Jackson Howard
Staff Reporter
December 22, 2018
It is that time of year again! The holiday season is back, and as we creep closer to Christmas and 2019, it is a good time to look back at some of the holiday movie classics.. This piece will rank the top 10 Holiday movies complete with an explanation as to why each movie is worthy to be in the top ten.
Let’s get started:
- Elf – Will Ferrell is a clownish orphan who is raised by Santa and his elves in the North Pole. He wanders to New York City to find his biological father. The movie has a joyful plotline which every Christmas movie should have. Also, it provides an example of how family is all that matters to most people around the holidays. If you are looking for an funny and feel-good movie than this movie is for you.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the underdog story that we need. There are many social justice themes in this story, but the core of the story of Rudolph is that it proves being different is not something that you should not be ashamed of, rather it is something to embrace. Also it shows that being your own unique self is all that should matter to you.
- A Charlie Brown Christmas – Charlie Brown is a legend. You can’t say it is the holiday season if the Peanuts theme has not played at a Starbucks near you. Charlie Brown tries to put together a Christmas play before Linus tells him about the true meaning of Christmas..
- A Christmas Carol – This superb 1951 film charts the familiar Christmas Eve ordeal of nasty miser Ebenezer Scrooge. He is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present, and future. After their visits, Scrooge becomes a kinder, gentler man. The movie sheds light on how people deal with stuff in their own lives, and how people can seem happy on the outside, but may be sad on the inside.
- Miracle on 34th St. – You can not go wrong with this Christmas staple about the trial of a man claiming to be Santa Claus. Miracle on 34th St. is still a perennial holiday classic that all generations love and enjoy watching it during the holidays. It shows how Santa is someone that every child should be able to believe in, even if others say that he isn’t real.
- Home Alone – Macaulay Culkin is forgotten by his family when they left for the holidays and is forced to battle two dimwit thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) around Christmas in this enduring children’s adventure. It is one of those movies that will crack you up non-stop throughout the film and will make you glad you have a family that does not accidently forget about you on the holidays.
- A Christmas Story – Nine years after Black Christmas, director Bob Clark created another holiday classic. This is a beloved saga about a nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, who wants nothing more for Christmas than an air rifle. If you have a television, than this will no doubt be playing on a 24-hour loop on some Turner network this holiday season.
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Rarely has a series’ third installment been equally great or even better than the first or second one. It has enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat. If this film does not make you at least giggle a little bit, then you clearly do not understand the true meaning of the festive season of Christmas.
- It’s a Wonderful Life – Few films define Christmas like Frank Capra’s 1946 fantasy starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, who, on the verge of committing suicide, is visited by an angel who shows him what the true meaning of his life and helps him become healthier and happier for the holiday season. If you do not have your tissue box with you, then you better make sure you get one before you press play.
- The Polar Express – We have gotten to the best movie of all time this holiday season. A young boy is woken up on Christmas Eve to the sound of a train. To his surprise, he finds out that the train is waiting for him and he sees a conductor who proceeds to look up at his window. He jumps on board and goes along with other children to find out that Santa will choose one of them to receive the first gift of Christmas. This story will give you chills as you realize the importance of believing in order to have the best Christmas ever. This is a family movie that you and your clan will enjoy on Christmas Eve night, while sipping hot chocolate eating some Christmas cookies.
There you have it! We have finished our ranking to find out which holiday movie is truly the best. Happy Holidays and New Year’s!
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