" also stars Ted McGinley who plays another newspaper writer and friend of Peyton's.

An added 'note' on this Christmas movie - January of 2010 Hallmark will release "The Note II", cannot imagine how they can top the first but look forward to seeing it.

Favorite Christmas Movie #5 "Most Wonderful Time of the Year", I don't know when this movie was released but this year is the first I have seen it but will be looking for the video to watch in years to come. This Christmas movie is down right sweet, cute, funny, and romantic all wrapped in one. Starring an old Happy Days star Henry Winkler how could it not be one of my favorite Christmas movies.

The movie also stars Brooke Burns, Connor Levins, and Warren Christie who plays the gorgeous hunk. Christie makes me want to watch this movie repeatedly just to fawn over him. General story - single mom engaged to a nerd creepy guy ends up with gorgeous guy at her house over Christmas thanks to her uncle (Henry Winkler). No tissues needed for this one but is a 'must see' if you like 'happy endings', Henry Winkler, and/or gorgeous men.

Other favorite Christmas movies on my list include both old and new:
"The Christmas Choir", "The National Tree", "Mrs. Miracle", "The Three Gifts", "A Season for Miracles", "When Angels Come to Town", "A Town Without Christmas", and "John Christmas". Of course, no Christmas would be complete without at least one viewing of "Heidi", "The Sound of Music", and National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation". All of the movies on my favorite Christmas movies list are family friendly although the grandkids may not totally understand them they are and have watched all with me at one time or another. If time permits before Christmas, I will write a bit more on some of these favorite Christmas movies.

One movie I was hoping would make my list is Thomas Kinkade's "Christmas Cottage". While a terrific story and a movie I will most likely watch again because of language and some adult themes I do not recommend it for general family viewing or for my grandchildren. "Christmas Cottage" is PG-13 rated but personally I think it could have been done without the adult language and themes and would have been just as good as well as more enjoyable for me.