The 37 Christmas Movies You Need To Watch Before The Holiday Season Ends
It's that time of year again — December is upon us, and Christmas will be here before you know it!
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For anyone who is a fan of the festive season, there is a lot to be merry about: cheery holiday music, dazzling decorations, and of course, classic Christmas movies.
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From modern flicks to legendary throwback films, there are so many awesome holiday features to enjoy.
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Here are 37 Christmas movies that are the best ever, in no particular order.
1.A Charlie Brown Christmas
Year of release: 1965
Starring: Peter Robbins, Bill Melendez, Tracy Stratford, Christopher Shea, Cathy Steinberg, Karen Mendelson, Geoffrey Orstein, Chris Doran
Interesting fact: A Charlie Brown Christmas had a modest budget of just $76,000, which would be around $719,000 in 2022.
2.The Year Without a Santa Claus
Year of release: 1974
Starring: Mickey Rooney, Shirley Booth, George S. Irving, Dick Shawn, Colin Duffy
Interesting fact: This classic by Rankin/Bass was the last acting credit of Oscar-winning actor Shirley Booth, who voiced Mrs. Claus.
3.Love Actually
Year of release: 2003
Starring: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Martine McCutcheon, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy
Interesting fact: Writer-director Richard Curtis told Elle in 2013 that he thought of five previous "romantic ideas" before choosing to incorporate Mark confessing his feelings for Juliet via cue cards in the film, which was inspired by Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" video. He tested his ideas out with women who worked in his office, who all liked this suggestion the best.
4.Christmas with the Kranks
Year of release: 2004
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, Julie Gonzalo
Interesting fact: The film is an adaptation of the 2001 John Grisham novel Skipping Christmas.
5.Scrooged
Year of release: 1988
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwait, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, Alfre Woodard, Michael J. Pollard, Robert Mitchum, John Glover, David Johansen
Interesting fact: Carol Kane told Vulture in 2018 that a scene in which her character, the Ghost of Christmas Present, does a ballet routine was originally supposed to additionally feature a double who was an experienced ballerina. After Carol put in a lot of effort to learn the routine but "was also bad at it," the production designer of Scrooged, J. Michael Riva, proposed that Carol should do the routine without the double to "show her character trying, because her character can’t do this dance." She then ended up doing the dance on her own.
6.The Nightmare Before Christmas
Year of release: 1993
Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, William Hickey, Edward Ivory
Interesting fact: One week of filming was necessary to complete each minute of the movie.
7.The Polar Express
Year of release: 2004
Starring: Tom Hanks, Nona Gaye, Eddie Deezen, Peter Scolari, Daryl Sabara, Josh Hutcherson
Interesting fact: Tom Hanks voiced six different characters in the movie: the Conductor, Hero Boy, Hero Boy's father, Hobo, the Scrooge puppet, and Santa Claus.
8.It's a Wonderful Life
Year of release: 1946
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Lionel Barrymore, Beulah Bondi, Karolyn Grimes, Thomas Mitchell
Interesting fact: Director Frank Capra asked special effects artist Russell Shearman to create a brand new type of false snow for It's a Wonderful Life. Russell then made the artificial snow for the iconic scenes of the movie using water, sugar, soap, and Foamite.
9.A Very Brady Christmas
Year of release: 1988
Starring: Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Barry Williams, Maureen McCormick, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland, Jennifer Runyon, Ann B. Davis
Interesting fact: The original actor who played Cindy Brady in the Brady Bunch series, Susan Olsen, was replaced by Jennifer Runyon in this holiday movie. Susan later revealed that she instead went to Jamaica for her honeymoon when the salary she requested was rejected, even though it was "way less than" the amount requested by her costars playing her sisters, Maureen McCormick and Eve Plumb.
10.Elf
Year of release: 2003
Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay, Bob Newhart, Edward Asner
Interesting fact: Will Ferrell told the Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that he said no to reprising his role of Buddy the Elf following being offered $29 million to do a sequel to the Christmas comedy film.
11.Eloise at Christmastime
Year of release: 2003
Starring: Julie Andrews, Sofia Vassilieva, Kenneth Welsh, Christine Baranski, Debra Monk, Gavin Creel, Sara Topham, Rick Roberts
Interesting fact: Julie Andrews had to wear padding on her bottom while playing Eloise's nanny.
12.How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Year of release: 2000
Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Molly Shannon, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Clint Howard
Interesting fact: During a 2014 Graham Norton Show appearance, Jim Carrey said that applying the Grinch makeup was so grueling for him that a professional was brought in to teach him tactics on how to tolerate torture, which was traditionally offered to CIA agents.
13.Jack Frost
Year of release: 1998
Starring: Michael Keaton, Joseph Cross, Kelly Preston, Mark Addy
Interesting fact: In addition to starring in Jack Frost, Michael Keaton co-wrote and sang "Don't Lose Your Faith," a song on the movie's soundtrack. He also sang a rock version of "Frosty the Snowman" for the project.
14.Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Year of release: 1970
Starring: Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Robie Lester, Joan Gardner, Paul Frees, Keenan Wynn
Interesting fact: This animated feature was Mickey Rooney's first time voicing Santa Claus. He later voiced Santa for four other animated projects: The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, The Happy Elf and A Miser Brothers' Christmas. He also played Santa in a 2008 live-action short called Wreck the Halls.
15.Jingle All the Way
Year of release: 1996
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Rita Wilson, Jake Lloyd, Phil Hartman, Jim Belushi
Interesting fact: A limited amount of Turbo Man action figures were sold to coincide with the premiere of Jingle All the Way.
