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'Mary doesn't even get to name her own baby? I woulda called him Bill.'

'Tis the season for lists, 'tisn't it? Last year I listed my favorite Christmas songs so this year I'll do my favorite Christmas movies. Maybe next year - if I remember - it will be books.

srah's Ultimate List of the Best Christmas Movies and/or Movies That Take Place at Christmas

  1. Home Alone - I actually haven't seen this in years, but it makes the list out of some sort of loyalty to my Not-So-Secret Twin.
  2. Christmas in Connecticut - I love Barbara Stanwyck and I love Cuddles Szakall. Never mind that I can't remember exactly what happens in the movie. I think there's a rocking chair.
  3. White Christmas - Like Singin' in the Rain, it has a tendency to veer off into song-and-dance numbers that have nothing to do with the plot, but it is beautiful and glorious in enormous, gorgeous Technicolor. Snow snow snow snow SNOWWWWWW!
  4. Miracle on 34th Street - The US Postal Service Saves Christmas!
  5. Elf - I don't think anyone really expected much from a "family-friendly" Will Ferrell movie, but here it is! A new Christmas classic!
  6. While You Were Sleeping - Not quite as Christmassy as some on the list, but it gets bumped up for being one of my favorite romantic comedies and for being the cinematic home of one of srahfam's favorite fictional characters of all time: Joe... Fusco... Junior.
  7. Love Actually - So many lovely stories, and also one about stalking.
    Daisy: ... and I'm the lobstah.
    Karen: The lobster? In the nativity play?
    Daisy: Yeah, first lobster.
    Karen: There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus?
  8. It's a Wonderful Life - I always sort of wrote this off as a Christmas classic and never really looked at it as a movie, but just watch this. Jimmy Stewart is amazing.
  9. The Muppet Christmas Carol - Muppets! Music! Bean Bunny having the door slammed in his stupid bunny face!
  10. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - You know why this is #1? It is #1 because YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT and this gives me awesome hipster cred because I have seen something you haven't. I'm so trendy I'm ahead of the trends. Also, I think it's Canadian, so I get double hipster points. Canada is very hip. Also, there is a young ruffian named Leroy presenting a ham to the Baby Jesus. Also, there is a sheet with balloooons on it. Also also also. Are you INTRIGUED yet? Go and find this movie!

Honorable Mention: In the Good Old Summertime has a Christmas song in it and the big reveal happens at Christmastime, but I wouldn't classify it as a Christmas movie. I would classify Van Johnson as dreamy, though.

What are your favorite Christmas movies? Which ones have I accidentally left out? Which ones have I purposely left out¹?

¹ "You'll shoot your eye out!" Also, anything involving Claymation.

srah - Saturday, 15 December 2007 - 12:04 PM
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Comments (25)

gravatar Elisabeth - December 15, 2007 - 1:43 PM - ℓ

Not only have I seen The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, I played the lead in my community theater production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. ME FTW!

8, 6, 4 are also awesome.

And I am the only person in the world who has never seen It's a Wonderful Life.

gravatar EV - December 15, 2007 - 2:23 PM - ℓ

I realize it's not a full-length movie, but I'm not sure how a list like this can exist that doesn't include Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas.

gravatar srah - December 15, 2007 - 2:25 PM - ℓ

I don't think I've ever seen it. :(

gravatar EV - December 15, 2007 - 2:35 PM - ℓ

Aacckk! Really? It's a special that was on HBO for years, narrated by Kermit the frog but starring this Muppet otter and his Muppet otter mom, and it's like Gift of the Magi with Muppet otters. And a mean electric rock band. You should really try to track it down. I should really try to track it down, actually.

gravatar Cherri - December 15, 2007 - 2:40 PM - ℓ

I love #4 as well. Muppet Christmas Carol is good, too and I'm also a fan of the above mentioned Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas films is also an obscure one: Bernard and the Genie. It's really, really ridiculous, but it was written by Richard Curtis (writer of Love Actually and many other British things)and stars Alan Cumming.

gravatar srah - December 15, 2007 - 2:41 PM - ℓ

Wheeee, Alan Cumming!

gravatar alejna - December 15, 2007 - 3:00 PM - ℓ

"Miracle on 34th Street" is my favorite Christmas movie. But I am also quite fond of (in a totally different way) Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas." With a song like "Kidnap the Sandy Claws," how can you not love it?

gravatar t-bone - December 15, 2007 - 4:47 PM - ℓ

I have never seen, it's a wonderful life either.

