Christmas

“We Spirits of Christmas do not live only one day of our year.”

Ah, Christmas. Christmas is movie time and there are plenty of seasonal films to choose from.  Too many actually.  As usual, I’ve got a list so you will know which to watch and which to avoid (I am a helpful and kindly soul).

In each of these films, Christmas is an essential part of the story.  No Christmas, and the film just doesn’t make sense.

(I have a separate list for films where the story takes place at Christmastime and another for Christmas short films.)

My Ten Best list shouldn’t have many surprises for film (and Christmas) fans.  It’s hard to imagine that anyone could have missed A Christmas Story and most of the others are silver screen classics.  The only movie that cable stations don’t play twenty or thirty times each year during the Holiday season is We’re No Angels.  This 1955 Humphrey Bogart comedy is a forgotten gem that should be part of everyone’s Christmastime viewing.

Films about Christmas:

• 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004)
• Bad Santa (2003)
• The Barber (2001)
• Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
• A Christmas Carol (1938)
• A Christmas Carol (1951)
• A Christmas Carol (1999)
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
• Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
• Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
• Christmas Vacation (1989)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
• The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
• Desk Set (1957)
• Die Hard (1988)
• Die Hard 2 (1990)
• Fitzwilly (1967)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
• The Hebrew Hammer (2003)
• Holiday Inn (1942)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
• Jack Frost (1998)
• Karroll’s Christmas (2004)
• Lady in the Lake (1946)
• The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
• The Night They Saved Christmas (1984)
• One Magic Christmas (1985)
• Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys (2004)
• Road to Utopia (1946)
• The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
• Scrooge (1935)
• Scrooged (1988)
• Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004)
• Tales from the Crypt (1972)
• Trading Places (1983)
• Trancers (1985)
• A Very Brady Christmas (1988)
• We’re No Angels (1955)
• While You Were Sleeping (1995)
• White Christmas (1954)

Films about Christmas Sorted by Year:

• Scrooge (1935)
• A Christmas Carol (1938)
• Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
• Holiday Inn (1942)
• The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
• Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
• Lady in the Lake (1946)
• Road to Utopia (1946)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• A Christmas Carol (1951)
• The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)
• White Christmas (1954)
• We’re No Angels (1955)
• Desk Set (1957)
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
• Fitzwilly (1967)
• Tales from the Crypt (1972)
• Trading Places (1983)
• The Night They Saved Christmas (1984)
• Trancers (1985)
• One Magic Christmas (1985)
• Die Hard (1988)
• Scrooged (1988)
• A Very Brady Christmas (1988)
• Christmas Vacation (1989)
• Die Hard 2 (1990)
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
• While You Were Sleeping (1995)
• Jack Frost (1998)
• A Christmas Carol (1999)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
• The Barber (2001)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
• The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
• Bad Santa (2003)
• The Hebrew Hammer (2003)
• 12 Days of Christmas Eve (2004)
• Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys (2004)
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
• Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
• Karroll’s Christmas (2004)
• Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)