I swear, 2021 proves once again that it is the speediest year of all speediest years because it is. I finally am talking about Christmas to you guys! Ever since I started my Twitter account back in 2019, I posted you all folks photos of my Christmas presents my parents gave me and the sight-seeing Christmas lights in my local area. However, one thing I did not reveal to you guys about my personal favorite Christmas movies. These are the movies (not TV specials) that to me not just perfectly capture the true Christmas spirit, but still perfectly capture the amazing and timeless cinematic elements we come to expect from a film. I just want to make you guys aware that my list could change throughout my life because they are so worthy of being in a nice list that does not include “The Santa Clause 2” and “A Bad Moms Christmas”.
Some honorable mentions include: “Bad Santa”, “Arthur Christmas”, “Krampus”, “Happiest Season”, “Scrooged”, “Home Alone”, and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”.
Let the jingle bells begin!
#5: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
I know, I know, I know. I put what many people consider to be the greatest Christmas film of all time at #5. That does not mean the quality of storytelling Frank Capra directed still holds up to this day. Despite being a box-office bomb when it was released in 1946, Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” is such a game-changer when it comes to it’s narrative where you have to treat it like a puzzle piece of the life of the troubled and overwhelmed George Bailey (played by the wonderful James Stewart). This film arguably has the greatest use of an angel in a motion picture with Clarence played by Henry Travers, who is an angel who helps George envision not just a life where he does not exist, but also what joy he had brought on to people. The audience immediately has so much sympathy as George goes into his negative state-of-mind because they know he is a great person at heart. The pacing of the film may not please every viewer, but it is the main mechanism of it that allows its audience to connect its pieces together. With this and Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”, both of these films have classic narratives that not only are similar in their storytelling, but they also pretty much game changed cinema as we truly know it.
#4: THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004)
Robert Zemeckis is my all-time favorite filmmaker and he deserves to be on this list because “The Polar Express” is a weirdly haunting, yet an intense and heartwarming flick that at the same time feels like a roller coaster ride if it were a film. It can be understandable that it originally received mixed reviews at the time of its release because it can be viewed as a bad film for its uncanny value with its nightmarish and outdated Zemeckis-trademark motion capture and as a great film for its message to have the power of believing in that there is a real Santa who gives gifts. Tom Hanks delivers one of his greatest performances as performing almost all of the characters and motion capture. A lot of people honestly overlook Josh Hutcherson’s voice performance as the basic-titled “Hero Boy”. He really is a perfect fit for the down-to-earth and smart nature of the character. On almost every Christmas, I will always not forget the times me and my mom watched the film and always laugh at the outdated motion capture eyes where they look like they are staring at someone. It is the whole adventure of it all from the icy mountain to the ravaging slippery ice that truly makes this a timeless uncanny masterpiece from Bobby Z.
#3: ELF (2003)
Will Ferrell is such a hit and miss for me when it comes to his acting. He can be flawlessly parodying a session cowboy player and can play the most aggravating brother in the world. The way he portrays a human who thinks he is an elf called Buddy not just perfectly exhibits his exaggerated humor, but also there is such a warming heart to him as well. Jon Favreau directs what could possibly be his greatest achievement balancing the Christmas spirit and Will Ferrell’s signature humor exaggerations. When thinking about this movie, it feels like there are three intertwining stories when Buddy the Elf experiences human life for the first time. He learns that he has a family, wants to develop a romantic relationship with an unenthusiastic Jovie (played by Zooey Deschanel), and wants to find a missing piece in Santa’s sleigh. It is done to the point where there is one sub plot underdeveloped and is not unfocused. The highlighted scene in the film for me is where Buddy and Jovie’s romance develops with Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in a call-and-response fashion. I do not think I will ever not smile when Will Ferrell screams “Santa!!!” at the department store Gimbel’s. When it comes to his comedic side, it truly reveals that Will Ferrell will never top his comedy gold in “Elf” ever again.
#2 – MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947)
Like what I stated before with “The Polar Express”, George Seaton’s black-and-white classic is another film that deals with believing Santa Claus, but in a concept where if Santa is truly real or just something fictional. Set at a Macy’s department store in New York City, Edmund Gwenn plays a meet-and-greet Santa Claus who believes he is the real Santa Claus. This story then turns into what is not just one of the great Christmas classics, but it could also be one of the greatest court-room dramas of all time. This film gives two perspectives where it focuses on a little girl Susan Walker (played by a very young Natalie Wood) wanting a dream house for Christmas and on Kris Kringle (played by Edmund Gwenn) thinking mentally that he could be the only “real” Santa. The two perspectives do not feel tangled and they are intertwined brilliantly. The late, great English actor Edmund Gwenn probably gives the greatest performance as a mentally unrealized, yet tender and loving Kris Kringle and rightfully deserved his Supporting Actor Oscar win. I am still baffled how this film seriously lost Best Picture, yet won all of it’s other nominations. However, it is another brilliant examination of the possible existence of Kris Kringle that is so endearing to this very day.
#1 – A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the grand daddy of all Christmas movies. Yes, even Roger Ebert included it in his “Great Movies” list. Bob Clark’s 1983 masterwork about Ralphie (played by a young Peter Billingsley), a boy who desperately wants a Red Rider BB shotgun, not just gives the joyous Christmas spirit everyone knows and loves, but also it actually might be the most authentic portrayal of a family ever put on film. Peter Billingsley plays a persuasive, yet troublesome Ralphie, Melinda Dillon plays Ralphie’s very comforting and sweet mother, Darren McGavin plays Ralphie’s tough and hard-working father, and Ian Petrella plays Ralphie’s sobbing younger brother Randy. This is probably what anyone would expect from a stereotypical family in a movie, but although it can be a live-action cartoon at times, the way each family member communicates to each other feels so believable. Peter Billingsley gives out one of the ten greatest child performances in the history of film as well as McGavin and Dillon giving out incredible performances as his parents. I could not tell you how many times I watched this movie in my life and how much I laughed at the “Deck the Halls” scene at the Chinese restaurant. “A Christmas Story” no matter how flawed the ending will always be the Christmas film I will hug so tight.
I hope all of you guys have a merry Christmas and witness these five timeless classics I just mentioned with your whole family! Merry Christmas and a ho, ho, ho!
