Movies for Christmas

I love any movie set in New York, and the addition of the city’s lavish Christmas decorations is always a bonus. Since seeing this in the theater, I’m always charmed by Buddy the Elf’s awe of the city, his new human family, and the romance between Buddy and Jovie. I made my entire family watch this the first year it was on DVD. They were expecting to hate it, but I had to pause a few times so we could hear the movie over everyone’s laughter.

2. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

 This is not packaged as a Christmas movie, per se, but I pull it off the shelf at this time of year. The film is set during the holidays in Chicago (another city I love to see decorated). I’d like to think that even someone who balks at the idea of romantic comedies would be enamored by this movie and its characters. For me, it’s not even the romance between Sandra Bullock’s Lucy and Bull Pullman’s Jack Callaghan that keeps me coming back to this; it’s the entire Callaghan family. The parents, the grandmother, and the nextdoor neighbor are like so many members of my own family. Their bickering and genuine affection are entertaining and the holidays provide the perfect backdrop for the movie.

3. Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

As a child, I was mostly annoyed by Macaulay Culkin and the image of his hands clasped to his face, screaming. Several years ago, though, I rediscovered the appeal of these films. The humor is catered to both adults and children. The messages about family and the spirit of the holidays are wrapped in a pretty fast-paced, humorous, wintry package. I don’t know why exactly, but I never tire of seeing a young Kevin trek out into the snow to purchase a fancy macaroni and cheese frozen meal for himself. I never tire of seeing him, a couple years later, explore New York City.

4. Love Actually (2003)

This is a cornucopia of Christmas. There is something for everyone here. It is whimsical, sad, and festive all at once. The movie is like a series of vignettes, although many of the characters are connected in some way. Christmas is the one time of year you kind of want to feel gooey inside, and this movie never fails to make me gooey. Hugh Grant dancing when he thinks he’s alone and Colin Firth doing anything are worth having “Christmas is All Around” stuck in my head for days.

5. A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004)

I caught this on TV during its original airing and now I watch for it each year.