My favorite movie is the
The Muppet Family Christmas--i think it was a TV special, but it is available on DVD. I watch it every year. It's hilarious.

Watch out for that icy patch...

gravatar kerrianne - December 16, 2007 - 1:07 AM - ℓ

Elf is one of my all-time favorites, even in the non-Christmas-time months. (And I love your Feist tag-line quote. We saw her in Portland in November. Such an awesome show.)

gravatar katie - December 16, 2007 - 11:35 AM - ℓ

I've never seen Elf, but I own Love Actually. I watched IAWL on tv the other night, and that is the best scene ev-ar. Except I don't like that he shakes her and makes her cry.

Van Johnson is not dreamy attal. He's pudgy and blonds are foofy.

gravatar srah - December 16, 2007 - 11:37 AM - ℓ

Have you seen the In the Good Old Summertime? He is dreamy in that.

Also, "foofy"?

gravatar katie - December 16, 2007 - 11:39 AM - ℓ

I forgot to mention that I was supposed to see a production of TBCPE last night, but didn't. I went shopping instead and bought lots of good-looking goodies, almost entirely for myself. :D

gravatar srah - December 16, 2007 - 11:45 AM - ℓ

Oh, is that what you were going to see? Fun times. Well enjoy your treats!

gravatar babs - December 16, 2007 - 12:38 PM - ℓ

did you leave off A Christmas Story because it's played to death at the holidays? Even so, it's still hella funny.

I'm so glad you have White Christmas on the list. I love that movie. Fab numbers and great songs! Why for no animated? The original Grinch? The Year Without a Santa Claus?

gravatar Nomi - December 16, 2007 - 4:33 PM - ℓ

I love A Christmas Story.

gravatar alfie - December 16, 2007 - 11:50 PM - ℓ

Thank you for leaving A Christmas Story off. I hate that movie. Our parents have been informed that they should watch our copy whichever night this week I have to work late.

gravatar srah - December 17, 2007 - 6:21 AM - ℓ

Our parents must have somehow psychologically scarred us with that movie, because I can't stand A Christmas Story either, but everyone else on Earth seems to love it.

gravatar srah - December 17, 2007 - 6:24 AM - ℓ

Maybe it's because we - unlike most people - have seen the far superior Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss. (I don't actually remember anything about OHHOB, except "FUUUUUUUUUUZZHEAAAAAAD!")

gravatar Cheryl - December 17, 2007 - 8:21 AM - ℓ

I love the Muppets, but I always always fast forward through the one song sung by only humans in that movie.

Also, does anyone remember that claymation movie where they did little scenes of Christmas songs? There wasn't really a plot, but there were three camels singing We Three Kings and some elves doing the wassail song and singing it as "waffling". No one seems to remember this but me.

gravatar srah - December 17, 2007 - 8:30 AM - ℓ

Oooh, we fast-forward through that too. That song is terrible.

gravatar Jess - December 17, 2007 - 9:54 AM - ℓ

I haven't seen the move for number one, but I've READ THE BOOK. I didn't even know it WAS a movie. Now I want to know... which came first?

gravatar srah - December 17, 2007 - 10:17 AM - ℓ

I'm pretty sure the book came first. But I was not aware of it being performed as a play until recently. Now I wonder whether the movie or the play came first.

I'm thinking TBCPE might come in #1 again next year if I do the book list. :)

gravatar sarah - December 18, 2007 - 1:29 PM - ℓ

fred claus was pretty good.

love actually.

garfield's christmas

mickey's christmas carol

claymation christmas

(when i was little i remember liking prancer).

i know they're not all movies, but i have a special place in my heart for the xmas specials of my youth.

gravatar srah - December 18, 2007 - 2:27 PM - ℓ

Does anyone remember the Sesame Street Christmas thing? I remember having the record, but I don't know if it was a TV special as well. I just remember the Bert and Ernie Gift of the Magi thing.

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