Christmas films to watch again and again

There are those among us who patiently wait for the Thanksgiving dishes to be cleaned and put away and who then sit down with a happy sigh and begin watching Christmas movies (which is of course much more pleasant than listening to Christmas pop hits on the radio and at the mall).

Even the most curmudgeonly among us has a favorite holiday film or two (surely even the Grinch loves to watch how he stole Christmas, year after year — and then redeemed his bad deeds with good ones).

The Lakeville Journal did an informal poll and found quite a few surprising choices for holiday films. The classic “A Christmas Carol” was vastly less popular than less upstanding films such as “Bad Santa” and the Die Hard film series (who knew those were Christmas movies?).

Let’s begin with my choices. I love “Holiday Inn” with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby (although the real star of the film is an old inn in Connecticut). It isn’t strictly about Christmas; it’s got all the holidays in it, but the climax of the film comes at Christmas. 

Writer John Torsiello agreed with me: “Bing Crosby crooning, Fred Astaire dancing, and Irving Berlin’s scores. And it introduced ‘White Christmas’ to the world. I mean, c’mon.”

A second favorite film of mine is “Christmas in Connecticut” with Barbara Stanwyck and Sydney Greenstreet. As with “Holiday Inn,” the real star of the film is an old farmhouse in Connecticut, IMO. 

Lakeville Journal Senior Associate Editor Bernard Drew agreed with me on this one, and wrote: “For several years, we have watched ‘Christmas in Connecticut’ at the holiday time. It has a preposterous plot and a rather fake-looking Connecticut, but our daughters (now both adults) delight in watching S.Z. Sakall and Sydney Greenstreet.”

Sakall is the Hungarian restaurant owner who saves the day in the film; he was also a minor character in the classic “Casablanca.” 

Before we move on to our other contributors, let me toss in two more to the mix: My daughter and I watch, every year with delight and without fail, “The Ref,” starring our Connecticut neighbors Christine Baranski and Denis Leary. Side-splittingly funny.

And a new holiday favorite for us: “Trading Places,” which was recommended to us by a friend’s son. Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis give a pair of Grinch-like old financiers a lesson in how to treat people, during the holidays and all year long. 

And now for our other suggestions: 

• Patrick L. Sullivan

“A Christmas Story,” 1983. “Fra-jee-lay.” The dogs next door. The kid who won’t eat. The bad word Ralph said, and blamed on his pal. Everything about this film resonates with me. I even bought a table-sized version of the Leg Lamp. 

• Jody Potter

“The Bishop’s Wife” with David Niven, Loretta Young and Cary Grant as the angel. 

I always walk out of that movie deciding to be super nice to everyone I encounter.

• Charlotte Hastings and Chelsea Edgar 

The Burl Ives Rudolph movie — the one with the Abominable Snowman, Percy, Yukon Cornelius et al. 

Why is it the best? 1) Claymation 2) A whimsical misfit toy that shoots jelly 3) An argument concerning split pea soup and peanut butter 4) A lovable, wobbly-kneed protagonist 5) All the singing is done by non-humans. We can’t stand humans singing to each other on screen. 

• Spencer Reiss

It would be hard to top Boris Karloff narrating “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (a kid-friendly 26 minutes, and it’s available on Amazon). Or at the other extreme: “Die Hard” (the 1988 original).

• Cynthia Kling

“White Christmas” does it for me every time. I even still choke up at the end. 

When I have had just about enough of everyone’s antics, I sit down and watch The Godfather, 1, 2 and 3. It restores the order in my mind.

• Tim Abbott 

“Joyeux Noel” (2005) Writer-Director Christian Carion’s moving take on the informal “Christmas Truce” that emerges — and then is promptly repressed — among Scottish, French and German soldiers on the Western Front in 1914. The outstanding international cast includes Daniel Brühl as a young Jewish German officer. Nominated for Best Foreign Language film of the year in 2006. 

• Cybele Loening

“Elf,” starring Will Ferrell. Need I say more?

• Kevin Wiggins

My favorite Christmas movie is called, “Bad Santa.” It’s a great depiction of a child’s prevailing kindness: The child’s kindness breaks the will of his caregiver, who is not nice at all. It helps reveal the true meaning of Christmas. And it’s hilarious. 

• Thomas Gallucio

“A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Great music, great ending. And, of course, “Bad Santa.”

• Anthony Ashmore

“Die Hard” and “Die Hard II”

As a lover of horror films, I’m not particularly one for Hallmark movies, or anything that falls into the warm, fuzzy or hokey category. With that said, I absolutely have made it  a tradition to watch “Die Hard” and “Die Hard II” every Christmas Eve, while I prepare our Christmas meal and well into the early morning. 

Bruce Willis is outstanding in it. His performance makes you root for him throughout each act of the film. Bonnie Bedelia is excellent as his wife and CEO of the company. 

It’s a simple premise: a holiday party gone terribly wrong and a cop who has a habit of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Add into account: tacky 1980s Christmas decorations, “an aged brie” and some huge explosions  and then you have something special that non-traditional Christmas fans can revisit each year. 

