When the weather gets cold and dreary, there is nothing like snuggling under blankets and watching holiday flicks! Movies help extend the magical days of Christmas. We all have our favorites. Here are classic movies for all ages. Pop your popcorn and get your favorite warm beverage and pick one to watch this weekend.
Christmas Movies Appropriate for All Ages
Arthur Christmas (Rated PG) So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night? With an exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole, of course! But this year Santa's son, Arthur, has an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.
Home Alone (Rated PG) Macaulay Culkin stars as the 8-year-old kid who accidentally gets left behind by his family during Christmas break and has to protect his home from bumbling burglars. It will be as popular with your kids as it was in the 90s!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Rated PG) Jim Carrey stars as the green creature with a small heart in this hilarious full-length feature film directed by Ron Howard.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Not Rated) This classic from the 1950s stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney. It's full of old-fashioned, wholesome dancing and music.
Miracle on 34th Street (Not Rated) The real Santa Claus is hired to play himself at Macy's Department Store in New York City. His gentle, joyous spirit and magical powers soon transform those around him, including a little girl and her mother.
The Polar Express (Rated PG) A young boy lies awake in his room one snowy Christmas Eve when a train — The Polar Express — stops in his front yard and the conductor invites him aboard. What unfolds is an extraordinary adventure and a journey of self-discovery that shows the boy that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. Tom Hanks is the voice of many of the characters.
Mickey's Christmas Carol (Rated G) a short classic with Mickey and his friends made in 1983
Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas (Rated - G) 1977 This was a favorite of mine when I was little!
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Rated - G) This clay animation classic from 1964 will never go out of style. The best version of the Rudolph story.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Rated - G) This 1970 movie is based on the Carol of the same name and features Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney.
Frosty the Snowman (Rated - G) This short movie made in 1969 tells the story of how our favorite snowman comes to life and has been delighting children ever since.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Rated - G) Depressed at the commercialism of Christmas, Charlie Brown embarks on a search for the true meaning of the holiday.
Holiday Movies For Older Kids & Tweens
A Christmas Story (Rated PG) In the town of Hammond in the 1940s, Ralphie wants just one thing for Christmas — an official Red Ryder B.B. Rifle. But his mother, his teacher, and even Santa all tell him, "You'll shoot your eye out." Ralphie fears he'll never get the BB gun for Christmas, but there may be a surprise in store for him.
Elf (Rated PG) Buddy was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole where he was raised by elves. As an adult, Santa permits him to go to New York City to seek out his roots. Unfortunately, his birth father is on Santa's Naughty List, his 10-year-old stepbrother doesn't even believe in Santa, and everyone in the Big Apple seems to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Buddy sets out to win over his family, and save Christmas too. Starring Will Ferrell, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel, and James Caan.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Rated PG-13) Third in the National Lampoon series about the Griswold family. In this sequel, the Griswolds must deal with a holiday with their in-laws. Starring Chevy Chase.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Rated PG) Despite having recently presided over a very successful Halloween, Jack Skellington is bored with his job and feels that life in Halloweenland lacks meaning. Then he stumbles upon Christmastown and promptly decides to make the Yuletide his own. Written and produced by Tim Burton.
The Santa Clause (Rated PG) A divorced father's strained relationship with his son begins to mend after a strange accident transforms him into the new Santa. Starring Tim Allen and Judge Reinhold.
It's a Wonderful Life (Not Rated) George Bailey is a small-town man whose life seems so desperate he contemplates suicide. As he prepares to jump from a bridge, his guardian angel intercedes, showing him what life would have become for the residents of his hometown if he had never lived. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
Holiday Movies for Mature Teens & Adults
Four Christmases (Rated PG-13) Happily committed-but-unmarried couple Kate (Reese Witherspoon) and Brad (Vince Vaughn) find their exotic Christmas vacation plans canceled unexpectedly. Instead, they end up visiting all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day.
Joyeux Noël (Rated PG-13) This French film is based on the true story of a group of front-line soldiers who engaged in an unofficial cease-fire on Christmas Day during World War I. It won many international awards and was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film.
Love Actually (Rated R) This classic romantic comedy features an all-star cast that includes Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and many others. There are eight stories featuring eight interconnected couples, each navigating through the holidays — a joyous time for some and a lonely time for others — in their own way.
The Ref (Rated R) A dysfunctional family is abducted by a thief (the very foul-mouthed Denis Leary) after a robbery on Christmas Eve and he is forced to play referee to their endless bickering.
Scrooged (Rated PG-13) Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol" gets an update. It focuses on a television executive who exploits the holiday season to boost ratings. The cast of stars includes Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum, Bobcat Goldthwait, and John Forsythe.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Rated PG-13) The Griswold family goes on a hilarious and inappropriate Holiday adventure.
The Holiday (Rated PG-13) Two women having trouble with romance swap homes for the holidays.
BONUS: Any Hallmark-style holiday movie .I watched a few this season including A Castle for Christmas with Brook Shields, the Noel Diary (with Justin Hartley from This is Us).
