With lots of family, friends and neighbors visiting your home over the holidays, you will want to have a selection of films on hand to entertain guests of all ages. What are some of the best family Christmas holiday movies to be sure to collect?
Family Christmas Movies: Oldies But Goodies
Entire debates could be held about what is historically the best Christmas movie in history, and many folks would argue Its a Wonderful Life (1946) with Jimmy Stewart is the best of the best. Other contenders would be Miracle on 34th Street (1947) in its original black and white version, and although there are many versions of A Christmas Carol (1951), this Alastair Sim version is the most classic.
Old School
For those who grew up in the age of television, the old TV classic specials still bring back fond memories of childhood. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) is a huge favorite, as well as other Rankin and Bass made-for-tv specials like Frosty The Snowman (1969), Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970) and Heat and Snow Miser in A Year Without a Santa Claus (1974). Perhaps the best known and most-loved of all the TV Christmas specials is A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) which has reached holiday icon status in America.
Always a Classic
Holiday favorites like the Nutcracker (George Balanchine’s Nutcracker from 1993 is a great version) are always in style. Other holiday family favorites like Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (either the 1966 animated TV version or the 2000 movie with Jim Carrey or both!), will be sure to please. Probably the most recently popular holiday movie is A Christmas Story (1983); it’s leg lamps, tongue frozen to pole, and Red Ryder BB Gun will surely go down in the holiday film history books!
Hot New Hits
Or, simply choose a new release everyone’s excited to see! This year, Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, Tinker Bell, The Dark Knight, Barbie A Christmas Carol, and Shrek the Halls are some hot films that would be popular with the whole family. There’s also the Tim Allen Santa Clause trio of movies, Elf with Will Ferrell, and Jack Frost with Michael Keaton that are all fun as well.
Although oftentimes there is a great selection of holiday movies on tv, why sit through the commercials or have to wait for a certain time to see a movie? Get yourself a holiday gift that will last for years, and start collecting some of the most endearing, classic and entertaining family Christmas movies. They’re perfect for a snowy night by the fire!
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