I always spend Christmas at home with my family. Growing up, it was because my parents had a lot of godchildren who often dropped by the house on Christmas Day to get their gifts. So while the guests came and went, I watched movies in the living room. It’s become a tradition for me to watch Christmas movies. And thanks to streaming sites like Netflix and Disney+, I now have a myriad of Christmas-themed films to watch. Though, no matter how many new Christmas movies I see, there’s comfort and joy in watching the Christmas classic movies. Here are my favorite Christmas movies to watch:
Home Alone
Of course, Home Alone, is at the very top of my favorite Christmas classic movies to watch list. This iconic movie came out in the early 90s and I saw it as kid. Macaulay Culkin starred as Kevin McAllister who got left behind at home by his family when they went on a Christmas vacation. He had to defend his house from the wet bandits, who robbed the empty houses of the people in his neighborhood because they were also away for a Christmas vacation somewhere. Watching Marv and Harry (the wet bandits) get creamed by a kid and his antics never fails to make me laugh even if I’ve seen this a hundred times. Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci brought on the laughs in this movie as the thieves who had to go up against a kid. It’s also a heartwarming Christmas holiday film which is just perfect for the season.
Home Alone 2
The iconic movie directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes was such a huge hit that a sequel was made. In fact, a slew of Home Alone movies followed after this, though it no longer starred the original cast.
The premise of the movie is the same as the first. Kevin gets left behind by his family who were going away on Christmas vacation. He also encounters the wet bandits – now the sticky bandits – again and he has to defend a house. This time, Kevin finds himself lost in one of the biggest cities in the US, New York. This movie gave audiences a lot of beautiful New York scenes. It is one of the first films to make me want to come to see the city that never sleeps for myself. Still dreaming of that to happen.
The sequel held its own charm and it was as funny to watch as the first especially with the addition of Tim Curry and Rob Schneider as hotel staff. And just like the first film, this movie also brought on heartwarming scenes that bring on the holiday feels. That’s why Home Alone: Lost in New York also makes it to my favorite Christmas classic movies to watch.
The Holiday
This is a romantio-comedy film that’s got a Christmas setting. It stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, two women living in different parts of the world and living two opposite lives. Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz, is a hotshot advertiser living in a swanky Hollywood estate. Iris, played by Kate Winslet, is an English journalist who lives in a country cottage. After both of them experienced man troubles, they decided to switch homes for the holidays and they discover there was more to life than their problems. Nancy Meyers directed this movie and I have loved her films. This was no exception.
I loved this movie so much when I first watched it. I even wrote a review of The Holiday in this blog. It’s been part of my Christmas-classic-must-watch-films ever since.
Love Actually
Another romantic-comedy film set during Christmas season, this time from the Brits. Unlike the usual romcoms that’s got one overall plot, this film has a nine-arc plot. Nine! How does one even follow all the characters in such a film, right? The story follows the romantic lives of several heterosexual people living in cosmopolitan London. It’s a star-studded cast with the likes of Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.
My favorite story arc is about Billy Mac and Joe. Billy is an aging rock star who’s trying to make a comeback with a cover of “Love is All Around Us” by Wet Wet Wet but tweaked to “Christmas is All Around Us” to make it relevant to the holiday. Joe, on the other hand, is his faithful manager. By some miracle, his cover actually makes it to No. 1. Billy gets invited to Elton John’s Christmas party, leaving Joe behind. But then Billy circles back to Joe’s flat where Billy tells the latter that he is the platonic love of his life. Seriously, so cute and heartwarming.
Did you know this iconic romcom Christmas film turned 20 last year? Variety wrote a piece, revisiting the movie.
And now that I’ve shared my favorite Christmas classic movies to watch, you’ll find me curled up in bed watching, ideally with a hot cup of coffee. What’s your favorite Christmas film to watch during the holiday?