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One of the things I love most about the festive period is the abundance of Christmas films available. So grab a hot drink, wrap up warm and pop on a film.Â
My Favourite Christmas Films
The Holiday
Romantic comedy starring Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet and Jack Black. Iris (Winslet) is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Across the globe, Amanda (Diaz) realises the man she lives with has been unfaithful.
Two women who have never met and live 6000 miles apart, find themselves in the exact same place. They meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the holiday. Iris moves into Amanda’s L.A. house in sunny California as Amanda arrives in the snow-covered English countryside. Shortly after arriving at their destinations, both women find the last thing either wants or expects: a new romance. Amanda is charmed by Iris’ handsome brother Graham (Law) and Iris, with inspiration provided by legendary screenwriter Arthur (Eri Wallach), mends her heart when she meets film composer Miles (Black).
Love Actually
From the makers of Notting Hill and Bridget JonesÂ’ Diary comes the ultimate romantic comedy. This blockbuster film includes a fantastic all-star cast and an outstanding soundtrack.
The hilarious Love Actually explores the ups and downs of relationships in the weeks building up to Christmas. Boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, fathers and sons and rock stars and managers all combine to make Love Actually not just one story but ten very different ones.
Because if you look hard enough you will find that love actually is all around.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
This is easily the best screen version of the much loved yuletide tale. The ever-versatile Alastair Sim is impeccable as the miser who comes to see the error of his ways through the promptings of the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Michael Hordern makes a splendid Jacob Marley and Mervyn Johns a humble Bob Cratchit, while George Cole does well as the younger, carefree Scrooge.
Beautifully designed by Ralph Brinton and directed with unexpected finesse by Brian Desmond Hurst, this is not to be missed.
Miracle on 34th Street
A remake of the 1947 ‘feel good’ classic, telling the heart-warming story of a young girl’s desire for a fully-functional family, complete with a father and a baby brother.
The girl, Susan, confides in Kris Kringle (Sir Richard Attenborough), the kindly old man who is acting as the grotto Santa in the department store managed by her mother. Kris Kringle, however, believes he is the genuine Santa Claus and this devotion to the cause makes him very popular indeed, leading to record profits for the store. This annoys rival retailers so much that they try to discredit the so-called Santa, leading eventually to a court case in which Kringle and his lawyer try to prove that he is the real thing. Â
The Snowman
The Snowman, adapted from Raymond Briggs’s classic picture book, is a family favourite. A beautiful story of a boy whose snowman comes to life at midnight, it has captured the imagination of generations–and continues to enchant.
Nominated for an Oscar in 1982 and awarded the British Academy Award for best children’s entertainment in the same year, no family film collection is complete without James and his wondrous friend.
Home Alone
Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation, eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) embarks on a hilarious, madcap mission to defend the family home when two bumbling burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) try to break in, and find themselves tangled in Kevin’s bewildering battery of booby traps.
Die Hard
Classic action thriller directed by John McTiernan. On Christmas Eve, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) in Los Angeles, where she works. They are attending a party at Holly’s high-rise office block when terrorists, led by the suave Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) break in, taking everyone hostage. With time running out, McClane is forced to got to extreme lengths to try and save the day.
What are your favourite Christmas films?
Let me know in the comments.
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I always watch Home Alone and Die Hard. Miracle on 34th Street is great too. And always try and watch a classic musical at Christmas.
Lovely. I love a good musical at any time of year.