Our list of the Top 30 Christmas Movies of all Time. Do you Agree?……… Nothing says Christmas quite like a roaring fire, some warm clothes and a great Christmas film. There have been many over the years, some good, some Four Christmases. There is an intangible quality to the schmaltzy, overly cheesy stories and heart-warming, or vomit-inducing sweetness of a Christmas film. More than any other genre of film, Christmas films don’t necessarily have to be better quality to occupy a higher place in their hearts, so with that in mind, here’s the list. Merry Christmas, to one and all.
By 2004, Danny Boyle was a director with a hit-and-miss record. From the adrenaline-filled Trainspotting at the highest end, to the confusing mess of The Beach at the other. Following on from 28 Days Later¦ he released a film that is almost the antithesis of his edgy, grimy post-zombie apocalypse horror. Millions is his take on a sentimental, sweet children’s Christmas film.
If you remove this heavy-handed sub-metaphor then Jingle All the Way is actually good fun. Scharzenegger is on fine form and his neurotic performance shows that when his unique charisma is used properly, he can be a thoroughly entertaining comic performer. The various ˜action’ scenes stop the over-sentimental scenes from making Jingle All the Way truly awful and there will be plenty in there that parents recognise from their own experiences around the busy Christmas shopping period.
Superman˜s Margot Kidder in a film that plays with the conventions of Christmas: carols, giving and human compassion and flips them on their heads. Similar in style and tone to Halloween and Friday the 13th, Black Christmas is a chilling vision of the worst Christmas imaginable and a classic urban myth twist. not one for the kids.
Paul Maddens (Martin Freeman) is a “frustrated, under-achieving primary school teacher” who once had ambitions of being successful as an actor, producer or director. Every year St. Bernadette’s school, where he teaches, competes with a local private school (Oakmoor) to see who can produce the best nativity play. Maddens hates Christmas because his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Lore (Ashley Jensen), who attended drama school with him, left him on Christmas before he could propose to her
Carrey’s role as The Grinch is perfect, his unique sense of humour that’s evident in nearly every character he takes on, whether its comedic or not, gives the film that twist it needed. It goes from being an average Christmas film to a hilarious and quirky production. With his over dramatic facial expressions and energy that goes into performing, it is hard not to enjoy.
Fans of the original expected the sequel to not live up to the first’s quality and originality. This proved correct. Home Alone 2, still being vaguely funny, was not in the same league. The storyline had been recycled and based in New York City instead of Chicago; with the idea of using the same bandits and stunts to fend them off. It just doesn’t work as well because of the plausibility factor.
Tim Allen stars as a man who signs a contract to become Santa and finds his body changing shape to accommodate his decision. Light and fluffy entertaniment, with a Christmas heart of gold. Probably wasn’t good enough to warrant two sequels. But in Hollywood, as ever, money talks.
Perfectly positioned before the Christmas period and after the staggering success of The Avengers, Rise of the Guardians, based on a series of books called The Guardians of Childhood, unites a series of mythical creatures into an an Avengers-like team of children’s defenders. Created by Dreamworks Animation it follows on from box office successes like Kung Fu Panda 2 and How to Train Your Dragon and is directed by Peter Ramsey.
The drama is convoluted and the reasoning somewhat insane, but in reality, if a trial about the truth of Santa Claus really did take place, who wouldn’t get whipped up in support of the kindly man ˜ho ho hoing’ his way into a courtroom? It is Miracle on 34th Street˜s greatest strength, that it makes you believe. Not necessarily in Santa Claus, but in the strength of human compassion and caring and not many films can pull this off without becoming too overwhelming.
A film that is still on every TV Christmas schedule seventy years later is a film that has its heart in the right place. Having said that, if you don’t like films which are described as ˜having its heart in the right place’ and frequently burst into music-hall song, then this probably isn’t the movie for you.
What’s more Christmas than Santa Claus himself? Perhaps Dudley Moore in an elf’s costume, or a kid-friendly festive film about the man in the big red jacket. It’s saccharine sweet, but it as synonymous with Christmas as It’s a Wonderful Life or A White Christmas. While not in their league, it remains a family favourite.
An interesting attempt at a not traditionally funny subject matter, Trading Places is fondly remembered as a by-the-numbers 1980s comedy that is dragged above mediocrity by it’s excellent cast. Not quite the warming, sentimental Christmas themed film that it could’ve been, but fun with some stand-out performances by Murphy and Ackroyd. Landis would make better films, but as one of his weaker films, Trading Places is still a lot of fun
Joyeux NoÑ‘l is loosely based on a number of events of this kind that took place at various points on the front lines of the First World War at Christmas time in 1914. Events are viewed from all sides of the conflict “ there are two or three key characters on each side; for the Scots a troubled young soldier who’s beloved brother has just died, and a volunteer stretcher bearer and priest.
As it stands though, Scrooged is a great Christmas film, with some good comedy, an incredible lead star and honest reinvention of a classic Christmas tale. The Muppets would do the story even better comic justice 4 years later, but Murrey’s Scrooge is one of the most entertaining, if not convincing, Scrooges of all time. Bah humbug indeed.
