Top 10 Christmas Movies

Yesterday we were giving out some serious Christmas negativity, so today we thought we'd switch gears and let mochalatte7362 give you a few reasons to get excited about the holiday! —SparkNotes editors

I've been reading posts about how people are getting excited about Christmas a little too early, but for this Canadian girl, Christmas can't come fast enough! That's why I wrote this post about my top 10 favorite Christmas movies (in no particular order):

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Who can resist humming along to the Who-ville song? And come on, the Grinch THE best villain-turned-good-guy ever! Plus he has a pretty awesome song to himself (“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch...”).

2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
If you like heartwarming, then this one's for you! This movie is about an angel who helps a depressed businessman by showing him what life would’ve been like if he'd never existed. It’ll make you cry, it’ll make you smile, and best of all, it’ll remind you what Christmas is really about—yourself! Okay, not really, it’s about family...

3. A Christmas Carol (This Dickens story has been made way too many times to pick just one version)
A Christmas Carol shoves morals down your throat, but in a good way. Ebenezer Scrooge is the boss of your nightmares: mean right down to the soles of his boots. But one day, he gets a startling wakeup call that changes his entire life.

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
I’m not going to lie, after seeing this when I was a kid, I too went out and searched for the true meaning of Christmas...until my mother called me inside from the backyard to have dinner. My favorite moment *spoiler* is when the scrawny tree transforms into an amazing tree!

5. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Here’s one that stands out from the rest. Jack Skellington, who is King of HalloweenTown, accidentally discovers ChristmasTown and tries to understand the huge differences between the two. The best song is “What’s This,” which Skellington sings when he discovers the new world. This movie is creepy, funny, and a little sad, but the end leaves you smiling.

6. The Polar Express (2004)
Good times! The *spoiler* roller coaster train ride actually made me feel like I was twisting and turning, and the creepy ghostman character has an amazing sense of humor. Tom Hanks does the voice of more characters than I can remember, but you can definitely tell that he’s the conductor. Another reason to check it out? Tom Hanks sings! Well, it’s not really singing, more like fast talking to a great beat, but it works for me.

7. Jack Frost (1998)
This movie starts with a major buzzkill, but if you can get past that, then things start looking up. We meet Charlie Frost, who's bullied at school, and loses a loved one at home. But things start looking up when he makes a magical friend. This movie is an emotional roller-coaster, so beware!

8. The Santa Clause (1994)
Welcome to the worst moment of your life: killing Santa Claus. A bad day can’t get much worse than that! In this film, Tim Allen gets recruited to become the new Santa Claus (much to the delight of his son), but he’s not so happy because he has to keep his new job a secret. Good movie for laughs!

9. The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Here’s another tearjerker. A little orphan hates life, but his existence is given a new meaning to him when he meets the Three Wise Men on the way to see baby Jesus. When "Little Drummer Boy" plays at the end, it's really hard not to cry.

10. The Nativity Story (2006)
Forget all the hype about how star Keisha Castle-Hughes gave birth to a baby of her own only months after the movie came out. Let’s focus on the movie instead. The story revolves around Mary’s struggle to deal with the responsibility of giving birth to Jesus, and all the drama that surrounded it. Did anyone else pick up "Carol of the Bells" being softly played when they when they’re looking for a room to stay in? It just adds to the urgency and drama, and I loved it!

What's on your top Christmas movies list?

Related Post: 50 Things We Hate About Christmas

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