Favorite/Best Christmas Movie

[Lammycat]

Yeah, there are some omissions: A White Christmas (Bing Crosby), Scrooged, Nat. Lampoon's Family Christmas, Elf, etc. But I wanted to keep it at ten choices.

 

To me, all of the choices merit consideration (with the possible exception of Home Alone), but the hands-down choice for favorite (which in my mind is the best) Christmas flick is It's A Wonderful Life.

 

Now, I enjoy all the others on the list (with the possible exception of Home Alone), but It's A Wonderful Life is, in fact, one of my favorite movies ever. I never tire of watching it. It's a masterpiece. I will watch it several times again this year. To me, it embodies everything that's right with the holiday season, regardless of religious belief/celebration/lack of.

[PigSooie]

Christmas Vacation is my favorite, but I haven't seen most of those, it's also a big deal with my friends and family. Shirts have been bought for the annual viewing.

[blindgonzo]

every christmas eve after company leaves, my family watches The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

 

Lammy, my dad LOVES It's A Wonderful Life, and watches it every Christmas. He always blubbers at the end.

[the_fliz1]

I hope it wasn't unfair but I voted for 2. From a nostalgia standpoint it is hard for me not to choose Rudolph. Yet on the other hand A Christmas Story is a great movie that you can watch year round that I also have great memories from. So I voted for both.

[OOO]

Christmas Story + Wonderful Life

 

The best of funny and sentimental!

[Mr. Kinsley]

Even if A Christmas Carol (the old version with Alister Sim as Scrooge) had been on the list, I still would have said Wonderful Life. Carol would have been #2, though.

[TheMaker]

This one was A Christmas Story's to lose. I had to go with A Charlie Brown Christmas. Hell, the score alone could cinch it, as far as I'm concerned! But you've got that beautiful story to go along with it.

[jimmyjimmy]

Charlie Brown Christmas since I'm a Peanuts devote and a sentimental bum.

 

It's a Wonderful Life is great although not even close as my fav. Capra film.

 

And, it's true, there are so many great ones not listed here. Just to mention a few:

 

Shop Around the Corner

 

The Bishops Wife

 

The Man Who Came to Dinner (love it man, love it)

 

Since You Went Away

 

(Just noticing these last three all have the great character actor Monty Wooley)

 

And perennial fav. Christmas In Connecticut.

[jenbobblehead]

I freely admit to being a huge fan of ELF.

[Analogman]

The Homecoming (The Waltons pilot 1971).

 

This is the only I care to watch, really.

[Wilco Worshipper]

I freely admit to being a huge fan of ELF.

 

Ditto here! I got it for my birthday in June and the girls and I have watched it 20 times so far or something like that, including last night

[PopTodd]

Christmas Story + Wonderful Life

 

The best of funny and sentimental!

 

Although, with only one vote, I have to go with Christmas Story.

And also, Nightmare... is right up there, too.

[yermom]

Charlie Brown is where it's at! My daughter is nutso about Nightmare but she's also way into Frosty and even keeps Frosty around as an imaginary friend. Sometimes, she actually is Frosty...last night, when I asked her to lean back in the tub to rinse her hair, she flailed her arms and shouted, "Nooooo! I'll melt!!!"

[Atticus]

it's a wonderful life

 

(family tradition for us)

[John Smith]

There should almost be two categories of movies the emotional heartfelt drama's and the comedies. I like Miracle on 34th street, It's a wonderful life and A Christmas carol for drama types and A Christmas Story and Bad Santa for Comedy.

[JUDE]

 

Adolf

[Analogman]

The Hebrew Hammer

[Sir Stewart]

[ikol]

Where's Die Hard?

[Whitty]

"It's a major award!!"

[ZenLunatic]

Hoilday Inn?? Never heard of that one.

 

I voted A Christmas Story. Seen that every year so many times and always a treat.

[kimcatch22]

Now, I enjoy all the others on the list (with the possible exception of Home Alone), but It's A Wonderful Life is, in fact, one of my favorite movies ever. I never tire of watching it. It's a masterpiece. I will watch it several times again this year. To me, it embodies everything that's right with the holiday season, regardless of religious belief/celebration/lack of.

It's my favorite film ever. I wrote a paper on it a few years ago and had to "research" (watch) it several times in September, forcing me to look beyond the Christmas stuff. Even when you take it out of the holiday context it still stands up, and you see all of the facets of the story that sometimes get buried in the hype of the film as a holiday tradition. I don't even think it's primarily a Christmas film at all; it's about George Bailey's journey and just happens to be set during the holiday in the same way that it just happens to be set in Bedford Falls.

 

And even though I know every single line of the film, every camera angle and emotional turning point, I still cry my eyes out at the end. "A toast to my big brother, George--the richest man in town." Gets me every time.

[quarter23cd]

I voted for A Christmas Story almost by default. I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but at 31 years old, I have still not made it all the way through Its a Wonderful Life in one sitting yet--not that I don't like it, it just never seems to happen. I even own the damned thing on DVD! I also agree that there should be a write-in campaign for Christmas Vacation. It is something of a tradition at my house to ask if anyone wants to say grace before Christmas dinner and movie lines are quoted, allegiances are pledged, and much hilarity ensues. Somehow it never gets old.

 

My kids love Nightmare, although it tends to get played more around Halloween than Christmas, but I guess it works for either holiday. They also like the Grinch a lot--heck, they even like the (shudder) Jim Carrey version.

[Chendizzle]

A Christmas Story fool!

[Sir Stewart]

Nothing compares to It's A Wonderful Life.