The Family Stone (2005)

PG-13, Romance/Other, 1h 44m

TOMATOMETER 53%
AUDIENCE SCORE 63%

An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family’s annual Christmas celebration and finds that she’s a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

Everett Stone, who made it on Wall Street, returns home for Christmas with his new girlfriend, Meredith Morton.

His ultra-liberal, anti-conventional rustic Connecticut family doesn’t exactly warm to the outsider, who despite her best efforts to please the prospective in-laws, looks, sounds, and acts like the conservative bigots they hate, while various Stones have their own problems.

Only matriarch Sibyl Stone’s unshakable maverick other son Ben gives her a chance, and as Everett won’t actively turn against either, she feels more supported by him and a weird romance blossoms.

Feeling beleaguered, Meredith calls in help from her easygoing sister Julie, who proves no help to her but soon develops a chemistry with Everett, so everything may now shift if they dare follow their hearts.

The Family Man (2000)

PG-13, Romance/Comedy, 2h 5m

TOMATOMETER 53%
AUDIENCE SCORE 67%

Nic Cage stars as a workaholic bachelor in New York City, An uptight New York City businesswoman played by Sarah Jessica Parker visits her boyfriend’s family home for the holidays, where she doesn’t exactly fit in with the boisterous, freewheeling Stones.

Jack’s lavish, fast-paced lifestyle changes one Christmas night when he stumbles into a grocery store holdup and disarms the gunman.

The next morning he wakes up in bed lying next to Kate (Tea Leoni), his college sweetheart he left in order to pursue his career, and to the horrifying discovery that his former life no longer exists.

As he stumbles through this alternate suburban universe, Jack finds himself at a crossroad where he must choose between his high-power career and the woman he loves.

With a stacked cast that includes Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, Dermot Mulroney and Claire Danes, this movie will take you on an emotional rollercoaster.

LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)

R, Romance/Other, 2h 15m

TOMATOMETER 64%
AUDIENCE SCORE 72%

Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love.

Among the characters explored are David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected British prime minister who falls for a young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary.

Starring: Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman

Directed By: Richard Curtis

BAD SANTA (2003)

R, Crime/Comedy, 1h 33m

TOMATOMETER 78%
AUDIENCE SCORE 75%

A gloriously rude and gleefully offensive black comedy, Bad Santa isn’t for everyone, but grinches will find it uproariously funny.

In this dark comedy, the crotchety Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) and his partner (Tony Cox) reunite once a year for a holiday con.

Posing as a mall Santa and his elf, they rip off shopping outlets on Christmas Eve.

This year, however, Willie is falling apart. He’s depressed and alcoholic, and his erratic behavior draws the suspicion of mall security (Bernie Mac).

But when befriending a small boy brings out his kinder side, Willie begins to wonder if there is still some hope for him.

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham

Directed By: Terry Zwigoff

Serenndipity

Romantic Comedy, 1h 30m

TOMATOMETER 59%
AUDIENCE SCORE 79%

On a magical night when they are in in their 20s, Jonathan (John Cusack) meets Sara (Kate Beckinsale).

He finds it love at first sight, but Sara believes in destiny. After 10 years the two — with 3,000 miles between them — must decide if fate wants them to be together again.

When love feels like magic, it is called destiny; when destiny has a sense of humor, it is serendipity.

Jonathan Trager and Sara Thomas met while shopping for gloves in New York.

Though buying for their respective lovers, the magic was right and a night of Christmas shopping turned into romance.

Jon wanted to explore things further but Sara wasn’t sure their love was meant to be.

They decided to test fate by splitting up and seeing if destiny brought them back together.

Many years later, having lost each other that night, both are engaged to be married.

Still, neither can shake the need to give fate one last chance to reunite them.

Jon enlists the help of his best man to track down the girl he can’t forget starting at the store where they met.

