At this time of the year, my thoughts naturally turn to seasonally-appropriate movies. Some of them have an obvious tie to Christmas, and others don’t. For instance, you might not think of two of my year-round favorites, The Apartment (1960) and The Thin Man (1934), as Christmas movies, but they both take place during the season. These just wouldn’t be the same without the office holiday party in the former or Nick Charles using tree ornaments for target practice in the latter. Then again, my December viewing wouldn’t be the same without Love Actually or Christmas in Connecticut.
I’m wondering what others think so I hope you’ll take a minute to take a look at this list of both traditional and “alternative” Christmas movies and vote for your favorite(s). Yep, multiple selections are allowed. If you don’t see your favorite, please add it in the comments. Also if you’ve written a post about a Christmas movie of any kind or era, feel free to leave a link. Thanks!
| What is your favorite Christmas movie? 2.0 | |
| Elf | |
| Scrooged | |
| The Muppet Christmas Carol | |
| Bad Santa | |
| Love Actually | |
| Die Hard | |
| The Thin Man | |
| The Apartment | |
| Trading Places | |
| Christmas in Connecticut | |
| Miracle on 34th Street | |
| It’s A Wonderful Life | |
| A Christmas Carol (Which version? Please specify in comments) | |
| The Santa Clause | |
| White Christmas | |
| A Christmas Story | |
| The Holiday | |
| The Shop Around The Corner | |
| Home Alone | |
| Home Alone 2 | |
| The Bishop’s Wife | |
| It Happened on Fifth Avenue | |
| Christmas Under Fire | |
| Remember the Night | |
| The Preacher’s Wife | |
| Pocketful of Miracles | |
| Holiday Affair | |
| A Christmas Angel | |
| pollcode.com free polls | |
Paula's Cinema Club 
A lot of great films are represented on your list, Paula. But, it remains an easy selection for me: the most noirish of Christmas films, Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.
That’s definitely a favorite of mine as well, Michael. It does make me cry but also has a few laughs. I never really thought of it as a noir, now that you mention it, it is most noirish…for one thing, Gloria Grahame is in it. Also the protagonist trapped by corruption and other things beyond his control…etc. etc.
My fav “A Christmas Carol” is the Patrick Stewart version. When he begs the silent Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come to “sponge away the name” on the gravestone – man, gets me every time!
Well, as you know, this one is a guaranteed tearjerker for me. I just wish people would think about not being Scrooges year-round.
A Christmas Carol (Alistair Sims’ version).
Yep, really good version as well. Thanks!
It’s a toss up between Christmas in Conn or It’s a wonderful Life. I actually love Bells of St Mary’s too but it hasnt been on tv in years I think
I love Christmas in Connecticut. Barbara Stanwyck is in it, plus it’s one of my Top 3 S.Z. Sakall performances. It’s hunky dunky. But I forgot about Bells of St. Mary’s…wow…so glad people are reminding me of all these. Thanks Val!
Hey Paula, great list!
I’d love it if you could include my absolute Christmas favourite of all times, The Shop Around the Corner.
Yep, I will add it 🙂
The Shop Around The Corner!
I’m going to add this one too. Already a couple of votes 🙂
Voted for It’s a Wonderful Life, Love Actually and A Christmas Story. I’d add The Holiday.
Oh my goodness…you said The Holiday in your comment as well…I’m going to fix the poll & I’ll be sure to add it.
I like the idea of this poll. I voted for several of the choices…including “Home Alone”. It’s my holiday guilty pleasure.
Don’t feel too guilty…I haven’t seen that one in a while but I remember it’s pretty darn funny 🙂
Bad Santa and Home Alone – both awesome classics when you just can’t take another quip about the Red Rider bb gun, or hearing the angel get it’s wings.
One of the votes for Bad Santa is mine 😉 I agree about A Christmas Story, sadly I think it is played out, mostly due to TNT running it for 24 hours every year. I might give Home Alone a re-watch, it’s pretty popular.
Bishop’s wife has to be one of my all-time favorites. Has three of my favorites: Loretta Young, David Niven, and, of course, Cary Grant.
