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Can we start a list of recommended Christmas movies?


J-rap
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Every year I discover another Christmas movie that I had no idea existed!  I especially love some of the older ones.  I'd love to hear what people's Christmas movie traditions are to add to my list.  :)

 

I'll start with  few:

 

**********

 

It's A Wonderful Life

 

White Christmas

 

A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott

 

Christmas in Connecticut

 

A Muppet Christmas Carol

 

**********

 

I'll add more later, when I have a chance to research the names!

 

 

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"Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck is a favorite....but it makes me hungry. 

 

"Bishop's Wife" with Cary Grant. :)  Also the remake "The Preacher's Wife" with Whitney Houston.  

 

"Elf"

 

"Miracle on 34th Street"

 

"The Santa Clause"

 

Shirley Temple's "A Little Princess"

 

Pretty much any are fine for ages 10+.  No sex, nudity, swearing...but I"m not sure how much younger kids would follow.  May work for 7+.

 

 

 

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I will put actors names next to a movie if there are multiple movies with the same name.

 

 

we're no angles - Humphrey bogart

it happened on 5th avenue.

Christmas card

best Christmas pagent

muppet Christmas carol

it's a wonderful life

miracle on 34th street - with Edmund Gwynne.

Charlie brown christmas

Christmas in Connecticut - Barbara stanwyck.

the bishop's wife - cary grant, has it's charms

 

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The only ones we watch every year:

 

Elf

Muppet Christmas Carol

 

We own Polar Express and tend to forget about it--I want to watch that again this year. Finally watched It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas all the way through last year--they were okay, but won't be a yearly thing here. But that reminds me that I need to get Miracle on 34th Street put on hold at the library--tried last year but it didn't come up before Christmas.

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home alone 1 & 2

the santa clause 1 - 3

trading places

the lion in winter

- henry the 2nd and Eleanor of Aquitaine (never thought of this as a Christmas movie, but it is)  Katharine Hepburn and peter o'toole  -who also played henry the 2nd in becket.  another piece of trivia - it was Anthony Hopkins film debut.

 

 

while you were sleeping

I haven't watched it for years, but:

A wish for wings that work

 

 

 

 

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Joyeux Noel

 

My family loves this movie.  It is not a traditional Christmas movie, but it is based on the Christmas Truce during WWI.  If you are not a fan of subtitles, you may not like it.  It shows British (Scots), French, and German soldiers--all who speak their native language.  We think it is pretty neat--more realistic.  I would pre-screen the movie before I let younger kids watch it.  It portrays a war and then there is one scene between the German opera singer and his wife/girlfriend that we have to skip over. 

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We *just* discovered Holiday Inn (Bing Crosby) and Christmas in Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck) and loved 'em both!

 

 

A few others we like that I didn't see mentioned above:

 

Christmas with the Kranks (Some families may want to skip the scene where they go to the tanning booth.)

 

The Christmas Box and its sequel Timepiece

 

Little House on the Prairie Christmas episodes

 

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas  (Not the one with Jim Carrey -- not a fan, sorry.)

 

 

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  • Miracle on 34th Street--only the original with Natalie Wood. Good for all ages.
  • White Christmas--all ages
  • It's a Wonderful Life--all ages
  • Elf--all ages (which is, BTW, the only Will Farrell movie I care for)
  • The Homecoming (Waltons pilot)--all ages
  • Home Alone 1 & 2--ditto
  • Jack Frost (with Michael Keaton) --ditto
  • Prancer--ditto
  • Polar Express--ditto
  • Claymation Christmas--ditto
  • Scrooge (George C. Scott; the more recent one with Patrick Stewart was disappointing; the one with Alistair Sim...I just don't care for it)--for all ages if those ages won't get weirded out by the ghosts, lol
  • Scrooged--adults, because there is some language, but if language isn't an issue, then go for it. :-)
  • Santa Claus (with Dudley Moore)--all ages
  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever--ditto
  • A Christmas Story

 

And then we have the unlikely Christmas movies, the ones which might only have a Christmas tree in the lobby that the character walk by; these are the ones that give me permission to watch during Christmas as well as during other times of the year--win-win!

  • Princess Bride
  • About a Boy
  • Better Off Dead
  • Three Days of the Condor
  • Bourne Identity
  • Die Hard
  • Hook
  • Desk Set
  • While You Were Sleeping (which has a very nice Christmas scene)
  • Ghostbusters 2
  • Jumanji
  • Funny Farm
  • Auntie Mame
  • Karate Kid I
  • Sleepless in Seattle (I usually save this for Valentine's Day, but it does have a Christmas scene--a two-fer!)

 

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You all have reminded me of ones that I haven't watched in years!  and ones I hadn't heard of before, too.

 

I've thought of a couple more:

 

 

 

The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart

 

The Lemon Drop Kid with Bob Hope  (although I only watched that one once, and I think it was kind of dumb, from what I remember...)

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In addition to many mentioned above, we like Meet Me In St. Louis at that time of year.  "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" and all that.  :)

 

I should order Bells of St. Mary's and the Best Christmas Pageant Ever for this year.  I never watched the latter, but I loved the book.

 

I have The House Without a Christmas Tree but haven't watched it except for once when I was a kid.  Anyone think it's any good?

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And then we have the unlikely Christmas movies, the ones which might only have a Christmas tree in the lobby that the character walk by; these are the ones that give me permission to watch during Christmas as well as during other times of the year--win-win!

