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Poster for "A Christmas Story"
courtesy of Warner Home Entertainment
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The Top Ten Christmas Movies
Lists of favorites are always personal and there will never be one list on which everyone agrees. When compiling my “Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies” I reflected over many years of being entertained by movies and sorted through them to find the Christmas themed movies that appealed to me most.
Number 10 – “Miracle On 34th Street” - Not the awful remake of a few years back but the original film that starred Natalie Wood, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne and Maureen O’Hara. This 1947 film was an instant classic and can still touch people’s hearts today.
Number 9 – “The Santa Clause” – In 1994 Tim Allen had made his name with the TV series “Home Improvement.” However he was never as warm, wonderful and witty as he was in this film about a man who becomes Santa Claus inadvertently and rises to the occasion.
Number 8 – “Love Actually” – This 2003 film about all shades and textures of love is one of my all time favorite movies of any type. Too profane to watch with the entire family, this movie still shows its heart in all of the scenes but particularly those about Christmas.
Number 7 – “Home Alone” – Macaulay Culkin became everybody’s favorite little brother in this 1990 classic about a kid being left alone in a house at Christmas time. It wasn’t that his family didn’t love him, they just accidentally left him, and that makes a difference.
Number 6 – “Scrooge” – Putting Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” to music probably wasn’t the best idea ever conceived but somehow this 1970 version worked. Albert Finney bah-humbugged his way into our hearts and his final conversion to good guy sent us out of movie theaters feeling good about him and ourselves.
Number 5 – “Die Hard” – This is one that probably won’t find its way to other lists of this type, but Christmas is all about family. In this 1988 film Bruce Willis made a super human effort to save the love of his life Bonnie Bedelia. He was one man against many but since the setting was the Christmas season maybe he got some miraculous help in the process.
Number 4 – “It’s A Wonderful Life” – Not really one of my favorites but just about everyone else looooves it. So for all of y’all I am putting it on the list. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed touched hearts and lives in this 1946 movie that is shown ad infinitum every Christmas.
Number 3 – “The Nativity Story” – Director Catherine Hardwicke beautifully told the story of Christ’s birth in this 2006 film. The setting, the characters, the story were all wonderfully and reverently presented.
Number 2 – “Elf” – Will Ferrell has never been better than he is in this 2003 film. He is funny and touching as the man who thinks he is an elf. It is a fish out of water story that is brightened by its Christmas season backdrop.
Video Interview: Will Ferrell - "Elf"
Number 1 – “A Christmas Story” – In 1983 this unobtrusive family film snuck into theaters and won us all over. Peter Billingsley will forever be “Ralphie,” the little boy who might shoot his eye out if he got a BB gun for Christmas.
That’s my list. I am sure you have some titles you would like to add or some of mine you would like to subtract. Whatever your feelings, happy viewing! |
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©2008 Jackie K. Cooper |
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