Oh yes, I voted for Bishop’s Wife too! It’s just so good…an essential role of Cary Grant’s, and for David Niven as well. I’m not as familiar with Loretta Young’s work, but she is great in it too.
There are still sooo many I haven’t seen yet but I voted for It’s A Wonderful Life. Oooh I like The Holiday too (despite Cameron Diaz), good call Fernando!
I like that one too Ruth. Have only seen part of The Holiday but I liked what I saw 🙂 Thanks for voting
Truth be told, I was most interested in The Holiday because of Rufus. Oh he was such a cad to Kate Winslet but he’s so beautiful! 😉
I hear you…he is a fine-looking man 😉
Well, my favorite version of A Christmas Carol remains the 1951 version with Alistair Sim. Sim is the person I always picture when I think of Ebenezer Scrooge. Though I’m also fond of the George C. Scott version as well; it’s one of the more faithful takes on Dickens’ classic story. (FYI: I’m planning on having a giveaway for a copy of the Sim DVD starting Monday…look to Thrilling Days of Yesteryear for details.)
My picks on this poll were most of the traditional favorites: It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version, of course) are the champs (I watch these two around the holidays every year—it’s pretty much a tradition) and two of the films in the poll have become recent faves: Holiday Affair (it’s just mindboggling to see Robert Mitchum in a holiday flick) and Remember the Night, a really underrated movie that more people should make time for on their schedule. I also picked The Bishop’s Wife and A Christmas Story—the latter one being the only “recent” holiday-themed film in memory that I’ll watch more than once.
I like how you mentioned The Thin Man and The Apartment as Christmas films—I always consider Apartment more of a New Year’s film but it does take place over Christmas—and by that same token The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek would qualify as a Christmas film, too. A few of my favorites that didn’t make the poll but are staples around Rancho Yesteryear during the holidays: We’re No Angels (Bogart), 3 Godfathers (the 1948 version), The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Lemon Drop Kid, Come to the Stable, The Bells of St. Mary’s and Laurel & Hardy’s Babes in Toyland (aka March of the Wooden Soldiers).
The Alastair Sim version is my dad’s favorite, so I’ve seen that one more than any other.
I love Remember The Night. Just saw it for the first time last year and it was instantly a fave. I was wondering who else voted for it.
Holiday Affair was a suggestion by someone else, I’ve never seen it but yeah Mitchum in a holiday movie is like Donna Reed in a film noir…kinda surreal. Thanks Ivan 🙂
I picked the Alastair Sim version of Christmas Carol. For me, that is the only version. He’s just so terrific in that and the film actually succeeds in reaching almost horror movie levels of suspense that the other versions just don’t reach. Sim really sells it. Sim’s giddy elation at the end as the transformed Scrooge is a revelation.
I agree, he is the meanest of the pre-transformation Scrooges, and his transformation is, well yeah…he really sells it. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
That’s a really great selection of christmas-themed movies Paula! My top 3 choices are Home Alone, White Christmas and A Christmas Carol. The version of A Christmas Carol I’m talking about I don’t believe has been mentioned here yet. It’s directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars the voice talents of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright and many other great actors. I love the tone of the film and the score is absolutely beautiful. It really surprised me the first time I saw it and highly recommend it. Thanks for this fun poll, Paula! 🙂
I don’t think I’ve seen that version, my IMDB tells me it came out in 2009. It’s got quite the voice cast…Colin Firth and Bob Hoskins as well, wow. You’re welcome & thanks Javier 🙂
I’ve voted for Scrooged. Love its darkly comic humor, the inventive take on the classic story and Bill Murray who is fantastically dry in the film. One I watch every year at Christmas.
Aha, Scrooged is my favorite as well! Bill Murray is an actor I sort of take for granted. I was thinking about this a few days ago and I realized how many really darn good movies he’s been in.
I cheated and voted for Miracle, Scrooge (Alastair Sim), Remember the Night, Love Actually and A Christmas Story. I love Christmas and I love movies 😀
Yay! and Iba…that’s not cheating. I made it multiple choice cos I knew I could never pick just one 😉
Those are all great, I’m happy to see Remember the Night! I love it, and it’s really overlooked. Now Miracle…the only movie I know of that name is about the 1980 Olympics?