Best Christmas Holiday Movies Review

Each holiday season I look forward to the wonderful old and new Christmas holiday movie choices. It is wonderful to sit down with the children and relieve my childhood memories of the animated classics as well as revisit some of my favorites throughout adulthood. Here are my current favorite holiday movies (in no particular order) that I try to watch every year – thank goodness for DVR!

Favorite Christms Holiday Movies: Comedy
Jingle All the Way: Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, and Rita Wilson (1996) Storyline: Work obsessive father Howard Langston, forgets to purchase that one must have gift for the holidays, a Turbo Man Action figure for his new son. In the meantime his wife is upset over his lack of interest in the family and is pursued by the neighbor (Phil Hartman). As Howard tries to do what every other parent on Christmas Eve is doing – shopping he encounters his nemesis, postal worker played by Sinbad. As parents scramble to purchase gifts, these two fathers begin a competition for the last available toy, encountering a drunken Santa (James Belushi) a toy black market and eventually discovering that it’s not really the toy that their children wanted, but what the toy meant – that dad actually noticed and cared about what they were interested in. Happy endings for all, except the lustful neighbor, who was also the perfect single dad with holiday decorations and sarcasm over Howard’s lack of holiday spirit. While the music is campy, and the performances silly sometimes, it is a story that every parent and child can enjoy as we have all “been there done that” when it comes to the perfect present for our children.

The Santa Clause 2: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Wendy Crewson and Spencer Breslin (2002) brings Tim Allen back into the spotlight. In the first version of The Santa Clause, Tim Allen (character Scott Calvin) through a freak accident becomes Santa Claus. However, in the year that Scott has been Santa his son ends up on the naughty not nice list and he finds out that he must marry by Christmas Eve in order to stay Santa. He travels to the real world and meets his son’s principal, a slightly uptight but still charming Elizabeth Mitchell. Santa’s son is able to resolve his issues with Santa/Scott and the Scrooge in the form of the principal is won over by Santa’s ho, ho, ho’s as well as his ability to save her school Christmas party with much loved gifts and games from the teachers past. Spencer Breslin stars as one of Santa’s helpers, and who invents a variety of gadgets and gimmicks to help him survive the regular world and is adorable. Let’s not forget this is a sequel, but a fun one that even my teenager will sit and watch with me.

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki and Randy Quaid (1989) Over the top Clark W. Griswold begins the holidays with high hopes and even higher expectations for a Hap, Hap Happy Christmas holiday, expectations that the Claus family couldn’t live up to. In typical National Lampoon fashion everything that can go wrong does go wrong from forgetting an axe to chop down the family Christmas tree to a SWAT team invasion of the Griswold living room on Christmas Eve. Throughout this countdown to Christmas adventure we get to see the good, bad and ugly of family and holidays from Mom (Beverly D’Angelo) sneaking a smoke thanks to the stress of all the grandparents in the house, to Grinch like neighbors and the disappointment of the holiday bonus. Of course Randy Quaid and family appear to mooch off the family for the holiday, and he steals the show, with his Christmas present to Clark. Even though I know the story by heart, I still get a good laugh out of the slapstick humor as well as memories of where holidays can go wrong. Moral to this story, enjoy your family, they may be crazy, they may mooch, their dog may yack on your oriental rug, but they are yours.

Favorite Christms Holiday Movies: Animated
The Original Christmas Classics includes (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town/Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol/Little Drummer Boy/Cricket on the Hearth): Apparently I am not the only one who loves these animated classics from my childhood. Each year I look forward to the cutesy voice of Rudolph, try not to cry as Frosty starts to melt, remember my Christmas cantata performances with the rum pum a pum um of the Little Drummer Boy and sing along to the songs of Santa Claus is coming to town. However, in this grouping of movies, I know nothing about Mr. Magoo, Frosty Returns, or Cricket on the Hearth, but since it is 7 movies on one DVD, you get them all together. Sure, the animations do not show the perfection of color and technique that we see now, but the stories and songs of these old time favorites carry on.

Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Who doesn’t remember Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch who stole Christmas? It was originally released in 1966, but new releases on DVD can be found where the colors and animation have been cleaned up and digitally re-mastered. One of the most fun things about this movie is the adorable Cindy Lou Who, who catches the Grinch in the act of stealing Christmas from her home as well as the unforgettable rhyming ability of Dr. Seuss. As we sing song along with this story, we see that there is more to Christmas than ribbons and boys, toys and clothes, food and wine, but that Christmas is Christmas for all time.
 

