Every year, in December, there’s a bevy of social media postings and articles about how much people loathe Love, Actually. And, of course, there are a host of articles and posts declaring their love for the film. I treasure parts of Love, Actually and will never trash the whole film–I simply fast forward through every scene involving Colin, the interminable Mr. Bean cameo, and that whole tragic Laura Linney just can’t let herself get laid by her dream man clip. (When I saw it in the theater, as we walked out, a woman in front of us was shaking her head. “Her brother would have been just as crazy ten minutes later,” she said.) But whether you’re a fan or not, there are so many other holiday films to consider.
My favorite holiday film is Elf. I love just about everything about it from Bob Newhart’s hilarious intro to Buddy’s denunciation of (fake) Santa to Zooey Deschanel singing Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. It always fills me with glee. I’m also very fond of A Charlie Brown Christmas—the soundtrack is my favorite holiday album.
But there are so many choices! Netflix alone has what seems like hundreds!
Do you have a holiday film you love? One you hate? Why?
I love many of the films you all have mentioned, but my favorite is “We’re no Angels” with Humphrey Bogart and Peter Ustinov. Three escaped convicts on Devil’s Island (and their pal Adolph the snake) proceed to help the family that has taken them in have a merry Christmas. Darkly funny and utterly charming, my Christmas is never complete without watching it.
I love classic movies, so one of my favorite Christmas movies is The Bishop’s Wife. Cary Grant is my idea of the perfect Angel. I also love the original Miracle on 34th Street with Edmund Gwynn and a young Natalie Wood. For modern classics, I go to A Christmas Story and Elf. As for Love Actually, I am on the love it side even with the plot holes and some annoying characters. And Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Yippie Kai Yay!
I’m one of those who stood in line outside the movie theater to see “Misery.” The poster was hanging near the line. A man looked at it and asked, “What sort of person who want to see a movie called “Misery” on Christmas?” The wife explained, “It’s Stephen King, dear.”
I’m glad our perceptions of what makes a Christmas movie have changed. Stations used to play the same movies and specials so often people got tired of them. Now, Christmas movies can be everything from “A Christmas Story” to “Die Hard” to John Carpenter’s “The Thing” (well, it has snow…) It all depends on the family and what they want to watch.
BTW… Has anyone seen Steve Martin’s black comedy “Mixed Nuts”? It was one of those movies that should have been so much better — great cast, great writer, commercial and critical failure. :-( But for me, it worked as a quirky anecdote when I was sick of the onslaught of Christmas specials. Unfortunately, I only had it on VHS.
I’m not a big holiday movie person, it appears. When I think of movies and holidays, the first thing that comes to my mind is The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Extended Edition, which we always watch in our house. One movie per day starting on Christmas Day.
It’s a Wonderful Life and Snowman are shown every Christmas on the television in my country, so I’ve seen those and also Love Actually, Nightmare Before Christmas, Die Hard and Edward Scissorhands. (Perhaps some others, my memory is frustratingly bad.) I like all the movies mentioned, but they are not particularly important to our family’s holiday traditions. Apart from the first two, I don’t think I’ve ever even watched them during the holiday season.
We’ve done the LoTR several times over the holidays over the past decade. We just watched all three extended version in two days. Whew…..
That’s impressive! I’ve thought about watching more than one extended edition per day many times, but so far I’ve always chickened out. Maybe someday. It’s good to have goals after all. ;D
My favorite Christmas film is Miracle on 34th Street (both versions). Love Actually is a close second I love everything about this movie particularly Hugh Grant(love love love him). Also have to watch The Bishop’s Wife,The Holiday and Home Alone 1 each year all sure to get me in the Holiday spirit
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Happy Holidays *******
I’ve never seen the modern version. It’s nice to hear it’s worth checking out.
