Nothing feels more like Christmas than being snuggled up at home watching a festive movie. Don’t forget to turn your Christmas lights on and, if you have one, set a roaring fire going. You will also need to make sure you are well stocked with plenty of movie snacks. Of course, getting set up to watch a festive movie is the simple part. The toughest part is actually choosing what to watch! There are dozens of excellent Christmas movies out there, so we have tried to make it easy for you by compiling a list of what we believe are the top ten family Christmas movies of all time.
1. Arthur Christmas
2. Elf
3. The Polar Express
4. Home Alone
5. Home Alone 2
6. The Christmas Chronicles
7. Miracle on 34th Street
8. The Santa Clause
9. Get Santa
10. Jingle All the Way
Unsure of which one you should watch first? Then let us help you with a brief description of each movie. So, without further ado, let the countdown begin!
1. Arthur Christmas
Set to quickly become an animated classic and one of our favorite Christmas films. Arthur Christmas provides a new and high-tech answer to the question we have all asked at some point in our lives. ‘How does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?’ The answer is not quite what you thought…
Santa’s sleigh is in storage, and his reindeer are enjoying all the comforts of retirement. Santa has become more like the Chairman of a large company rather than the jolly old man of our own childhoods. His eldest son, Steve, has completely modernized the family firm. Everyone expects that Steve will soon wear the big red suit and take over as Santa Claus. But is he the right man for the job?
When the present for a young child called Gwen is left at the North Pole, it is Santa’s younger son, Arthur, who goes above and beyond to ensure the gift is delivered. Worried that Gwen will think Santa does not care about her, Arthur brings Grandsanta out of retirement, dusts off the sleigh, and heads out on Christmas Eve to get the misplaced present to its rightful owner. No child should have to wake up without a gift on Christmas morning!
Join Arthur, Grandsanta, and a stowaway Elf on this delightful and heart-warming adventure as they set out to show Gwen that every child matters to Santa Claus.
2. Elf
Here at The Unofficial Guide to Christmas, we find ourselves quoting lines from this film on an almost daily basis (because for us, it really is Christmas every day!). This is a light-hearted comedy that tells the story of Buddy the Elf – or Buddy the human adopted by elves – and his quest to find his place in the world.
As a child, Buddy managed to crawl into Santa’s sack one Christmas Eve and was taken back to the North Pole by mistake. Instead of being returned to the orphanage where he was growing up, he was adopted by Papa Elf and raised to believe that he was an Elf. Now, as we already know, elves possess some unbelievable skills and talents in areas that we do not (singing Christmas Carols and wrapping presents, for example), and Buddy, being human, struggled to fit in.
After Papa Elf tells him the truth about his adoption, Buddy decides to leave the North Pole and visit New York in an attempt to reconcile with his biological father (who also happens to be on the naughty list!). What follows is a hilarious ride as Buddy, who, although not Elf in body, is undoubtedly Elf in mind, navigates his way through the cynical world of humanity. Will the human world knock the Christmas spirit out of him forever, or will Buddy’s ever-present optimism and joy rub off on his new-found friends?
This is a great feel-good film if you are feeling a little down and need cheering up. Not only that, but you will also learn one of the most essential lessons in life: “The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is by singing loud for all to hear!”
3. The Polar Express
What if there was a place beyond your imagination? What is all you had to do to get there, was to believe? Unfortunately, once children reach a certain age, they sometimes begin to become skeptical about the existence of Santa Claus (not something we tolerate here at The Unofficial Guide to Christmas!). The Polar Express is the perfect film to help put that right.
This film is about a nameless young boy who is also beginning to encounter feelings of disbelief when, on Christmas Eve, a magical steam locomotive arrives outside his home. The train is the Polar Express and is bound for the North Pole. After some initial reluctance, the boy finally boards the train as it begins to pull away. Once onboard, he meets a carriage full of other children, and they all start on a magical adventure where they discover what it means to be friends and learn that there really is a Santa Claus!
If you have any doubters in your family, then snuggle up under a blanket, turn down the lights and join them as they rediscover the magic of Christmas.
4. Home Alone
When the McAllister family just made it onto their flight to Paris, they forgot one small thing…their youngest son Kevin! Waking up ‘Home Alone’ a few days before Christmas, Kevin decides that eating junk food, singing in the shower, and watching old movies are the best ways to make use of his newfound freedom.
