The Christmas Edition

     Merry Christmas everyone! I mentioned in my last entry I was going to take a break from the bucket list to compile a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies. I'll start off by reviewing the criteria by which I decided what to include as a Christmas film. First, I am not including made for TV movies. To the best of my knowledge all of the films included below were released in the theaters. Second, I am not including films that just happen to take place at Christmas. This means I am not including films like Gremlins and Die Hard. There I said it...Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. Finally, the order in which I list the films is completely random and not an indication as to how much I liked or disliked it. If a film is not included (that is traditionally considered a Christmas movie), there are two likely explanations: either I haven't seen it or I completely forgot about it when I was compiling the list. And now on with the show!

A Christmas Story: Classic story about a little boy who wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Includes some classic lines and memorable scenes. I generally liked the movie, however, the cult fascination with it seems a bit much. I don't mind watching it once in awhile but multiple 24 hour marathons of it on television every year is a bit much. 

Home Alone: One of my favorites to be included on this list. I still enjoy watching it when it comes on television. Of course, certain aspects of the story remain questionable. How on earth did Kevin's parents not realize he was missing for as long as they did? I've been on trips (including international trips) with large groups of people and always seemed to know if someone was missing from the group as a whole. Putting those questionable details aside, I still really like the movie.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: Like the original I really enjoy this movie...even if the script isn't all that different from the first one. This time they manage to get Kevin to the airport before he inexplicably manages to get lost and on an entirely different flight from his parents and extended family. These are the only two movies in this franchise that I have seen. I couldn't imagine any subsequent films needing to be made or being any good.

It's a Wonderful Life: What list of Christmas movies is complete without this classic? It has been a very long time since I have seen it and don't really recall many details. What I do know is that it has spawned a great number of imitations (both in movies and on television). For example, the soap opera The Young and the Restless is known for doing a Christmas episode nearly every year in which one of the main characters has an It's a Wonderful Life dream-like experience. It's this type of thing that ruins the original for me. 

The Santa Clause: Obviously an implausible plot, but still generally entertaining. Tim Allen was pretty funny as a father who accidentally kills Santa and therefore must become Santa going forward. Also resulted in a few sequels, none of which were as entertaining as the original.

Four Christmases: The tale of a couple who make the attempt to visit all four of their dysfunctional parents on one Christmas day. I enjoyed it because despite going to extremes about how each parent is dysfunctional, it very realistically chronicles the struggle of couples to visit multiple families during the holidays. Plus Reese Witherspoon is one of my favorites. Vince Vaughn was not his normal annoying character stereotype in this film. 

Bad Santa: As it has been a long time since I have actually watched this film, I don't really remember the details. With that said, I do remember Billy Bob Thornton being hilarious as a drunken mall Santa. Never did see the sequel...as with most sequels I figured it couldn't have been as good as the original.

The Family Stone: Sarah Jessica Parker plays an uptight Manhattan executive who agrees to celebrate Christmas with her boyfriend's family (a pretty dysfunctional family). Hilarity ensues as she goes overboard trying to impress his difficult mother. A few plot twists along the way kept the movie from falling into a predictable pattern. Overall, pretty good...and better still it hasn't resulted in unnecessary sequels. The end of the film does a great job of wrapping up all of the divergent stories and giving the audience closure.

The Holiday: Pretty sure I stumbled upon this one by accident, however, to quote Bob Ross it was a "happy little accident." I generally like Jack Black, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law in most movies. Even the presence of Cameron Diaz didn't detract. Also required no sequels because the end of the movie suggests how things turn out for all of the characters. 

Elf: A Will Farrell Christmas classic. It's been awhile since I have seen it so I don't really remember all of the specifics. Farrell was great in a movie that was something of a departure from some of his dumber offerings (probably because they didn't create roles for some of his usual co-stars). Nothing against Will Farrell in general, but I have a hard time watching some of his movies. 

Last Christmas: One of the most recent entries on this list...and the one I watched the most recently (just last weekend). I expected it to be pretty cheesy...but turns out I was wrong. Not only was the storyline somewhat entertaining, there was a twist in the plot I legitimately did not see coming. Also surprising was Emma Thompson's character. Normally she's kind of a stereotypical Brit...but here she played Emilia Clarke's over protective Eastern European mother (and quite convincingly). Also well done was the soundtrack of George Michael songs...not in a forced way. 

Love, Actually: If I were ranking these movies, I'd probably consider this my second favorite. Not a traditional Christmas movie, but rather a loose collection of separate stories (some of which intersect quite nicely). Set in London, the ensemble cast features a lot of big stars...Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Liam Neeson just to name a few. Definitely worth watching if you like any of these actors.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Although I wasn't really ranking these films, this is without a doubt my favorite Christmas movie. How could it not be? The extended Griswold family is together in one house (and an R.V.) and hilarity ensues. This is one film franchise where I enjoy (at least at some level) almost every movie included. Full of memorable quotes and the standard by which all over-the-top exterior Christmas light displays are now judged. It's one of the few Christmas movies I can watch multiple times and not be bored.

There you have it...my review of some of my favorite Christmas movies. Yes, there are several not included on here that I have not seen (some of which I'm sure y'all are wondering how it is I haven't seen at this point). Maybe next year I will try to watch some of the ones I have missed in order to update the list. If you have any suggestions for ones to watch feel free to leave it in the comments. Until later...