A Charlie Brown Christmas: “That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!”Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer." Originally released in 1965, a re-mastered deluxe edition of one of the most popular Charlie Brown’s of all time has recently been released. You can also purchase a gift set which includes the sweet little tree of the movie with one single bulb. Charles Schultz tells the story of the “true meaning of Christmas” as Charlie and the gang prepare for their annual Christmas pageant. Crazy Snoopy, dirty Pig Pen, bossy Lucy (madly in love of course with Schroeder) all learn that commercialism is over rated. One interesting note is that this movie actually does use children for the voice over’s – these aren’t adult actors folks trying to pretend to be children.

Barbie in a Christmas Carol: My daughters are in love with all things Barbie this year. Since I enjoy the story of the Christmas carol, why not combine our two holiday enjoyments into one and experience Barbie in a Christmas Carol. Barbie tells her sister Kelli the story of Eden Starling (Scrooge) who was a famous singer in England but not a very nice person. As Eden travels the night before Christmas with the ghost of Christmas past, present and future she, as in all Christmas Carol stories find the true meaning of Christmas and loses her Scrooge-like ways. The animation and colors are truly brilliant and engaging and the story is well told to children without the scariness of the original Christmas Carol classic.
Classic

Favorite Christms Holiday Movies: Classics

It’s a Wonderful Life: We own very few DVD’s in our household, but this is one of them. Originally aired in 1947, color and re-mastered digital and blu ray versions are available. You can even catch it on television. Starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. In this story, George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) overcome by what he feels is holiday filled with a look back at all he has missed that he wanted out of life as well as the possible bank scandal where he works he considers suicide. A guardian angel appears and shows Stewart what life would have been like without him – for his wife, family and many of the townspeople. A truly life affirming look at destiny at its best as Stewart realizes all that he has to be grateful for, as with the love of his town and his family it truly is a “wonderful life.”

Miracle on 34th Street: There are different versions of this classic Christmas story; however my favorite is the original – in color. Starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood and Gene Lockhart. Maureen O’Hara is wonderful as a single mother, working in a high level position (unusual for that period of time) at Macy’s and in charge of Santa for the famous Macy’s day parade. After finding the Santa she hired drunk, she takes on the first Santa she can find – Edmund Gwenn, who to be honest has me believing in Santa Claus. No nonsense mom brings up her daughter with no fairy tales and no Santa Claus. However Kris Kringle works his magic both in the store, on the parade and even in the courtroom as he and neighbor/lawyer and romantic interest convince the world that there is a Santa Claus! I know I believed him, from his rosy red checks to his heart wrenching knowledge of what was truly in your heart, this Santa is a Santa for all time.

Gwenn won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1948, but the film also won Oscars for Best Writing, Original Story (Valentine Davies) and Best Writing, Screenplay (George Seaton)

The Christmas Carol, with Patrick Stewart: Growing up Dickens was one of my favorite authors, but I have to admit to being a little scared of the original movie. Since then there have been many remakes but to me, none are as thrilling or believable as the performance by Patrick Stewart (X-Men and Star Trek Generations) as Ebenezer Scrooge. I don’t know how he works his scroogy magic but the resounding voice and accent of the Scrooge keeps me pinned to my seat while I await the ghosts of Christmas. The stove pipe hat, black suit and cold heart turns to affection for his nephew and a holiday spirit like no other. His face transforms from wrinkles and scowls to one of joy and delight at the Christmas holiday celebration. As much as I believe Gwenn in Miracle to truly exhibit Santa Claus, Stewart brings an element to Scrooge, I have never seen before. The special effects are really convincing also.

There are several others that receive honorable mention- The Diva Christmas Carol starring Vanessa Williams, Eloise Christmas, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, The Christmas Story, and Holiday in Handcuffs. Yes, many of my honorable mentions are “campy” and comedic but there is just something about a bowl of popcorn, some peanuts and candy and a good movie with the family as we wrap presents, stuff stockings, address greeting cards or just sit on the couch with a box of Kleenex that somehow helps make the holiday season special.

Enjoy family movie night!