The holiday season is a time where everyone starts discussing which Christmas movies are the best Christmas movies. While "Elf" is a largely agreed upon movie on most people's lists, they do tend to differ slightly due to movies people grew up watching and just basic tastes. Holiday movies are great things to keep you busy, let you spend times with friends and family, and get you in the Christmas spirit.
So, in no particular order, here's my opinion on the best holiday movies that everyone needs to cram into the last two weeks before Christmas (but remember, if you continue to watch them after Christmas, no one is judging you. Watch them all year round and let your holiday spirit be free).
1. Elf (2003)
Of course, this is the movie that I mentioned above. This really is a great movie, good for kids and adults. Will Ferrell plays a fantastically eccentric Buddy the elf who comes to New York City in search of his birth father only to find that he is not the man he expected. This movie offers a cute romance and both family and personal growth. A+ choice for any day.
2. The Holiday (2006)
First of all, for those not up on British lingo, the word "holiday" in this case refers more to a vacation rather than Christmas itself, which isn't really celebrated on screen. Iris (Kate Winslet) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) switch homes over Christmas as they are both looking to escape their lives after heartbreak. This is a cheesy, romantic, feel-good movie that will make anyone (yes, anyone) fall in love with Jude Law and Jack Black.
3. The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause is one that I have seen many times, about once a year for my entire life. Tim Allen plays an accidental Santa Clause who has to deal with this new responsibility while dealing with family troubles due to it. This movie is one that shows even adults can experience the magic of Christmas.
4. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
Okay, so this isn't a Christmas movie, it's a Thanksgiving movie but it's still a great one to watch. Steve Martin and the late John Candy embark on a misadventure to get Steve Martin's character, Neal Page, home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. As stated in the title, they take a plane, a couple trains, and multiple automobiles to finally get these unlikely friends home for the holiday.
5. Home Alone (1990)
Kevin McCallister is a BA kid ready to defend his house from two less than average robbers when his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas trip to Paris. Kevin fends for himself in this movie as he shops, cleans, and eats a whole lot of junk food before realizing that all he wants for Christmas is to see his family again... oh, and get the robbers Harry and Marv arrested.
6. Four Christmases (2008)
Who doesn't love when a very tall man and a very short woman are paired up for a comical movie? In this one, Vince Vaughn (Brad) and Reese Witherspoon (Kate) are a couple who was not looking to spend time with their crazy families on Christmas, however when their flight gets canceled and they end up on the news, their families call them out to spend the holiday with them. Both from divorced families, Brad and Kate go to four Christmases where they wrestle siblings, get attacked by children, preform in a nativity play (Vince Vaughn's best scene), and find out if they really are right for each other.
7. Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)
How could I not include an ABC Family (now Freeform) original movie. While any movie in this category (including this one) is going to be cheesy, the cheesiness is fantastic. What better way to spend Christmas than being kidnapped by your waitress and forced to reside in the same cabin as her family? Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez play a fake couple in this movie so Hart's family won't think she's single.
8. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Yes, the original, not the one with Matilda in it. This movie is a classic. A man claiming to be Santa (because he is Santa) is institutionalized because they think he's insane and a little girl gets her Christmas wish.
9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Okay general warning that this one is definitely not a family movie due to scene full of a long string of curse words, however it is one of my family's favorites. This is one that we traditionally watch every Christmas eve. Clark Griswald just wants this Christmas to be the best one ever, but nothing is going right for him. Both sets of Grandparents are staying in the house and then their cousin Eddie shows up to cause more trouble. And yes, this is the third movie on my list that involves a felony. What's a Christmas movie without breaking the law?
Christmas movies are the best kinds of movies because they're happy (or at least the good ones are). And, yes, it is no coincidence that three of the nine movies were written by John Hughes. That man just knew how to make a classic movie. So, my task for the readers of this list is to watch all these movies and enjoy them fully because they really are great.
