It’s that time of year. Movies we’ve seen over and over for years are back for the Christmas season.
Here are some of my favorites. You’re welcome to share yours in the comments online.
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a wonderful animated story. It’s like an early version of inclusion, as someone who is different is tossed aside then runs away. That move puts loved ones in danger as they come to rescue him. Of course like most Christmas movies the warm ending makes it all worthwhile. The music is always a fun part of this show. I’ve enjoyed this flick since I was a kid.
White Christmas is another traditional favorite with not only a fun story line but entertaining songs, too. Legends Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye and their love stories with Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen are fun to watch. The story is nostalgic and goofy, and the charm is on full blast. The lesson here is don’t react until you know the truth.
Elf is one of my favorites. I can watch it over and over again. Will Farrell is hilarious as the huge elf who just wants to be loved and wanted. The message of acceptance is a good one, even though it is done in the silliest of ways.
Scrooged. Another case where the sequel is better than the original. Bill Murray puts on one of his funniest performances, first as a Scrooge and later as the lovable man who learned his lesson after living through the ghost of Christmas past, present and future. Great lesson we can all appreciate this time of year, don’t be so selfish.
The Grinch with Jim Carrey is a sequel that really does outshine the original. His facial expressions steal the show. And his relationship with Cindi Lou Who warms the heart every holiday it’s shown. This lesson is being nice can charm even the grouchiest person.
Miracle on 34th Street for me has always been the better classic than the next one, which is many people’s favorite. Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood and their quest to figure out if Santa is real or not, just like all kids. The love story that develops and the surprise ending are worthy of a watch every year.
It’s a Wonderful Life. Amazing to me I never saw this until my 40s. Don’t know how I missed it, as it’s on so many times. But it’s the great traditional story of learning how to appreciate your life and what you have, rather than dreaming of something better. The pastures aren’t always greener. Even the younger generation has to appreciate the legendary Jimmy Stewart in this one.
Christmas Vacation I thought was dumb at first, but I’ve grown to like it more over the years, like many comedies for me. Chevy Chase’s fixation on putting up Christmas lights is hilarious. I’ve always wondered how folks can spend so much time doing that. He takes it to the extreme. It’s good for some silly laughs no matter how many times you watch it.
Charlie Brown Christmas certainly was a favorite when I was younger. We certainly had some trees that were ugly growing up in a poor family. The Christmas message was always heart-warming, considering how commercialized the holiday is. It made me feel better about not getting as good a gifts as my friends.
Bad Santa. I might be the only person in the world to put this on a top Christmas list, but I’ve always found this one hilarious. It’s so different than most Christmas movies. It’s still ends up to have a sweet ending, of course, but for most of the time you just laugh at how raunchy Billy Bob Thornton is. He’s a drunk and criminal who plays Santa in a department store only to get into position to rob it. But his heart turns when a naive kid named Thurman befriends him. Like Thornton, nothing goes right for this kid, and the Bad Santa ends up being his hero.
