The Best Christmas Movies of All Time — 10 of the Greatest Holiday Hits
‘Tis the season to watch nothing but holiday movies — but the real question is, which one do you start with? From ‘Home Alone’ to ‘The Grinch’ and more, there’s no real way to go wrong.
The holidays look different this year, but one thing remains constant: your favorite Christmas movies will still be playing around the clock on TV in December. Whether you favor the classics, like White Christmas, or love a good romantic comedy like Love, Actually, popping in a DVD and putting your feet up in front of a roaring fire is the ultimate comfort. Grab your cocoa or spiked cider and take a look at the best of the best:
Home Alone (1990)
“You guys give up — or are you thirsty for more?” Those are the immortal words of Kevin McCallister, the precocious little boy who’s abandoned on his Christmas vacation by his family in 1990’s Home Alone. Rather than freak out, Kevin decides to have the best Christmas of his life… even though two inept robbers (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) try to get in the way. Cue the hijinks (and injuries)! Try as he might, Macaulay Culkin will never not be known for his character in that flick, and rightly so. The movie has become a staple for most families to watch around the holidays.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Same can be said of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) from A Christmas Story or Jack Skellington from A Nightmare Before Christmas. Who could forget the shockingly heartwarming tale of a stop-motion skeleton, voiced by the lead singer of Oingo Boingo trying to find the meaning of Christmas with the help of his stitched-together girlfriend? It’s an extremely catchy musical, no less, and Danny Elfman and Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara (also Kevin’s mom in Home Alone!) are perfection.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The Jim Carrey version of The Grinch from 2000 has become the go-to favorite of the Dr. Seuss adaptations, mainly due to the comedian’s manic portrayal of the famed monster. Plus, you get to see a baby Taylor Momsen playing adorable Cindy Lou Who!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
No holiday would be the same without Charlie Brown! After it premiered in 1965 on CBS, the classic holiday animation follows Charlie and his friends, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Pig Pen, Violet, Patty, Snoopy and more embark on another simple yet sweet holiday adventure — all while learning the importance of the Christmas holiday.
Elf (2003)
Who wouldn’t laugh along with this Will Ferrell-led comedy? As he travels all the way to New York City from the North Pole, Buddy the elf hilariously gets reacquainted with his long-lost father, Walter, who is an uptight worker at a children’s book publisher. As Buddy tries to inject all the Christmas spirit he can into everybody’s lives, he also learns how to live in the real world.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Everybody’s favorite reindeer is the much-needed TV program every year. The original NBC animation follows Rudolph, who is an automatic outcast because of his glowing red nose. After growing up, Santa Claus asks the grown-up Rudolph to lead his sleigh on Christmas Eve.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The 1946 romance is one of the earliest holiday hits in cinematic history. Although it was initially unsuccessful at the box office, It’s a Wonderful Life has become one of the most lovable classics of all time. The film follows George Bailey. After falling in love with his wife, Mary, and raising their children, George eventually becomes disgruntled with his job as he’s chased down by a bank examiner. Since his business lost $8,000, George wonders what it would be like if he never existed — which is when Clarence the angel comes in to show him what happens in an alternate reality.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Another Christmas classic, the film’s official synopsis reads, “As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen, and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.”
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Per its official synopsis, this classic holiday hit follows “an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain’s main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity.”
A Christmas Carol (1984)
The 1984 rendition of Charles Dickens‘ original story follows George C. Scott’s Ebenezer Scrooge, whose stinginess has isolated him from the rest of the town. However, before Christmas Day, he is visited by three ghosts of the past, the present and the future. As he travels through time with each spirit, Ebenezer learns the consequences he’ll face if he doesn’t change his ways.