Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and White Christmas are popular. Other classics include A Christmas Carol, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and The Christmas Story. Modern films like Elf and Love Actually are also enjoyed, but may not be suitable for children. Older movies tend to be more family-friendly.
For some, Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without enjoying the many Christmas movies that have been made over the years. Most people list It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas as their top three Christmas movies. These movies really inspire the Christmas mood and from White Christmas comes many favorite Christmas songs.
After the first three Christmas movies, the lists diverge significantly and often include not only films made for the big screen, but also television holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Charlie Brown Christmas and Santa Claus is Coming to Town . Some see these as simply children’s plates, while others, still being children at heart, wouldn’t miss a Christmas season without seeing them.
In the continuing and ever-growing list of Christmas movies, some cite Jimmy Durante’s classic film A Christmas List, made in 1950. Most all list a version of The Christmas Carol adapted numerous times for film. Some prefer Alastair Sim’s 1951 version, while others prefer George C. Scott’s 1984 version. A critical minority prefer the teleplay starring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge, which first aired in 1999 on the TNT network. Kids can enjoy The Muppet Christmas Carol with a pretty good performance by Michael Caine.
The 1980s film The Christmas Story is now considered one of the best Christmas movies. While most of the above movies can be watched by audiences of all ages, The Christmas Story while tame enough can be scary for kids. However, most appreciate the story immensely, and it has long been considered the funniest Christmas movie.
Some even list Meet Me in St. Louis as a classic Christmas movie, since Judy Garland sings the famous “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in the film. However, some argue that the film cannot technically be called a Christmas film as it ends in the spring.
Furthermore, the 1934 March of the Wooden Soldiers with the comedic talents of Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel, is often listed among the best Christmas movies. This movie features Santa for a short time, but it doesn’t actually follow a Christmas theme. Still, many consider it a classic family-friendly film, and they’re going to have one that indulges in plenty of belly laughs.
Some like to add to their classic movie list every year by watching more modern Christmas movies. In recent years, movies like Elf, The Santa Clause, and Love Indeed have made it onto many Christmas movie lists. Others love Home Alone or Jingle all the Way. It should be noted that Love Actually isn’t appropriate for children, and some may object to the slapstick violence in Home Alone and Jingle.
Unlike those films that are considered true Christmas classics, modern films may need to be screened before showing them to children. In fact, one of the great things about watching older movies is that a whole family can watch them, since they tend to be more innocent and light-hearted in nature.
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