Countdown to Winter Break: 10 Holiday Classics to Watch This Season

Countdown+to+Winter+Break%3A+10+Holiday+Classics+to+Watch+This+Season

Emma Krewson, Contributor

 
Share Button

1. Home Alone

In the original Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin plays the 8-year-old mischief maker, Kevin McCallister.  Kevin’s entire family leaves town and goes on a trip to Paris without him. Kevin has to do everything by himself during his first time home alone at 8 years old.  To make matters worse, there are two idiotic burglars who try to break in, but Kevin outsmarts them and they end up getting caught instead.

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released in 2000 as a live-action adaptation.  Jim Carrey plays the role of the menacing green Grinch who happens to hate Christmas.  Carrey brings the Grinch to life through humor, exaggeration, and quite a few heartfelt moments.  The Grinch is supposedly a person who hates the idea of Christmas because of his background. He wasn’t shown any love whatsoever when he was a child during the holiday season, but when he is shown the love he deserves, he starts to appreciate the holiday that is solely based on love.

3. Elf

 Elf is about a human named Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, who is raised in Santa’s Workshop.  Buddy was accidentally taken from his orphanage to the North Pole on Christmas as a toddler.  He grew up around elves and was obviously the piece of the puzzle that didn’t quite fit. When he finds out that he was adopted and is a human, he goes to visit his father in New York City.  While in New York, he meets his wife-to-be, brother, step-mother, and father. Long story short, Buddy saves Christmas with the help of all the new people he has met throughout his long journey.

4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

There have been multiple Lampoon’s movies and each one has a different set of actors playing the roles of children.  The actors playing the children in this movie, however, are the ones that most kids can relate to the most – crazy parents during Christmas, sharing a room during the holidays, and helping the family with every chore.  The overall image of the family screams dysfunctional and extremely relatable. There is subtle humor and lots of crazy and intense scenes.

5. Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman has been a classic since it came out in 1969.  The movie encourages children to still believe in the magic of Christmas without the image of Santa Claus.  Watching this is a fun and quick way to kick off the holidays since the length of the movie is about an hour.  The true meaning behind the movie is that the holidays can bring people together and unite them in working towards a common goal.

6. Disney’s A Christmas Carol

 Disney’s A Christmas Carol is one of the more creepy Christmas movies that has a similar theme as the Grinch.  Scrooge is a grumpy old man who doesn’t like Christmas, but learns through three spirits that Christmas is one of the best holidays of the year because it brings people together.  Scrooge gets a look into other people’s lives and their interpretations of him. He is most touched by his employee and least touched by his so-called “friends”.

7. Eloise at ChristmasTime

Eloise at Christmastime, a movie released in 2003, has a character that embodies the personality of a hyperactive 6 year old and portrays how one would handle the Christmas celebration in a hotel located in the middle of New York.  The most amazing part about the plot is the end when Eloise’s mother comes home for Christmas surprisingly. Sofia Vassilieva plays Eloise and is the perfect actress for the role because she knows how to be a spitfire and a bit of a brat.

8. The Polar Express

The Polar Express has the same sort of creepiness of Disney’s A Christmas Carol, but depicts a child during Christmas Eve who tries to help in any way he can.  He gets on the Polar Express train and meets a few new friends. While on the train, he is oddly transported to many different locations, but in the end, he gets to help save Christmas for all of the kids around the world and has an amazing story to tell.

9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer originally aired in 1964.  This movie is about a reindeer, who is ostracized for being unique and different.  His red nose makes him stand apart from the other reindeer, who have black noses. This movie is where the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” premiered.   The song and movie have both been big hits since their releases and are holiday classics.

10. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Santa Claus is Coming to Town is more well-known in older generations and has only recently aired again on Freeform last year.  This movie was released in 1970 and illustrates an interpretation of Santa Claus’s story. Like many others, this movie narrates a tale that encourages kids to believe in the magic of Christmas.  

 

Share Button