This is a list of movies which might be interesting around Christmas. ESL teachers may want to use selected scenes in the classroom or recommend these movies to their students.
Christmas Classics
A Christmas Carol (1951). Alistair Sim will always be Scrooge to me. Based on Dicken's tale about the meanest miser in London and his dramatic repentance. Dir. Brian Desmond Hurst.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). This was the animation debut for Snoopy and the gang. For anyone afraid of losing the Christmas spirit, this video is a must. Charlie Brown finds a ragged little Christmas Tree to love among all the artificial claptrap and Snoopy is lured to the commercial aspects of Christmas decorating. Dir. Bill Melendez
Dr. Seuss: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas ( 1974). A warm children's tale for the holiday season. Dir. Chuck Jones.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947 and 1994). A young girl's spirit of Christmas is renewed through contact with a department store Santa who claims to be Kris Kringle. Dir. (1947) George Seaton, (1994) Les Mayford.
Scrooge (1970). A musical version of Dicken's classic with Albert Finney in the title role. Dir. Ronald Neame.
Christmas Recommended
A Christmas Story (1983). A hilarious and heartwarming story of a Christmas in the 1940's. Dir. Bob Clark.
A Christmas Without Snow (1980). John Houseman as a dictatorial choir director who encounters problems while rehearsing Handel's Messiah is really worth watching. Dir. John Korty.
A Christmas to Remember (1979). A grandfather (Jason Robards) who has never recovered from the death of his son resents the visit of his grandson. His meaness makes the boy run away. Dir. George Englund.
Christmas Lilies of the Field (1984). Sequel to 1963 film with Billy Dee Williams playing Sidney Poitier's award-winning role. Dir. Ralph Nelson.
A Child's Christmas in Wales (1987). Based on Dylan Thomas' holiday classic. Dir. Don McBrearty.
Santa Claus-- The Movie (1985). An evil toy maker threatens the spirit of Christmas. Dir. Jeannot Szvarc.
Home Alone I and II (1990/1993). Comedies that remind us of the value of families. Dir. Chris Colombus.
The Christmas Wife (1988). A heart-warming story of a widower who goes to a lonely heart agency to find companionship for the holidays. Dir. David Jones.
Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986). Dolly Parton rediscovers the real meaning of Christmas. Dir. Henry Winkler.
Christmas Related (some only slightly)
The Gift of Love (1978). Inspired by O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi". Dir. Don Chaffey.
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear(1984). Mickey Rooney dies but comes back tospend one last Christmas with his grandson. Dir. Peter H. Hunt.
White Christmas (1954). For Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney fans this movie is a must. Dir. Michael Curtiz.
The Nightmare before Christmas (1993). Based on the Tim Burton story. Dir. Henry Sellick.
Scrooged (1988). Modern day twist to the Dickens classic with Bill Murray in the title role. Dir. Richard Donner.
Mixed Nuts (1994). Steve Martin and a bunch of other loonies face eviction at Christmas.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) Comedy about an advise columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) who arranges a phony family Christmas for the sake of publicity. Dir. Peter Godfrey.
The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle or Christmas Miracle in Coalfield USA (1977). Sappy story about a group of miners trapped in an underground explosion. Dir. Jud Taylor.
The Christmas Tree/When Wolves Cry (1983). Melodrama about a terminally ill 10 year old boy. Dir. Terence Young.
National Lampoon Christmas Vacation (1989). Frantic farce with Chevy Chase. Dir. Jeremiah Chechik.
When Harry Met Sally (1989). Romance comedy that comes to a close at Christmas and NewYears. Dir. Rob Reiner.
Mame (1974). Musical with Lucille Ball and Robert Preston includes some popular Christmas tunes. Dir. Gene Saks.
Die Hard I and II (1988 and 1990). Action, blood...ok, so they only happen at Christmas time!
Lethal Weapon I (1987). Well, the opening music is a Christmas carol. Dir. Richard Donner.
Earnest Saves Christmas (1988). Idiotic. Dir. John Cherry III.
Christmas Evil (1983). Black comedy about a toy factory employee who slowly goes insane. Dir. Lewis Jackson.
Home for the Holidays (1972). A chilling whodunit with Sally Field. Dir. John Llewellyn Moxey.
Black Christmas (1975). Deaths in a sorority house over the holiday season features Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder. Dir. Bob Clark.
Silent Partner (1978). Suspense thriller with Christopher Plummer portraying a psychotic criminal who disguises himself as Santa Claus. Dir. Daryl Duke.
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. II, No. 12, December 1996
http://iteslj.org//
http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Seasonal/Tatsuki-XmasMovies.html