Sara asks her new age musician fiance for a break before the wedding and, with her best friend in tow, flies from California to New York hoping destiny will bring her soulmate back.

Near-misses and classic Shakespearean confusion bring the two close to meeting a number of times but fate will have the final word on whether it was meant to be.

CAROL, (2015)

Lgbtq+/Drama, 1h 58m

TOMATOMETER 94%
AUDIENCE SCORE 74%

Shaped by Todd Haynes’ deft direction and powered by a strong cast led by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol lives up to its groundbreaking source material.

Therese Belivet(Rooney Mara) spots the beautiful, elegant Carol (Cate Blanchett) perusing the doll displays in a 1950s Manhattan department store.

The two women develop a fast bond that becomes a love with complicated consequences.

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy

Directed By: Todd Haynes

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)

PG, Comedy/Kids & Family, 1h 15m

TOMATOMETER 95%
AUDIENCE SCORE 100%

Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation.

ack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween.

One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween Town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween — but alas, they can’t get it quite right.

Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey

Directed By: Henry Selick

THE HOLIDAY (2006)

PG-13, Comedy/Romance, 2h 12m

TOMATOMETER 49%
AUDIENCE SCORE 80%

Two women, one (Cameron Diaz) from America and one (Kate Winslet) from Britain, swap homes at Christmastime after bad breakups with their boyfriends.

Each woman finds romance with a local man (Jude Law, Jack Black) but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1994)

PG, Other/Fantasy, 1h 54m

TOMATOMETER 60%
AUDIENCE SCORE 62%

This ’90s remake of the classic film, starring Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle, is an excellent reimagining of the original.

Six-year-old Susan Walker (Mara Wilson) is skeptical of the Christmas myth surrounding Santa Claus, a trait she perhaps learned from her mother, Dorey (Elizabeth Perkins).

When tasked with hiring the Santa who will pose with kids at Macy’s, Dorey enlists a man with the curious name of Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough) who claims to be Santa himself.

His assertions are met with scoffs and threats of institutionalization, but a young lawyer, along with Susan and Dorey, comes to his defense.

FOUR CHRISTMASES (2008)

PG-13, Romance/Comedy, 1h 28m

TOMTOMATOMETER 25%
AUDIENCE SCORE 47%

Christmas has a way of bringing everyone together — even when you least expect it. In this modern Christmas tale, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play a couple whose tropical holiday plans get derailed, so they begrudgingly visit their families instead.

When their plans for an exotic vacation fall apart, unmarried couple Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) must spend Christmas Day trudging around to a quartet of family get-togethers.

While Brad counts the hours till he can escape the onslaught of crazy relatives, Kate begins to wonder about her own choices and ponders whether her family members are so crazy after all.

HOME ALONE (1990)

PG, Kids & Family/Other, 1h 42m

TOMATOTOMATOMETER 66%
AUDIENCE SCORE 80%

Over thirty years have passed since beloved Christmas movie Home Alone earned $285 million at the box office, but we’ll never tire of watching 8-year-old Kevin McCallister foil the Wet Bandits’ home burglary plans.

Home Alone uneven but frequently funny premise stretched unreasonably thin is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin’s cute performance and strong supporting stars.

When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O’Hara) makes him sleep in the attic.

After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true.

But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.

Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara

Directed By: Chris Columbus

THE SANTA CLAUSE (1994)

PG, Comedy/Other, 1h 37m

TOMATOMETER 72%
AUDIENCE SCORE 65%

When a divorced businessman (Tim Allen) accidentally kills Santa, he must step in to fill his shoes (not to mention his giant red suit).

The Santa Clause is utterly undemanding, but it’s firmly rooted in the sort of good old-fashioned holiday spirit missing from too many modern yuletide films.

Divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) has custody of his son (Eric Lloyd) on Christmas Eve.

After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa’s place before the next Christmas arrives.

Scott thinks he’s dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard.

Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn’t a dream after all — and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do.

