By Doyin Omidiran
As a former (but not reformed) movie buff, asking me to recommend just five movies is akin to asking me to pick my favourite pair of shoes, it will be unfair and nearly impossible! And so, in the spirit of Christmas generosity, here are ten of my favourite Christmas movies:
- Love Under The Mistletoe (Romance) – The Holiday (2006)
For some, the Christmas story represents the greatest love story ever told – a God whose love for the world was so great that He sent His only son to earth. In a similar vein of love is the movie, The Holiday, featuring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as two women who, after suffering similar heartbreaks, simultaneously take the decision to move across the pond for the Christmas season.
Come for the movie stars and lush visual aesthetics, stay for the snow-melting romance.
See also: The Last Holiday (2006)
- A Christmas Classic (Classics) – A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
It is the rare movie that captures the different facets of the Christmas spirit – joy, peace, family, giving and hope – so fully to become beloved and entrenched in the imaginations of people of all ages. These rare movies become as timeless as your favourite Christmas carol.
Don’t let the release date and animation scare you off! The central issue this movie addresses – the commercialisation of Christmas – is as timely now, even more so now, as it was in the 60s. Yet the heart-warming message and the happy ending (not to mention its killer Christmas jazz soundtrack) of this movie will guarantee a re-watch next year, and the years after.
See also: It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
- Santa’s Naughty List (Dark Comedy) – Bad Santa (2003)
Let’s face it, some of us are bound for Santa’s naughty list – inadvertently or not (see: the lady who cheated on a list of 5 movie recommendations for the Christmas season). If you find yourself on the naughty list, don’t worry it is always more fun on this side. As film buffs learn in Movies 101 – everyone loves a good villain!
Billy Bob Thornton stars in this dark comedy as a cantankerous mall Santa with a proclivity for stealing and a heart of gold. This movie should serve as evidence #1 when we make the case for Santa to create a separate naughty but nice list.
See also: Grinch (2018)
- ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly (Comedy) – Home Alone 1 & 2 (1990 & 1992)
Comedy does not necessarily come to mind when one thinks of the Christmas season, however these movies will have you laughing so hard your cheeks become as red as Rudolph’s (melanin notwithstanding!).
Nothing says family quite like forgetting your youngest son at home as your family rushes to catch a flight to Paris. Luckily for viewers, this conceit sets up what is – in my humble opinion – one of the funniest movies of the 90s. Kevin McAllister’s antics may have inspired one or two childhood hijinks and his triumphs was probably the first clue for millennials that adults are maybe not as smart as they pretend to be.
See also: This Christmas (2007)
- The Reason for the Season (Faith Based) – The Nativity Story
For those of us who grew up in the church (and even for some who didn’t), the nativity story is a tale as old as time – the story of Joseph, Mary and little Jesus born in a manger; the magi who, after seeing his star, brought gifts and worshipped him; the threat from Herod when he hears about the birth of the Messiah. What The Nativity Story does is tell the story beautifully.
Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac, The Nativity Story highlights Christians of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ and helps us get to the root of why exactly we celebrate this season.
See also: Saving Christmas (2014)
