Winter holiday film favorites

[brightknightie]

A few days ago, I asked about favorite winter holiday episodes/specials of fannish shows. Thank you for the recommendations!

Today, may I ask about your favorite winter holiday movies? These would be standalone feature films or made-for-TV movies, not specials (like my precious, precious Rankin-Bass holiday specials) or spin-offs from shows.

My own personal all-time favorite is the original Miracle on 34th Street (1947), preferably in black-and-white. I pretty much love everything about it. I watch it every year on the evening of US Thanksgiving. It makes me happy.

My runner up is The Night They Saved Christmas (1984), which is set in my home state, and which I watched on TV as a child. I know it's not an extraordinarily good movie, but I love it. In the midst of what you could expect from many a family '80s Christmas made-for-TV movie with Santa and the North Pole, there is also an aching subplot in which some of the characters believe the rest of their family has died, and they have to go on without them (though in the end, everyone is okay). And did I mention it is set in my home state, and is almost realistic!? Nothing is set in my home state, never mind remotely realistically! (Okay, not literally "nothing," but you know what I mean. ~grin~)

An odd -- I'm all with the odd! -- third place goes to Bed of Roses (1996), which has barely three scenes set at Christmas, and that all goes wrong, so maybe it shouldn't count as a Christmas movie at all. But I just love this bittersweet movie about broken people trying hard, and I think of it at Christmas. (Also While You Were Sleeping (1995), which is in some ways similar, but much lighter fare and happier ending than Bed of Roses.)

Also An American Christmas Carol (1979) starring Henry Winkler as Scrooge.

Comments

[senmut]

Christmas only by inclusion of 'North' aka Santa Claus - Rise of the Guardians. It's our tradition to watch it on Yule.

Miracle on 34th Street is a favorite of mine.

Muppets Christmas Carol and the Mickey Mouse one are yearly rewatches.

[brightknightie]

I haven't yet seen Rise of the Guardians (2012). I don't remember why; I do remember thinking it was a lovely idea, and hoping well for it. I will look around for it!

All the cheers for Miracle on 34th Street. So beautiful.

Thank you for recommending The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992) and Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), too!

[lightbird]

Not specifically a Christmas movie, but it's considered one because it takes place at Christmas time, but While You Were Sleeping is one of my favorites. There's some stuff in it that wouldn't play if it was made today, but overall it's a funny movie and I have some good memories associated with seeing it in the theater.

Also, I really enjoy The Holiday with Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Jude Law. Eli Wallach is in it too and there are some great scenes with him and Kate Winslet. The four main stars are really charming and the movie is a lot of fun.

I also love the 1938 movie Holiday with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It takes place at New Year's Eve and it's a really terrific old film (black & white). I recommend it if you haven't see it.

[malinaldarose]

I second The Holiday. I wasn't sure about it when I started watching it because I'm not a Jack Black fan, but it was funny and sweet.

[lightbird]

Yea, I was never particularly a Jack Black fan either, but I've grown to like him more, and I really like him in this movie.

[brightknightie]

Thank you for the recommendations! I've somehow never seen either The Holiday or Holiday. Both are available to rent on Amazon (US) today. I may plan the 1938 Holiday for my New Year's!

Thank you. :-)

[malinaldarose]

I usually start my holiday movies with Love Actually, followed by Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Not to everyone's taste, obviously.

I like Bell, Book, and Candle as a holiday movie. It's set around the holidays, and is my Jimmy Stewart holiday movie of choice rather than the other more famous one (which I cannot stand).

What else? Hogfather, though I tend to watch it only every other year. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe which isn't truly a holiday movie, but because of all the snow and Santa Claus appearing to give the Pevensie children their gifts, totally counts.

I enjoy the sappy love story of The Santa Clause 2; I tend to watch the entire trilogy every year, but that's my favorite of the three.

And, of course, The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is, hands down, the best adaptation of the original book that I have seen.

[brightknightie]

Thank you! I have somehow never seen most of those (except The Muppet Christmas Carol and Die Hard, of course, of course!).

Bell, Book, and Candle is not currently available on Amazon, but the others are.

Your note that you prefer Bell, Book, and Candle over the more famous one made me suddenly remember my affection for The Miracle of the Bells (which stars Fred McMurry, not Jimmy Stewart, but...). Curiously, it is also not available on Amazon at this time.

Thank you!

[lightbird]

Bell, Book, and Candle is great! I agree that's the Jimmy Stewart holiday movie of choice. *g* Much more light and fun, and he's great (and very funny) in it of course. Young Jack Lemmon is hilarious, too. Plus we get Pyewacket.

[falcon_horus]

The Holiday

That's definitely our favorite holiday movie.

[brightknightie]

Thank you! I have somehow never seen The Holiday. I have found it available on a streaming service to try tonight after the Call the Midwife (BBC/PBS) Christmas special.

[pj1228]

While you were sleepimg is a favourite of me as well.

I've already mentioned Little Lord Fauntleroy with Alec Guinness and A Child's Christmas in Wales with Nigel Bennett.

Other favourites are Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel (Czechoslovakia/East Germany, 1973), an enchanting version of Cinderella.
The Sissi trilogy (Austria 1950s) with Romy Schneider about the life of the Austrian Empress.
Die Feuerzangenbowle (Germany 1944) with Heinz Rühmann.

I don't know if any of the last ever aired in the US or what the English titles would be. They aren't typical Christmas movies, but they air in Germany every year over Christmas. So they usually get watched. I love them.

[brightknightie]

Thank you for the recommendations!

I looked up Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel, and it turns out to be available in English as Three Wishes for Cinderella, with an "improved translation" re-release as recently as 2016! Unfortunately, it's only on DVD, not streaming; perhaps the library may have it.

Die Feuerzangenbowle seems to be The Punch Bowl in English, but it is available only on Region 2 discs. (I did hack my DVD player for German FK and Polish YB, but those -- and, oddly, some British discs of Japanese anime that a friend gave me when moving away -- are the whole of my Region 2 collection. ~laughter~)

[dlyt]

It is difficult to get my rambunctious family to all sit still (at the same time and in the same place) for a movie, but we all gather enthusiastically every year for “The Polar Express.” Individually, my husband always watches “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and I look for “A Christmas Carol” (the ones starring Patrick Stewart and George C. Scott are my favorites). Another one that I enjoy is “Lethal Weapon,” an unusual Christmas movie, but it is set against the background of Christmas without a loved one, so it qualifies in my world! Also, “Die Hard” is definitely a Christmas movie!

[brightknightie]

Thank you for the recommendations!

My family is fond of Die Hard for Christmas, too; if I'm with others, I will watch it fondly with them; on my own, I'm always going to go more the A Christmas Carol direction. :-)