Starring: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd

Directed By: John Pasquin

SCROOGED (1988)

PG-13, Comedy/Other, 1h 41m

TOMATOMETER 69%
AUDIENCE SCORE 71%

This modernized version of A Christmas Carol stars Bill Murray as a curmudgeonly New York City TV executive who learns the true meaning of Christmas.

Scrooged gets by with Bill Murray and a dash of holiday spirit, although it’s hampered by a markedly conflicted tone and an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness.

In this modern take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life, Claire Phillips (Karen Allen).

But after firing a staff member, Eliot Loudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait), on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past.

Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover

Directed By: Richard Donner

ELF (2003)

PG, Kids & Family, 1h 37m

TOMATOMETER 85%
AUDIENCE SCORE 79%

Even though this hilarious but heartwarming movie, about a human man raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole, was released less than 20 years ago, it’s quickly become a holiday classic.

In short: If you don’t think Elf is one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, you’re a cotton-headed ninny muggins.

A movie full of Yuletide cheer, Elf is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell’s funny and charming performance as one of Santa’s biggest helpers.

Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves.

Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father.

As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a cynical businessman.

After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.

Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner

Directed By: Jon Favreau

TRADING PLACES (1983)

R, Comedy, 1h 56m

TOMATOMETER 88%
AUDIENCE SCORE 84%

Featuring deft interplay between Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, Trading Places is an immensely appealing social satire.

Upper-crust executive Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and down-and-out hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) are the subjects of a bet by successful brokers Mortimer (Don Ameche) and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy).

An employee of the Dukes, Winthorpe is framed by the brothers for a crime he didn’t commit, with the siblings then installing the street-smart Valentine in his position.

When Winthorpe and Valentine uncover the scheme, they set out to turn the tables on the Dukes.

Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche

Directed By: John Landis

Jingle All the Way (1996)

PG 1996, Comedy/Other, 1h 28m

TOMATOMETER 17%
AUDIENCE SCORE 38%

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as dads competing to get their sons the most popular Christmas toy of the year, this movie is as silly — and fun — as it sounds.

Workaholic Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wants to make things up to his son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd), and wife, Liz (Rita Wilson).

He promises to get Jamie the hottest toy of the season, Turbo-Man — even though it’s Christmas Eve and the toy is practically sold out.

As Langston hunts down the elusive gift, he runs into mailman Myron (Sinbad), another father on the same quest.

With the clock winding down, Langston’s moral code is tested as he starts to learn the real meaning of Christmas.

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)

PG-13, Other/Comedy, 1h 37m

TOMATOMETER 67%
AUDIENCE SCORE 86%

Do you dread having your in-laws visit for the holidays? Watching this Chevy Chase movie will make anything your family does at Christmas seem totally normal by comparison.

While Christmas Vacation may not be the most disciplined comedy, it’s got enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat.

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations.

However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property.

Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Diane Ladd

Directed By: Jeremiah S. Chechik

THE REF (1994)

R, Comedy, 1h 33m

TOMATOMETER 72%
AUDIENCE SCORE 73%

Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script.

Bickering spouses (Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey) annoy the cat burglar (Denis Leary) who takes them hostage in their Connecticut home.

Starring: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Directed By: Ted Demme

Mixed Nuts (1994)

R, Comedy, 1h 33m

TOMATOMETER 72%
AUDIENCE SCORE 73%

This 1994 Nora Ephron dramedy stars Steve Martin as the director of a crisis hotline on Christmas Eve.

Philip (Steve Martin) manages a suicide-prevention hotline called Lifesavers, assisted by Mrs. Munchnik (Madeline Kahn) and Catherine (Rita Wilson).

On Christmas Eve, Philip learns that their landlord (Garry Shandling) is evicting them from their office.

Amid all this unrest, Catherine proclaims her love for Philip.

And when a transvestite (Liev Schreiber) and a pregnant woman (Juliette Lewis) enter into the equation, things get even more interesting.harply funny script.

CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)

Animation/Comedy, 30m

TOMATOMETER 83%
AUDIENCE SCORE 73%

Christmastime is here.

In this timeless cartoon, Charlie Brown seeks out the true meaning of Christmas with the help of his friends, his curious dog and one tiny (yet strong) Christmas tree.

Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer. And for Peanuts fans everywhere, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without this classic holiday delight.

Christmas lights may be twinkling red and green, but Charlie Brown has the Yuletide blues.

To get in the holiday spirit, he takes Lucy’s advice and directs the Christmas play.

And what’s a Christmas play without a Christmas tree?

But everyone makes fun of the short, spindly never-green Charlie Brown brings back – until the real meaning of Christmas works its magic once again

Starring: Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Tracy Stratford, Sally Dryer

Directed By: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (1964)

Animation/Kids & Family, 53m

TOMATOMETER 95%
AUDIENCE SCORE 85%

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a yule-tide gem that bursts with eye-popping iconography, a spirited soundtrack, and a heart-warming celebration of difference.

This stop-motion animagic version of the classic Christmas tale adds a bit of a twist when Rudolph encounters an abominable… [More]

Starring: Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann, Billie Mae Richards, Paul Soles

Directed By: Maury Laws, Larry Roemer

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (1969)

Fantasy/Animation, 22m

TOMATOMETER 73%
AUDIENCE SCORE 72%

Frosty the Snowman is a jolly, happy sing-along that will delight children with its crisp animation and affable title character, who makes an indelible impression with his corncob pipe, button nose, and eyes made out of coal.

A discarded magic top hat brings to life the snowman that a group of children made. Then, a magician, professor Hinkle, wants it back, and the temperature starts to rise.

Frosty will melt or no longer be a jolly soul, if the kids cannot get him away from Hinkle and warm weather, so he hops a train to the North Pole with young Karen.

Starring: Jimmy Durante, Billy De Wolfe, Jackie Vernon, Paul Frees

Directed By: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.

THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)

G, Fantasy/Kids & Family, 1h 25m

TOMATOMETER 76%
AUDIENCE SCORE 86%

If you want to introduce your kids to this classic Christmas tale, then give them a good starting point with a musical that pulls on the heartstrings featuring all of their favorite Muppets (think: Kermit and Gonzo) playing Charles Dickens’s characters. Jim Henson fans will adore this magical holiday tale.

It may not be the finest version of Charles Dickens’ tale to grace the screen, but The Muppet Christmas Carol is funny and heartwarming, and serves as a good introduction to the story for young viewers.

The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine).

Other Muppets — Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle — weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases — past, present and future.

They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Starring: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson

Directed By: Brian Henson

POLAR EXPRESS

G, Fantasy/Kids & Family, 1h 25m

TOMATOMETER 76%
AUDIENCE SCORE 86%

The Polar Express features Tom Hanks in an animated adventure based on the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg.

In the fantasy flick, a little boy takes a magical train ride to the North Pole and discovers the significance of the holiday along the way.

Polar Express is an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg.

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

LEGO STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL (2020)

Action/Adventure

TOMATOMETER 73%
AUDIENCE SCORE 59%

The Force isn’t fully with this Lego Star Wars adventure, but its affectionate franchise callbacks and self-aware humor should please fans looking to spend their holidays in a galaxy far, far away…

“The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day.

Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force.

At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films.

But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?

Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Matt Lanter

Directed By: Ken Cunningham

A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)

PG, Comedy/Kids & Family, 1h 33m

TOMATOMETER 89%
AUDIENCE SCORE 88%

This movie deserves a major award! There’s a reason why TBS plays A Christmas Story for 24 hours straight every Christmas.

The classic gave us the infamous leg lamp and Red Ryder BB guns — and most importantly, it taught us to never lick a frozen pole (even under the intense pressure of a “triple dog dare”).

