Good Christmas Movies

If you like good Christmas movies, then this is the perfect time of year. Flip through a few channels on the TV, and you’ll find endless re-runs of classic yuletide films. And that’s not even taking into consideration small-screen classics such as A Charlie Brown Christmas (featuring some of the most depressing music ever) or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

For those of us who like a little more control over our holiday viewing experience, there’s always the local video store or an online service like Blockbuster Online, Redbox, or Netflix. Not only will they carry plenty of good Christmas movies to rent, but each selection will be commercial-free. That’s a big plus if you don’t have something like Tivo.

To help you along during the season of giving, I’ve put together this good Christmas movies list. Some are obvious holiday films, while others feature the event as more of a backdrop. But whatever the case, each of the following good Christmas movies are guaranteed to get you into the spirit.

  1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – The Chevy Chase series rebounds after the disappointing European Vacation with this tale of a very Griswold Christmas. Clark (Chase) covers the house with 25,000 lights, a squirrel gets loose inside, and the always-unemployed Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) shows up in his rusted RV. A dysfunctional but charming Christmas tale that co-stars Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Diane Ladd, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Brian Doyle-Murray.
  2. Die Hard (1988) – Bruce Willis became a star while battling heavily-armed thieves in a Los Angeles skyscraper. It just so happens that the greatest action movie ever made also takes place during the holidays, which allows for the classic line “Now I have a machine-gun. Ho, ho, ho.” If you haven’t seen it, you should frankly be ashamed of yourself.
  3. Love Actually (2003) – Ten individual stories focus on Brits falling in and out of love as the holidays draw near. Not my usual cup of tea, the solid script and stellar cast quickly won me over. Just check out this list of stars: Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy (my favorite), Billy Bob Thornton, and many, many more.
  4. A Christmas Story (1983) – If you sit down in front of the TV on Christmas Day, you can be guaranteed that this modern-day classic will be showing on multiple channels. In fact, don’t be surprised if the adventures of Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) and his quest for a Red Ryder air rifle even drown out the annual Jimmy Stewart saturation. Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon are great as Ralphie’s parents, and you’d have to be a real Scrooge not to find something to like about this one. Hard to believe it’s directed by the same guy who did Porky’s.
  5. We’re No Angels (1955) – If you’ve never seen Humphrey Bogart in a comedy, now’s your chance. And it’s a holiday film to boot. Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov star as recently-escaped convicts who wind up in a French village as Christmas creeps closer. Initially intending to take advantage of a trusting family, the cons (and their pet viper, Adolfe) find themselves overcome by the spirit of the season.
  6. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – A yearly favorite, this Christmas classic follows the adventures of Kris Kringle, a man who insists that he’s the real Santa Claus. When he winds up getting a job as the Santa for Macy’s New York department store, all sorts of holiday magic begins to occur. If you’re a sucker for a happy ending, don’t miss this one. The 1994 version isn’t bad, either (especially Richard Attenborough as Santa).
  7. Lethal Weapon (1987) – Another action classic from the ‘80s set during “the silly season.” Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are an odd couple with badges and guns. Murtaugh is approaching retirement, while Riggs is a hotshot burnout with a death wish. Together, they take on a drug smuggling ring run by former soldiers, including a much younger Gary Busey as an “albino, jackrabbit, son-of-a-bitch.” A fun and quotable script from Shane Black, steady direction from Richard Donner, and star-making turns from Gibson and Glover. Plus, “Jingle Bell Rock” is featured over the opening credits (just prior to a topless babe leaping to her death).
  8. Black Christmas (1974) – Oddly enough, this tale of a madman killing off sorority sisters during the holidays was directed by Bob Clark, the same man who helmed the classic A Christmas Story. Starring such notables as Elizabeth Hussey, Margot Kidder, and John Saxon, it developed many of the slasher traditions which Halloween routinely gets credit for.
  9. Tokyo Godfathers (2003) – When people are searching for good Christmas movies to watch, here’s one that often gets overlooked due to its status as Japanese anime. On Christmas Eve, three homeless people find an abandoned baby and resolve to return it to the parents. We learn of their heartbreaks and hopes as they cross paths with hitmen, yakuza, and a relentless police inspector.
  10. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – When people think of good Christmas movies, this timeless Jimmy Stewart film is almost always at the top of the list. Even if you don’t normally like black and white classics, do yourself a favor and watch this tale of George Bailey (Stewart), a good man driven to suicide by a series of unfortunate events. He’s rescued from this fate by Clarence (Henry Travers), an angel trying to get his wings, who then proceeds to show Bailey just how much his life has touched those around him. There’s a reason why the American Film Institute named this one of the 100 greatest American movies, and it’s not just because of co-star Donna Reed’s wholesome hotness.

Not that you’re up to speed on some of the good Christmas movies available, why not take a moment and check out a few more posts from Only Good Movies? Consider it an early Christmas present.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 11:27 am and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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2 Responses to “Good Christmas Movies”

  1. Only Good Movies Recap for 12/12/09 says:
    December 12, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    [...] Good Christmas Movies – Perfect if you’re looking for something to watch during the holidays. [...]

  2. Top Dysfunctional Family Movies says:
    February 4, 2010 at 11:03 am

    [...] Good Christmas Movies [...]

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