The holidays mean different things to people, and that goes the same for our team of writers when it comes to the movies we like to watch during the holiday season. It was fun for each of us to share our top five favorite holiday movies. Some of us like the same movie, so there is a list of our overall top five favorites with details for where you can watch them. As inspiration for future travel, I have also included the location that the movies were either shot or is the setting for the story.
Need a break from studying for finals, shopping or just some holiday cheer? If you like the traditional classics or a romantic comedy we have something on our lists for you this holiday season.
Morgan's Top 5
The Holiday (California,England)
Arthur Christmas- Santa and his team of high tech elves forget to leave a present at a little girl's house. His clumsy son and father set out to deliver it with less than two hours until the end of Christmas Eve. (the UK)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Frozen (Norway)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Minnesota)
Julia's Top 5
Elf (Of course)- An adult elf who realizes he doesn't fit in, travels to New York City to find his real father. While trying to establish a relationship with his father chaos results. (NYC)
The Polar Express The Santa Clause (Ontario) Miracle on 34th Street (NYC) Love Actually (London)
Elon's Top 5
The Polar Express
The Best Man Holiday- College friends get together as a group 15 years later for the Holidays, reigniting long-forgotten rivalries and romances.
The Santa Clause
Home Alone 2 (Illinois)
Any cheesy romance movie on the Hallmark channel.
Martha's Top 5
It's a Wonderful Life (Seneca Falls, NY)
Annabelle's Wish-A young calf wants to learn how to fly so she can become one of Santa's reindeer. (Tennessee)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Very First Noel
A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart (London)
Gina's Top 5
Love Actually
Miracle on 34th Street(The original with a young Natalie Wood.)
The Year Without a Santa Clause (Who doesn't love the Heat and Snow Misers' song?)
Gremlins-A man gets a gift for his son from a shop in Chinatown. The gift, a mogwai, comes with a warning not to feed it after midnight, get it wet or expose it to bright light. When this happens a gang of gremlins terrorize the town on Christmas Eve.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (England)
Addison's Top 5 Nightmare Before Christmas
Christmas With the Kranks(Illinois) The Star Wars Holiday Special- Chewbacca and Han Solo are trying to get home to Chewie's family but are impeded by an Imperial blockade in this musical science fiction film set in the Galaxy. Home Alone Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Emma's Top 5
It’s A Wonderful Life– (This is my favorite movie of ALL TIME for several reasons! ) An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated man by showing him what his life would have been like had he never existed.
The Polar Express
Christmas with the Kranks
A Christmas Story
Elf – of course!
Katy's Top 5
The Grinch- The original cartoon.
It's A Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
The Holiday-Two women with relationship problems swap homes in each other's countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.
A Christmas Carol
Stokes' Top 5
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Colorado)
A Christmas Story- The Griswold family's plan for a big family Christmas turns into a disaster.
Muppet’s Christmas Carol
White Christmas
Elf
Abbi's Top 5
Elf
The Polar Express
Home Alone- An mischievous 8 year-old is accidentally left behind when his family rushes off for Christmas vacation. Two bumbling burglars try to rob his house, and he alone must protect the home.
The Santa Clause
Frosty the Snowman
Our Overall Top Five Holiday Movies
1. The Polar Express - Rent Now
2. Elf - Rent Now
3. The Santa Clause - Rent Now
4. It's a Wonderful Life
Watch Now on Amazon Prime.
5. Miracle on 34th Street - Rent Now