Christmas is coming up. And as the weather outside gets colder, nothing beats a great holiday movie for the Christmas season. This list ranks the top 10 Christmas films that families love, mixing laughs, heart, and magic.
No. 10: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Frank Capra’s 1946 classic starts as George Bailey, down on his luck in Bedford Falls, thinks the world would be better without him, but an angel shows him otherwise through flashbacks.
No. 9: “The Santa Clause.” Scott Calvin was an ordinary dad who didn’t care for Christmas, but after a rooftop accident, magic forces him into the role of Santa.
No. 8: “A Christmas Story.” Set in the 1940s, this 1983 gem follows young Ralphie Parker. He really wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. School bullies, a mean Santa, and a leg lamp prize are part of the charm.
No. 7: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” In 1989, Clark Griswold had this big dream of the perfect family get-together, but faced disasters along the way, including a sewer explosion and relatives adding to the drama.
No. 6: “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This stop-motion starts with Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town. Jack Skellington goes into the forest, and he discovers these doors and finds Christmas, where he falls in love with the Christmas sprite.
No. 5: “A Christmas Carol.” Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man, has a deep hatred for Christmas until ghosts visit on Christmas Eve. The ghosts reveal his past, present, and future.
No. 4: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Dr. Seuss’s book comes alive with the live action movie. The Grinch lives on a mountain near Whoville, where everyone loves Christmas. Throughout the story, an accident shows how the Grinch could actually have a heart.
No. 3: “The Polar Express.” A boy boards a magical train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He meets many new people as the train heads to the North Pole.
No. 2: “Elf.” Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole, heads to New York City to find his real dad and shows his love for all things Christmas.
No. 1: “Home Alone.” As young Kevin McCallister is sleeping, his family rushes to Paris for Christmas. Kevin accidentally gets left alone in a big house and faces two thieves with homemade traps he set all over his house.
