The Best Family Christmas Movies

I love the Christmas Season like no other. I especially love sitting down with a warm blanket, a peppermint mocha coffee, and a good snowy day or night to watch a festive holiday movie.  

My favorite Christmas/Holiday movies have one or all of the following qualities:

• Distinct Christmas ambiance.
• Feel good drama.
• Humor
• Fabulous acting

I start watching holiday movies when the weather starts to change and the days are cloudy and dreary.  Actually, that is my favorite type of day -the drearier and stormier the better!  


What movies have the most holiday cheer?

Here is my list (in no particular order)

Home Alone (1990)

I could watch Home Alone over and over and not get bored.  Macaulay Culkin was the cutest, sweetest little thing, and funny!  Who knew?  What a treasure he was.  This is great for family movie night (along with a delish pizza) during the holiday madness.  This will be a classic for many, many years to come.

Home Alone 2

Well, you should have seen this one coming.  I loved the first Home Alone and loved the second that was based in New York City.  Home Alone 2 has made NYC a future Christmas season destination for my family.  The Plaza Hotel, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and the famous Christmas Tree, I could go on.  I have been to NYC plenty of times, but not during the holiday season.  Macaulay Culkin was again wonderful in this sequel.  Great, great family 

movie.

The Santa Clause series

It seems the first movie of a sequel is always the best, and that holds true for this Tim Allen holiday classic.  The original The Santa Clause, with a young Charlie, is a little child's dream - that their dad is Santa!  The Santa Clause 2 finds Santa in need of a "Mrs. Claus" to stay Santa, and The Santa Clause 3 enters Martin Short as Jack Frost, who wants to be the new Santa.  This series is funny, yet loving, warm and magical - another family friendly Christmas show.

The Christmas List (1997)

This made for T.V. movie on ABC Family stars Mimi Rogers as Melody Parris in this sweet show about a retail perfume saleswoman who gets everything she wants after making a Christmas list and dropping it off in Santa's mailbox.  This is not available DVD, and is not aired as often as it was in the past during the 25 Days of Christmas, but it can be found here through independent sellers that copy the movie, with commercial editing.  I bought a copy and the quality is fantastic.  I watch it often, and can watch it ten times over. Don't miss this gem during the holiday season!

The Polar Express

This is a family favorite in our house come the holiday season.  The storyline, the ambiance, the music - all make this a wonderful, imaginative trip for both children and adults.  The bell still rings at our home!

Samantha: An American Girl Holiday

Having a daughter endears you to this American Girl Holiday featuring AnnaSophia Robb as Samantha, a girl who befriends a less privileged girl, Nellie, to forge a lifelong friendship and sisterhood.  Our whole family loves this feel-good drama based in 1904 America.  I realize the boys may not be thrilled to watch this, but its lessons are solid.  Give it a try.

A Christmas Story

It just would not be Christmas without watching little Ralphie!  If you don't own the movie, don't worry, you can always catch the 24 movie marathon on TBS on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Miracle on 34th Street

I like both the original black and white movie, and the remade version.  The message of believing in Santa Claus is still the same, so watch both and decide which one you enjoy more.    There is just something special about the old black and white that draws me every time.

It's A Wonderful Life

Another classic during the holiday season.  It is a long movie, so grab a toasty blanket and make some appetizers to enjoy while watching this movie.  Don't forget the tissues…..

Blizzard (2003)

This enchanting holiday movie focuses on the friendship of Katie and one of Santa's reindeer, Blizzard.  This is another gem of a movie for kids that teaches them lessons in trust, overcoming obstacles, and best of all, the gift of true friendship.  Again, bring the tissues for the happy tears!  

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Discover the laughs, holiday cheer and romance in this age old holiday film starring Barbara Stanwyck.  Life jet seemed less complicated and family oriented during this time.  I wish we could go back and live this way.

      ************************************************************************

Those movies listed above are my all-time favorites.  Every year I enjoy these along with the new movies that appear every year (movie theater and made for TV) - always looking for a new one to add to my favorite column.

Without saying, these Christmas shows are also holiday season must see's:

• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Frosty the Snowman (My personal favorite.  I still cry when he melts.)
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Jack Frost
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town
• The Little Drummer Boy

The days are getting shorter, the days are cooler and the snow is coming.  Once Halloween is over, holiday movies are fair game in our home.  Grab the blanket, dim the lights, make a delicious warm dip and enjoy the coziness of the holiday season with the best Christmas movies ever made.

Hello to start of the holiday season!

Happy Labor Day!

Too all the workers out there...YIPPEE!...a day off!  The unofficial end of summer and the unofficial start of the Halloween Season.  Don't shoot the messenger — I went grocery shopping today and saw Halloween decorations and pumpkins.  And so it begins.....

The Christmas List DVD (ABC Family 1997)

If you are like me and love the Christmas season, chances are you think about it year-round.  My coziest and favorite time during the holiday season is watching a good Christmas movie while the snow is falling and the Christmas tree lights are twinkling.


One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Christmas List (1997) starring Mimi Rogers.  I first saw it on ABC Family during one of their 25 Days of Christmas marathons.  For a couple years it was aired numerous times every December, but the past couple years its airing has been cut to maybe one time slot - usually an inconvenient time - such as 7:00am.  Who gets up that early to watch a movie?  Not me.   Since then, my search for the DVD of this movie begun.   I put myself on the Amazon.com waiting list to no avail, and read numerous websites of how this favorite holiday movie of mine would not officially be released on DVD.

Based on reviews of The Christmas List movie, the demand is there for people to have their own copy.  Last November I came across a site, iOffer, that had a seller who developed DVD's based on "made for TV" movies.   The Christmas List was on her list for a mere $7.50!  I would pay triple to get my hands on this beloved movie.  I took a chance, not knowing how the quality would be, and ordered the movie.  I was thoroughly impressed.  The quality is fabulous, the audio flawless, and all commercials have been edited out.  Superbly done! 


As I write this I am watching the movie and hoping that all the you out there who want to own this movie, see this story and order your copy!


Here is the link to the seller on iOffer.  Buy The Christmas List (1997) DVD with confidence and enjoy your newfound gem of a movie that is now yours to watch all year!




P.S.  This post has many, many views.  I hope some of you ordered the movie!!