As the holiday season approaches, everyone looks forward to celebrating with decorations, festive activities, and, most importantly: movies! The past several decades have proved films to be an integral part of holiday festivities, so it only makes sense to celebrate some of the classics this year.
The 1960’s were not lacking in films, as two of the most iconic and well-recognized holiday films were introduced: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964) and the original version of “The Grinch” (1966). Everybody knows each of these stories like the back of their hand; “Rudolph” is about an outcast reindeer eventually realizing his bigger purpose, while “The Grinch” also follows a heartless green man shunned from society, eventually learning love and the power of a tight-knit community. Both films are animated, with “Rudolph” being especially ahead of its time by using a very impressive stop-motion style. Though these movies’ target demographic is children, they remain enjoyable to all ages, especially if you’re looking for a taste of nostalgia.
The 1980’s were when Christmas movies began to gain traction, granting us two of my personal favorites and overall essential movies for your watchlist this year: “A Christmas Story” (1983) along with “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989). The former follows a young boy pleading with his parents to get a BB gun for Christmas despite frequently being told “yule shoot yer eye out!” The latter engages the audience with a diverse array of people gathering together for family Christmas in the Chicago suburbs, showing all of their silly antics, conflicts, and entertaining dynamics. Despite being made around forty years ago, both of these 80’s movies have barely aged, as they remain classics and are watched by millions of people every holiday season.
The 2000’s brought us a classic as well in Will Ferrel’s “Elf” (2003), a personal favorite of mine. The movie follows Buddy the “elf” reaching the realization that he is in fact human, causing him to venture from the North Pole into New York City, experiencing all the absurd and stark differences while trying to find his birth family. Ferrel’s performance never gets old, and while the film can lack political correctness at times in jokes like “I didn’t know you had elves working here!”, it still remains one of the most rewatchable Christmas movies ever. And of course, I cannot bring up 2000’s films without mentioning the movie we all watched every year in grade school: “The Polar Express” (2004). Watching “The Polar Express” now, we can recognize how it has aged, especially considering how far animation has come; however, it still brings a sense of nostalgia like no other. It is hard to forget the day before holiday break in elementary school, drinking hot chocolate and watching this movie as a class, making it a classic solely based on comforting childhood memories.
The final movie that is a must-watch every year is an oldie yet still holds up well and carries an important message: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1964). Though the family’s dynamic is very dated and factually fewer people see religious meaning in Christmas nowadays, this film was groundbreakingly influential and remains a quintessential watch during the holiday season. The movie tells the story of a man who attempts suicide but is saved by his guardian angel and is shown what the world would have looked like if he never existed. This film obviously attracts a religious audience, so if you celebrate Christmas with a faithful connotation this movie is eye-opening and essential to see for the holidays.
To conclude, the holiday season would not be the same if it were not for the classic films we return to time and time again.