 

  • Desk Set 

 

:wub:

 

Every year I try to convince my family this is a Christmas movie. You have just confirmed it. Thank you.

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My favorites:

Scrooge with Albert Finney.

Miracle On 34th Street

It's a Wonderful Life

Muppet's Christmas Carol

Were No Angels

Elf

The Nativity Story

How the Grinch Stole Christmas(original cartoon)

Christmas In Connecticut

The Ultimate Gift

Polar Express

The Santa Clause

White Christmas

Veggie Tales St. Nicholas

Mickey's Christmas Carol

Small One

Charlie Brown Christmas

Ernest Saves Christmas

We watch all of these with the whole family.

 

Oh and I also like watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies.

 

 

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I agree about Love Actually, but for adults/teens only.  If you've seen it on TV/on a plane, they often cut a whole thread from the movie which involves two stand-ins who meet when working on a porn movie.  It's very touching - no pun intended (the actor is Martin Freeman) - but it may not be to everyone's taste.

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Also,

 

Jingle All The Way  (I only watch this one every now and then -- I have a couple of friends in it so I watch it to see them.  :))

 

Little Women (with Winona Ryder)  --  I know, not technically a Christmas movie but it has such lovely winter/Christmas scenes in it!

 

Here's an old one I've never watched but just learned about:

 

Remember the Night

 

 

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Christmas Carol (with Patrick Stewart)

Christmas Card

Grandpa for Christmas

Christmas Wish (with Debbie Reynolds)

Peanuts' Christmas special

The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant)

 

and before Christmas:

A Family Thanksgiving (Hallmark movie)

 

a couple "honorable mentions"

Christmas Choir

A Boyfriend for Christmas

A Princess for Christmas

Christmas with Holly

Eve's Christmas

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The only ones you can count on us watching every year...

 

Elf

A Christmas Story

Christmas Vacation

 

 

Now you know exactly what kind of family we are :). 

 

LOL, funny how much you can learn about a person by browsing their bookshelves when you visit.... or peeking at their Christmas movie list. :lol:

 

Dh and I used to LOVE Christmas Vacation, but after having not seen it for a few years, we started watching it again with the girls last year and turned it off.  (Actually, I don't remember if we turned it off, or just fast forwarded through a whole lot of scenes.)  There was a LOT more crudeness in it than I had remembered. :huh:  

 

Did I mention Funny Farm, or did anyone else?  For those who like Chevy Chase, FF is a good alternative to Christmas Vacation if you want to keep things a little more on the cleaner side.  ;)

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Also,

 

Jingle All The Way  (I only watch this one every now and then -- I have a couple of friends in it so I watch it to see them.  :))

 

Little Women (with Winona Ryder)  --  I know, not technically a Christmas movie but it has such lovely winter/Christmas scenes in it!

 

Here's an old one I've never watched but just learned about:

 

Remember the Night

 

YES, to Little Women! :thumbup:   That's our favorite version, too, with Winona Ryder.

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A Child's Christmas in Wales 

 

This is such a wonderful movie. It's really the only one we watch. I did so each year as a child and I introduced it to ds several years ago to continue the tradition. The language and poetry are so musical through Thomas's lens. It begins...

 

"One Christmas was so much like the other, in those years around the sea-town corner now, out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve, or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.

 

All the Christmases roll down towards the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find. In goes my hand into that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Mrs. Prothero and the firemen."

 

It looks like it's available on youtube in its entirety.

 

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I have The House Without a Christmas Tree but haven't watched it except for once when I was a kid.  Anyone think it's any good?

 

This was one I was going to mention. I grew up watching it and now have the dvd. I watch it every year. I think it's a lovely story of a relationship between father and daughter. One reviewer said it was like watching a play. There is a ring of truth to it. I highly recommend it.

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Could we possibly share what ages these are appropriate for? That would be so helpful to me.

Probably best for you to look them up. People have wildly different ideas about this.

 

In addition to many of those listed above, how about The Man Who Came to Dinner with Bette Davis? Suitable for all ages, IMO.

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We always start the holidays with a family watch of Christmas Vacation on Thankgiving day.

Elf

Polar Express

Die Hard and Die Hard 2

Prancer

the entire Rankin and Bass Christmas collection (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Year without a Santa Claus, Rudolf, Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman,Jack Frost, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and Nestor the Longearred Christmas Donkey)

The Santa Clause

Home Alone

Christmas in Connecticutt (remake with Kris Kristofferson and Dyan Canon)

Muppet Christmas Carol

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas

Eloise at Christmas

 

 

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Those of you who have mentioned The House Without a Christmas Tree--is this about a little girl who lives with her dad and grandmother during the Depression? If so, I read the book repeatedly when I was a kid but had no idea it was ever a movie. If I have the wrong book, I will just slink away in embarrassment. . ..

 

ETA:  Just looked it up on Amazon, and this is it!  Addie--I thought her name was Annie or Addie.  Off to spend MORE money on Amazon.  Thanks for the info!

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Those of you who have mentioned The House Without a Christmas Tree--is this about a little girl who lives with her dad and grandmother during the Depression? If so, I read the book repeatedly when I was a kid but had no idea it was ever a movie. If I have the wrong book, I will just slink away in embarrassment. . ..

 

This reminds me of another one we used to watch years ago, but I'd forgotten all about it....  Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.  It stars John Boy Walton.  Errr, Richard Thomas. ;) 

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