Hey, everyone, I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and are ready for the coming month. I know I am. I love this time of year. It is a great time to spend time with family and friends and reflect upon all the good things in life. Also another reason I love this time of year is for the wonderful movies that are available to watch. There are so many great movies for this time of year it was hard to narrow it down to just 10. So I am sorry if your favorite holiday movie isn't on my list. Trust me there are some that I think are classics that didn't make it onto my list. However, that being said, here is my recommendations for all of you to watch this Holiday season.
10. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)MPAA Rating: PG for brief language and suggestive content.
So the first on my list is Revolution Studios' Christmas with the Kranks starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. It tells the story of Luther and Nora Krank, who decide to skip Christmas and go on a vacation when they find out that their daughter won't be coming home for Christmas that year. For the Kranks, this means no decorations, lights, presents, trees, parties, or anything. Along the way they make enemies with all of their neighbors. Finally as Christmas Eve rolls around and they vacation is a day away, they receive a phone call from their daughter saying that she is coming home. Now it is up to the Kranks to drop their pride and put together every Christmas tradition they have before their daughter gets home.
This movie is based on the John Grisham novel Skipping Christmas. This is one of my favorite books to read and I was so excited to see it being adapted to screen. This film really shows the power of friends and family when it comes to the holidays. It shows how people can set aside their differences to help one another out, even when they may not deserve it. This film also shows one can't merely skip a holiday, but the spirit of the holiday will always be with them.
9. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)MPAA Rating: PG for some scary images.
I know this isn't a typical Christmas movie, but I love it. I This film is brought by Disney from the great mind of Tim Burton. This film is about Jack, the Pumpkin King, who lives in Halloween Town, a place where some Halloween is every day and the monsters that kids dream about live.. While he is trying to find the meaning of his life and how to make his life more purposeful. During his journey he finds his way into Christmas Town where he learns all about Christmas and believes that if he brought Christmas to Halloween Town life would be better.
This film is amazing. The animation is spectacular and it is just enough weird that I like it. This film is for all ages, but does have some scary moments so if you are watching it with little kids I would be cautious. This film shows that the Holidays are for everyone.
MPAA Rating: GOk, so this is one of my favorite movies and was also on my last month's list. Anyway the film follows the story of an old man named Kris Kringle who claims to be the real Santa Clause. When people start hearing this some become cynical of the old man try to reject all notions of belief. Suddenly people begin to notice something special about Kris Kringle and after much debate both in courts of law and in conversations, people realize that maybe Kris Kringle could be the real Santa Clause and if not,his advancement of Christmas Spirit certainly makes him a good man.
I think the reason I love this film is because of its focus so much on believing. We are in a world where many of us are skeptics, it is just nice to see how the power of belief is so important. Also it shows the power that children have. If it weren't for the children in this show and the belief that they have then Kris Kringle would not have been able to show his true self.
7. White Christmas (1954)MPAA Rating: G
So, to be honest, I actually have not seen this film, but this is my wife's favorite Christmas movie so I decided to put it on my list. She talks so highly of the film, that I am really excited to watch it. The film follows Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, World War II veterans who become a top song-and-dance act. Eventually Bob and Phil meet up with a pair of sisters, Betty and Judy, who also have a song-and-dance act. Bob and Phil follow Betty and Judy to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show and they find that their former commander, General Waverly, as the lodge owner.
Like I said before I haven't actually seen this film before, but I do love the music that is in it. My wife praises this show, so even though I haven't seen it yet, I definitely would recommend it. Also the film has become so popular that there has a been a stage adaption of the film which has also received great reviews.
6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)MPAA Rating: PG-13
Let me just say, this may not be your typical family Christmas movie, but I absolutely love it. The film follows Clark and Ellen Griswold as they are preparing for the holiday season. This year they have decided to have their entire family on both sides come for Christmas this and with so many different personalities patience is tested. With bickering family members, stressful neighbors, criminal activities, fires and squirrels the only thing that Clark and truly be excited for is his Christmas bonus, which may not be what he expects it to be.
