15 of the Best Christmas Films to Get You into the Festive Spirit
Everyone loves a good Christmas film, here are fifteen of the best
There is nothing better to put you into the Christmas mood than a good festive flick. Here are fifteen films that have the power to do just that.
Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
This has been a Christmas staple since its release back in 1947, it’s about the trial of a man claiming to be Santa Claus. To stop him from going to jail and save Christmas, a lawyer needs to prove that he truly is Santa Claus.
What I love about this film is how it captures the essence of the power of belief, and how Christmas is about people coming together and believing. So this is a film that will remind you of what it truly means to believe in Christmas.
Note: for a more recent version, the 1994 remake starring Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson is a solid watch.
Home Alone (1990)
This classic children’s adventure is both hilarious and touching in equal measures. Macaulay Culkin stars as the young boy who gets accidentally left behind by his family as they head away for a Christmas vacation, and finds himself forced to battle a couple of dimwit thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern).
What I love about this film is not just how hilarious it is, really hilarious, but how at its heart it is a story about the true meaning of Christmas. Family. So this is a film that will both leave you in stitches and remind you what Christmas is all about.
The Santa Clause (1994)
This is the film where Tim Allen inadvertently knocks Santa Claus off his roof and kills him. Doesn’t sound very Christmassy, but bear with me. Because it is. After accidentally killing Santa Claus, he has to assume the role of the next Santa Claus. Much hilarity ensues, there is also a touching story about the relationship between him and his son which ties everything together nicely.
It should be noted that there is a lot of body-shaming style comedy in this film i.e. fat jokes, which to say the least is outdated. But it is of its time, and if this is kept in mind it is a Christmas classic that is highly worth watching as it certainly has the power to ignite the festive spirit.
White Christmas (1954)
This film and Christmas are simply synonymous due to the fact that this film beautifully captures the essence of Christmas — as does its equally famous song. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as music-act partners who team up with two sisters, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, to help their former military commander save his Vermont lodge.
It is simply a lovely film, and it will leave you with that feeling in the pit of your stomach of kindness and happiness and family which is what Christmas is all about.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The best Scrooge will always be Alastair Sim, but the 1951 version of a Christmas Carol is certainly not one for children — Sims Scrooge has some dark moments and is scary as hell. The Muppets version on the other hand has more of a Christmas feel. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge while Kermit the Frog takes up the role as Bob Cratchit, Gonzo narrates. And to say that this film creates magic would be an understatement.
It will both break your heart before mending it a thousand times over come the end, taking you on a heartfelt and faithful but also at times zany journey that will leave you with that Christmas feeling. It is everything you want from a Christmas film.
Elf (2003)
This film is as hilarious as it is absurd, it also has a surprisingly touching story at its heart. Will Ferrell plays a clownish orphan who has been raised by Santa and his elves in the North Pole, but, despite his relative happiness, he decides he wants to find his biological father — who turns out to be a book publisher in New York. Hilarity ensues as he tries to connect with his father, while at the same time bond with his young brother-in-law and find love.
Like said, the absurdity level in this film is definitely on the limit, but it manages to not go too far and so is a highly entertaining and surprisingly touching Christmas film that will leave you feeling all Christmassy by the end.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
This was a straight to TV movie, and it is puppets and some people may find it difficult to take seriously due to the low quality of the sets. But one thing is inescapable, the story is a timeless tale that proves that it is not just okay to be different, but being different is something to embrace.
Without a doubt, this is well worth watching, even if just once because the story is a truly lovely Christmas tale.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Based on the 1967 cartoon which is brilliant in itself, and highly worth watching, Jim Carrey brings the Grinch to life in a way only he can. The Grinch hates Christmas, and decides to steal all the presents, the kind heart of a little girl is the only thing that can stop him.
This film is both cringeworthy and hilarious, but also extremely touching as it encapsulates the essence of Christmas. That Christmas is for everyone, even the Grinch’s of the world.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
There is no film that captures the essence of Christmas quite like this. The legendary Jimmy Stewart stars as George Bailey, a man who is on the verge of committing suicide, only to be saved by an angel who shows him what the world would be like if he had not existed.
This truly is a tale for the ages and likely will still be being watched a hundred years from now, two hundred years from now. It is simply a legend of a film and is everything Christmas is and should be. Basically, if you want to know what Christmas is, watch this film.
The Snowman (1982)
This animated tale, based on the 1978 children’s book by Raymond Briggs, is a legendary tearjerker. It also has a legendary tearjerking song to go with it — Walking in the Air. It follows a young boy who builds a snowman, a snowman that comes to life and takes him on a mystical journey to the North Pole.
And what a journey it is, everything you imagine Christmas to be. Few films have the power to bring to life the feeling of Christmas like this one, reminding how fleeting the feeling is, but how beautiful it is.
Jingle All The Way (1996)
This rather hilarious film sees Arnold Schwarzenegger pitted against Sinbad. Schwarzenegger plays a man so busy that he has continuously let his young son down. But he plans to rectify everything by purchasing him a Turbo-Man action figure. The problem is, everywhere seems to be sold out, and thus hilarity and absurdity ensues as he and Sinbad battle all across town to try to get their hands on a Turbo-Man action figure.
Is this film a Christmas great, no, but it is certainly entertaining and has a heartwarming story at its heart making it well worth watching — especially for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad fans.
The Polar Express (2004)
This is a hyper-realistic animation that takes a young boy on Christmas Eve to the North Pole by locomotive. He is going to meet Santa Claus. But he is also going to do so much more, in essence, this is a film which takes a young boy who is was starting to lose his belief in Christmas on a journey of finding friendship and more importantly finding Christmas. And what a journey it is.
Tom Hanks stars in it and it is both nailbiting at times and highly imaginative and touching, it is also in its own way surprisingly thought-provoking. It also arguably catches the fleeting feeling of the belief in Christmas and the power of that belief better than any other film.
Diehard (1988)
The debate has raged for years whether this is a Christmas film or a film that was simply set during Christmas. Whichever you believe, it is indisputable that this is a staple of Christmas. Bruce Willis’s legendary John McClain, a one-man army, fights to save his wife by bringing down a group of terrorists led by Alan Rickman.
This film is both legendary and highly entertaining and the ending is worthy of any Christmas film.
Bad Santa (2003)
A Christmas film that is a dark comedy. To say the least, this film certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is indisputable that Billy Bob Thornton’s thieving department store Santa makes for an uproarious watch. The story sees Thornton and his partner (Tony Cox) reunite for a holiday con. They pose as Santa and his elf, and rip off shopping outlets on Christmas Eve. However, a young boy shows Thornton’s character that there is a better way.
For those who enjoy this genre, it is a touching and hilarious Christmas film, and in its own unique way has the power to ignite that festive feeling of Christmas.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
This is an anthology of three short stories, one centred around Donald Duck and his nephews, one centred around Goofy and his son, and the final centred around Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. All three are heart-warming stories that aim to shed the light on the true meaning of Christmas, but it is perhaps the final story with Mickey and Minnie Mouse that is the most enduring.
The efforts they go to to get each other a present, and where those efforts lead is everything Christmas is supposed to be. A truly heartwarming tale that will put you in that festive mood in a way that only the House of Mouse can.
That’s all from me, thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy the following:
27 of the Best Jokes to Brighten up Your Day
Why You Should Never Give People Things You Don’t Like Giving
The Three Most Important Traits You Need to Be Positive
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