Santa. He’s a jolly fat man who loves to spread joy and bring gifts to all, right? But what if that’s not right? What if there were older, truer myths, where Santa is all about punishing the naughty rather than giving to the nice? What if he’s some kind of ancient, vengeful demon, who tears naughty children to pieces and who, hundreds of years ago was captured and entombed in ice deep below a mountain in Finland? And what if some greedy and misguided miners had dug him up and set him free?
There are characters that are obviously based in reality and everyone knows a brown-nosing sub-ordinate like Peter, or an arrogant middle-manager like Steve. These are firmly rooted in the real world and this allows Arthur Christmas to transcend a standard Christmas film and really becoming a thoroughly moving, future classic. There is a meaningless UFO plot and the middle portion drags a little, but by the end you will have been won over by the pure Christmas spirit of the whole thing.
The surprise monster smash hit on 1990 was the John Hughes legendary Christmas story, Home Alone. Telling the story of a young boy (Culkin) left alone over the festive period by his forgetful family, it works as a wonderful slapstick comedy and a sentimental Christmas fable.
Chevy Chase once again takes to our screens as Clark Griswold in National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation (1989). The Griswold family including a young and fresh Juliette Lewis and Beverly D’Angelo as the mother, attract chaos wherever they go, whatever they do. This time is no exception. Its Christmas time and anything Clark touches goes wrong, like the domino effect.
˜Edward Scissorhands, a Christmas film? Surely not!’ I hear you cry. But I guarantee it- once you realize that this film is all about the search for love, innocence and belonging (three massively Christmassy themes,) you won’t be able to see it any other way. The story centers around Edward (Johnny Depp), a gentle creature in the vein of Frankenstein’s monster who is put together by a kind but elderly inventor who “quite irresponsibly, actually- is so well into his twilight years when he starts his project that he dies before he can give his creation hands
Halloweentown. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is unlike any other Christmas film, especially when it contains Burton’s bizarre touch of creativity. Coming from a world of death and obscurity is the character Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman’s voice) “ infamous for being long and thin with a pumpkin shaped head. Life has become a bore, being dead and still ˜living’ means an eternity of doing the same thing, every day, for the rest of time.
Bad Santa serves as a break from the child oriented Christmas films, and it’s a great film to watch after the kiddies have gone to bed on Christmas day. However, the film does a really good job of capturing the spirit of Christmas in later scenes, as Willie redeems himself of his ˜sins’, and actually starts to care for other people, most namely Sue and the kid.
The Alistair Sim-starring 1951 version of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol remains many people’s favourite. The story of Scrooge has been told many times since, but it is the 1951 version that adheres to the book closest. Others may have played with the formula to better effect, but there’s something creepily Christmassy about this one.
The story of two US Army buddies who travel around aiming to entertaining has become one of the perennial Christmas favourites. And why wouldn’t it? It has one of the biggest stars at the time, is sweetly Christmas-inspired, without being overbearing and has the biggest selling Christmas song of all time. All together now I’mmmm Dreaming of a, White Christmas!
Horror-comedies were an increasing popular film genre in the early 1980s after the success of films likeGhostbusters. It’s a shame then, that people often forget that Gremlins is a Christmas film. From the setup, to the blanket of snow and the chilling Christmas carol singing, Gremlins drips with Christmas anti-spirit and revels in the chaos and anarchy that the gremlins themselves, cause. There’s even a nod to It’s a Wonderful Life in the form of a clip from the film
It has become part of our social consciousness and every action film cliche can be traced back to Die Hard. There’s the quippy one-liners, the FBI taking control of the scene, the bungling head of the police force and the honest-as-salt journeyman cop saving the day both in and out of the Plaza. Plus it’s a pretty good Christmas film to boot.
Love Actually is a predominantly British cast, portmanteau Christmas film written and directed by Richard Curtis, a man most famous for his writing credits on Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral. He has an incredible knack for creating sweet, sentimental films without them being over-bearing or too saccharine. His previous body of work deftly combines uplifting, heart-breaking and decidedly comic situations to create very watchable, if slightly messy films.
Capra and Stewart, the double-header driving this now perennial Christmas favourite were both in somewhat dire situations after the close of World War II. Carpa, a distinguished director in the 1930s found himself out of favour and Stewart, haunted by his role as a bomber during the war was on the verge of quitting acting. They came together in this ˜last roll of the dice’ like scenario in order to rekindle their faultering careers and lives.
Chevy Chase once again takes to our screens as Clark Griswold in National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation (1989). The Griswold family including a young and fresh Juliette Lewis and Beverly D’Angelo as the mother, attract chaos wherever they go, whatever they do. This time is no exception. Its Christmas time and anything Clark touches goes wrong, like the domino effect.
Bristling with Christmas cheer throughout combined with a pitch-perfect cast of not particularly well-known actors and a level of truth that is rare to find in Christmas films, A Christmas Story stands head and shoulders above all other films when it comes to the festive period. By the end you’ll want a Red Ryder BB Gun of your very own, just be careful, because you’ll have an eye out with one of those things
From the opening Victorian Christmas vista all the way to the sentimental, but not too sugary finale, The Muppet Christmas Carol is the epitome of the Christmas season. Funny for adults and children alike and the best adaptation of Charles Dickens’ tale, it is one of the greatest Christmas films of all time.
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