Top 10 Christmas Movies
By Cinema Sugar
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to rank Christmas movies without any fear. So we took a swig of spiked eggnog and ran the gauntlet of the genre like Marv and Harry at the McCallisters, finally arriving at our Top 10 Christmas Movies.
10. While You Were Sleeping
It’s your classic guy meets girl, girl saves guy from being hit by a train, guy falls into coma, girl falls in love with coma guy’s brother while pretending to be engaged to guy in coma love story! So much of what makes it work is that Lucy (played warmly by Sandra Bullock) does not waste the movie yearning after the unconscious Peter (played by pioneer himbo Peter Gallagher), neither does she appear to be devastated and short-sighted for his brother Jack (played by Bill Pullman, who is so good at denim). Instead, chance (which may be a bit trite, but whatever) along with an extra fascinating catalyst carry her through her holiday season deception: she’s lonely for family. It seems not believable or practical but in an extreme-anxiety set of circumstances I also would not attempt to contend with the family of a guy in a coma. I don’t care if the ending voiceover concludes by literally stating the film’s title, this movie is wholesome and I am charmed by it! —Natalie Bauer
9. Love Actually
The idea that love is all around us might make you cringe given the state of the world these days. But this film isn’t concerned with the newsworthy forces that drive us apart, no matter how real they may be. Instead, it shifts our attention to the simple, everyday acts of love that propel the world forward. A young lad learning the drums just to get closer to his classmate crush; a woman caring for her mentally ill brother at the cost of true happiness for herself; a bombastic aging rockstar who ditches the party at Elton’s for a night with his manager. It’s endlessly endearing and unafraid of what it’s trying to say, and says it with warmth, humor and empathy. Having just been through a pummeling global pandemic, I thought of this movie often and it kept me connected to what matters most. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that Love Actually is…one of the great holiday movies. —Kevin Prchal
8. White Christmas
I got goosebumps as I started to write this thinking about how absolutely delightful this movie is. It’s not a popcorn, Hallmark Christmas affair, but that doesn’t make it any less cozy. The plot follows a singing-dancing duo of World War II veterans (Bing Crosby and Sammy Kaye) who become entwined with a pair of singing-dancing sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen). They end up following the sisters to a Vermont inn, which is run by their retired commanding officer and normally commands big crowds as a seasonal skiing destination, but there’s no snow! So the quartet use their fame to put on a show to save the business and the locals that rely on it. The songs are catchy, the snow is white and fluffy, and the romance is sweet but not sugar-coated. It’s a classic that can be enjoyed outside of the holiday season too. —Natalie Pohorski
7. The Family Stone
The Rotten Tomatoes consensus of The Family Stone is that “this family holiday dramedy features fine performances but awkward shifts of tone.” Which, yeah: That’s why it’s so good. Maybe your experience was different, but “awkward shifts of tone” could be the definition of family—especially during the holidays. The film depicts a particular kind of cozy, Hallmark-approved, New England-flavored Christmastime while also vividly capturing what it’s like to spend extended time with the people you love but who are also most adept at driving you crazy. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but, to paraphrase Meredith Morton, I don’t care whether you like it or not! —Chad Comello
6. Gremlins
Gremlins is an immaculate, smirking, oddball disruption of Christmas that laid fangs and chaotic comedy into executive producer Steven Spielberg’s exceedingly innocent mid-‘80s industry crop. The “rules” hardly click initially, so the lampoon lawlessness appears imminent at the start and you merely revel in the holiday carousel as it crumbles. What I seem to forget every time in between viewings is what a substantial technological accomplishment it is. The animatronic gremlin characters are nearly flawless and completely impressive. Somehow, this movie feels more absurdly rotten as an asshole adult than it did to me as an asshole kid. I’ve also heard many times over the years that the PG-13 movie rating was created in the wake of this one being released, so it’s certainly left its mark. —Natalie Bauer
5. Elf
Talking about why Elf is great is like talking about why candy is great. The winking physicality and innocence of Will Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf, the Rankin/Bass aesthetics of the North Pole, the uncomplicated and fearlessly earnest storybook script—its appeal is generational and timeless. But even aside from it being the definitive Christmas movie of the 21st century (so far), as a comedy—no other movie has made me laugh harder since its release in 2003. “That’s a very nice purple dress. It’s very purpley…” —Kevin Prchal
4. Die Hard
True story: several years ago my wife and I were at my parents’ house for Christmas and the family was debating which movie to watch. Soon Die Hard emerged as the consensus pick. My wife hadn’t seen it and knew nothing about it, but since we told her it was a Christmas movie she was game. Turned out she definitely was not game—its brutal violence, shoeless glass-walking, and other decidedly un-cozy elements so traumatized her that she has since refused to acknowledge it as a movie worth watching, let alone a Christmas movie. To which I say: “Yippie-ki-yay, Merry Christmas!” —Chad Comello
3. Home Alone
Growing up in the ‘90s, it wasn’t easy having big glasses and a last name that rhymes with Urkel. On the other hand, routinely being stopped in the hallway by kids slapping their faces and shouting “KEVIN!” was the highest compliment. I say this because, as a pre-teen rascal with a bias towards movies where kids outsmart adults, Kevin McCallister was King. I watched Home Alone so many times as a kid, it lives in me like a memory and continues to warm me up every year like a hot iron to the face. —Kevin Prchal
2. The Muppet Christmas Carol
I love Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I’ve read the book, seen the local productions, and watched nearly every film and TV adaptation there is to see. Brian Henson’s The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite. Add ghosts to any story and I’ll love it more, but Muppets? Forget about it. Pile on a soundtrack of fantastic original Christmas songs and Michael Caine’s Oscar-worthy turn at Scrooge and you’ve got yourself a jolly good holiday family movie night forevermore. —Kevin Prchal
1. It’s A Wonderful Life
The once and future king of Christmas movies. I could praise a lot of things: the cinematography, the supporting cast, the dramatic depth of Jimmy Stewart’s first postwar performance. But its magic ultimately comes down to Harry’s closing line:“A toast to my big brother, George, the richest man in town.” George was rich in the end because he remembered. He remembered the barrenness of the ghostly alternate timeline where he was never born. And he remembered the meaning of family and friends and frustrating failures and small victories, all of which had accumulated into something like a wonderful life. Hot dog! —Chad Comello