Unfortunately for him, being home alone does not go unnoticed as the criminally incompetent burglars Harry and Marv – collectively known as the Wet Bandits – have been planning to raid the McAllister family home for some time. Like most adults, they do not think much of eight-year-old Kevin, and they see this as the perfect opportunity to carry out their crime. “Kids are stupid!” says Marv at one point. Here at Yuletide Wishes, we are well aware that children are far more intelligent and resourceful than grown-ups, but this film sets out to show just what they are capable of.
As the McAllister family battle delays, bureaucracy, and incompetent officials in their attempt to get back to Chicago in time for Christmas, it is up to their youngest son Kevin to defend their home by creating an ingenious set of homemade booby traps in an attempt to thwart the Wet Bandits.
One of the most fun movies of all time, Home Alone, is a perfect Christmas treat for all the family, and it teaches us all a fundamental lesson – never underestimate an eight-year-old!
Merry Christmas ya filthy animal!
5. Home Alone 2
It is not often that a sequel is considered better than the original. If you’ve watched Home Alone, you already know what a great Christmas movie it is, but Home Alone 2 manages to go one better and improve on an already magical formula.
After leaving Kevin at home last Christmas, you would think that the McAllister family would be doing their best to keep an eye on him. Unfortunately, after waking up late and taking a mad dash to the airport, Kevin ends up on a flight to New York while the rest of his family head to Miami!
Now, if your average child (is there such a thing?) found themselves all alone in one of the world’s biggest cities, they would probably be absolutely terrified. Kevin McAllister, on the other hand, is not your average child. He is very excited and quickly checks into a fancy hotel so he can explore the Big Apple (having his dad’s credit card in his pocket helps!).
Unfortunately for Kevin, he bumps into some old friends from the first movie. Infamous criminal duo the Harry and Marv, a.k.a. The Wet Bandits have recently escaped from prison. They plan to break into New York’s famous toy store, Duncan’s Toy chest, and steal the charity donations that have been collected for the local children’s hospital. Kevin has other ideas, and he once again takes on these two criminal masterminds, defending both the charity donations and the spirit of Christmas in the process.
6. The Christmas Chronicles
Widowed mother Claire is struggling after the death of her husband, Doug. Teddy, her son, is in trouble with the law, although her daughter, Kate, is doing better and is trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive. Claire has to work unexpectedly on Christmas Eve, and Teddy is left to look after his sister. They decide to try and catch Santa Claus in the act of delivering presents and set up a secret camera to record him.
Kate wakes up in the middle of the night and sees Santa on her jerry-rigged recording setup. Both Kate and Teddy go up onto the roof and hide in the back of his sleigh (as if he wouldn’t know they were there!) and are soon whisked off into the night. Kate manages to startle Santa, and he loses control of the sleigh. Because of the crash, the sleigh is broken, and his reindeer are missing. Santa’s hat and the bag of presents have been lost.
Unable to deliver any gifts, Santa warns the children that the Christmas spirit will begin to decrease if he does not quickly find his missing hat. A lack of Christmas spirit can lead to all sorts of social problems, including an increase in crime, and the children agree to help him try and retrieve it.
With time running out, they must contend with imprisonment and lots of skeptical adults. Santa and the children are in the race of their lives to save Christmas!
This film is a recent addition to our festive movie selection. Despite its occasional festive inaccuracy (we all know that Santa is magical and cannot be recorded with regular home equipment, for example), if you allow yourself to put common sense aside for a while, it is a very entertaining movie. It is fun for all the family, and we are sure it will soon become one of your festive favorites.
7. Miracle on 34th Street
The great thing about this movie is that you get two versions to choose from! There is the original black and white version from 1947 starring glamorous redhead Maureen O’Hara. There is also the 1994 version with Richard Attenborough starring as Santa Claus. Both are great movies, and we are confident you will enjoy whichever version you choose.
It starts with the famous, dare we say iconic, New York event, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (although known as the Cole’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the 1994 version). The star of this parade is, of course, Santa Claus. Sadly, Macy’s/Cole’s have made the mistake of not having the real Santa in their parade, and the one in his place is drunk. Thankfully, the real Santa, known as Kris Kringle, actually happens to be passing and, being outraged at the intoxicated state of his stand-in, steps into the big red suit just in time. He is an absolute hit with the crowd and is immediately hired by Doris Walker, the event manager for Macy’s/Cole’s, to be their store Santa.
