Top 10 Christmas Movies List

It was a late night tonight. My family and I just finished watching The Polar Express on the ABC Family Channel's 25 Days of Christmas programming. That movie is slowly turning into one I always want to watch around Christmas, but it's not on my Top 10 Christmas Movies List. No, it's pretty tough to crack that list.

Here's my Top 10 list:

1. It's a Wonderful Life. This is not only my favorite Christmas movie; it's my favorite movie. Period. I love the lessons it teaches, the characters it has, and the ending always makes me tear up. Always.
2. A Christmas Story. Ralphie and his Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! Triple Dog Dare! Ovaltine! The Lamp! If you don't watch this movie around Christmas, you might as well shoot your eye out, kid.
3. A Christmas Carol. Any of the versions will do, whether it's the recent Jim Carrey version or the Mr. Magoo Christmas Carol. Disney made a nice version, of course, and there are the black & white versions, the color versions, etc. You really can't go wrong with this one.
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas. The music is great, and the Peanuts characters don't pull any punches in explaining the true meaning of Christmas and attacking the commercialism that will always obscure that meaning. Speaking of which...
5. Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to The Year Without a Santa Claus, these out of this world Christmas Specials really seem to both get the true meaning of Christmas and confuse it at the same time. But they're still great fun. (By the way, check out my Create Your Own Crazy Holiday Special to have a shot at winning a prize from me.)
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I'm more inclined toward the cartoon version of this story, but I applaud the Jim Carrey version for trying to update the story and fill in some cracks. The Grinch despises Christmas because of the noise and commercialism, but when he realizes the true meaning, even his heart melts (and expands).
7. Miracle on 34th Street. Does Santa Claus exist? This movie attempts to explain that question, and the only good version of this movie is the original black & white.
8. Elf. It's hard for a newer movie to crack my Top 10 Christmas List, because there's sentimental value attached to each one on the list, but Elf made it through an amazing combination of humor and Christmas spirit.
9. Home Alone. I was torn on whether to include this one or Santa Claus the Movie, but I included this one because it really is a family movie. A spoiled brat realizes the importance of family around Christmas even as his mother does everything in her power to get reunited with her son.
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is half-Halloween movie and half-Christmas movie. The music is amazing, and the story is great. It might be scary for the little-little ones though.

You'll notice that this list is pretty family oriented.

Here's my Adult Top 5 list of Christmas Movies:

1. Love Actually. I actually love this movie--it's tied with It's a Wonderful Life as my favorite movie, and there are multiple scenes that make me wet-eyed in this movie.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Totally funny. Maybe the funniest Christmas movie ever.
3. Scrooged. A crazy 80s spin on A Christmas Carol and the Scrooge story.
4. Gremlins. Just thinking of gremlins gets that catchy theme music in my head (if you've seen Gremlins, you know what I'm talking about). Part funny, part sweet, and part mayhem--this movie is totally Christmas.
5. Die Hard. You knew it was coming. For those who want guns and violence for Christmas, this is the movie for you.

If your fave Christmas movie was snubbed, I'm sorry. I'd love to see your list.

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Check out these other Christmas posts:

• My Top 10 Christmas CDs post.
• Create Your Own Holiday Special Challenge post.