Top 5s - Christmas Movies

Emily Statler

1.  A Christmas Story (1983)

Quintessential, hilarious, wonderful. Childhood magic, insightfully mature humour and some of the most iconic Christmas moments distilled into one movie.

2.  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

What Christmas is complete without Robert Downey Jr offering rapid-fire acerbic humour in one of my favourite modern noir detective films? It’s how I always picture Christmas in LA-dead people, brilliant dialogue and truly twisted seasonal cheer.

3.  Gremlins (1984)

Every time Johnny Mathis’s “Do You Hear What I Hear?” plays I get chills and expect to be attacked by maniacal green monsters. Gremlins is a great holiday film that reinforces the lessons of responsible gift-giving and caring for your pets as instructed.

4.  The Ref (1994)

The splendid dysfunction and acid-sharp bitterness of The Ref gives me that warm Christmassy feeling that comparatively speaking, my family isn’t really so bad. Incredibly funny.

5.  It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

This isn’t just on here to prove that I am not a soulless Grinch. While I mostly prefer off-beat dark satire in my Christmas movies, when it comes to my Top 5, it’s not complete without It’s a Wonderful Life. Funny, poignant and so beautiful it hurts, this is one of the best movies of its era, and a classic story of appreciating what you’ve got, because life is wonderful.

Houdani

1.  Miracle on 34^th Street (1947)

It's a classic. My family would curl up under blankets on the couch and eat popcorn and candy. I knew it was Christmas time when this movie came on! And I feel like I'm five again when I watch it now.

2.  Love Actually (2003)

Also a classic! It’s not a typical Christmas story, but I love it anyway. And obviously the music is fantastic (not that I can sing every word of it…)

3.  Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Another classic! Seems to be a theme. Not only do you have lessons about being a good person but there is great music (which will be stuck in your head for months) and cute little Whos!!!

4.  Elf (2003)

If I want a good laugh, this is the best one to watch. What would Christmas be without an oversized elf to mess everything up?

5.  Die Hard (1988)

I didn’t realize this was a Christmas movie at first…but it is! And I love the Die Hard movies. Bruce Willis? Action? Danger? Yes, Please!

Fairy Tales and Theory

1.  Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

I love seeing his cold heart warm. It’s kind of a like a love story for himself.

2.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

3.  Elf (2003)

4.  A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

5.  Home Alone (1990)

Sack Murda

1.  National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

There are obvious reasons why I chose this movie: it’s hilarious, Clark Griswold is the original “Dad jokester”, and it’s just funny and heart-warming. On a more personal note, I love this movie because we always watched it as a family while I was growing up and have wonderful memories of it.

Best scene: Squirrel in the tree

2.  Elf (2003)

I feel that this is another obvious choice. I’ve seen this movie every year with my friends from high school. A heart-warming tale of Christmas spirit, made even better by the hilarity that is Will Ferrell. I. Just. Love. It.

Best lines: “Buddy the elf! What’s your favourite colour?”

“I just like to smile, smiling’s my favourite!”

“Good news! I saw a dog today!”

“Watch out, the yellow ones don’t stop!”

3.  Scrooged (1988)

More hilarity á la A Christmas Carol. Solid gold. Another family favourite.

4.  The Night Before (2015)

A new classic I think. I felt the story was heart-warming, I was cheering for the characters to get what they wanted, Joseph Gordon-Levitt was dreamy per usual, Seth Rogan was hilarious per usual, what more could you want?

Best part: Probably the Christmas sweaters and the rap scene.

5.  The Holiday (2006)

This movie is a dumb rom-com and I love it. The old man (Arthur Abbott played by Eli Wallach) is the cutest thing ever to grace the silver screen and makes me want to be a woman of Gumption. Gets me misty-eyed every time.

Best part: delicious 2006 Jude Law

Dee Waldorf

1.  The Ref (1994)

Because it’s frickin funny and my sister recommended it to me.

2.  Die Hard (1988) or Die Hard 2 (1990)

Because every Christmas needs some explosions and mega action star Bruce Willis.

3.  Elf (2003)

The one movie that made me start to like that curly-haired freak by the name of Will Ferrell. Thank you random guy in my anthropology class who told me that I had to watch it. I now own an Elf bobble head and two t-shirts. “Smiling’s my favourite!”

4.  Polar Express (2004)

Because it’s beautiful and it makes my kids happy and I want to ride a train someday.

5.  Harry Potter 1-8 (2001-2011)

Because Christmas is the only time of year I can watch them all nearly back to back to back, and who doesn’t love a spectacular movie marathon!?!

Lizzy Tonnell

1.  The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

2.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

3.  Home Alone (1990)

4.  Elf (2003)

5.  Mole’s Christmas (1994)

Drew Sicola

1.  The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

There have been many versions of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, but this one is my personal favourite. Michael Caine is fantastic as crotchety old miser Ebenezer Scrooge, and there are so many fabulous Muppet moments that make you laugh without losing the moralistic but poignant narrative.

2.  A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

The Peanuts gang does a great job of embodying all of the different feelings about Christmas. It comes across as very rich and real, even after 50 years. The “Charlie Brown” tree has become an archetype on its own, and Linus’s gently lisping recital of Luke Chapter 2:8-14 is simply beautiful.

3.  Love Actually (2003)

Laughs, tears and the conviction that love really is all around (kind of like Christmas)…what more do you need?

4.  Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Simply put: Boris Karloff’s narration is a delight. I often wonder if we, like the citizens of Whoville would still celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, even without all of the trappings. I have my doubts, until the Whos start singing.

5.  Home Alone (1990)

I enjoy how Home Alone balances a feel-good family message, absurdist comedy and a solid soundtrack with a quiet commentary on some of the absolute worst things about Christmas including travel insanity, horrible weather, crime, consumerism and cabin fever in a house overfilled with people, especially that one uncle that everyone loathes (No Frank, you’re the jerk!).