Movies for Christmas

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.