Holiday Movie Favorites

I love Christmas for a multitude of reasons. Obviously, the delicious food I'll be fortunate enough to and enjoy this season and also the classic holiday films that never fail to lift my Christmas spirit. From the timeless classics like It's a wonderful life, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Miracle on 34th Street, and Frosty the Snowman to some of the more modern classic Christmas tales like A Christmas Story, National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation, and Will Ferrel's instant Christmas movie staple Elf. Here is my pick for the top 5 Christmas movies I can't go without seeing each year. Please comment on your own list!

Here are some honorable mentions: Love Actually, The Holiday, Christmas with the Kranks, The Santa Claus, Miracle on 34th Street.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: - The 1966 classic animated tale of the mean old Grinch and his plans ruin Christmas for all the Whos of  Whoville. With his heart 3 sizes too small, he comes up with a sneaky plan to dress up his dog Max as a reindeer and himself as old Saint Nicholas and rid the Whos of their precious Christmas once and for all. While I mention this classic version I can't help but touch on the 2000 version from Director Ron Howard and starring Jim Carey. While it can't compare with the original animated, I still thought it was a decent attempt to bring a bit more to the story. This version is far outside my top list but still worth watching if you happen to stumble across it while channel searching.

Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: - KEVIN!!!!!!!!!! At this day and age I think we all know and love the story of dear old Kevin McCallister and his adventures of being accidentally left by himself while his family flies off on vacation. While enjoying his freedom from his family he never can seem to get along with, his house is target by a duo of outrageous burglars and Kevin has to find a way to stop them from robbing his home all by himself. The Sequel to the film is just as great to me and both films are Christmas classics. You can't help but fall in love with these movies and all the things that make them great.

Elf - "SANTA!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! SANTA HERE???? I know him......I know him!!!" Sorry I couldn't resist doing that. Elf is the new instant Christmas classic about a man named Buddy who grew up in the North Pole and was raised by Santa's Elves. Though Buddy is 6 feet tall and struggles at toy making, he never knows his true identity as a human until he over hears his co-Elves talking. This leads Buddy on a trip from The North Pole all the way to New York City in search of his biological father. The result is a comical Christmas story with a lot of heart, laughter, and Christmas spirit. Can't be Christmas without watching this one!!


A Christmas Story - Let me just say that if I had to pick my all time favorite Christmas movie, I'm not sure if I have a solid answer between A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation (Elf is far behind either). This is widely considered the best Christmas movie ever made and lets face it, there is a reason why this movie runs for 24 hours every year starting on Christmas Eve. The timeless tale of Ralph Parker and his quest to get the ultimate Christmas present this year from Santa, an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! This movie never gets old for me and it's not Christmas without seeing it.

National lampoons Christmas Vacation - Clark W. Griswold Jr. is skipping the vacation this Christmas and has invited the family to the Griswold's in Chicago to have a big fun filled old fashion Griswold family Christmas. This is my Dad's favorite Christmas movie and you can't help but love it. Chevy Chase can make me laugh by doing just about anything and the craziness that always follows his love able character of Clark Griswold is in no short supply in this timeless Christmas tale. The Character of Aunt Bethany is without a doubt my favorite part of the film and every single one of her lines is a hilarious classic that I often find myself quoting through out the year. My personal favorite is the hysterical part of the film where Clark asks his great Aunt to lead the family in saying grace before Christmas dinner.



Can't wait to hear which films you all can't go without watching throughout the Christmas season.