"It’s the holiday season, and what better way to celebrate than with some holiday movie classics. I’ve compiled some of the top 10 holiday movie classics from the past that you should watch in the present. People all around this world already know and love these movies that bring the joy of the holidays,as well as the endless possibilities of your imagination as you watch beside your Christmas tree." --Isabella Schainker, 6th grade
1.Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 animated Christmas movie written by Romeo Muller and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. This movie follows a group of young children who come together to build a snowman called Frosty and then placing a magic enchanted top hat on Frosty’s head, which makes the snowman come to life with special enchanted power. But, after the sun comes out and the heat begins to rise, the children panic, fearing that he would melt. Frosty, along with a young girl named Karen, and a rabbit named Hocus Pocus, go on a long journey to the North Pole to escape the change in seasons.
2. Home Alone is a 1990 comedy film, directed by Chris Columbus, written and produced by John Hughes. The story is about a young boy named Kevin Mcallister (Macaulay Culkin) who is left home alone during his parent’s family holiday vacation. Two robbers Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) and Marv Merchants (Daniel Stern), also known as the Wet Bandits, are planning to rob the Mcallister’s home. After learning about the wet bandits intentions, Kevin sets out a series of traps to protect his house from the Wet Bandits, which ends with scars and an awaiting prison cell for the robbers. This is one of the most iconic movies to watch over the holidays, it is full of great laughs for the whole family.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or plainly The Grinch is a 2000 American Christmas movie, directed by Ron Howard and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. The plot takes place inside a snowflake where the magical land of Whoville, home of creatures called the Whos, celebrate, decorate, and get ready for Christmas as the Whos always did. On a steep, jagged cliffside just outside Whoville lives the Grinch (Jim Carrey), a nasty creature that hates Christmas and plans to steal it from the Whos. Little Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen) is a young girl, who is preparing herself for Christmas. She faces challenges while she is trying to befriend the Grinch.
4. A Christmas Story is a 1983 comedy film, the movie was directed by Bob Clark and written by Jean Shepard. This tale tells of a character named Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsly), a boy in the 1940s who spends most of his time dodging a school bully (Zack Ward) and daydreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a "Red Ryder air rifle." Frequently, Ralphie Parker ends up at odds with his cranky, strict, and stressed out dad (Darren McGavin) and almost every time, is comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes of his ideal gift, intact in his mind. This movie does involve some profanity, so it is probably not the most appropriate for little children, but like in most holiday movies, there are funny parts that everyone can laugh at.
5. Elf is a 2003 Christmas comedy, directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. The film centers on a human named Buddy (Will Ferrell), when he was just a baby, Buddy climbed into Santa Claus’s sack of presents and was accidentally sent to the North Pole. Buddy was then adopted and raised by Santa and Santa’s elves. He learns about his true story and his real family. Therefore Buddy heads to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter (James Caan)while also spreading colorful Christmas cheer in a world full of dull colors.
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop motion animated fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. The plot revolves around the main character, Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of "HalloweenTown" who goes into a dark forest and finds a circle of holiday trees. He then stumbles into a portal that leads him to "Christmas Town" he is amazed by his sights of the town and he decides to celebrate and steal the holiday for himself and his people. He convinces the town to celebrate it as well, but they misinterpret the idea of Christmas.
7. Christmas Vacation is a Christmas comedy, written by John Hughes, produced by John Hughes and Tom Jacobson, and directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. As the holidays approach the Griswold family, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and his children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line for perfection, including the tree, gifts, food, sweaters, and house decorations. However, things spoil quickly for the Griswolds. His unwanted cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his big family show up early and unplanned and start living in their camper in the family backyard. Clark is trying to make everyone else's wishes come true, but when he wishes for one simple thing, the world denies him and ruins his world.
8. Miracle on 34th Street is an American Christmas comedy made in 1947, it was written and directed by George Seaton. The plot of this movie is mainly about when Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) finds out that the Santa in the Macy’s Parade is drunk, he complains to event planner, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara) and she makes him the replacement. He does so well, that they make him the Santa at 34th Street. While working there, Doris’s neighbor Fred Gailey (John Payne) takes her daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood), to the store. Susan had been raised not to believe in any fairy tales, including Santa. He convinces her that he is Santa, and she believes that he can get her a house of her own. This promise had a problem, her wish could not come true, could it?
9. It’s A Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama produced and directed by Frank Capre. The time of the story is on Christmas Eve, when the main character, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) dwells over the idea of suicide. News reaches Heaven, and an angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), is assigned to save him. Clarence is shown flashbacks of George’s life to prepare him. George tells Clarence that he wished he hadn’t been born. Clarence shows George an alternate reality, in a different timeline where he hadn’t been born. It turned out that George had done many amazing things that impacted many people, and without him, many people would be sad and lonely. He rushes home to join in caroling, seeing that his life was worth it.
