Ten Favorite Christmas Movies

Christmas time can become very hectic, as you all know. In between the Christmas parties, caroling, cookie making, Bible reading, special church programs, shopping and wrapping, it can be a real treat to relax with your family and watch a Christmas theme movie. Here are ten movies my family loves to watch at Christmas time. All of them are appropriate for every member of the family.

Miracle on 34th Street - The original movie with Natalie Wood is the best. The story of a little girl raised by her wounded mother to be practical and no-nonsense is touching as they both begin to learn to laugh and play. As the original trailer points out, this movie has it all. Romance! Laughs! Tears! Excitement! And a satisfying conclusion as the mother falls in love, the girl gets a home and a father, and Santa Clause is proven to be real.

Ernest Saves Christmas - For pure fun, this wacky Ernest movie can't be beat. He is his usual zany self as he sets about helping an old man prove he is Santa, a young girl find her way back home, and a friend decide his new path in life. Along the way he dons hilarious costumes, gets in one scrape after another, and spreads equal parts chaos and cheer.

The Muppet Christmas Carol - There are a million Christmas Carol renditions, but this one is unique. With Michael Caine as Scrooge, and Gonzo narrating with the help of Rizzo the Rat, The Muppet Christmas Carol follows the timeless tale with original touches to create a perfect blend of old and new. The singing vegetables are not to be missed.

A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott - If you like your Christmas Carol unadorned, this is the best version out there. George C. Scott is perfect in the Scrooge role, and the movie is spooky enough to make the joyful ending a welcome contrast.

The Nativity Story - This movie, made in 2006, is the traditional Christmas story of Jesus Christ's birth. It is wonderfully portrayed, very touching and well acted by Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary. I highly recommend it for families that want to keep the emphasis on Jesus at this celebration of His birth.

It's a Wonderful Life - This movie is a classic for a good reason, as it reminds all of us that the every day things we do are sometimes more important to those we love than the big things we long to do ever could be. George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, grows up in a small town and feels completely unimportant. He longs to travel and accomplish great things, but his sacrificial devotion to his family prevents him again and again from leaving. Finally he has a melt down of such proportions that his guardian angel is forced to come and show him what the world would be like for those he loves if he had never been a part of it. I cry every time the bell rings and I know Clarence has earned his wings.

A Charlie Brown Christmas - This little cartoon is sweet, with a message about Christmas priorities. A Charlie Brown Christmas packs a powerful and unexpected punch when Linus calmly gives his recitation of the birth of Jesus Christ straight from the Bible. Who hasn't had a tree like Charlie Brown's, reminding them that Christmas isn't about the commercial aspects after all.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 cartoon) - A Dr. Suess cartoon that contains a whole little world of unique characters that prove their worth when their beloved Christmas is stolen. The grinch, whose heart is too small, thinks he can steal the joy of the Whos in Whooville by taking their food and gifts, but when he hears them singing joyfully anyway, he joins them. The Grinch is sort of a cartoon Scrooge, with the same bah humbug attitude, but the rendition is completely fresh. Boris Karloff is an inspired choice as the narrator and Grinch voices.

Home Alone 2 - There were more Home Alone movies made, all centering on Christmas, but I prefer the second Home Alone. The two inept crooks are back from the first one, for revenge; Kevin, lost in New York, is ready for them once again. Hilarity ensues. But Kevin's friendship with the Bird Woman in the park adds a deeper element that I found much more meaningful than the old man in the first movie. This movie, unlike most sequels, just had a whole lot more to offer than the first one, in both plot and humor.

Little Women - While not specifically a Christmas movie, the 1994 version of Little Women has enough scenes set at Christmas to qualify, and is a tender enough story as well. Several of the young actors, such as Christian Bale and Kirsten Dunst, went on to become major stars, as well as Wynona Ryder, Claire Danes, and Susan Sarandon, who already were at the time. The movie is loaded with quality acting of a beloved story about four sisters growing up around the time of the Civil War. Their generosity to poorer folk around them, especially at Christmas time, sets the right tone for a Christmas attitude of giving instead of just getting.

All of these movies are well known and easy to obtain in movie stores, as well as on Amazon, for reasonable prices. These ten Christmas movies have become favorites of our family and I hope, if you have not already seen them, you will consider them for your family this year as well.