Christmas is the time when happiness is all around the world. It is the time for partying, music and movies. Christmas can never become full without watching Christmas movies. Several awesome movies are released every year around the world during Christmas. Only a few of those movies are considered as the top Christmas movies of all time and are evergreen. You will definitely love the list of movies here for the upcoming Christmas celebrations.
Here is the list of 10 best Christmas movies of all time you shouldn’t miss this Christmas:
10. Miracle On 34th Street, 1947
Miracle on 34th Street is a Christmas comedy-drama movie based on a story by Valentine Davies. It is a classic Christmas movie to watch that won three Academy Awards. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress by National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. In 2009, the Academy Film Archive preserved the movie. The movie is an everlasting Christmas favorite in the U.S.
The story kicks off in New York City between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The story is about a man who claims that he is the real Santa Claus. It starts off when the man assigned to play as Santa Claus is intoxicated and the replacement does so well that he is hired to play as Santa Claus at Macy’s flagship New York City store on 34th Street. This man is none other than Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn). The story takes big turns and is amazing to see how it unfolds in a spectacular way.
9. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 1989
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a Christmas comedy movie based on a story written by John Hughes for National Lampoon magazine. The movie directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik has often been tagged as a modern Christmas classic. From 1990 to 2015, the film achieved six home video releases.
The story is about Clark Griswold and his family trying to make things big for the Christmas celebrations but fail and turns into a big disaster. They first decide to set up a Christmas tree and the family sets out to pick one. But, after reaching the spot they realize that they didn’t bring any tools with them to chop the tree. Instead, they uproot the tree home. He decorates his entire house with 25,000 twinkle lights and accidentally wires through his garage light switch. This causes a temporary power outage in the city. The entire story is a fun-filled comedy Christmas entertainment.
8. A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965
A Charlie Brown Christmas is an animated television special based on the comic strip with the name Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. In the mid-1960s, Peanuts had become a worldwide phenomenon. It was so famous and special that it was commissioned and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company.
The story is about Charlie Brown who tries to find the true meaning of Christmas. He is depressed seeing the commercialism around Christmas and wanted to find the real meaning of Christmas. Linus tells him the true meaning of Christmas after which he cheers up. He unites with the Peanuts gang and celebrates Christmas.
Ever since its premiere, A Charlie Brown Christmas has been traditionally aired during the Christmas season every year. It won the Emmy and Peabody Award after positive ratings and reviews. The jazz soundtrack of the movie has sold 4 million copies in the US.
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated Halloween-Christmas film with the touch of musical dark fantasy. It is based on the story and characters by Tim Burton. The movie has its origin from the poem written by Tim Burton in 1982 while working at Walt Disney Feature Animation as an animator.
The film is about Jack Skellington, the King of “Halloween Town” who discovers Christmas Town and decides to celebrate the holiday. He attempts to bring Christmas to his home but instead leads to confusion.
Made with an $18 million budget, the film grossed $76.2 million due to amazing critical responses. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, first for an animation movie. From 2006 until 2009, it was re-released annually in Disney Digital 3-D by Walt Disney Pictures.
6. A Christmas Story, 1983
A Christmas Story is a Christmas comedy film based on In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. The movie has become part of the Christmas and holiday seasons in North America. It is shown several times on televisions making it a seasonal classic.
The story is about a boy named Ralphie Parker who attempts to convince his parents, his teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle is the most perfect gift for Christmas. They all reject his desire, warning him with the same thing: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” The story revolves around the boy’s desire for the gun during Christmas.
The movie won two Canadian Genie Awards in 1984. In 2012, the movie was selected for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
5. It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946
It’s a Wonderful Life is a fantasy comedy-drama with a Christmas theme. The film is based on a booklet The Greatest Gift. Despite initially struggling at the box office, this movie has been regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas entertainment in TVs around the world. During the Christmas season, it gets a traditionally high rate of viewership. It is regarded as one of the most loved films in American cinema.
The story is about a man who decides to help others but his imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel. The guardian angel shows him how lives are currently and how different the lives will be in the town of Bedford Falls without him.
The film is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards. The American Film Institute considers the film as one of the 100 best American films ever made placing it at #11 and #20 in 1998 and 2007 greatest movie list respectively.
4. The Polar Express, 2004
The Polar Express is a 3D animated fantasy film based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name. The film was made with a record-breaking budget of $165 million. The budget was huge for an animated film at this time.
The Christmas themed film is based on a boy’s adventure who is skeptical about the existence of Santa Claus. The boy is unable to sleep on Christmas Eve who is roused by the arrival of a steam train and wants to investigate it. The ticket conductor introduces the train as the Polar Express destined to the North Pole. Initially, the boy declines to board the train but later climbs it when the train starts to move. The magical adventures on the train are thrilling with an amazing visual treat.
The movie went on to gross $310.6 million worldwide. It was listed in the 2006 Guinness World Book of Records as the first all-digital capture film.
3. Elf, 2003
Elf is an interesting Christmas fantasy comedy movie starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, and many others. The movie is based on Santa’s elf who spreads Christmas cheers in a world of cynics. In the movie Will Ferrell starring as the elf who learns that he is actually a human being.
According to the story, on Christmas Eve, a baby boy crawls into Santa Claus’s sack and is transported to the North Pole. The elves in the North Pole name him as “Buddy” and the boy is adopted by Papa Elf. The boy grows in the North Pole thinking he is also an elf. The movie takes interesting turns when Buddy goes to New York to meet his biological father.
The Elf was made with only $33 million budget but due to several positive reviews from critics, it grossed $220 million worldwide. The movie also inspired a Broadway musical and a motion animated TV special.
2. Die Hard, 1988
If you are a 90s kid, then Die Hard movie is something you will cherish as a sweet and nostalgic memory. This 1988 American Action thriller has been one of the best action and Christmas films ever made.
Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, an NYPD officer who tries hard to save the lives of his wife and many others taken hostage by a German terrorist. The German terrorist Hans Gruber takes hostage of the people during a Christmas party where McClane arrives at the party tower in an intention to reconcile with his estranged wife. The scene changes when the terrorist and his heavily armed team arrives in the intention to rob the tower of $640 million in bearer bonds. John McClane escapes from being taken as hostage. His recuse mission is a thriller.
The movie made with just $28 million went on to gross over $140 million theatrically worldwide. Before this movie, Bruce Willis was a comedian actor and after the movie, he became famous as an action hero. The movie ranks at #20 on the Empire magazine‘s 2017 list of the 100 greatest movies of all time.
1. Home Alone, 1990
Home Alone is a Christmas comedy film released in the year 1990. The story is fun and interesting. An eight-year-old boy named Kevin is left by his family accidentally in his home and is left to face some adventures and thrills. The family flies to Paris leaving behind Kevin. In the beginning, Kevin is happy to be in charge of the home and himself but is in serious trouble when burglars break-in. Kevin wires and sets a trap in his home to stop the two burglars from robbing the house.
Macaulay Culkin as a child star in the movie has done an amazing job. He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy. After the movie’s release, it became the highest-grossing live-action comedy film of all time in the U.S. In 2011, The Hangover Part II broke the record. It is the highest-grossing Christmas movies at the North American box office when adjusted for inflation.