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The Eco18 family compiled a list of our favorite 18 Christmas movies for anyone to watch this holiday season. Enjoy!
- “A Wish for Wings that Work” – This was the film we would spend half an hour every Christmas Eve fast-forwarding through an old VCR tape to find — it’s just that good! Though it’s full of comedy, it also has its share of tender, heartfelt monologues. (Sierra)
- “A Garfield Christmas” – My brother’s favorite cartoon character as a kid was Garfield, so we watched this almost every Christmas Eve growing up. According to me, Garfield may be the film’s namesake, but Odie is by far the cutest character. (Sierra)
- “The Polar Express” – Few films capture the Christmas spirit like this one. I also just learned that Tom Hanks voiced six characters in it, so I’ll rewatch it with new admiration! (Sierra)
- “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – As a fan of Peanuts movies, I love watching anything that involves Snoopy and the gang. I named my dog after Charlie Brown! This movie brings me back to my childhood and the many times I’ve watched this film. It’s like a comfort zone for me. (Giselle)
- “Home Alone” – Call me cheesy if you wish, but watching Kevin McCallister (young Macaulay Culkin) come up with all these silly tricks to protect his home from thieves’ Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern has almost become a tradition. It is funny and brings good memories of 1990. (Giselle)
- “It’s a Wonderful Life” – This is a film I learned about through my husband’s grandmother, so it has a special meaning. (Giselle)
- “Miracle on 34th Street” revolves around a man who works at a department store and claims to be the real Santa Claus. As skepticism gives way to belief, a young girl and a lawyer strive to prove his authenticity in a heartwarming tale of faith and holiday magic. (Jenna)
- “The Grinch” is about a green, grouchy creature who despises Christmas but discovers the true meaning of the holiday thanks to the kindness of a young girl from Whoville. (Jenna)
- “The Holiday” is a heartwarming romantic comedy that intertwines the lives of two women who swap homes for the holidays, leading them to unexpected journeys of self-discovery and love. (Jenna)
- “Last Holiday” stars Queen Latifah as a shy woman, and upon learning of a terminal illness, she decides to sell all her possessions and live it up at a post-Central European hotel. The best part is that she is warmly accepted by the renowned chef at the hotel and all the “posh” people. The bonus is that she finds out that her medical tests were incorrect, and then she ends up with the man from work she’d been swooning over. P.S. I would do the same thing if I were in her position! (Lisa)
- “Love Actually” Because I adore Hugh Grant! Love Actually is a romantic comedy film directed by Richard Curtis. The movie follows the lives of several characters in London leading up to Christmas, exploring their interconnected relationships and experiences with love. (Lisa)
- “The Family Stone” stars an uptight New York City businesswoman, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. She visits her boyfriend’s family home for the holidays, where she doesn’t exactly fit in with the boisterous, freewheeling Stones. With a stacked cast that includes Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Luke Wilson, Dermot Mulroney and Claire Danes, this movie takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. (Lisa)
- “Elf” – It’s impossible to watch this movie and not smile. The excitement bubbling over from Buddy the Elf is exactly how many of us felt as kids – and still feel today – about the holidays. It’s a great reminder to embrace the spirit of the season and the childlike pure joy that comes with play and genuine kindness. (Courtney)
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – This is the movie my family watches every holiday season and quotes throughout the year. From the pompous neighbors Todd and Margo to the low-brow but good-intentioned Cousin Eddie, the ridiculous cast of characters and family chaos always leave us laughing. (Courtney)
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Debuted in 1964, this Christmas special has a distinct visual style featuring the use of puppetry and stop-motion animation. It’s been shown every year since 1964, earning it the title of longest continuously-running Christmas special in the United States and making it a nostalgic holiday memory for people of all ages. (Courtney)
- White Christmas: A true Christmas classic that I never get tired of watching any time of the year! In 1953, Paramount Pictures set out to make a musical built around and named after the most popular Christmas pop song of all time – White Christmas. A little-known fact is that Bob Fosse, famed stage and film choreographer, did uncredited choreography work on White Christmas, which may help explain why so many of the dance sequences are so memorable. This 1954 musical comedy starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, follows two war buddies who fall for two sisters and join them at a resort run by their former commanding officer, who is in danger of losing it. You know it will all work out in the end, but the journey is fun to watch! (Sue)
- Scrooged: It’s not for everyone! The 1988 American Christmas fantasy comedy is based on the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Scrooged is a modern retelling that follows Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive who is visited by a succession of ghosts on Christmas Eve intent on helping him regain his Christmas spirit. Love it or hate it, Scrooged is pure and simply the modern spin of the story we all have grown up with, and it doesn’t lose anything as regards to the Christmas spirit because the message is still the same, and in this ever-changing world of ours, the essence of the story is one the world should heed. (Sue)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas: Known as “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas’,’ which originated in a poem written by him in 1982, is in delightfully dark contrast to most of the Christmas movies we all remember watching. I just love the visual style and the stop-motion musical dark fantasy romance storyline. Initially released in 1993, it was actually met with critical and financial success. It’s one for the history books, having been selected in 2023 for preservation by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Add it to your Christmas viewing list if you have never seen it! (Sue)