I think the reason I like this film so much is the family aspect of the film. Getting everything ready for the holidays is stressful enough as it is, but add all your family members where they have their own opinions over everything and it become somewhat impossible. However this film shows that even throughout all the craziness, families can come together and set aside differences for the holidays.
5. The Muppet's Christmas Carol (1992)MPAA rating: G
So what is a holiday movie list without a version of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. My favorite version is the one done by the Muppets. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, played by the magnificent Michael Caine, who is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in order to teach him the true meaning of Christmas. As he seeing what his life was and could be, the spirit of Christmas comes into his life and a miraculous transformation ensues.
The thing I love about this story is it shows how important having the Spirit of Christmas is to enjoying life. It is interesting to me though how easy it is to lose and how hard it seems to get it back. This film shows how influential people can be in our lives and how we need to share their influence to others.
4. Elf (2003)MPAA: PG for some mild rude humor and language.
This is another great Christmas classic. It follows the story of Buddy the Elf, a human who stowed away in Santa's sack when he was a baby and has grown up among the elves. When he is grown Santa allows Buddy to go the New York City on search of his birth father, a heartless jerk on Santa's naughty list who doesn't even know Buddy was born. While there Buddy is able to experience New York in his own unique way and when his relationship with his father gets stronger, his father is forced to reevaluate his priorities.
This film is hilarious and is definitely one that you should watch this year. Every time I watch this show it just keeps getting better and better. The film shows the power of believing and how important family truly is. No matter how important work may seem, family should always be the priority and if that isn't part of your thought process, then like Buddy's father it may be time to reevaluate your priorities. This is such an important less that this film teaches.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)MPAA Rating: PG for some crude humor.
A Christmas list wouldn't be complete without Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This version is the live action version of the 1966 animated short. It stars Jim Carrey as the infamous green monster, The Grinch who lives on top of Mt. Crumpet overlooking Whoville. The Who's love Christmas and one Christmas Eve the Grinch decides to stop Christmas from coming. So on Christmas Eve night he sneaks down the mountain and into each home in Whoville and takes everything in sight. However much to his dismay, he soon realizes that taking away the Christmas may be harder than what he expected.
This film is great. The lessons that one can learn in this film are priceless. Knowing that Christmas doesn't come from a store, but is about coming together and celebrating one of the greatest events in human history is something that every person needs to learn. One can't simply take away Christmas, but the Spirit of Christmas lies in each and everyone of us who accepts it.
2. It's A Wonderful Life (1947)MPAA Rating: G
This memorable Christmas movie follows the story George Bailey, James Stewart, a down-on-his-luck businessman who finds himself in trouble with the law after some money is misplaced. As he contemplates his life up to this point, he thinks about his wife, children, and others he loves and how their lives would have been if he had never lived and contemplates suicide. The prayers of his loved ones bring an angel, Clarence, to George that shows him what life would be like if he had never been born. As he sees how miserable his loved ones lives are, George realizes that he has touched many people's hearts and his life has truly been a wonderful one.
This film is classic and is definitely a must-see during the holiday season. If you ever feel like you don't belong somewhere, just think about how much worse people are without you in their lives. Each person has the ability to touch someone else's life and it is up to them do so. If they do so then they truly will have a wonderful life.
1. Mr. Krueger's ChristmasMPAA Rating: G
Ok, so my number movie to watch this December is my favorite Christmas movie Mr. Krueger's Christmas starring James Stewart. This film follows the story of Willie Krueger (James Stewart), a lonely, aging widower who only has his cat George to keep him company. On Christmas Eve as he is sitting alone in his apartment, fantasizing about how wonderful Christmas can be, he is befriended by Clarissa, a young girl who is part of a group of carolers. Through this little girls actions he is reminded of the true meaning of Christmas and how he needs to remember Christ during the Christmas season.
This film is my favorite Christmas movie and is one that I recommend anyone to see. If you have truly forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, this film will definitely remind you of it. Christ should be the center of our lives this Christmas season and it shouldn't matter what we give or what we receive, but who we are with and how we can make the world a better place. Christ has done so much for us and we should remember all that he did.
Well everyone, I hope you enjoyed!! I hope you have a great Holiday Season and may it truly be merry and wonderful!!!
So what are the top 10 Christmas movies everyone should stay away from?
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