#10- Christmas with The Kranks
When Luther and Nora Kranks only daughter leaves and goes to another country they both decide to skip Christmas this year and spend it on a cruise. Now they must survive, facing their neighbors, a house decorations contest and carolers. But when their daughter calls on Christmas eve and says shes coming home for Christmas, the Kranks really get into the meaning of Holiday Rush when they have 12 hours to get Christmas set up for their daughter and her fiancée.
This being at number 10 is a good christmas movie for me, but not the best. I always manage to watch christmas with the kranks, whether it is on purpose or by accident i dont know but all i can say is it is a light, easy going christmas film, that will keep you laughing.
#9- The Polar Express
Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? For one doubting boy (voice of Daryl Sabara and Tom Hanks), an astonishing event occurs. Late on Christmas Eve night, he lies in bed hoping to hear the sound of reindeer bells from Santa’s sleigh. When to his surprise, a steam engine’s roar and whistle can be heard outside his window. The conductor (voice of Tom Hanks) invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pajama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience.
I like this christmas film because of 2 things, one because of the amazing special effects throughout the whole movie and 2 because it is a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family at christmas, whether you are young or old its a movie that makes you believe.
#8- National Lampoons Christmas Vacation:
It’s Christmas time – Clark decided to invite all the family to have ‘the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas’, which nobody shall ever forget. When the first relatives arrive, Clark soon flees on the roof to rig the lighting. The one thing the loving father wants to surprise the whole family with is the installation of a pool, which he already ordered. Unfortunately, the bonus check Clark expects any minute is overdue – and tempers rise, but not only because of the check. A big event is the arrival of uninvited cousin Eddie with his family in their mobile home, as well as a little sledding afternoon with a new lubricant from Clark’s company, or his shifting relationship with the very hip and clean neighbours. Cousin Eddie chooses to top off all presents with his very own special creation, only intending to deliver a real reason to be jolly.
There is only one logical reason for me adding this to my list and that is……… IM AWESOME, nah just kidding, but seroiously who couldnt go through christmas without watching the good old griswalds on there christmas adventure, it is a christmas must, which will have your sides ripping.
#7- Prancer
Jessica, the daughter of an impoverished apple farmer, still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides the reindeer in her barn and feeds it cookies, until she can return it to Santa. Her father finds the reindeer an decides to sell it to the butcher, not for venison chops, but as an advertising display.
This film is only a small christmas film, it didnt really get recognised that much, but i really love it, it’s just one of those christmas films that you really end up liking even though not too many other people do.
#6- How the Grinch Stole Christmas:
Based on the book by the famous Dr. Seuss. Inside a snowflake exists the magical land of Whoville. In Whoville, live the Who’s, an almost mutated sort of munchkinlike people. All the Who’s love Christmas, yet just outside of their beloved Whoville lives the Grinch. The Grinch is a nasty creature that hates Christmas, and plots to steal it away from the Whos which he equally abhors. Yet a small child, Cindy Lou Who, decides to try befriend the Grinch.
Watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas is sort of tradition at my house each year, it just sends clear messages about the meaning of christmas and my whole family continue to enjoy it every year.
#5- The Santa Claus
Divorcee Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is disgusted to learn that his ex (Wendy Crewson) and her husband (Judge Reynolds) have tried – and failed – to break it easy to their 6-year-old son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) that Santa isn’t real. On Christmas Eve, Scott reads The Night Before Christmas…then receives an unexpected visitor on his roof. When he’s startled by Scott’s calling out and falls, the Santa impersonator disappears, leaving only an 8-reindeer sleigh and a suit with instructions to put it on if he’s involved in an accident. Scott does, and is transported around the town dropping gifts through chimneys until he’s taken to the North Pole and informed by a group who claim they’re elves that he is now Santa. Charlie is proud of his dad’s new job, though Scott’s convinced it’s a dream. Until his hair turns white, his beard refuses to stay shaved, he gains weight inexplicably, even for his sudden love of junk food…Now he’s accepted it, there’s just one problem: how to keep it secret from his disbelieving family?
As if you could’nt watch The Santa Claus, we own it on dvd along with the other 2 and love them to death! every year we watch or rather my brother and sister must watch it! we all love it with all of it’s laughs, love and Santa!
