Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Christmas Films Now & Then

Movie Still from It's a Wonderful Life by S_Herman.
My kids' definition of "Classic Christmas Movie" and mine differ quite a bit.

If you want an exhaustive list with a very loose definition of "Christmas," go here

My favorites are the made-for-television, stop-animation movies done by Rankin-Bass in the 1960s & 70s as well as black & white films released in theaters in the 1940s.

My kids convinced me to add a few of there favorites from more recent years, and I do like Love Actually (2003), A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and A Christmas Story (1983) Otherwise, I'm holding the line.

So let's take a trip down memory lane and look at a list of Christmas movies. These are the ones our family enjoys the most--listed from most recent to most classic.


Love Actually (2003)

Elf (2003)

The Santa Clause (1994)

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Home Alone (1990)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

A Christmas Story (1983)




The Year Without a Santa Clause (1974)

Santa Clause Is Coming to Town (1970)

Frosty the Snowman (1969)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer (1964)




White Christmas (1954)

A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim (1951)

White Christmas (1954)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Holiday Inn (1942)


Share your favorite in the comments, especially if it's not on this list. 


Related: 


Films about Aging A-L


10 comments:

  1. I've never seen A Christmas Story, but I've heard from others as well that it's a good one. So it's going on my list of things to do this holiday (but, strangely, I couldn't find it on the wikipedia list). Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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    1. I hope that you like it. It cracks me up every time.

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  2. A Christmas Story is one of my favorites. I only a few scenes of it this year, though. Too busy getting addicted to Hallmark Movies!

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    1. I'll have to see what Hallmark movies are available for viewing. Thanks for the tip!

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  3. This is a great list! Amazing how many people watch Love Actually every year!

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    1. I like Love, Actually. I suppose there are no disputing tastes, but it makes me cry. Every time.

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  4. Tell me, please tell me, WHY people go nuts for Love, Actually? I just think it's an ok film but so many ADORE it!

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    1. Maybe I just like the British dialects? No, it's more than that. I think it shows how complicated love can be but how in most of the narratives, it triumphs. Hope springs eternal? (I cry the hardest for the two story lines that have troubled romance -- the working gal with the disabled brother and the long-married couple who are on the rocks.) To each her own. No disputing tastes.

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  5. I love Muppets anything and Muppets Christmas Carol is classic Jim Henson.

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