Now the bizarre thing about being a brilliant (and real) Santa Claus is that people start to have doubts that you are who you say you are. This includes Susan, the young daughter of Doris Walker. Winning the heart of a skeptical child can be tough, but it is not impossible. What does feel impossible is proving in court and to a cynical public that not only does Santa Claus really exist but that Kris Kringle is who he says he is.
If you love happy endings (and who doesn’t at Christmas!), then you will love this movie. We are confident that even the most ardent non-believers will be rooting for Kris Kringle by the end.
8. The Santa Clause
Have you ever considered what Christmas would continue if something happened to Santa Claus? You’ll be relieved to know that there is a plan that is activated by something called The Santa Claus. We all know that legal documents are indecipherable to non-experts, so we will spare you the more technical details. The basic premise is that, if something should happen to Santa Claus, then whoever was responsible would have to don the Big Red Suit and become Santa!
This is what happened to Scott Calvin. After hearing a noise on his roof, Scott and his son, Charlie, go out to investigate. The next few minutes are painful to watch. They show a startled Santa Claus falling from their roof to his death, the body disappears, and all that is left is the suit and a business card stating “the reindeer will know what to do.” Wanting to please his son, Scott puts on the red suit, and his journey from festive-skeptic to Santa Claus begins!
After a night spent delivering all the remaining gifts, Scott wakes up back in his own bed, thinking the night before was all a bad dream. It was not, and he soon begins to undergo a rapid physical transformation. He gains weight, grows a long, white beard (which stays white, even after attempts to dye it), and develops a belly laugh that would have made the previous Santa proud.
Convinced that his memory of that night was just a dream, it is up to his son, Charlie, to convince him that he is now the real Santa Claus. A Santa who does not believe is a scary thought for all of us. Hopefully, Charlie will persuade him by the end of the movie, and Christmas will be saved!
9. Get Santa
After being recently released from prison, Steve Anderson knows that any more brushes with the law will mean he will be going straight back to jail. Desperate to do the right thing and make a fresh start, he finds himself treading a fine line between saving Christmas and being on the wrong side of the law!
Santa is in prison, his sleigh lays damaged in a field, and reindeer are seen wandering through the streets of London. Steve’s son, Tom, knows that Santa must be saved, or else Christmas will be ruined. They visit him in prison, and Steve reluctantly agrees to help rescue the reindeer and look for the sleigh. Santa, on the other hand, needs to do his best to survive. Thankfully, even hardened criminals were once children and, by reminding them of some of their own festive memories, he convinces them that he is the real Santa. Who would have ever thought that saving Christmas would also involve a prison breakout!
Another newish addition to the Christmas movie genre, Get Santa, is a British comedy that the whole family will enjoy.
10. Jingle All the Way
Howard Langston is a workaholic. He is also a little bit crazy. Why do you ask? Well, he has not yet bought a present for his son, Jamie, and it is Christmas Eve! His wife, Liz, had asked him to buy Jamie’s present two weeks ago but, like most workaholics, Howard forgot. To make this situation worse, Jamie wants a TurboMan action figure, the most popular toy of the year. Needless to say, it is sold out, and finding one is going to be an impossible task. Not wanting to be the disappointment to his son that he usually is, he makes every effort to get Jamie the TurboMan doll he craves.
If running all over the city trying to find a TurboMan figure to buy was not hard enough, he also has competition. Myron Larabee is a postal worker who has also left buying his son’s present until the last minute. The movie follows the pair all across the city in their quest to find the last TurboMan. Along the way, they battle with each other as well as numerous other people and even end up on the wrong side of the law (certainly not something we condone!).
If like all of us here at Yuletide Wishes, you believe that Christmas should be all about the love you give rather than the presents you buy, then you will love the ending of this movie. Not wanting to give too much away, but even children know that Christmas means a whole lot more to people than gifts!
Well, that is our list of The Top 10 Christmas Movies to Watch as a Family. No matter which one you choose to watch, we hope that the experience is a magical one!