I forgot to add one more plug for something I watched this year. There is a series on Netflix called Home for Christmas. Season 1 came out last year and Season 2 just came out today. Each season is short – 6 episodes about 20-30 min each. The series is Norwegian with English subtitles. It’s about a woman named Johanne who is single and almost 30 years old whose family pressures her to have a boyfriend. She gets so fed up that about a month before Christmas she lies and tells her family that she actually has a boyfriend so her family insists that she bring him to Christmas. She then goes on a series of hilarious dates, even trying speed dating. There’s more to the series than just her dating adventures. Johanne is a nurse, a really good one, and there is portrayal of her work with her patients and colleagues. Season 1 is funny, heartwarming and ends in a teeny bit of a cliffhanger but luckily Season 2 is now available and just as good as the first. I highly recommend it!
Yes! I absolutely loved both seasons. Crossing my fingers for a third.
I guess my tastes run towards the slightly subversive because some Christmas movies I’ve enjoyed are:
Die Hard (most definitely a Christmas movie)
Gremlins
Home Alone
Scrooged
This year I watched The Christmas Chronicles (heartwarming and going to watch the sequel before Christmas) and A Bad Mom’s Christmas (funny and raunchy).
For animated films, my family loves Arthur Christmas (it’s British and wonderful). We also love the classic Rankin-Bass TV shows such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.
My favorite movie of all time is When Harry Met Sally, which I consider a New Year’s Eve movie due to the finale and that’s when we watch it every year!
I’ll admit I’m not much of a Christmas movie fan. I do like some of the old classics though: White Christmas and Shop Around the Corner have been mentioned. I also like to watch Christmas in Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck version) and It Happened on 5th Avenue. And I will watch just about any version of A Christmas Carol. The George C Scott might be my favorite but I also have a soft spot for Scrooge McDuck.
I just discovered It Happened on Fifth Avenue last year and I loved it. So charming!
Hooray, Christmas In Connecticut! Glad it got a mention.
For the young and young at heart, I actually think The Santa Claus 2 is funny and charming. I hated the first one and definitely won’t be watching the third one, but the second one is a lot of fun for both kids and silly adults. Clever too.
And, of course, who doesn’t love the big showdown in Home Alone?
‘Merry Christmas you filthy animal!” I still laugh at that. I remember seeing Home Alone in the theatre and it was just the kind of movie that was needed at the time. During a recession it was the kind of silly laugh fest everyone was looking for.
I believe it goes, “Keep tha change, ya filthy animal!” ;-)
You’ve got to listen to the DVD audio commentary with Chris Columbus and the grown-up Macaulay Culkin if you haven’t already. It was fascinating to learn how the film was low budget, relied heavily on local actors and the director’s own family members for extras, Joe Pesci’s confession on how he remembered his lines (something like, “I just imagine there’s an f-word between every other line to give it a memorable rhythm. So if the line is “Marv, open the door,” I mentally say, “Marv, open the f-ing door” – LOL), what parts were improvised, etc.
The “Merry Christmas” version must be my family’s mutation of it, lol.
The original animated Grinch hasn’t been mentioned yet. Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we.
‘You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch’ has to be one of the best songs ever written.
I always say “I wouldn’t touch you with a 39 and a half foot pole” and people look at me funny. That’s OK I think it’s hilarious.
“The three words that best describe you are as follows: stink, stank, stunk!”
That’s my 3rd favorite.
Several of mine have been already mentioned, such as White Christmas, While You Were Sleeping, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and A Muppet Christmas Carol.
I would add The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Jack Black. It’s light and frothy, and Cameron Diaz isn’t a favorite, but I loved the Kate Winslet storyline, and Jude Law’s daughters.
A family favorite in my house is The Nightmare Before Christmas, although I haven’t seen it in years.
The Holiday is amazing! I would marry Jude Law just for Sophie and Olivia.
“You’ll fall off your chair laughing it’s so funny”. Mr. Napkin head!
Its the movie that made me think of Jack Black as a leading man. How sweet is he?
Another movie that I quote endlessly. “That was brilliant. Brutal, but brilliant.”
I keep meaning to watch it. Not a big Diaz fan.
