Top Ten Christmas Movies 5-1

A couple of runners up: Love Actually, Serendipity, Elf, and Santa Claus Versus the Martians (MST3K version) all are in the Top 15. Another day the 15-6 might be a little different, but 1-5 is pretty stable.

5 A Charlie Brown Christmas – Good grief. I couldn’t make this list without including Charlie Brown. We’re getting deep into nostalgia territory now. And Sparky always seemed to deal with religion with a soft hand, which makes it so much more palatable. Who doesn’t want to Snoopy dance?

4 Die Hard – It’s beginning to look a lot like Alan Rickman wants to steal money from Nakatomi Corp. C’mon, it’s like it’s Die Hard in an office building. Wait…

3 It’s a Wonderful Life – Frank Capra Frank Capra Frank Capra. I love that this incredibly dark movie is such a Christmas classic. I came to It’s a Wonderful Life very late in the game and I love it. I love the sadness, the comedy, the performances, and the message. The best feel-good movie about holiday suicide ever.

2 How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Stink Stank Stunk! Chuck Jones and Boris Karloff seem like the most unlikely production dream team this side of Regis and that one guy. We've all seen it, and I'm man enough to admit my love.

I always watch the Grinch when I can. I don’t own it, but I don’t have to:I know it by heart (which grew three sizes just now).

1 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – That’s right, it’s me. I’m the one who loves Rudolph. Judging this on the ultimate movie criteria alone it wins: it takes me to a different place. As a child I kept lock step with Rudolph: when he’s shunned for his nose, I feel sad for him. When he starts his adventure I’m right there. Few cinematic images haunt me the way Yukon Cornelius putting himself between the Bumble and his friends stalk my subconscious.

Sure some of the songs are sub par, some of the songs are catchy. The animation is blessedly jerky. And the moral is clear: different works. It’s not some mamby-pampy “celebrate diversity” so much as it’s “be tolerant and it can work.” Rudolph just feels like Christmas.