Our favourite film critic Richard Crouse picks the best Christmas movies
We were thrilled when movie expert Richard Crouse shared his favourite Halloween movies for families with us last month. This month, he cherry-picks the holiday movies your kids will want to watch every year.
A Christmas Carol (1951): Of course there is only one must-see out of all the dozens of film and TV versions of the Charles Dickens classic, and that’s the 1951 Alastair Sim version. Nearly perfect in every way, it is a tale of redemption that confirms the fundamental spiritual nature of Christmas itself. In other words, it makes us feel good. Accept no substitutes. If you must watch other versions then check out Scrooged, the 1988 reworking of the story or the animated Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.
A Christmas Story (1983) is the movie that made “You’ll shoot yer eye out!” a favourite holiday saying. It’s also a nostalgic classic that belongs on the shelf next to Miracle on 34th Street and It’s A Wonderful Life.
Speaking of which, it wouldn’t be the holidays without at least one viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life. Since it became a TV staple in the 1950s, the story of George Bailey, a forgetful uncle and an angel named Clarence has become as much a part of Christmas as fruitcake and mall Santas.
Less well known than It’s a Wonderful Life but just as heartfelt is The Lemon Drop Kid, a 1951 Bob Hope comedy that introduced the song “Silver Bells.”
Christmas movies for people who don’t like Christmas movies
Annie Hall (1977): A scene has Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) forced to attend a Christmas party in Hollywood.
Citizen Kane (1941): An early scene shows the young Charles Foster Kane receiving a sled as a Christmas gift from his guardian, Mr. Thatcher.
Babe (1995): The segment “Pork is a Nice Sweet Meat” takes place on Christmas Day.
Catch Me If You Can (2002): An FBI agent pursues an identity-changing con artist over a period of several years. The film includes a number of scenes that take place on different Christmases.
While I agree with his choices, if these are for families, what about things like Muppet’s Christmas Carol Home Alone and how about White Christmas? If we’re looking for movies that touch on Christmas, how about The Family Man or even Alvin and the Chipmunks for crying out loud?
Totally forgot about the Muppet’s Christmas Carol! Good one! We’ve got Home Alone and White Christmas on our list: http://www.bunchfamily.ca/5-holiday-movies-kids-parents