You really should, Dabney. The rest of the cast are wonderful, and there are some truly great moments in the movie. Even if it doesn’t become a favorite, I think you will enjoy spending the time watching it.
I will! Thank you.
You would love it, it’s Nancy Meyers at her best. I’m not a huge Diaz fan. I think she plays against type here.
I adore It’s Complicated so that’s a plus.
I also love Something’s Gotta Give. I still haven’t watched It’s Complicated Yet so maybe this weekend. For some reason I’ve been “saving it” like I do certain books.
I always want her to run off with Keanu…..
Me too! but I guess she did for a while. Or maybe I just wish I could. Frances McDormand is fantastic as her sister.
What isn’t Frances fantastic as?
“You’re supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god’s sake!”
Isn’t Arthur the cutest? I want my own theme music.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a household favourite, too. It’s an amazing piece of filmmaking – Danny Elfman’s score is fantastic and the overall look and feel is so wonderfully original.
I am probably the only person on the planet who thinks that “It’s a Wonderful Life” is the most overrated and most tedious holiday movie out there. I can’t stand it. My favorite holiday movie has to be “A Christmas Story” which is unoriginal but hey, you love what you love.
You’re definitely not the only person who feels that way about It’s a Wonderful Life. I like the film well enough, but it was pretty much panned when it came out. Probably the only reason it became a Christmas staple was because it fell into the public domain so channels showed it over and over around Christmas time. Then NBC thought “What have we done letting this money maker fall into the public domain!?” So with some slick lawyering, they got it pulled out of the public domain from some loophole, but not before it became a classic. Interesting stuff.
As for A Christmas Story, I like it okay. Some of the parts though- especially where the younger brother is eating like a pig while being egged on by the mother- come across as gross rather than funny and the scene drags out way too long.
I agree with the Die Hard love. Great movie. I did once attend an academic conference once where Die Hard was being examined for it’s subliminal anti-feminist messaging (Bonnie is using her name for professional role but decides she’s McClain by the end of the movie, the watch her boss gave her, in the company that John kind of hates, ends up being the thing that causes Hans to fall to his death and the watch goes with him, etc.). It was fascinating and I totally notice it all now, but still watch the movie every time I see it’s on.
My other favorite Christmas movie – though like Die Hard, isn’t really about Christmas per se – is Desk Set with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. She’s a research librarian at a magazine in New York, he’s the guy brought in to install a computer that will replace most of her research dept. Love, love, love.
I love Desk Set so much!! It even tops “Woman Of The Year” for me.
‘Something about the way you wear that pencil in your hair says money”
‘Curfew shall not ring tonight!”
I adore everything about it and it makes me want to have a mid-century modern Christmas.
Oh my goodness,Yes! How could I forget Desk Set! I love that movie. In fact,not three days ago I recommended it to my brother!
I think there’s a lot good about Love, Actually (Emma Thompson breaks my heart every time) but the Laura Linney storyline gives me a rage as does the borderline-stalker with his #%$! flash cards about how much he loves Keira. Get a grip and GTFO.
Saw ‘A Christmas Story’ for the first time last year and it didn’t do much for me. Have never seen ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ as the bits I did see said ‘depressing’ which is never my go-to.
The husband and I watch ‘Die Hard’ every year, usually on Christmas Eve. :-) This year since we have Disney+ I might also make him watch the High School Musical holiday movie.
Like I said above, I like It’s a Wonderful Life, but it becomes more depressing with every passing year. I’m glad I’m not the only person who got that impression.
As for A Christmas Story, I’m with you there. I think it’s a decent film with some sparkling moments, but it didn’t really do it for me either.
Okay, and I’m going to be accused of being a Scrooge here, but I never liked the Muppets. Sorry, I just don’t. It’s one of those franchises everyone else seems to go ga ga over, and I just don’t get it. Fine, Kermit and Miss Piggy can be amusing for a two minute sketch, but after that, they and all the other characters grate on me. I find them annoying rather than cute, clever, or funny. Any other Muppet skeptics/haters around here? I’m writing this fully understanding this is a controversial position… And while I’m at it, Peanuts never did anything for me either. Bah humbug?
