MOVIES ALL TIME

Holiday films are an important American pastime. However, such a genre requires skill to execute. One must include all of the important ingredients, namely two cups of heart, a dash of fantastical whimsy and a good ole spoonful of yuletide rejuvenation, in order for a traditional holiday film to work. With that in mind, we here at Collider decided to compile a “best of” list – of sorts. Included within are personal favorites of the staff, or the films we all grew up watching during those festive afternoons when school was canceled due to winter storms, or during Thanksgiving or Christmas break.

10. A Christmas Story (1983)

A Christmas Story, there is absolutely no way that anyone could ever say they never saw this film since it’s shown every Christmas, especially on TNT when they do the 24 hours of A Christmas Story, lol. But onto the movie, I’ve watched A Christmas Story since the day I was born, it’s one of those films you never get sick of because of the simple fact that each year of your life you could relate to it in some way. Each character has these memorable moments and you could say that you’ve been in the same situation. It’s great seeing this movie because it makes us laugh about the silliest moments in our life during the Christmas season.

9. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

After strong performances in films such as “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” and “The Philadelphia Story”, James Stewart confirmed his status as one of the greats with his performance as George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. This movie is, without a doubt, the best of all time. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a movie that you can watch over and over again. It’s movie that makes you think, about life in general and how each person makes a difference, and about how great life can be (hence the title “It’s a Wonderful Life). Whilst making you think, it also entertains with many light hearted moments, particularly towards the end of the film.

8. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

A truly superb Christmas treat for old and young alike. This is the re-telling of the classic Dickens novel ‘A Christmas Carol’. Michael Caine is cast superbly as Scrooge but the muppet characters are absolutely brilliant, particularly Gonzo and Rizzo.

The sets are excellent and the music stirring (so much so I bought the CD soundtrack and listen to it at the festive season whilst driving). I never fail to watch this movie at least once a year and if you haven’t seen it you should, it really does make you feel good.

7. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Steve Martin, John Candy, William Windom, Edie McClurg, Laila Robins, Kevin Bacon (cameo). One of my all time favorite comedies. Side-splittingly hilarious film by writer-director John Hughes about uptight advertising salesman Neal Page (Martin in a versatile comic turn) faced with many pitfalls in reluctantly traveling with obnoxious yet well-meaning shower curtain-ring salesman Del Griffith (Candy in arguably his best role) offering assistance and resulting in setback. Great scenes all around in this first-rate buddy road flick. Candy is bittersweet with his ” I like me” moment but the best moments are him going down a highway the wrong way with two oncoming semis and Martin’s priceless apoplectic moment at a car rental saying the “F” word 18 times (yes I counted! in fact I watched this video at least once a week for two years at college with my roommates laughing helplessly).

6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

The Griswold family is set to celebrate the holidays like never before, in `National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,’ directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written by John Hughes. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) has decided to have a traditional, old-fashioned family Christmas, and has invited his parents and in-laws to stay with them through the season. He has a surprise he wants to share with everyone this year; with his Christmas bonus from work, he’s putting in a pool, to which he’s already committed the down-payment money (so the bonus had better come through, big time, or he’s `in it up to here’). To kick off the season, he takes Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and the kids, Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and Rusty (Johnny Galecki) to the mountains to find the perfect `Griswold family Christmas tree. And it’s only the first of one hilarious scene after another, as we follow Clark and clan through one long laugh-fest, filled with surprises and fun. Chase is at his best here, in the most enduring (and endearing) character he’s ever done; Clark the Everyman, who only wants the best things for his family and himself, but whose plans more often than not go awry, doomed to fall just short of realization. When he decorates the outside of the house, he uses 25,000 twinkle lights; they use enough juice to black-out an entire neighborhood, and they do (once he can get them to work).

5. The Polar Express (2004)

The Polar Express delivered me all the way back to childhood and my own faith in Santa Claus at the age of five. I could not only hear the bells, I could see his sleigh in the night sky. Chris Van Allsburg is to be commended for writing an excellent fantasy and Tom Hanks for conducting the wonder tour to beat them all. The special effects are just outstanding, the story line credible and heartwarming. The characters are believable and utterly charming. The children depicted are our own. I would recommend this film to any and all who love Christmas and remember what it is to believe. The experience of watching makes you a participant, breathless to see what comes next. I can hardly wait to view it on IMAX and am taking my entire family, including seven grandchildren to the Tulsa Cinemark this season. Let’s hope we see more of this quality venue in months and years to come.

4. Home Alone (1990)

“Home Alone” is a hilarious film about a young boy (Macaulay Culkin) who is accidently left home during the Christmas holidays after the rest of his family goes to Europe. At first Culkin loves the situation, but soon he is scared to death when he learns that burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are targeting his house. However, Culkin is pretty smart for an eight-year-old and he has plans for them when they attack. Chris Columbus’ direction is smart and so is the over-achieving screenplay. This film has a little bit of something for everyone and the fact that the backdrop is the Christmas holidays, only makes it that much more special. All the performers do well and in the end the film also does. 4 stars out of 5.

3. Elf (2003)

For those that represent the general public in the movie, as well as the audience, Ferrell’s character dares us to believe again, even for a moment of the magic of Christmas and tears down decades of political correctness to connect us with the late 60s and 70s when so many annual Holiday shows brought us a seemingly sustained desire to entertain ourselves with the magic that waxes then wanes but for a few short weeks each year. Whether a work of animation or raw theater, this refreshing story brings vitality and rekindles childhood memories for the kid in all of us.

2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Santa Claus has come to town. Or at least that’s what a gentlemen appropriately named Kristopher Kringle played by Edmund Gwenn complete with full white beard is claiming. He makes his appearance at the Thanksgiving Day Parade as sponsored by R.H. Macy’s Department Store and finds the Santa hired for the occasion, Percy Helton, full of a little too much Christmas cheer already. In charge of the parade is one of Macy’s middle level executives, Maureen O’Hara, who fires Helton and hires Gwenn right then and there.

Gwenn’s obvious sincerity makes him an ideal Santa Claus for Macy’s and for us. He spreads the real meaning of Christmas around even has Macy’s declaring a holiday truce with its rival Gimbel’s. That’s a part of Miracle on 34th Street that might be lost to viewers today. Gimbel’s was Macy’s big department store rival and it’s flagship store in New York stood across 34th Street at the time. Gives a meaning to the title that is lost on today’s audience.

1. Bad Santa (2003)

The first time I saw Terry Zwigoff’s latest effort (co-executive produced by the Coen brothers) Bad Santa, I didn’t know whether I was watching a comedy that had astonishingly funny and madcap moments, or if it was a really bad movie. At times the script felt like it was under the penmanship of demented cretins off loan of some low-rent porno company. But there were scenes and moments with good old Billy Bob Thornton that had me laughing uncontrollably, so I decided to see it again recently. Now I understand it- this is a dig-in nails, ribald, hardcore satirical look at one (un-kept is a term used loosely) man in the midst of Americana during Christmas time.

Yet I think the brilliant aspect about Bad Santa is it never takes itself a bit too seriously. Even in the denouement, when we are sort of assured things will turn out alright; it’s like a denouement on a South Park episode. In fact, that’s something that can be said about Bad Santa, is that it feels like a work in the vein of Parker and Stone, but since it’s from the director of Ghost World it comes off a little fresher, with an appeal all its own.

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