#4- Home Alone
Kevin McAllister, 8 years old is accidentally left behind while his family rushes to the Airport to go to France for their Christmas vacation. Kevin learns that he made his family is gone. He spends his first day having fun in his house. Kevin learns that Mav and Harry (The Wet Bandits), two crooks are trying to rob his house. Kevin fends for himself and protects his house from the thieves, by setting traps everywhere. Meanwhile, Kevin’s mother discovers that they left Kevin in Chicago and tries to go back to Chicago while the other members of the family stay in Fance.
I Always end up watching Home Alone at least 2 months before christmas each year, i dont know why this is but i just get cravings for this movie, we own the complete 4 movies and always end up watching them all before christmas day has begun, who wouldnt want to hear Kevin scream AHHHHHHHHHH!
#3- A Christmas Story
It’s 1940, in the northern Indiana town of Hohman. 9-year-old Ralph “Ralphie” Parker wants only one thing for Christmas — an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. Between his younger brother Randy and having to handle school bully Scut Farkus, Ralphie doesn’t know how he’ll ever survive long enough to get the BB gun for Christmas. When Ralph asks his mother for a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, she says, “No, you’ll shoot your eye out”. When Mrs. Shields, Ralph’s teacher at Harding Elementary School, assigns the class to write a theme about what they want for Christmas, Ralph sees a golden opportunity to express his desire to have a Red Ryder BB gun. Ralph gets a C+ on the theme, and Mrs. Shields has written “You’ll shoot your eye out” on the theme. Ralph’s next plan is to ask Santa Claus for a Red Ryder BB gun, and how does Santa respond? By saying “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” By this time, Ralph has had enough of that. When Scut Farkus and his sidekick Grover Dill start in on Ralph while he’s on his way home from school that day, Ralph knocks Grover Dill to the ground, beats Scut’s face bloody, and then pounds Scut’s head on the snow-covered ground several times. Ralph thinks he’ll never get the BB gun for Christmas now. And all of the other kids are going to be getting what they want for Christmas. But someone may have planned a surprise for Ralph.
I Absoultely Completely LOVE 2 DEATH this film, i just cant describe it because this movie rocks and defeneitely deserves the amount of love people have for this Original, Traditional, One-Hundred-Percent, Red-Blooded, Two-Fisted, All-American Christmas film.
#2- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
At the Macy’s Department Store Thanksgiving Day parade, the actor playing Santa is discovered to be drunk by a whiskered old man. Doris Walker, the no nonsense special events director, persuades the old man to take his place. The old man proves to be a sensation and is quickly recruited to be the store Santa at the main Macy’s outlet. While he is successful, Ms. Walker learns that he calls himself Kris Kringle and he claims to be the actual Santa Claus. Despite reassurances by Kringle’s doctor that he is harmless, Doris still has misgivings, especially when she has cynically trained herself, and especially her daughter, Susan, to reject all notions of belief and fantasy. And yet, people, especially Susan, begin to notice there is something special about Kris and his determination to advance the true spirit of Christmas amidst the rampant commercialism around him and succeeding in improbable ways. When a raucous conflict with the store’s cruelly incompetent psychologist erupts, Kris finds himself held at Bellevue where, in despair, he deliberates fails a mental examination to ensure his commitment. All seems lost until Doris’ friend, Fred Gaily, reassure Kris of his worth and agrees to represent him in the fight to secure his release. To achieve that, Fred arranges a formal hearing in which he argues that Kris is sane because he is in fact Santa Claus. What ensues is a bizarre hearing in which people’s beliefs are reexamined and put to the test, but even so, it’s going to take a miracle for Kris to win.
For me, in many ways this is a perfect movie, just like gone with the wind, a little gem, beautiful, warm and nothing less than a keeper.
NOW FOR THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!
Drum roll please. boomboomboom!
#1- It’s a Wonderful Life:
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George’s modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George’s Uncle Billy loses the business’s $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born. In a nightmarish vision in which the Potter-controlled town is sunk in sex and sin, those George loves are either dead, ruined, or miserable. He realizes that he has touched many people in a positive way and that his life has truly been a wonderful one.
Okay i know what your thinking, this is everyone’s all-time-favourite christmas movie, but really it is a classic and nothing less than wonderful and beautiful. Jimmy Stewart is a Capra-ish everyman role primed and honed to pluck the strings of your heart. And it gets better every time you see it. It makes me cry every time and i always want to watch it more.
Hope you like my list, Merry Christmas and may you have a good new year, xxoo.
