Holiday Movies: 7 Best And 3 Worst
Holiday movies are a Christmas staple. Can you imagine spending the Christmas holidays without watching some holiday-themed movie that you’ve probably watched dozens of times? Before you press “play” on your favorite holiday movies, check out the films listed below to see if you want to add a new title to your playlist this year.
7 Best Holidays Movies
1. Elf (2003) – Vudu
A character played by Will Ferrell was raised as an elf at the North Pole, but due to his non-elf size, the entire elf community is outraged after the elf is sent to the U.S. After twelve years, the movie is still as heartwarming and hilarious as it was back in 2003. Peter Dinklage, who portrays Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, makes a ridiculous appearance portraying a famous children’s author, IMDB reports.
2. Trading Places (1983) – Netflix
Two old millionaires make a bet that it’s not upbringing, but environment that shapes a person. According to IMDB, The two millionaires test the theory through their muses, played by Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, as they make a street hustler switch places with a snobbish businessman.
3. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) – Netflix
This twenty-eight-year-old movie is considered to be one of the best Thanksgiving movies of all time, according to IMDB. It has the good ol’ comedy formula, where an unwise dork helps a posh snob loosen up. The movie features a heartwarming and funny type of humor.
4. Love Actually (2003) – Netflix
This romantic movie tells the story about the lives of eight completely different couples who struggle in their love lives. Each character has their own issues to deal with, and they all intersect in some way. The movie is set in London, England. As IMDB noted, this holiday movie has opened the doors to Hollywood to many actors of the cast.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Netflix
The funny animation family movie was produced and written by Tim Burton, in which he combined Christmas and Halloween themes. According to IMDB, the movie tells a story about the life of Jack Skellington, who is the king of Halloweentown and in charge of the annual Halloween activities.
6. While You Were Sleeping (1995) – Netflix
This Christmas-themed movie is a great choice for the whole family. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy, who is a token taker for the train. As IMBD noted, Lucy secretly falls in love with one of her customers, named Peter (portrayed by Peter Gallagher). Lucy then saves Peter’s life, but the latter goes into a coma. In the hospital, Lucy is taken for his fiancée, which prompts her to be closer to Peter’s family while he is in a coma. But, here’s the rub: Lucy also has a crush on Peter’s brother, played by Bill Pullman.
7. Rocky (1976) – Netflix
Even though the movie centers around the sport of boxing, it is still a great movie for the whole family gathered at the Thanksgiving and Christmas table. It is believed that the script was written in just three days. And Sylvester Stallone received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. The movie won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Editing, according to IMDB.
3 Worst Holidays Movies
1. Surviving Christmas (2004)
It’s always awkward to see when a movie with a cast full of Hollywood superstars such as Ben Affleck, Catherine O’Hara and James Gandolfini, fail so hard, as IMDB noted. All the actors look depressed throughout all 91 minutes of the movie.
2. Happy Christmas (2014)
With such a poorly written story, dialogues feel raw and non-Christmas-like. Happy Christmas attempts to portray day-to-day life, which is unlikely to be enjoyable at the Christmas table.
3. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas (2013)
In the movie, Madea, portrayed by Tyler Perry, pours her unusual holiday spirit into a rural town, but then she is all of a sudden coaxed into helping a friend on Christmas. As IMDB noted, Tyler Perry’s character seems overly aggressive and vulgar, which is not the best type of a movie to watch at the Christmas table around your family and relatives.
Do you have any holiday movies to add to the lists – good or bad?
[Photo by Shutterstock]