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 American musical comedy movie directed by Brian Henson and produced by Martin G. Baker. The Muppets perform their take on a classic holiday story called Scrooged, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit. Other Muppets--Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle--weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from three spirits of Christmas--the 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 forgiveness and or happiness.
2. Home Alone is a 1990 comedy film, directed by Chris Columbus, written and produced by John Hughes. The story is about a young boy named Kevin Mcallister (Macaulay Culkin) who is left home alone during his parent’s family holiday vacation. Two robbers Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) and Marv Merchants (Daniel Stern), also known as the Wet Bandits, are planning to rob the Mcallister’s home. After learning about the wet bandits intentions, Kevin sets out a series of traps to protect his house from the Wet Bandits, which ends with scars and an awaiting prison cell for the robbers. This is one of the most iconic movies to watch over the holidays, it is full of great laughs for the whole family.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or plainly The Grinch is a 2000 American Christmas movie, directed by Ron Howard and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. The plot takes place inside a snowflake where the magical land of Whoville, home of creatures called the Whos, celebrate, decorate, and get ready for Christmas as the Whos always did. On a steep, jagged cliffside just outside Whoville lives the Grinch (Jim Carrey), a nasty creature that hates Christmas and plans to steal it from the Whos. Little Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen) is a young girl, who is preparing herself for Christmas. She faces challenges while she is trying to befriend the Grinch.
4. A Christmas Story is a 1983 comedy film, the movie was directed by Bob Clark and written by Jean Shepard. This tale tells of a character named Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsly), a boy in the 1940s who spends most of his time dodging a school bully (Zack Ward) and daydreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a "Red Ryder air rifle." Frequently, Ralphie Parker ends up at odds with his cranky, strict, and stressed out dad (Darren McGavin) and almost every time, is comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes of his ideal gift, intact in his mind. This movie does involve some profanity, so it is probably not the most appropriate for little children, but like in most holiday movies, there are funny parts that everyone can laugh at.
5. Elf is a 2003 Christmas comedy, directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. The film centers on a human named Buddy (Will Ferrell), when he was just a baby, Buddy climbed into Santa Claus’s sack of presents and was accidentally sent to the North Pole. Buddy was then adopted and raised by Santa and Santa’s elves. He learns about his true story and his real family. Therefore Buddy heads to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter (James Caan)while also spreading colorful Christmas cheer in a world full of dull colors.
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop motion animated fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. The plot revolves around the main character, Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of "HalloweenTown" who goes into a dark forest and finds a circle of holiday trees. He then stumbles into a portal that leads him to "Christmas Town" he is amazed by his sights of the town and he decides to celebrate and steal the holiday for himself and his people. He convinces the town to celebrate it as well, but they misinterpret the idea of Christmas.
7. Christmas Vacation is a Christmas comedy, written by John Hughes, produced by John Hughes and Tom Jacobson, and directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. As the holidays approach the Griswold family, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and his children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line for perfection, including the tree, gifts, food, sweaters, and house decorations. However, things spoil quickly for the Griswolds. His unwanted cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his big family show up early and unplanned and start living in their camper in the family backyard. Clark is trying to make everyone else's wishes come true, but when he wishes for one simple thing, the world denies him and ruins his world.
8. Miracle on 34th Street is an American Christmas comedy made in 1947, it was written and directed by George Seaton. The plot of this movie is mainly about when Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) finds out that the Santa in the Macy’s Parade is drunk, he complains to event planner, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara) and she makes him the replacement. He does so well, that they make him the Santa at 34th Street. While working there, Doris’s neighbor Fred Gailey (John Payne) takes her daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood), to the store. Susan had been raised not to believe in any fairy tales, including Santa. He convinces her that he is Santa, and she believes that he can get her a house of her own. This promise had a problem, her wish could not come true, could it?
9. It’s A Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas drama produced and directed by Frank Capre. The time of the story is on Christmas Eve, when the main character, George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) dwells over the idea of suicide. News reaches Heaven, and an angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), is assigned to save him. Clarence is shown flashbacks of George’s life to prepare him. George tells Clarence that he wished he hadn’t been born. Clarence shows George an alternate reality, in a different timeline where he hadn’t been born. It turned out that George had done many amazing things that impacted many people, and without him, many people would be sad and lonely. He rushes home to join in caroling, seeing that his life was worth it.
10. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 American musical comedy movie directed by Brian Henson and produced by Martin G. Baker. The Muppets perform their take on a classic holiday story called Scrooged, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit. Other Muppets--Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle--weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from three spirits of Christmas--the 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 forgiveness and or happiness.
