Top 10 Best Holiday Flicks
Shopping, cooking, cleaning, wrapping… and more of the same…. that’s what the Holiday season means to a lot of folks. It can also be a very stressful time so what’s the best way to relax? Holiday movies of course! So here’s our list of the Top 10 Holiday Flicks of all time… the ones that make you laugh, make you cry, make you reminisce and plain old make you feel good!
10. A Christmas Story
Set in the 40’s bespectacled Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) desperately wants a Daisy Brand Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. He’s determined to convince his mother, teacher and local department store Santa that it’s a wise gift.
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
We’re talking about the 1966 classic here and not the disappointing Jim Carey version as nothing compares to Dr. Seuss’ brilliant storytelling in rhyme in this animated classic. The Grinch is a bitter, cave dwelling “scoundrel” who lives alone…with the exception of his beleaguered, yet unshakably faithful dog Max.
8. Paint Your Wagon
OK…so this isn’t a true traditional Christmas movie but it always seems to be run over the holiday period and it’s an absolute classic. Starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood as two unlikely prospector partners, their adventures include buying and sharing a wife, hijacking a stage, kidnaping six prostitutes, and turning their mining camp into a boomtown. Along the way there is plenty of drinking, gambling, and singing. They even find time to do some creative gold mining.
7. ELF
Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a human adopted by Santa’s elves as a baby. When he begins to feel out of sorts with his half-size friends and family, he sets out in search of Walter, his real dad (James Caan). As a perpetually naughty-list kinf of fellow, Walter has a tough time bonding with Buddy, who’s clad in yellow tights and an elf hat. But, never fear, the true spirit of Christmas finally shines through.
6. It’s a Wonderful Life
This 1946 B&W classic follows the life of George, a compassionate town hero (James Stewart) who has come to believe that his life hasn’t mattered. An intervention by Clarence, his guardian angel, guides George to realize how muc he’s helped his friends, family and neighbors over the course of his life.
5. Christmas Vacation
Yule love this one. The third installment of National Lampoon’s Vacation series finds the Griswold family celebrating the holidays. Perennially clueless Clark griswold (Chevvy Chase), father of the clan, is determined to ensure that they have a “good ol’ fashioned family Christmas”… at any cost. What could go wrong? You’ll have to watch.
4. Scrooged
In a very loose remake of the original A Christmas Carol story, Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is the cut throat president of IBC, an entertainment conglomerate, who will see three ghosts appear before night ends.
3. Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer
The 1964 classic tells the story of an adorable young reindeer who happens to have a nose that glows. Unfortunately, some don’t find it as adorable as others and poor Rudolph is taunted and teased eventually running away to the North Pole. Narrated by Burl Ives, this classic is a must see for the whole family…and don’t forget the tissues!
2. Christmas in Connecticut
Journalist Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is one of the country’s most famous food writers. In her columns, she describes herself as a hard working farm woman, taking care of her children and being an excellent cook. But this is all lies. In reality she is an umarried New Yorker who can’t even boil an egg. The recipes come from her good friend Felix. The owner of the magazine she works for has decided that a heroic sailor will spend his Christmas on *her* farm. Miss Lane knows that her career is over if the truth comes out, but what can she do? Check out this 1945 classic Christmas movie.
1. White Christmas
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye head up this true Christmas classic. But the real star of the show is Irving Berlin’s score. After leaving the Army after W.W.II, Bob Wallace (Crosby) and Phil Davis Kaye) team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters (Betty and Judy) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, is the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General.A little “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” anyone? Great choice to impress your grandparents with your taste in movies. They’ll love you for it.
So there you have it…unfortunately we didn’t have room for every great Christmas movie and we really did leave some great movies off our list…movies like “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Home Alone”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, “A Christmas Carol”, “Frosty the Snowman”, “The Holiday”, “Love Actually” and so many more. Have fun this Christmas…why not make an early start and go and watch one of this wonderful movies right now!
