Christmas Movies with a Big Dose of Holiday Spirit
A great family activity, watching a Christmas movie can be a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit. Our family has always had a family Christmas Film Festival where each person chooses her favorite Christmas movie for the entire family to watch together. The following Christmas movies are our top favorites.
My dad's favorite Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story" is the story of little Ralphie, portrayed by Peter Billingsley, and his quest to get the perfect Christmas gift, an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in its stock. As he plans on how to talk his parents into buying him this particular BB gun, he constantly hears the dreaded "You'll put your eye out!" Undeterred by these warnings, he continues to plead for this gift as all sorts of kooky side stories develop, such as his dad winning the notorious leg lamp, triple-dog daring to stick tongues to a frozen pole, standing up to the local bully, and serving Peking duck for Christmas dinner. A Christmas movie essential to any family's collection, "A Christmas Story" will make you laugh and warm your heart.
My choice for favorite Christmas movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is the third installment of the hilarious hijinks of Clark Griswold (hysterically played by Chevy Chase) and his family's vacations. This time, the Griswolds are staying at home to host an old-fashioned Christmas at home, and Clark is determined to have the best one ever. Of course, everything that could go wrong does, and the entire Griswold clan including the unemployed moocher Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid at his best) ends up with a disaster-filled Christmas. When Clark vows to have the house with the brightest Christmas light display in the history of the world, you know that will not end well. Watching everything go awry will crack you up and make you glad your last name isn't Griswold.
One of the best Christmas movies for kids, "Home Alone" is a John Hughes-penned classic filled with silly slapstick humor that will have your children howling with laughter. With Macaulay Culkin as eight year old Kevin who is having problems getting along with his big family, chaos ensues when his parents mistakenly leave him at home when they take off to Paris for a family Christmas voyage. Thrilled with his situation of being all alone without anyone to pick on him or tell him what to do, one of the most joyous scenes in this film is Kevin screaming with delight once he realizes he has no supervision. However, when two bumbling burglars (portrayed by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) try to break into his house, Kevin must defend his home by setting up elaborate booby traps to keep them out. Not all silly slapstick, this Christmas movie also features plenty of warm fuzzy moments, such as when Kevin befriends an old man feared by the entire neighborhood, and the two teach each other a few things about life.
And, for the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your spouse after the kids are in bed asleep, "Love Actually" is a romantic comedy looking at the lives of eight couples during the holidays in London. Although it seems at first as if there are too many characters to keep up with while watching the movie, you'll find yourself drawn into the flow of stories about love's and life's twists and turns. Including Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister in love with his caterer, Liam Neeson as a widower whose stepson has the ultimate unrequited schoolboy crush, Emma Thompson as a devoted wife and mother dealing with a possibly unfaithful husband, and Colin Firth as a writer who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper, these love stories will enchant you and fill you with the Christmas spirit.
Browse these Christmas movies and many more in our Movies section.
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My dad's favorite Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story" is the story of little Ralphie, portrayed by Peter Billingsley, and his quest to get the perfect Christmas gift, an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in its stock. As he plans on how to talk his parents into buying him this particular BB gun, he constantly hears the dreaded "You'll put your eye out!" Undeterred by these warnings, he continues to plead for this gift as all sorts of kooky side stories develop, such as his dad winning the notorious leg lamp, triple-dog daring to stick tongues to a frozen pole, standing up to the local bully, and serving Peking duck for Christmas dinner. A Christmas movie essential to any family's collection, "A Christmas Story" will make you laugh and warm your heart.My choice for favorite Christmas movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is the third installment of the hilarious hijinks of Clark Griswold (hysterically played by Chevy Chase) and his family's vacations. This time, the Griswolds are staying at home to host an old-fashioned Christmas at home, and Clark is determined to have the best one ever. Of course, everything that could go wrong does, and the entire Griswold clan including the unemployed moocher Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid at his best) ends up with a disaster-filled Christmas. When Clark vows to have the house with the brightest Christmas light display in the history of the world, you know that will not end well. Watching everything go awry will crack you up and make you glad your last name isn't Griswold.One of the best Christmas movies for kids, "Home Alone" is a John Hughes-penned classic filled with silly slapstick humor that will have your children howling with laughter. With Macaulay Culkin as eight year old Kevin who is having problems getting along with his big family, chaos ensues when his parents mistakenly leave him at home when they take off to Paris for a family Christmas voyage. Thrilled with his situation of being all alone without anyone to pick on him or tell him what to do, one of the most joyous scenes in this film is Kevin screaming with delight once he realizes he has no supervision. However, when two bumbling burglars (portrayed by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) try to break into his house, Kevin must defend his home by setting up elaborate booby traps to keep them out. Not all silly slapstick, this Christmas movie also features plenty of warm fuzzy moments, such as when Kevin befriends an old man feared by the entire neighborhood, and the two teach each other a few things about life.And, for the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your spouse after the kids are in bed asleep, "Love Actually" is a romantic comedy looking at the lives of eight couples during the holidays in London. Although it seems at first as if there are too many characters to keep up with while watching the movie, you'll find yourself drawn into the flow of stories about love's and life's twists and turns. Including Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister in love with his caterer, Liam Neeson as a widower whose stepson has the ultimate unrequited schoolboy crush, Emma Thompson as a devoted wife and mother dealing with a possibly unfaithful husband, and Colin Firth as a writer who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper, these love stories will enchant you and fill you with the Christmas spirit. Browse these Christmas movies and many more in our Movies section.
More from AOL Shopping: Christmas Gift Ideas for Preschoolers
Watch Us on YouTube: AOLShoppingtv
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: AOL Shopping
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