Top 10 Christmas Movies -Girl Edition
Welp, Christmastime has once again reared its reindeer-antlered, Santa-hatted head. The tinseled spectacle is currently 12 days away. This is the perfect amount of time in which to receive 184 gifts of birds from our devoted but shopping-impaired true love - if only the song’s narrator had sent him an Amazon wishlist!
12 days is also a very effective amount of time to spend becoming increasingly wound up: with anticipation and joy if you're a child; with anticipation and stress if you are distinctly and increasingly not a child. But, to split the difference, we adults who celebrate also have our own inner children who pipe up inside our brains, screaming such hysterical and untrue observations as, “Two trees? That's nowhere near enough!” and, “Joel waits all year for this fudge - we need to make more!” or even, “It’s not fair for Maddisyn to only get to open eight gifts, even though they cost the same amount as Jaxszen’s ten! You gotta go get her two more things!”
It's enough to drive a sane person straight to Crazytown. And it does. Ask me how I know.
So before you find yourself purchasing a reindeer hoof stencil and fake snow, or opening a new credit card to finance your sudden, unquenchable desperation for Beyblades, Squishmallows, and Magic Mixies, stop. Take a breather! Settle in with some hot cocoa and unwind with my selection of the Top 10 Girl* Christmas Movies:
*Note that these are not Hallmark made-for-TV movies: those belong on a list of Girly Christmas Movies. Please: there's a difference!
10 - The Shop Around the Corner
Set against a holiday backdrop, this sweet and silly tale of shopping, love, and mistaken identity will blunt the edges of your ceaseless mall-roving.
Stars James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan; 1940
9 - Home Alone
Once upon a time, you might've watched this with a vicarious thrill: being home alone! At Christmas! Now, you might feel the same frisson, fantasizing - however briefly - about the magic of a holiday getaway without your most, um, spirited little family member.
Stars Macauley Culkin, Catherine O’Hara, Joe Pesci; 1990
8 - Miracle on 34th Street
Watching this Christmas classic might just convince you, along with little Susan - and her harried single mother, Doris - that Santa Claus and his magic are real, after all. It's a welcome diversion from the hustle of being Santa yourself.
Stars Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwen; 1947
7 - When Harry Met Sally …
Maybe I'm playing a little fast and loose with the definition of “Christmas movie!” But the romance of a lifetime, 12 years in the making, comes to a head over the holidays for old friends Harry and Sally in this witty classic, and you can’t help but enjoy watching it all unfold.
Stars Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby; 1989
6 - It's a Wonderful Life
This one isn't quite as saccharine as you might think. Yes, it's about George Bailey coming to understand just how much he means to his family, his coworkers, and his community. But in order for angel-in-training Clarence to show him this, he must first face off with true suicidal desperation. If your Christmas cheer sometimes comes with a dark side, this one's for you.
Stars James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Henry Travers; 1946
5 - Muppet Christmas Carol
One of these things is not like the others, you might be thinking! It's true, this is the only list entry to star both humans and Muppets. But it's so well-done, both witty and poignant, that it'll hit you in all the holiday feels. Come for Gonzo, Miss Piggy, and Kermit at their Victorian best; stay for Michael Caine’s remarkably elegant straight-man interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge, complete with a doomed romance.
Stars Caine, Steven Mackintosh, and Meredith Braun in human roles, and Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson as Muppet interpretors; 1992
4 - Holiday Inn
An entertainment venue that's only open on holidays? More than 80 years after this movie’s debut, it's still a novel idea! Watch some of Hollywood's heaviest hitters sing and dance their way into each other's hearts as they celebrate every holiday from New Year's Eve to New Year's Day in the show that gave us the standards “White Christmas" and “Easter Parade" - each of which spawned their own films. (Keep reading!)
Stars Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Walter Abel, and Virginia Dale; 1942
3 - Love, Actually
Who's your all-time favorite actor? Whoever you named, there's a good chance that they're in this film. A master class in ensemble-cast work, the movie showcases several groups of family, friends, and lovers - from the Prime Minister himself to the doofiest cater-waiter and everyone in between - as they navigate the messy, elegant, deeply human experience of love at Christmastime.
Stars *takes a deep breath* Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, and everyone else in the world; 2003
2 - Meet Me in St. Louis
It's the movie that gave us “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!” Spend 1903 in St. Louis, MO, with the exuberant, boisterous Smith family as they look forward with pride to their hometown's moment in the spotlight. St. Louis is preparing to host the World's Fair, and the Smiths will be front and center - they think. At the last minute, a wrench is thrown into the family's plans, but everything is finally resolved by Christmas's power to open up the heart of even the most uptight, hassled, put-upon father.
Stars Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Tom Drake, Leon Ames, and Harry Davenport; 1944.
1 - White Christmas
For my money, “White Christmas" is the Christmas movie to top all Christmas movies.
Not to be confused with the similar "Holiday Inn,” “White Christmas" finds a pair of old Army buddies making it big on Broadway. When a sister act taps and twirls away with the guys’ hearts, they follow the gals to a picturesque ski lodge in Vermont, they're shocked to find that it's run by their much-respected former Army general - and it's about to go out of business. This is no kind of outcome for such an extraordinary man, they decide. So the foursome decides to combine all their star power to secretly create an exclusive, must-see show as a surprise for their beloved former general: it will save the struggling venue, and, more importantly, the commander's dignity.
Of course, hilarious hijinks, truly fantastic dancing, plenty of laughs, and true love are part of the package, and rightly so. Career highs are met in this excellent film - see Vera Ellen's dancing in the “Minstrel Show" and "Choreography” numbers, and Rosemary Clooney’s warm cognac alto performing “Count Your Blessings” and the absolute knockout number, “Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me.” Marvel at Danny Kaye’s impeccable comedic timing throughout - and, oh yeah, revel in Bing Crosby’s utterly perfect renditions of the nearly unmatched seasonal standard, “White Christmas.”
This is an especially great movie for those who already love musicals, or are looking for an entry point to Hollywood's Golden Age! For one thing, it's filmed in glorious color. The story is easy to follow, the song and dance numbers are all exquisite, and the chemistry between the stars is as palpable as with the buzziest, “are-they-or-aren’t-they" modern-day pairing.
But “White Christmas" tops this list because it also manages to remind us that the best part of Christmas is giving, not receiving. I defy you to watch Dean Jagger’s Major General Waverly moved by the realization of what his knuckleheaded former subordinates have been up to without wondering what you yourself can do for someone you respect who's struggling.
Stars Crosby, Kaye, Clooney, Ellen, Jagger, Mary Wickes, and Anne Whitfield; 1954
Yes, it is better to give than to receive. But remember, only give as much as you've got. Christmas will come around again, and you can celebrate your love for your family and friends 365 days a year.