Movies can be an amazing way to kick off the spirit of the holiday season! People all over, including Sophia Stabenow, a junior at MCHS, have their favorite Christmas movies they watch every year. Having a holiday movie night can become a super fun and exciting tradition that families can adopt, but, what are the best ones to watch?
The McHenry Messenger conducted a list of the top 10 Christmas movies that are a must watch for the holiday season.
Starting up in the number ten spot, we have “The Polar Express” (2004). “The Polar Express” follows a young boy who has grown sceptical of the existence of Santa Claus when he sees a train stop outside his window on Christmas Eve, which is destined for the North Pole. After accepting the invitation, the boy embarks on a wild ride to Santa’s headquarters where he makes fast friends and learns the true spirit of Christmas. With the movie’s creative spin and unique animation, not to mention delicious hot chocolate, it has become one of the classic holiday movies that are a must watch this holiday season!
For number nine, we have “A Christmas Story” (1983). This movie is inspired by the humorous writings of author Jean Shepard that follows the chilly exploits of a young boy, Ralphie Parker, who is often dodging a bully with his buddies while dreaming of his ideal Christmas present. But while at odds with his cranky father and comforting mother, he barely makes it to Christmas day with his glasses and hopes fully intact. This merrymaking movie has made our list as one of the most cheer inducing movies this holiday season that should definitely make your screens this Christmas season.
Coming up in the number eight spot we have “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965). This animated television special was based on the comic strip “Peanuts” where Charlie Brown complains about the stupendous use of materialism during the holiday season. Lucy then recommends Charlie should be the director of the Christmas pageant. After accepting the offer, Charlie finds the job very frustrating and is struggling to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn Christmas tree that he finds. Charlie is struggling to find the true meaning of Christmas when Linus helps remind everybody. This animated children’s short is perfect for the holiday season as the meaningful plot behind a humorous and goofy story brings lots of cheer during the holidays.
To mix things up, in the number seven spot comes “Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993). The film follows the beloved pumpkin king of Halloween town called Jack, who has fallen bored of the same old celebrations that come with his holiday. However while wandering through the forest, he finds a Christmas tree filled with lights and tinsel carved into it with a door handle. Seeing this peculiar sight makes Jack curious. After stumbling across all the bright colors, snow, elves, lights, and even Santa, he becomes motivated to bring Christmas under his control through a plan he came up with, despite warning from Sally. This film switches it up, bringing a spooky route to Christmas time making it an entertaining switch up to a classic Christmas movie.
In the sixth spot, we have the underrated “Home Alone 2” (1992). This film follows Kevin McCallister who loses track of his family while in the airport, causing him to accidentally get on a plane for New York City instead of Miami where his family was going. While alone in the Big Apple, Kevin’s mischievous endeavors, including conning his way through a room at the Plaza Hotel, gets him in a sticky situation. Harry and Marv or the Sticky Bandits once again run into the boy, but instead of Kevin stopping them from robbing his house, he stops them from robbing an elderly man’s toy store just in time for Christmas. This hilarious rendition of Home Alone scored its place on this list as the movie brings another adventure, making it perfect for all ages.
Headed in the top five, “Santa Clause” (1994) takes the fifth spot where a divorced dad, Scott has custody of his son Charlie on Christmas Eve. After waking up to a clatter on the roof, Scott accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit who was on his roof. They then are magically brought to the North Pole by Santa’s sleigh where elves explain to him his new obligations as Santa that he must complete before the next Christmas. Scott, in denial, heads back home to truck along with his normal life when the transformation starts that makes him the next Santa Claus. This hilarious film embarks on an adventure that can’t skip your screens this year, rewarding it in the top five Christmas movies.
Coming up in number four is the infamous “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989). This movie follows ditsy dad Clark Griswold as he prepares for Christmas as he wants it to be absolutely perfect for his family. He recruits his wife Ellen, and two kids to make sure everything is in line, however, everything goes haywire pretty quickly. This hilarious rendition of the “Vacation” movies brings a holiday spin on the series that is wonderfully witty and ridiculous, making it a must watch for the holidays.
Going into the top three, we now have “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000). In this live-action rendition of the Dr. Seuss’ book, the green repulsive creature called the Grinch decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery Whos of Whoville. Joined by his dog Max who he forced, the Grinch leaves his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything Christmasy he can find, however, the bitter grouch finds a wrench thrown into his plans by encountering Cindy Lou Who. This grouchy story shows the evolution in Christmas spirit through someone like the Grinch that leaves the audience feeling all warm and fuzzy after watching, despite how it may seem.
Cutting it down to the number two spot, “Elf” (2004) makes the cut. After growing up in the North Pole as an elf, a human called Buddy discovers the truth about his background despite all the visible differences. He travels a long way to New York to meet his father and try out a life “where he’s meant to be.” After some hardships with his father and fun adventures with Jovie and Micheal, Buddy finds himself lost. However while walking through the park, Buddy helped Santa save Christmas discovering he can be whoever he wants. This heartfelt, fun, and witty adventure of a film makes it a favorite for many and the perfect movie to watch to induce a joyous Christmas cheer.
Now, in first place, we have “Home Alone” (1990). In this film, Kevin acts out right before his family’s trip to Paris for the holidays, resulting in him having to sleep on the third floor. After waking up late the next morning, the family rushes out the door to make it in time for their flight, leaving Kevin behind where he gets into a debacle with the bandits Marv and Harry to protect his family home. This movie is the best Christmas movie of all time, not only according to the Messenger, but to Stabenow as well as it brings great memories from her childhood that allowed her to bond with her family more than ever. There is something about bratty eight-year-old Kevin that brings joy to all.