Ah, the Christmas season. A time of cheer and goodwill towards men. But for many merry-makers, the Holidays are a little stressful. A house packed with loved ones reminds us of what Christmas is all about, but then Cousin Matt and Paw Paw debate politics, Aunt Edna goes for a third eggnog, and the tree goes up in flames. It’s enough to make anyone’s heart two sizes too small.
Don't worry, would-be Grinches. There’s a simple solution to your Holiday woes: the Christmas movie. Nothing brings family together like a Christmas classic. Thanks to this handy guide, you can find the perfect Christmas movie to keep everything holly jolly. Follow along with these common scenarios and discover the perfect Christmas movie to fix any problem.
Scenario 1: Home Alone
Half the family has hit the outlet mall for some last-minute shopping. You’re stuck at home doing some cross-generational babysitting. Baby Lulu is riding the family dog like a Shetland pony, and Great Grandma’s hearing aid is on the fritz. It’s hard to tell who’s louder. You need to bridge the generation gap fast.
Baby and Grandma like:
- Catchy songs
- Smiling faces
- Fun choreography
The Solution:
Pop one of these holiday classics into the DVD player and sit back as young and old alike are enthralled by the warm glow of Midcentury Christmas perfection. They're classics for a reason.
| Christmas Classics | |
|---|---|
| A Charlie Brown Christmas | Charlie Brown tries desperately to organize a Christmas Pageant and save a sickly Christmas tree. |
| White Christmas | The classic musical about two guys that become a popular song and dance team and play at a resort for charity. |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Christmas will be cancelled unless Santa can find a way to guide his sleigh through a blizzard. |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus | Mrs. Claus tells the story of the year Santa had a really bad cold and decided to take Christmas off. Two elves decide to go find children to convince Santa to come back, but first they have to get past the Heat Miser and the Snow Miser. |
| Miracle on 34th Street | The real Santa is hired by Macy's to play the department store's Santa in the Thanksgiving Day parade, but has to prove in court that he is who he says he is. |
Scenario 2: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Firework
Uncle Zeke just rolled up in an El Camino packed with fireworks and lotto tickets. He joins in some Christmas festivities, but 20 minutes into the first Bing Crosby musical, Zeke looks antsy. He’s got fireworks on his mind, and his zippo trigger finger looks itchy. Keep Zeke’s attention before this silent night goes out with a bang.
Uncle Zeke likes:
- Explosions
- Fighting
Uncle Zeke doesn’t like:
- Christmas movies
- Sleeves
The Solution:
Try one of these “Not a Christmas Movie” movies—actions films set around the Holiday Season. Die Hard is the most famous (and hotly debated) example, but there are plenty to choose from. Are they really Christmas movies? Maybe, but don’t tell Uncle Zeke.
| "Not a Christmas Movie" Movies | |
|---|---|
| Die Hard | A team of terrorists has seized a building in L.A. and taken hostages. A New York cop, in town to spend Christmas with his estranged wife, is the only hope for the people held by the savage criminals. |
| Batman Returns | The Caped Crusader returns to do battle with Catwoman and the Penguin. |
| The Long Kiss Goodnight | A schoolteacher learns that she was once a lethal assassin for the CIA, and teams up with a wise-cracking detective to uncover her past before a hi-tech army of corrupt government renegades kills them both. |
| In Bruges | Hit men Ray and Ken have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss. |
| Gremlins | When Billy's Christmas present of a Mowgli named Gizmo accidentally gets wet and his babies eat after midnight, devilish gremlins take over the town. |
Scenario 3: Haunted Holidays
It’s your first Christmas in the new house and you’re starting to think your Victorian fixer-upper is haunted. Ornaments keep flying off the tree, presents are unwrapping themselves, and a chorus of eerie voices is belting carols in the attic. The resident ghosts seem friendly enough, but you would like them to settle down with all the undead antics.
Ghosts like:
- Other ghosts
- Classic literature
The Solution:
The answer is obvious. Show them one of these classic adaptations of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol! There’s a Christmas Carol for any occasion. You and your ghostly houseguests can enjoy Muppets, Mr. Magoo, or showtunes while you enjoy the long-lost tradition of Christmas ghost stories.
| Christmas Carols | |
|---|---|
A Christmas Carol [1984] | Classic holiday film of how the miser Scrooge finds his view on Christmas changed after he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. |
| Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol | An animated adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale, with cartoon character Mr. Magoo in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. |
| Mickey's Christmas Carol | Make the season merry as Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and all their pals star in a heartwarming retelling of Dickens' unforgettable holiday tale. Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. But with the guidance of some wise ghosts (Goofy and Jiminy Cricket) and a bunch of newfound friends, Scrooge learns to embrace the spirit of the season. |
| Scrooge | The classic Charles Dickens tale of the cold hearted miser who is reformed by the Ghosts of Christmas. |
| Scrooged | Modern version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Bill Murray portraying a nasty, uncaring, unforgiving TV network president. On Christmas Eve he is visited by three ghosts who show him the error of his ways. |
| The Muppet Christmas Carol | Musical comedy adaptation of Dickens' classic. Miser Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms his heartless and money-grubbing ways after being visited on Christmas Eve by four ghosts. |
Descriptions adapted from the publisher.