christmas movies

Beautiful film about the true Christmas Story, handsomely cast and filmed with a solid Middle Eastern/Jewish flavor, and the best Three Wise Men I've ever seen. The incidental music incorporates well-known Christmas Carols throughout. A must-see movie for everyone.

Without a doubt, one of the most magnificent tellings of the beloved Dickens classic. Jim Carrey carries the show as Scrooge, Marley, and all three Christmas Spirits, but the real kudos go to the character of Bob Crachit as voiced by Gary Oldman. He's the definative Crachitt in my opinion. The film is a feast for the eye, the ear and the imagination, bring to sharp relief many of the points Dickens made in his story. A sublime joy with a lot of humor thrown in for effect.

The animated version of the famous children's story is depicted with a dreamlike beauty and wonderous good humor that has made it a great favorite of mine for many years.

Alistair Cooke is everybody's idea of what Ebeneezer Scrooge looks like. A thought-provoking on the rise of the Industrial Revolution, which made Scrooge and Marley into the corporate pirates they became, it explores Scrooge's past, present and future in greater depth than even Dickens did, and we soon come to see the cynical Scrooge as just a lonely, bitter, haunted old man who is angry with himself more than anyone. This very popular film tweaks the original story a little to add its own speculations, and many of them have since appeared in numerous other versions.

One of the most amazing and magical Christmas movies of all time! It is about a boy who has reached the age of doubt concerning Santa Claus, only to find he has a ticket to ride a mysterious train all the way to the North Pole. Very entertaining.

I am actually listing not only the Santa Clause, but to save space I am also including the second and third movies in this wonderful trilogy. Let's face it, Tim Allen really IS Santa Claus, and you too will be convinced by the time it is all over. The second and third films are not quite as good as the first, but they all form a delightful whole that is hard to resist. And yes, the age-old question is finally answered about how does Santa get into all those houses that don't have chimneys. Brilliant!

Patrick Stewart plays Scrooge in a thought-provoking way as a lonely cynic who learns to find joy in his life once again, especially concerning Christmas. Beautifully filmed, beautifully acted.

George C. Scott makes a wonderfully crusty old Scrooge in this fine British production where he is the only American actor. It borrows a lot from the Alastair Sim classic, and has a great supporting cast as well as a wonderful musical score.

Probably the most popular Christmas movie of all time, almost everyone knows Ralphie Parker, his brother Randy, his parents, his buddies Flick & Schwartz, and a dozen amazingly funny and familiar scenes involving an ugly lamp, a school theme, a frozen pole, a couple of bullies, and the unlikely "chinese turkey". Extremely satisfying story.

A man jaded by years of career climbing, he is no longer the kind man he once was, but a bitter cynic who cares for no one. Bill Murray is a perfect actor to play the Scrooge character because he is so adept at playing unpleasant, self-centered little man who turns out to be a pretty nice guy after all. It also shows the power the media might have of spreading love and goodness instead of cynicism. Nice movie.

This delightful "biography" is all about how St.Nicholas developed over the centuries into the much-loved gift bringer known around the world. You'll learn some interesting little tidbits.

Based on the poem by Dylan Thomas, this is the account of an early 20th century boy and one glorious Christmas when he was surrounded by friends, family, and a holiday to remember. Lovely period film.

The Doctor lands in Dickensian London in the midst of a perfect Christmas season. However, he meets a gentleman whom he thinks at first might be his future self. A fun story

It was inevitable with its themes of Past, Present and Future that the Doctor would find himself in a Charles Dickens story. This, of course, has its own twists and turns, taking place on a distant planet, and the Scrooge character played by Michael Gambon. You'll almost believe that the Doctor is Santa Claus.

The only Jim Varney movie I've ever enjoyed. In this one, Ernest is a Florida cab driver who unknowingly picks up Santa Claus at the airport, and the adventure begins. An underrated Christmas comedy, it is one that all ages will be sure to enjoy and treasure.

A Christmas Carol told with all the familiar gang of Disney characters, and starring Scrooge McDuck in his first film appearance as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Funny, touching, and clever, you'll be watching this every Christmas.

This time, the Scrooge is Michael Caine. The whole Muppet gang is there, and the familiar story is adapted to fit the Muppets. One curious twist: Scrooge's counting house seems well staffed with fuzzy workers while Cratchit (Kermit the frog) is a kind of supervisor. Full of the usual sight gags and in-jokes, it is great fun.

Silly and surprisingly pleasant, Buddy is a human raised by elves at the North Pole, but as an adult wants to learn about his human birth-parents. For his efforts, he gets a mom and dad, a kid brother, and a job writing books for kids. The North Pole denizens look surprisingly like those in the well-loved Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer stop-action cartoon. Oh yeah...his adopted elf father is played by Bob Newhart! Very funny film.

A less-well known Christmas treasure, this is the story of a Jewish boy who must sell the family donkey because it is too old to be a beast of burden. He meets with one disappointment after another until a kind-faced man makes him an offer. The young man has to travel to Bethlehem with his pregnant wife, and...well you can figure it out. Very heartwarming and sweet.