Natalie Owens, Freshman
December is here, and you know what that means: holidays!!
Nothing is better than spending the holidays with family and friends during this hectic time of year and, obviously, getting presents! To help fellow holiday lovers get into the holiday spirit, here is a list compiled of 12 must-watch holiday movies. From classics like It's a Wonderful Life to comedies like Home Alone, you will be holly jolly in no time!
1. Elf
This family classic warms every heart during the holiday season! Comedian Will Ferrell plays the lovable Buddy the elf on his mission to find his dad in New York City. Elf is great to watch with the kids and keeps them laughing the whole movie. As said best by Buddy the elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
2. Home Alone and 3. Home Alone 2
The movies Home Alone and Home Alone 2 follow the adventures of a young boy named Kevin McCallister. In Home Alone, McCallister gets left home alone when his family takes a vacation and he has to fend off a group of bandits using booby traps. In Home Alone 2, McCallister accidentally takes the wrong plane from the rest of his family and ends up in New York City, encountering the same bandits from the last film. Whether it be Home Alone or Home Alone 2, both movies are entertaining flicks!
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Some may consider The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie, but either way this animated movie is one of a kind! Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas follows characters such as Jack Skellington and Sally in Halloween Town, the town where it is always Halloween. But Jack Skellington plans to wreak havoc on Christmas Town. This unique film is Disney classic!
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The live action How the Grinch Stole Christmas is an adaptation of the lovable animated 1966 movie based off of the Dr. Suess children's book. Jim Carey plays the Grinch as he makes his way into Whoville with the plan to end Christmas celebrations. How the Grinch Stole Christmas will turn you from a Grinch just in time for Christmas!
6. The Santa Clause
The 1994 movie The Santa Clause is a comedy for the whole family! When Scott, played by Tim Allen, accidentally knocks Santa off of his roof, he is forced to take over the role of Santa for Christmas. This holiday film is the first of a 3 movie trilogy, setting up for a great Christmas movie binge watch list.
7. The Polar Express
This animated movie is based off of the popular children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. The Polar Express is an adventurous movie following a little boy taking a trip on a magical train to the North Pole. The world of The Polar Express gives a sense of wonder and inspiration to both children and adults alike. "Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we cannot see."
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer may have come out in 1964, but it continues to create smiles during the holiday season! The 47 minute long movie tells the story of how Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer pack came to be. This claymation movie was originally a TV special but has become such a Christmas classic that it now airs every year.
9. Santa Claus is Comin' To Town
Santa Claus is Comin' To Town is personally my favorite movie. Similar to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin' To Town is a claymation movie telling the tale of Kris Kringle and how he became Santa Claus. This claymation movie is full of songs that you can sing along to and get stuck in your head! Being only 51 minutes long, this 1970's movie is great for keeping the attention of kids.
10. A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story is played for 24 hours on TBS so, clearly, it's one of the most beloved Christmas movies out there! Full of quotable moments, A Christmas Story follows the life of Ralphie Parker and his family trying to make it through the holiday season. This movie is a classic comedy and shows that the holidays are really not that easy.
11. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Visiting your relatives may be rough, but maybe this comedy will lift your spirits! National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a hilarious Christmas movie showing the struggles of having your relatives stay with you during the holidays. The things that the Griswald family goes through will make your family seem way more normal. The whole family will love this crazy film!
12. It's A Wonderful Life
It's A Wonderful Life is one of the best Christmas movies of all time, as it was nominated for six Academy Awards and ranks eleventh on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Films of All Time. It's A Wonderful Life shows both sadness and happiness, as the main character George Bailey struggles with the meaning of life and gets sent an angel to show him the impact he has made on the world. This movie is heartwarming and demonstrates how truly wonderful life is.
Comments