The Best Christmas Movies {Ever!}

Yes, they really are the best. :) I wanted to put a number in the the title, but there are thirteen movies in this list. And that's not exactly a nice, round number. These are the Christmas films I find myself watching year after year.

Christmas in Connecticut

I hesitate to pick an absolute favorite Christmas movie. But this may be it. I adore this movie! I just watched it again last night, and I had forgotten how hilarious it is. Felix cracks me up with all of his phrases: "It's catastroph!" and several more that I promised myself I'd remember but can't think of at the moment. And I'll admit that I have such a crush on Jefferson Jones. :) Here's my review from last year.

White Christmas

A lot of people compare White Christmas and Holiday Inn. I can't really do that, because they're two totally different films! They only thing they have in common is Bing Crosby and the song. While White Christmas has its share of slightly creepy dance numbers...or maybe I should just say one slightly creepy dance number. Choreography. Ugh. But really, I love the rest of the songs. I love Bing and Rosemary, and Vera Ellen is an amazing dancer. Danny Kaye is not my favorite. But I love both versions of Sisters (ha :), and if you don't get a bit emotional at the end, you have a two-sizes-too-small-Grinchy heart.

Holiday Inn

Really sweet and a bit more elegant (somehow? Maybe because of Fred Astaire) than White Christmas. It doesn't have to be classified as only a Christmas film, because it covers practically every holiday in the year. Anyway, I love it. :) Even the odd holiday-themed songs are awesome and catchy. Because...it's Irving Berlin! A genius.

The Shop Around the Corner

The original In the Good Old Summertime/You've Got Mail. It is so sweet but a little darker than the two remakes. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan are too adorable together. You can read my review here.

In the Good Old Summertime

I watch this movie all year long. Because I seriously love it and it's one of my most favorite musicals ever. :) It's hilarious, the songs are all lovely, and Judy Garland and Van Johnson are amazing. The end scene in the shop on Christmas Eve gives me chills because it's so romantic. Actually, it has me giggling one moment {"The way he lets those few hairs in the back grow long and combs them up over his head, coming down behind his ears. It's ingenious, really. And after all, that's what you want in a husband isn't it?"} and swooning the next. :) Read my review here.

Miracle on 34th Street

A really sweet Christmas film if you don't mind a mostly-Santa-Clause-plot. I only saw it for the first time last year, but I don't know what on earth took me so long. :) I love the ending and how things work out in the courtroom and with Susan's wish. I wrote about it here.

Meet Me in St. Louis

Not necessarily just a Christmas film, but the Christmas scene is probably my favorite part. :) This is one of those musicals that definitely had to grow on me. But beside the fact that there isn't much plot and you have to really suspend your disbelief for certain parts, it really is a classic musical. There are a ton of great songs and funny moments, and if the film had nothing else to offer, there's always Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien. I wrote about it here.

The Bishop's Wife

A very charming film starring Cary Grant. Who, I have to admit, could make just about anything charming. :) This is one of those films that I don't exactly look forward to rewatching at Christmas, but it always ends up being better than I remembered. It's worth watching just for the infamous ice skating scene. In it, there's this awful stunt double posing as Cary Grant skating. He's actually a very good skater, but it's awful due to the fact that he looks nothing like Cary Grant. :) One of the worst cases of matching up a double with a star ever, in my opinion. But it's hilarious to watch, though I don't think they intended it to be.

It's a Wonderful Life

Who cares if it's cliche? This is classic, slightly cheesy Capra (I believe it's called Capra-corn). And I love it. I watch it every Christmas Eve and shake my fist at evil Henry Potter and shed tears at George Bailey's revelations. And have "Buffalo Gals" stuck in my head for days afterwards. And that's all I have to say about that.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I love the Peanuts gang. And Christmas just isn't Christmas without Pigpen ruining the little red haired girl's naturally curly hair or lipsy Linus giving his birth of Jesus recitation.

You've Got Mail

Now moving on to more modern Christmas films...if you watch the original and the musical remake, you've got to see You've Got Mail, too. Part of it does take place at Christmas, after all. I only discovered this movie this year, and I've mentioned it a lot, I know. So I won't go into all that again. :)

The Santa Clause

The first one only. The sequel is just okay, and the third one is ugh. I grew up watching the first one. Except for a couple of cuss words and a few other comments, it really is a good modern Christmas film. It's funny {I also grew up watching Home Improvement, so maybe that's why I think Tim Allen is so funny in this. But I think it's hilarious when he says that the reindeer all look like they have Key Lime disease. :) } Charlie is adorable, too. And Scott Calvin's gradual (and sometimes not so gradual) change into Santa is great. I really love this movie.

Elf

"I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite." If you haven't seen this movie, you are really missing out. This is one of the few films that makes me laugh until my guts hurt, no matter how many times I see it. Will Ferrell steals every single scene he's in as the naive and hilarious Buddy. I can't even begin to mention my favorite lines or parts. My family also finds ways to reference this movie a lot...whether it's repeating Francisco over and over or mentioning that my finger has a heartbeat. Besides the huge amounts of funny, this film also has great songs and introduced me to both Zooey Deschanel and the song "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

So...those are my favorite Christmas movies. :) I know I haven't had many Christmasy posts this year, but I'm hoping to get in a few more over the next couple of days.

What are your favorite Christmas movies?

Until next time,