christmas movie faves

When I was growing up, my parents and I would watch the same Christmas movies every single year, culminating with A Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve.  Because of those great memories, I love watching Christmas movies each holiday season.  There are so many fantastic Christmas movies, but these are my favorites.

8.  The Shop Around The Corner ::

 Years before the ever-popular It's a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart starred in another movie set at Christmas-time.  In The Shop Around The Corner, Stewart and Margaret Sullavan play two sales rivals at a gift shop who don't realize that the anonymous pen pals they are falling in love with are each other.  It's the pre-cursor to You've Got Mail and it's far more charming.

7.  Scrooge  ::

  The musical version of A Christmas Carol, starring the amazing Albert Finney in the title role.  It's a fun alternative to the classic version and you'll be singing, "December the 25th" all through Christmas.

6.  The Family Stone ::

Oh, this movie.  It kills me.  A neurotic Manhattanite, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, spends Christmas with her soon-to-be fiance's family and, let's be honest, they pretty much hate her.  So, to make the holidays bearable, she invites her sister (Claire Danes) to join them, and craziness ensues.  It's such a phenomenal ensemble cast (Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson) and I cry every single time.  It's funny and sweet and touching and I just love a good movie with a believable big family.

5.  Elf :: 

I mean, who doesn't love Elf?  It's fun for the whole family.  

4.  Love Actually ::

Okay, so I guess you could argue that this isn't a Christmas movie, but the whole dern thing takes place at Christmastime, so I dare you to defy me.  Also, a bumbling Colin Firth?  A bumbling Hugh Grant?  Liam Neeson and the world's cutest kid?  The Walking Dead guy with one of the greatest romantic gestures of all time?  It's awesome.  And every British actor you've ever loved ever is in it.

3.  Christmas in Connecticut ::

The gorgeous Barbara Stanwyck stars in this holiday screwball comedy about a food writer who has lied about being the perfect housewife and has to pretend to have a husband, a baby, and a farm in Connecticut to entertain her boss and a returning war hero at Christmas.  It sounds complicated, and it kind of is, but you'll have so much fun watching.

2.  A Christmas Carol ::

It's the quintessential Christmas story and NO ONE plays Ebenezer Scrooge better than Alastair Sim (I'm looking at you, George C. Scott).  He's fantastically sympathetic and when he finally has his Christmas morning epiphany, you can't help but giddily laugh along with him.

1.  The Bishop's Wife ::

This is my favorite Christmas movie of all time.  Cary Grant plays Dudley, an angel sent to answer the prayers of a Bishop (David Niven) who needs guidance.  Loretta Young plays the title role of the Bishop's wife and Dudley finds himself conflicted when he falls in love with the wife of the man he's sworn to aid.  As an added bonus, Monty Wooly plays a lovable old professor with some scene-stealing gold.  Loretta Young is stunning in this movie - you will fall in love with her, too.  It's hard not to root for Cary Grant to steal her away, but I promise the ending is the most satisfying of any Christmas movie you'll see.