• Leila Hawken

Hmmm. An interesting question. Hard to answer. I’ve seen a number of holiday movie offerings, usually the older ones on TV, but am such a softie, that I have never really absorbed the endings, as I am weeping to the violin accompaniment. I weep when Rudolph can’t join in any reindeer games; I weep when Frosty melts; I weep when the misfit toys can’t find a home or Mr. Grinch discovers he has been in the wrong all along, or when Mr. Scrooge sees the light through Bob Cratchit’s windows.  

But, I guess I would need to give the nod to, of course, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” seen so many times that I know it turns out well, but just don’t know how it gets there, and why everyone in town came to gather in Jimmy Stewart’s living room. And then the old fellow gets his wings … 

• Mary Wilbur

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” because it’s a reminder that Christmas isn’t about the things, but about the love and the togetherness. And that given these, even the worst-seeming people will open their hearts.

• William Kinsolving

For Christmas, nothing else is appropriate except “Casablanca,” to re-examine what the conflicting responsibilities to self and cause are; to be reminded how love is totally dependent on fate and as such, how tough it is to find and keep love alive; and finally once a year to confront the eternal Hollywood challenge about what happens to Bogart and Raines in: The Sequel! 

• Varoujan Froundjian

I’m not a movies fan, but if you ask what my favorite holiday season treat is, it’s to watch Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker whether in a theater or on TV.

• Colter Rule

C’mon. It’s so obvious: “Miracle on 34th Street” … if Christmas IS for kids.

OK, you say ‘Soooo typical …so Old School.” But it’s knockout, and so charming and real — Still! Natalie Wood, irresistibly adorable, innocent and honest.

It won three Oscars! And it PROVES that Santa is REAL! In a court of Law! 

Great Fun for the whole family. I grew up on it, and the Macy’s Parade. It’s a great New York story, made in 1947 but timeless.

• Andrew Gates

The first “Die Hard” with Bruce Willis, which is also considered by many to be the greatest “action” film of all time.

• Elyse Sadtler

“Elf” with Will Farrell has always been a favorite of mine!

• Kristine Jennings

All the “Home Alone” movies are just too good not to watch —  especially the very first one, where the kid totally tortures the bad guys!

• Divya Symmers

I guess my favorite has to be the 1951 British version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with Alistair Sims as Scrooge. Never get tired of it, no matter how many times I see it. 

But I also love “Curse of the Cat People,” because it has an eerie but beautiful, snowy black-and-white garden scene set at Christmastime. 

I secretly enjoy “The Holiday,” that Kate Winslet movie about a lonely Englishwoman who swaps houses with an American woman (Cameron Diaz)  at Christmas.

• Tom Brown

I think it would be “Elf.” It’s just a funny movie to watch after all the effort that goes into getting ready for Christmas Day!

• Leon Graham

Dickens surely captured what Christmas is supposed to mean — the birth of hope, personal redemption, love for all others but also the slog of life — in “A Christmas Carol,” a story so timeless it has been made into nearly countless movie and TV versions, beginning with an obscure black-and-white film in 1901. 

But the best film version of Dickens’ 1843 story is, I think, the 1951 movie starring a magnificent Alistair Sim: curmudgeon giving way to frightened man haunted by ghosts and finally to a man returning to the world with joy and enthusiasm so energetic that he sings, dances, even stands on his head. This a movie for a family to watch when they tire of  the excesses of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

• Bruce T. Paddock

I have, believe it or not, only ever seen “It’s a Wonderful Life”once, when I was in my 20s. I cried at the end of it, so I guess it could be considered a favorite.

And despite the fact that I have never found Will Ferrell funny in anything else, TV or movies, that he’s ever done, “Elf” is a delightful holiday (or any time) movie that he is absolutely perfect in. Plus, y’know, Zooey Deschanel.

And “Casablanca” is the best movie of all time, even if I don’t think of it as a holiday movie.

“Gremlins?” Typical Joe Dante unevenness, but kinda entertaining. 

“The Muppet Christmas Carol?” 

“Christmas in Connecticut” because … well…. 

“The Shop Around the Corner” is fun and sweet. 

• Sophia Kaufman

While I love the classic black-and-white films as much as the next person, I couldn’t pick a favorite out of them, so these are the two I’m going with: 

I try to make my whole family watch “Elf” with me every year (multiple times) because even though it’s absolutely ridiculous, it captures almost every part of Christmas in New York City perfectly —  from high-strung, stressed-out store managers to cold businessmen to eye-rolling 20-somethings who have no time for holiday cheer, and it shows what it looks like to thaw everyones’ hearts, just a bit. Will Ferrell is chaotic, but the cast is hilarious and the story is sweet. 

I also grew up watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas;” I  have very fond memories of decorating our tree with that playing in the background. It holds a surprising amount of gentle wit that feels refreshing every year — especially because everyone feels like Charlie Brown at some point in the season. It also has the best soundtrack of any Christmas film I’ve ever seen, and I play it on loop for most of December.

• Janet Manko

First “Scrooged” with Bill Murray; then I can watch “White Christmas.” I have to work into it, that holiday spirit.