I’ll join you with Peanuts, I hated all that Snoopy and the Red Baron business. Bo-ring. But I love the Muppets. In movies particularly. I’m am one of those adults who paid money to see Muppet Treasure Island in the theatre. #noshame
Tim Curry!!
Yes! And Jennifer Saunders. Good stuff.
Thanks for bringing up Snoopy and the Red Baron. I always thought of it as uninspired filler.
And no, no shame intended. You do you. :)
Oh one good thing about getting older is I just don’t care. If I like it I will buy it, watch it, wear it, whatever. Outgrowing peer pressure is one of the compensations for getting older I think.
I love so many of the films mentioned including While You Were Sleeping, A Christmas Story and I always end up watching at least parts of Love Actually.
One of my absolute favorites is Elf. I never get sick of it (even though a blonde Zooey Deschanel is still odd to see). I saw it at the movies and loved it ever since. I think it’s genius they copied the elf costumes from Rudolph exactly and the cast is utter perfection. I can’t tell you how often that film gets quoted in my family “I like to whisper too!”
For me it’s just pure joy in a movie.
nods
Definitely love Love Actually. That movie came out before my first Thanksgiving visit to London. And I’ve gone back every year in November (except of course this one). London is spectacular with holiday decorations. Can’t believe you fast forward through the Colin Firth story. That was one of my favorite threads. Also love the scene where Hugh Grant’s protection officer sings along with him.
NO NO NO!!! Not the Colin Firth story. I love that one. The Colin story–the wanker who goes to the US and utterly inexplicably gets to bed three supermodels who share a twin bed.
And I so agree about London’s holiday decorations. I’ve only been there once when they were up but I long to go back.
No that’s Colin Frizzle!
Colin Firth is the one with the unfaithful girlfriend and brother who marries the Portuguese girl he couldn’t even speak to.
I know. I hate the character Colin. I love the character Jamie–Colin Firth plays him–and his love affair with his maid. And they were adorable in Red Nose Actually!
I loved Red Nose Actually!
But I also love Colin Frizzle- it’s so over the top and silly it makes me laugh. They are lampooning everyone (Americans the most I’m afraid- “and he’s Christian!”)
It’s funny to see a pre-Mad Men January Jones along with Elisha Cuthbert and Ivana Miličević (all of whom had varying degrees of success) as the ditzy bar girls.
I think Richard Curtis said Colin Frizzle is in jail now, lol.
LOL! I did like the scene in the bar where they were pronouncing words to see how differently they sounded or not.
In order for it to be Christmas in our house we have to (1) listen to Elvis’s Christmas album; then (2) watch, in no particular order:
“A Christmas Story”—I still tear up every time Ralphie open that package and finds a Red Rider BB gun.
“Blackadder’s Christmas Carol”—Ebeneezer Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson), “the nicest man in all of England,” is visited by the Christmas Ghost (Robbie Coltrane) and becomes decidedly less nice. With Miriam Margoyles and Jim Broadbent as Victoria & Albert.
“Bernard and the Genie”—just before Christmas, sad sack Bernard (Alan Cumming) loses his girlfriend and is fired from his job. But all is not lost: a genie (Lenny Henry) emerges from a lamp to grant Bernie’s wishes. Although, as the genie instructs him, “Treat the words ‘I wish’ with the same caution you’d use for the words ‘Please castrate me.’” Both hilarious and poignant—and with an unexpected spiritual message snuck in in a low-key way.
Yes on “A Christmas Story” – that is such a great film! I will have to check out “Bernard and the Genie”, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it before.
It’s from the early 1990s, very low budget. We first saw it when the A&E Network really was Arts & Entertainment. We taped it and for years all we had was a grainy VHS copy to watch. A few years ago, we finally got it on dvd. I’m unaware if it’s available on any streaming service, but I think it’s worth checking out.