16.Four Christmases
Year of release: 2008
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon
Interesting fact: Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn tweaked the Four Christmases screenplay together for four months prior to filming.
17.Home Alone
Year of release: 1990
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard
Interesting fact: Director Chris Columbus shared with Entertainment Weekly in 2015 that "an extraordinary amount of prep" was required to safely pull off the booby traps that Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) plants in the movie.
18.The Best Man Holiday
Year of release: 2013
Starring: Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan, Harold Perrineau, Taye Diggs, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa
Interesting fact: The Best Man Holiday is a sequel to The Best Man, and a third installment of the storyline will soon be released as a TV series.
19.National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Year of release: 1989
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Randy Quaid
Interesting fact: The movie was adapted from "Christmas '58," a short story penned by writer-director John Hughes that was featured in National Lampoon magazine in 1980.
20.The Muppet Christmas Carol
Year of release: 1992
Starring: Michael Caine, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz
Interesting fact: This was the first-ever project directed by Brian Henson, whose father, Jim Henson, created the Muppets.
21.Holiday in Handcuffs
Year of release: 2007
Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez
Interesting fact: Melissa Joan Hart stated in a 2015 Bustle interview that the snowy environment that can be seen throughout the movie was real, as it snowed "the whole time" they were filming in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
22.Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Year of release: 1997
Starring: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Angela Lansbury, Tim Curry, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Bernadette Peters, Haley Joel Osment, Paul Reubens
Interesting fact: Two stars of the film, Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters, had previously worked together for the 1982 movie musical Annie.
23.I'll Be Home for Christmas
Year of release: 1998
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jessica Biel, Adam LaVorgna, Gary Cole
Interesting fact: In real life, costars Jessica Biel and Adam LaVorgna dated for a time after meeting on the set of this movie.
24.Single All the Way
Year of release: 2021
Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Jennifer Coolidge, Luke Macfarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Robertson, Kathy Najimy
Interesting fact: Philemon Chambers scored his first-ever feature film role through starring as Nick in Single All the Way.
25.Bad Santa
Year of release: 2003
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac, Brett Kelly, John Ritter, Lauren Tom
Interesting fact: The lead role was originally written with James Gandolfini in mind, screenwriter John Requa revealed to the New York Times in 2016.
26.The Ultimate Christmas Present
Year of release: 2000
Starring: Hallee Hirsh, Brenda Song
Interesting fact: This was the first Disney Channel appearance by Brenda Song, who would later star in DC projects like Get a Clue, Stuck in the Suburbs, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior.
27.A Christmas Story
Year of release: 1983
Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
Interesting fact: The flagpole scene was thankfully pain-free for Scott Schwartz, who portrayed Flick.
28.Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Year of release: 1964
Starring: Billie Mae Richards, Paul Soles, Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann
Interesting fact: As of 2016, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the longest-running Christmas TV special ever, per MeTV.
29.The Preacher's Wife
Year of release: 1996
Starring: Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines, Loretta Devine, Jenifer Lewis, Justin Pierre Edmund, Lionel Richie
Interesting fact: Whitney Houston's mother, singer Cissy Houston, made an appearance in the movie as Mrs. Havergal.
30.Miracle on 34th Street
Year of release: 1947
Starring: Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood
Interesting fact: At the time Miracle on 34th Street was filmed, a young Natalie Wood believed in Santa and thought that Edmund Gwenn was the real St. Nick.
31.White Christmas
Year of release: 1954
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen
Interesting fact: Danny Kaye was the third choice for the role of Phil Davis.
32.Last Holiday
Year of release: 2006
Starring: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Giancarlo Esposito, Alicia Witt, Timothy Hutton, Gérard Depardieu
Interesting fact: In 2015, Alicia Witt shared on The Queen Latifah Show that Queen Latifah's father taught her how to play poker during the filming of Last Holiday.
33.Meet Me in St. Louis
Year of release: 1944
Starring: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Lucille Bremer, Mary Astor, Marjorie Main, Tom Drake, Leon Ames
Interesting fact: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was created for Judy Garland's role by songwriting duo Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin. Judy wouldn't sing the first draft of the track, as she thought it was too gloomy, Hugh said on NPR's Fresh Air in 2006. They then rewrote the song, and Judy sang this version for the film.
34.Edward Scissorhands
Year of release: 1990
Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Alan Arkin, Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Oliveri, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price
Interesting fact: The character of Edward was adapted from a sketch that filmmaker Tim Burton drew during his high school days. In addition, screenwriter Caroline Thompson based Edward on a dog of hers that had passed away six years before she penned the Edward Scissorhands script.
35.The Holiday
Year of release: 2006
Starring: Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black
Interesting fact: Jack Black initially wasn't sold on the idea of starring in a rom-com, but he decided to take on the role of Miles once he learned that he'd be acting opposite Kate Winslet.
36.The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Year of release: 2008
Starring: Henry Winkler, Brooke Burns, Warren Christie, Connor Christopher Levins
Interesting fact: This film was one of two Christmas movies from 2008 that Henry Winkler appeared in; he also played Judge Newman in Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh.
37.The Santa Clause
Year of release: 1994
Starring: Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold
Interesting fact: Patricia Richardson, who played Tim Allen's wife, Jill Taylor, on Home Improvement, was one of the actors who was looked at for the part of Tim's onscreen ex-wife in this movie. Wendy Crewson eventually got the role and went on to play Laura in the two follow-up films of the Santa Clause franchise.
