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It's a Celluloid Christmas!
List of the Best Christmas Movies of All Time

Let's revisit some of those Christmas classics. And while we're at it, let's think about adding some new ones to the list as well. Some are more Christmassy than others, and some only feature the magical holiday in only a few scenes. But here's our list of the best Christmas movies of all time:

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It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - Tops on any list. We watch it every year, and it just keeps getting better.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - Definitive proof that Santa really does exist.

A Christmas Story (1983) - I double dog dare you not to like this one.

White Christmas (1954) - Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye head up this Christmas classic. But the real star of the show is Irving Berlin's score. A little "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" anyone?
Peanuts
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 - TV) - I know it's a made-for-TV movie, but to ignore it would be stupid. Generations of kids have grown up on it.

Elf (2003) - Will Ferrell drives this great-for-the-entire-family Christmas comedy. Of course the uncredited appearance of Peter Billingsley is a special holiday treat.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Tim Burton's stop-motion feature has already become a holiday classic. "And they call him Sandy Claws!"

The Chronicles of Narnia (2005) - Not really a Christmas movie but Santa Claus does make an appearance so it must be added to the list! A fantastic movie experience!
Bad Santa (2003) - Come on, admit it! You know it made you laugh. There's just something funny about a drunken Santa.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 - TV & 2003 cinematic) - It's fun to watch the TV version and the movie version back-to-back.

The Bishop's Wife (1947) - Who doesn't like Cary Grant as an angel? Features a great movie quote: "The only people who grow old were born old to begin with".

Batman Returns (1992) - The magic of Tim Burton, the grotesqueness of Danny DeVito and the cat suit of Michelle Pfeiffer. The second best Batman flick.

Home Alone (1990) - The first one, not the sequels! A really good family film for the holidays, except there's no family! Funny gags, hilarious antics and truly feel-good moments as well.
Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol (1938) - The best version of the well-worn Dickens literary classic. At only 70 minutes in runtime, it's short but sweet classic. Beautiful set designs and powerful acting performances put this one of the must-see holiday film list.

The Santa Clause (1994) - Features one of Tim Allen's few successful big screen performances. So full of heart and charm it's becoming a holiday season staple.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - Gotta love the holidays with the Griswalds. Watching Clark's ineptitude makes us all feel a little better ourselves.

Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) (2005) - The true story of how the French and Scottish soldiers of World War I left their trenches and celebrated the holiday with their enemies, the Germans. A bit more serious than most listed here, but none are more heart warming and hopeful.

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (1991 - TV) - Richard Thomas, Ed Asner and Charles Bronson star in this cheerful and uplifting version of the 1974 original. Will challenge you to look at things a little differently.

Holiday Inn (1942) - Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire bring this oldie-but-goodie to life. Bing Crosby does Christmas so well! Crescendoes to the magnificent debut of "White Christmas". "I'm dreaming of a ...."

King Kong (2005) - I know! I know! It's not a Christmas movie. But it is such a magnificent piece of filmmaking and Christmas does play a significant enough part, that it must be included on the list. Ahhh...Christmas in New York. Nothing like it!

Swiss Family Robinson (1960) - Another one that's not really a Christmas movie but the big holiday plays an important role in keeping the stranded family together. Kind of dated Disney fare, but a classic nonetheless.

Trading Places (1983) - A hilarious comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. Oh and another rendition of the drunken Santa Claus. A timeless holiday comedy.

The Polar Express (2004) - Adapted from Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott Medal winning children's book of the same name. If you can look past the creepy computer-generated characters, this one's pretty good. The animation is spectacular as it features a rousing song and dance number in the train's dining car as well as a truly harrowing runaway train sequence.

This article also posted at Reel Talk Reviews.


Have some to add to this list?
Don't agree with the ones we've included?
Read or post comments about this list and also get the latest Christmas Movie updates on the
List of Best Christmas Movies of All Time Discussion Forum.

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