I was going to write about tea* today. But I felt like someone** needed a post about Christmas movies. I hope you aren’t one of those people who shuts down Christmas the minute the bell tolls midnight on the 25th. I also kind of hope you aren’t one of those people who starts taking down their Christmas decorations on New Year’s Day***, and that if you haven’t seen any of these, you’ll watch them immediately, but I know that’s a lot to hope for****.
*Yes, I know, it’s been a minute since I posted a Coffeehouse Adventure, and now I’m talking about tea?
**Someone might be me.
***Hi, Mom.
****I apologize for the dangling preposition. It’s just, “…that’s a lot for which to hope” is definitely not how I talk and keeping it real here outweighs the grammar Nazi in me.
I can’t answer the question, “What’s your favorite Christmas movie?” with one title. In fact, my brain kind of short circuits when this question is asked because I feel like I’m betraying all the wonderful Christmas movies out there by naming only one.
So here we go, my favorite Christmas movies, categorized for your pleasure:
Favorite Christmas Movie of My Childhood: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
I can remember the first time my family watched this movie. My brother, Justin, had seen it already and when Kevin says, “It’s a good thing I have my own ticket, just in case you guys try to ditch me,” Justin said, “But they’re not the ones who are going to…” and immediately got snapped at by my parents to be quiet and not give away the story. Ah, good memories.
Favorite Family Christmas Movie: Elf
The music. The humor. The story. I simply love every little bit of Elf from start to finish.
Favorite Christmas Musical: White Christmas
Of all Christmas movies I expect people to have watched, this is one that most often people have not seen! It is one of four Christmas movies I cry at no matter how many times I watch it. Lance claims it shouldn’t be a Christmas movie because of how much of the story isn’t Christmas related, but to this, I roll my eyes and turn the volume up louder.
Favorite Version of “A Christmas Carol”: A Christmas Carol (1951)
I’m partial to this version because my family used to watch it every Christmas Eve, but Alastair Sim is simply wonderful as Scrooge. This is the second Christmas movie which makes me cry—always during the Ghost of Christmas Future scene when Bob Cratchit comes home alone, without Tiny Tim.
Runner Up: Muppet’s Christmas Carol
I must mention this Christmas Carol version because it is fantastic. It manages to weave in humor from the Muppets, great music, while also keeping the true spirit of the original story. And, Michael Caine has been an old man crush of mine forever.
Favorite Recent Christmas Movie: Last Christmas
From the commercials, I expected this movie to be awful. But it is marvelous. Not only because George Michael’s music is expertly placed throughout the film, but because it is actually a really great story—one which has become the third Christmas movie to always make me cry.
Favorite Short Christmas Movie: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Lance hates Charlie Brown. To the point that he also hates Vince Guaraldi and skips any of his songs when they come on the radio. Nevertheless, I love this movie. Again, it is one I watched a lot during my childhood, but I think I especially love it because of Linus’ presentation of the Christmas story.
Favorite Christmas Movie of All-Time: It’s a Wonderful Life
I first saw this movie because it used to come on TV after the Thanksgiving parade. It quickly became the first Christmas movie I would watch each year and yes, the fourth Christmas movie which no matter how many times I see it, makes me cry. It always gets me when George realizes Harry died because he wasn’t there to save him and Clarence says, “You see, George, you’ve really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?”. And then, the end, of course, when Harry shows up and toasts his older brother.
What are your favorite Christmas movies?
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