Five Christmas Movies to Bring You Good Cheer
by EG
Sometimes it seems like Christmas movies these days, with all their grumpy irreverence, are more Scrooge than Santa. If Krampus, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Bad Santa and the like are not what you're looking for this season, here's a short list of sentimental favorites that you can find, no matter what your viewing options are.
Prancer (1989)
Filmed in a small town in Indiana, this one just oozes adorable Christmas charm. The story involves a young girl who has to convince skeptical adults that a reindeer she's hiding in a shed behind her house is really one of Santa's team. This oft-overlooked classic is airing repeatedly during ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas throughout December.
Elf (2003)
This one could have been cynical, but Will Ferrell's portrayal of the joyously naive Buddy the Elf is entirely sincere and endearing. Buddy, like many Christmas-movie heroes, must convince the hard-hearted people around him that the sentimental spirit of Christmas is the path of true happiness. You can find this one on ABC Family, too.
White Christmas (1954)
If Netflix streaming is your only viewing choice, try this classic from the Golden Age of Christmas entertainment. Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen star as singers and dancers who put on a show as a fund-raiser to save a quaint Vermont inn.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Of course, it doesn't get any more sentimental - or any more wonderful - than Frank Capra's legendary film about George Bailey, Bedford Falls and the true meaning of home and family. Watching this film is as much of a traditional Christmas event as chestnut-roasting and stocking-hanging. It airs on NBC on December 5 and again on Christmas Eve.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Yes, some of the best-known scenes in this movie feature a menacing Santa Claus and a kid shooting his eye out with a BB gun, but the heart of the film is about innocence and nostalgia. It's high on most lists of the best Christmas movies of all time, and it gives It's a Wonderful Life a run for its money. Catch A Christmas Story non-stop from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day on TBS' annual Christmas Story marathon.