I’ve never had that urge to pack up my things and move somewhere far away from home to start anew—like many people my age have told me about.
Every year I seem to fall in love more and more with everything about Michigan: the varying scenery never gets old, people in the Upper Peninsula are never in a hurry, and the change in seasons provides an air of unpredictability each day.
Unlike some people, I love the fact that we experience spring, summer, fall, and winter to the fullest extent.
Although the bitter temperatures that come with the later months make me a little crazy, the snow is what makes it worth it. Put simply, Christmas doesn’t feel right without the elegant, white blanket coating the ground.
Along with the snow, there are pop culture elements that make the season what it’s always meant to be; I adore vintage Christmas music, but most of all, it’s the seasonal films that give me the warm, nostalgic feeling that the holiday needs. So, I’ve compiled a list of Christmas movies that are essential in my house during the frigid nights spent on the couch.
The Santa Clause – “Just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Being one of the classics in my family’s household, this wasn’t just a film played during winter but throughout the entire year. When divorced dad, Scott (Tim Allen), and his son, Charlie (Eric Lloyd), spend Christmas Eve together and are involved in an incident that kills a man dressed as Santa, Scott believes he’s dreaming when they’re transported to the North Pole and given a set of instructions: by this time next year, Scott will have had to take on the responsibilities of Santa in preparation for the holiday. In the following weeks, as he begins to gain weight, a bushy beard, and his hair starts to grey, there is no other explanation, and he accepts his new position but struggles to keep it a secret from his skeptical family. Though IMDb gives this film an unfair rating, the physical humor and witty dialogue—specifically in the first of the three films—have made Allen a symbol of the holiday.
New in Town – “We talk funny, and we icefish, and we scrapbook, and we drag Jesus into regular conversation.”
Though this isn’t the most popular film, or the best-reviewed, it doesn’t take much for me to be impressed if it has a humorous aspect. Visioning a promotion in her future, a well-off Miami consultant, Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger), takes a job in a small, rural community in Minnesota, overseeing the reorganization of a manufacturing plant. Apart from her rocky first impressions, she readjusts to the freezing climate and finds herself attracted to the charm of the picturesque suburbs in the midwest—not to mention her resentment for the handsome mayor, Ted (Harry Connick, Jr.), thawing into admiration. However, when she’s ordered to shut down the plant and erase one of the main jobs in town, she’s forced to rethink her professional priorities. For whatever reason, I tend to be captivated by films that are set in the Midwest; I really enjoy seeing how Hollywood portrays our quirks and antics. From the Upper Northern dialect to the subtle humor in the genius of Zellweger, this film perfectly encapsulates what the holiday season is all about.
Just Friends – “The truth is, I’m scared to be your friend because I’m always going to want more. But then I got to thinking I would rather have you in my life as a friend than not at all.”
Occasionally, Christmas is portrayed more seriously in many seasonal films, but this is one of the comedic performances that bring a lighthearted atmosphere to this time of year. During high school, Chris (Ryan Reynolds) professes his love to his best friend, Jamie (Amy Smart). After getting harshly friendzoned, he moves away and makes it big in the record business, where he’s involved with Samantha James (Anna Faris), a narcissistic pop star. Returning home for the holidays rekindles the love he still holds for Jamie all these years later, and he tries to win over her heart before rival Dusty Dinkleman (Chris Klein) does. With Reynold’s The Proposal being a favorite of mine, this film similarly showcases his talent in every area of comedy. Being one of the rare moments that I actually have to pause the TV because I’m laughing so hard makes this a crucial movie to brighten up the dark winter nights.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – “Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas.”
Being titled arguably the most quotable film of all time—in my opinion, of course—is what keeps this movie rated high in popularity and makes it one of the Christmas films. As Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is due to receive his holiday bonus any day, his hopes are high for the season as the family prepares to host Christmas for their family. But, just like any other Griswold film, everything goes horribly, but predictably, wrong. Having to deal with neighborly issues, impatient kids, and his eccentric extended family is no easy task, as Clark soon learns, but he is determined to make it work so the holiday is worthwhile. I believe this film paved the way for every other seasonal comedy that came after it. Though it was a big box office hit when it was released, it’s only gone uphill from there. Every time winter comes around, the air is full of memorable lines from the dysfunctional Griswold family.
Home Alone – “I made my family disappear.”
Since my early elementary school days, the first two Home Alone editions have been the films that come to mind when Christmas is mentioned, simply because of the countless times I’ve seen them. In the first movie, when Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind for his family’s holiday trip to Paris, he’s excited to have the house to himself. But after he realizes his need to defend the house from a pair of burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), and his elaborate traps attempt to deter them, his only Christmas wish is for his family to return. The second film follows the same concept but is set in New York, as Kevin gets on the wrong flight. Not only did this series display the height of physical comedy, but it also proved the acting range of Pesci, being one of his first comedies with a face recognizable in gangster roles.
Frosty the Snowman – “As any child can tell you, there’s a certain magic that comes with the very first snow, especially when it falls on the day before Christmas.”
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been notorious for annoying my parents by hyperfixating on a movie or TV show, making it the only thing I watch. The early 1969 version of Frosty’s journey was the first thing I remember bothering my family with. As a stage magician’s hat brings a schoolgirl’s snowman to life, it becomes her task to get him to a colder climate so he can survive his melty fate before spring arrives. On the train ride north, they grow closer but fail to realize that the magician is following them to retrieve his hat. This old Hollywood cinema masterpiece creates that same warm atmosphere I get from other seasonal animations around that time: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town are also both pictures that go down in the Christmas history book.
The Holiday – “You’re supposed to be the leading lady in your own life.”
My Gram has a burning passion for the Hallmark Christmas specials, but I prefer the holiday rom-coms, such as this one, that utilize a bigger budget and a less cliche script. Two strangers who live on opposite sides of the world decide to swap houses for the season; Iris (Kate Winslet), after falling for a taken man, moves to Amanda’s (Cameron Diaz) sunny Los Angeles mansion, while Amanda experiences the bleak English countryside for the first time. As they adapt to their new environments, a romance begins to blossom for both of them. The humor and realistic romance this movie embraces exude the perfect Christmas ambiance the holiday deserves—and is a little more tolerable than the acting on the Hallmark channel (sorry, Gram).
A Christmas Story – “‘ A Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time.’ Poetry. Sheer poetry.”
I saved the family favorite for last. Once the time comes, every year, this film becomes our entire personality. Set in the early 1940s, Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) has only one thing on his Christmas list: a Red Ryder BB gun. But his hope for the gift wanes as his parents, his teacher, and the Santa he tells at the mall all tell him he’ll shoot his eye out. When the anticipated day finally arrives, his dream present threatens to tear the family’s holiday apart. A majority of the Christmas decorations at my house have something to do with this film—the leg lamp we put in the window proves my point immediately, not to mention the fact it’s routine to turn on the channel that plays the movie all day long. A Christmas Story has become a crucial part of the Szpieg holiday traditions.
Over the years, it’s become clear that I’m not the only film buff in my family. They may not be as particular as I am, but when it comes to the holiday season, what plays on the TV constantly seems to matter more; everyone is always happy as long as one of these movies is playing.
