Top 10 Best Holiday Movies

Christmas is easily the best time of the year. People exchange gifts, decorate trees and watch dozens of holiday specials. But which movies truly capture the essence of Christmas? Here are my top 10 picks for the best holiday movies ever!

10. Bad Santa (2003)
If you're looking for a good laugh during the holidays, this movie will deliver. A man plans to heist a mall safe, but more and more goes wrong as he progresses. There's just something funny about a drunken shopping-mall Santa!

9. Elf (2003)
There's nothing funnier than watching Will Ferrell portray a youthful elf in an adult’s body. In an attempt to find his family, Buddy the Elf brings the true meaning of Christmas with him. Elf is corny (in the best possible way), family-friendly and dripping with holiday cheer.

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
This completely bizarre Christmas story is filled with sweet tunes and amazing art direction. Done completely in stop-motion animation, this Halloween-Christmas hybrid will remain a holiday classic for years to come.

7. Home Alone (1990)
Eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left home alone when his family takes off for a Christmas vacation in France. Humour ensues as a couple of bumbling burglars try to break into the family home and Kevin is left to defend and fend for himself. Eventually the Christmas spirit brings the family back together.

6. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
When a man truly believes that he is Santa Claus, he is put on trial prove it. For a Christmas flick, Miracle is quite dark, but the end is utterly heartwarming. If this classic doesn't make you believe in Santa, nothing will.

5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
This is a hilarious Christmas film that is the ultimate example of a holiday disaster. Starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, the Griswold family has to deal with grandparents sleeping on chairs, wildlife encounters and Christmas light fiascos.

4. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Inarguably one of the best holiday classics, this movie shows how one man's life can affect so many people. It makes us realize what a wonderful life we have, and that the most important things in our lives are family and friends.

3. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Who could ever forget a holiday stick-in-the-mud like the Grinch? When he attempts to steal Christmas, The Grinch learns that the spirit of Christmas runs much deeper than he could ever imagine. Watch as his heart grows two sizes!

2. Scrooge (aka A Christmas Carol) (1951)
With dozens of adaptations, A Christmas Carol is a timeless and thoughtful tale that everyone is familiar with. This version is considered the most faithful to Charles Dickens’ original story, where Alastair Sim finds the subtlety in his character, Scrooge.

1. A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)
This is a story that truly captures childhood, and how self-centered yet innocent children can be. Christmas is all about memories, and comparing how we were in the past as well as how we look to the future. This is the best holiday movie of all time, as it captures the heart, humour and fun of Christmas.