Both warmly nostalgic and darkly humorous, A Christmas Story deserves its status as a holiday perennial.

This holiday movie follows the wintry exploits of youngster Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), who spends most of his time dodging a bully (Zack Ward) and dreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a “Red Ryder air rifle.”

Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Darren McGavin) but comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.

Starring: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon, Ian Petrella

Directed By: Bob Clark

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011)

PG, Comedy/Kids & Family, 1h 40m

TOMATOMETER 92%
AUDIENCE SCORE 76%

Santa does the unthinkable and forgets to deliver a gift to a child on Christmas Eve — and his youngest son, Arthur, must make the delivery before dawn.

Pixar-level animation and wry British humor from the Wallace & Gromit team make this a heartwarming flick for the whole family.

Aardman Animations broadens their humor a bit for Arthur Christmas, a clever and earnest holiday film with surprising emotional strength.

Everyone knows that, each Christmas, Santa Claus delivers presents to every last child on Earth.

What everyone doesn’t know is that Santa accomplishes the feat with a very high-tech operation beneath the North Pole.

But when the unthinkable happens, and Santa misses one child out of hundreds of millions, someone has to save the day.

It’s up to Arthur (James McAvoy), Santa’s youngest son, to deliver a present to the forgotten tyke before Christmas morning dawns.

Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent

Directed By: Sarah Smith

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1967)

TOMATOMETER 100%
AUDIENCE SCORE 96%

How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story — and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas brings an impressive array of talent to bear on an adaptation that honors a classic holiday story — and has rightfully become a yuletide tradition of its own.

This made-for-TV Christmas special is a classic. Based on a Dr. Seuss book, it is about a Christmas-hating Grinch whose heart grows.

Starring: Boris Karloff, June Foray, Thurl Ravenscroft, Eugene Poddany

Directed By: Chuck Jones

Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)

PG, Fantasy/Kids & Family, 1h 35m

TOMATOMETER 53%
AUDIENCE SCORE 58%

A must-watch for the entire family, Disney’s animated take Though London awaits the joyful arrival of Christmas, miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) thinks it’s all humbug, berating his faithful clerk and cheerful nephew for their view.

Later, Scrooge encounters the ghost of his late business partner, who warns that three spirits will visit him this night.

The ghosts take Scrooge on a journey through his past, present and future in the hope of transforming his bitterness.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

PG, Drama/Comedy, 2h 9m

TOMATOMETER 94%
AUDIENCE SCORE 95%

The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It’s a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing.

Synopsis: After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to… [More]

Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell

Directed By: Frank Capra

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947)

Comedy/Drama, 1h 36m

TOMATOMETER 96%
AUDIENCE SCORE 87%

When Kris Kringle goes on trial to prove his identity in this magical holiday classic, he’ll have you (and especially your kids) believing in the magic of Santa Claus.

Irrefutable proof that gentle sentimentalism can be the chief ingredient in a wonderful film, Miracle on 34th Street delivers a warm holiday message without resorting to treacle.

In this Christmas classic, an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) fills in for an… [More]

Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart

Directed By: George Seaton

HOLIDAY INN (1942)

Romance/Musical, 1h 41m

TOMATOMETER 100%
AUDIENCE SCORE 86%

With the combined might of Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Irving Berlin working in its favor, Holiday Inn is a seasonal classic — not least because it introduced “White Christmas” to the world.

In this Irving Berlin musical, Jim (Bing Crosby) and Lila are members of a performing trio who plan to quit… [More]

Starring: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale

Directed By: Mark Sandrich

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)

Romance/Comedy, 1h 37m

TOMATOMETER 100%
AUDIENCE SCORE 91%

Deftly directed by Ernst Lubitsch from a smart, funny script by Samson Raphaelson, The Shop Around the Corner is a romantic comedy in the finest sense of the term.

Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) are employees at Matuschek and Company, a general store in Budapest.

Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, Joseph Schildkraut

Directed By: Ernst Lubitsch

REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940)

Romance/Comedy, 1h 34m

TOMATOMETER 100%
AUDIENCE SCORE 83%

Moved to pity by the Christmas season, New York District Attorney John Sargent (Fred MacMurray) lets pretty shoplifter Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck) out on bail and offers her a ride home to Indiana.

Along the way they have a run-in with a Pennsylvania sheriff, meet each others’ parents, and eventually fall in love.

John’s mother, however, disapproves, and warns Lee to stay away, lest she damage John’s career.

Not wanting to cause trouble, Lee resolves to leave the man she loves.

A Christmas Carol (1938)

Drama, Family 1h 9m

This classic Christmas movie is one of the earlier (and better) full-length film adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic.

Holiday Affair (1949)

Romance/Other, 1h 27m

AUDIENCE SCORE 70%

Set in a New York department store during the holiday season, this romantic comedy was a box office failure when it originally came out in the ’40s.

Charming seasonal clerk Steve Mason (Robert Mitchum) catches beautiful Connie Ennis (Janet Leigh) in a fraudulent shopping scheme during the busy Christmas rush.

But when he discovers that Ennis is a war widow and single mother, Mason takes pity on her and can’t bring himself to turn her in.

His supervisor takes notice and fires him on the spot. Mason befriends Connie and her young son, Timmy (Gordon Gebert), and may complicate her plans to marry boring nice guy Carl Davis (Wendell Corey).

Gremlins (1984)

Kids / Holiday, 1h 46m

AUDIENCE SCORE 78%

A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown.

The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the “mogwai” but sells it to him with the warning to never expose him to bright light, water, or to feed him after midnight.

All of this happens and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Romance/Other, 1h 43m

AUDIENCE SCORE 81%

Lonely transit worker Lucy Eleanor Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) pulls her longtime crush, Peter (Peter Gallagher), from the path of an oncoming train.

At the hospital, doctors report that he’s in a coma, and a misplaced comment from Lucy causes Peter’s family to assume that she is his fiancée.

When Lucy doesn’t correct them, they take her into their home and confidence.

Things get even more complicated when she finds herself falling for Peter’s sheepish brother, Jack (Bill Pullman).

Santa Claus is Coming To Town (1970)

Kids / Holiday 51m

AUDIENCE SCORE 82%

A lanky mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) tells the story of Santa Claus.

Adopted by an elf family named Kringle, young Kris longs to restore the Kringle reputation as toymakers to the king, but the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger has outlawed toys in Sombertown.

Overcoming the opposition of both the Burgermeister and the Winter Warlock, Kris begins delivering toys not only to the children on Sombertown, but all around the world as well.

IT’S A VERY MERRY MUPPET CHRISTMAS MOVIE (2002)

Kids / Holiday 1h 36m

AUDIENCE SCORE 51%

The owner of a bank (Miss Bitterman) wants to own the Muppet Theatre so she can build a nightclub over it.

After she tricks Pepe into giving her the only copy of the contract between her father and the Muppets, she changes it so the Muppets have very little time to pay a debt they owe.

Meanwhile, the Muppets are trying to put on a Christmas show.

After the Muppets are confronted by Bitterman, they make a lot of sacrifices to save up so they can keep the Theatre.

Prancer (1989)

Kids / Holiday 1h 43m

AUDIENCE SCORE 58%

Refusing to give up her belief in Santa Claus, a child, Jessica Riggs (Rebecca Harrell), discovers a hurt reindeer in the woods, which she believes to be Prancer.

With the help of a sympathetic veterinarian (Abe Vigoda), Jessica takes care of the wounded creature.

It’s supposed to be a secret, but eventually a store Santa Claus (Michael Constantine), the girl’s dad (Sam Elliott) and the entire town find out about Prancer, leading to big problems for Jessica and her family.