Rod Pocowatchit’s 10 favorite Christmas movies
I’ve surprisingly never made a list of my favorite Christmas movies. And when I stopped to think about it, it was quite a daunting task.
There are so many great, classic Christmas movies that it’s hard to narrow it down to just 10. Nevertheless, here are my favorite Christmas-themed or Christmas-set movies of all time. Happy Holidays!
“A Christmas Story” (1983) – I triple-dog-dare you to not fall in love with this holiday classic, set in the 1940s, where a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, Santa Claus and any other grown-up that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift. And no, he won’t put his eye out! Best quote: “Only one thing in the world could’ve dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.”
“Love Actually” (2003) – This contemporary classic is so relentlessly feel-good it hurts, following the lives of eight very different couples sorting through their love lives in loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London. Best quote: “When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge — they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) – An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman (James Stewart) by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. This is the best holiday weeper, full of nostalgia, inspiration and, ultimately, hope. Best quote: “You see, George, you’ve really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?”
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989) – We check in with the zany Griswold family, as their plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster. Chevy Chase has never been more manic – and hilarious. Best quote: “I don’t know what to say, except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.”
“Trading Places” (1983) – OK, so it’s not technically a “Christmas” movie, but a down-and-out Dan Aykroyd in a Santa suit does eat a slab of salmon through his grungy dried-out beard, and it’s hilarious. The story follows a snobbish investor (Aykroyd) and a wily street con artist (Eddie Murphy) who find their positions reversed as the result of a bet between two callous millionaires. Best quote: “Merry New Year!”
“Elf” (2003) – Will Farrell goes gleefully all-in as an oversized elf who ventures far away from the North Pole to search for his father in New York City. Equally charming, delightful and hilarious. Best quote: “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.”
“Gremlins” (1984) – A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town during Christmas. Darkly funny, this is wackily chaotic and fun. Best quote: “keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it’ll kill him. Second, don’t give him any water, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight.”
“Scrooged” (1988) – Bill Murray is at his sarcastic best as a selfish, cynical television executive who is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve in this take on “A Christmas Carol.” This has a decidedly meanness to it, yet it’s somehow also ultimately heartening. Best quote: “All day long, I listen to people give me excuses why they can’t work. ‘My back hurts,’ ‘My legs ache,’ ‘I’m only four!’ The sooner he learns life isn’t handed to him on a silver platter, the better!”
“Die Hard” (1988) – The arguments have gone ‘round and ‘round whether this is a “Christmas movie” or not, but I certainly think it is, as New York City police officer John McClane (a cheekily charismatic Bruce Willis) tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. This is a taut holiday action classic. Best quote: “Now I know what a TV dinner feels like.”
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) – This wistful, wildly creative stop-motion animation produced by Tim Burton follows Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, who discovers Christmas Town, and wants to take over Christmas, with innocently caustic results. Darkly charming and visually, epically stunning. Best quote: “Just because I cannot see it, doesn’t mean I can’t believe it.”