Christmas Favorites: Movie Edition

Watching Christmas movies is my favorite way to spend a cold December evening. There are many good ones to be watched each year and most of mine are favorites that I grew up on. But last year I began expanding my horizons a bit after I discovered some of the Hallmark Channels Christmas films.

Sadly, though, this year between work and other activities there hasn't been much time for movie watching. I've been able to fit a few in, though not as many as I'd like. Hopefully I'll be able to fit in more these next few weeks, especially since I have a lot of Hallmark movies sitting on the DVR begging to be watched!

Anyways, today I'm sharing my all time favorite Christmas movies. They're in no particular order, as I doubt I could pick one as better than the other.

P.S. Please pardon the wonky formatting. I keep trying to fix it, but it just keeps getting worse!

Eloise at Christmas Time

{2003}

STARING
Julie Andrews as Nanny
Sofia Vassileva as Eloise
Gavin Creel as Bill
Sarah Topham as Rachel Peabody
Rick Roberts as Brooks

Bill: So, how's that Christmas list coming?
Eloise: Still one or two items short.
Bill: How many you got so far?
Eloise: Seventy three. What? I think it's nice to give Santa lots of options.

The only reason I know about this movie is because it would play every year on the Disney Channel. It's sad that it isn't more well know, as it's such a fun film that I love just as much now, at nearly twenty, as when I was little. The glamorous Plaza, fun characters, witty lines, and Julie Andrews. What's not to love?!?! The scenes with Bill at the piano with Eloise and Rachel are some of my favorite parts.

Synopsis: Eloise resides at the Plaza Hotel with her parents, and like much of the hotel staff, she's excited about the upcoming marriage of Rachel Peabody, the daughter of the hotel's owner, to handsome Brooks Oliver. However, Eloise learns that Brooks' motivations for marrying Rachel are not sincere, and so the youngster tries to sway Rachel away from her fiancé and toward Bill, a good-hearted waiter in the hotel's restaurant.

White Christmas
{1954}

STARING

Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace

Danny Kaye as Phil Davis

Rosemary Clooney as Betty Haynes

Vera-Ellen as Judy Haynes

It wasn't until I got into classic movies that I actually liked White Christmas. But now I think it's fantastic and consider it one of my favorite movies, not just Christmas. The dance numbers are wonderful and The Best Things Happen While Your Dancing happens to be one of my all-time favorites.

At first glance, you wouldn't exactly consider it a comedy, but there a lot of great funny lines that you have to pay attention to to get that they're funny. Even though it's the only movie I've seen him in, I think Danny Kaye is fantastic in it and is easily my favorite character in the film.

Synopsis: Having left the Army following W.W.II, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters (Betty and Judy) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, as the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

{2008}

STARING

Brook Burns as Jennifer Cullen

Henry Winkler as Uncle Ralph

Warren Christie as Morgan Derby

Connor Christopher Levins as Brian Cullen

Last December I started watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. Even though most of them are one time watched for me, I really like It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. The whole story is slow and simple, but the characters are really like-able and the casting was really well done. It even has Henry Winkler in it!

Synopsis: The overwhelming tasks that go along with Christmas have taken the joy out of the holidays for busy single mom Jennifer Cullen. Then her Uncle Ralph arrives at her home with the young, handsome Morgan Derby. Morgan's love of Christmas, and life, is contagious and as Jennifer glumly navigates through the holidays, she soon realizes that what she needs most is right under her nose. 

The Santa Clause

{1994}

STARING

Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus

Judge Reinhold as Dr. Neil Miller

Wendy Crewson as Laura Calvin Miller

Eric Lloyd as Charlie Calvin

David Krumholtz as Bernard

I can't remember ever NOT watching The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2 in December when I was young. They're both definitely my most watched holiday films. Some people don't like the sequels at all compared to the first film, but I enjoy all three.

The Santa Clause is classic. Whenever I think of it the first thing that comes to mind is on Christmas Eve when the camera pans from the yummy Christmas dinner to Scott's using the fire extinguisher on the turkey in the oven. But what I think makes this movie--and the sequels--sand out is the way the pulled off the whole North Pole and Santa. They made it so real and believable, where all the other movies I seen make it seem really cheap and corny.

Synopsis: Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife Laura and Charlie's psychiatrist stepfather Neal have informed his son that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, Scott dons the red suit and delivers gifts to the rest of the world after the real Santa falls off his roof. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard while Charlie regains his Christmas spirit. However, Neal becomes concerned about Scott's sudden change in appearance and insistence that he's Santa, and he forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. 

The Santa Clause 2

{2002}

STARING

Tim Allen as Santa Claus/Scott Calvin

Elizabeth Mitchell as Carol Newman

David Krumholtz as Bernard

Eric Lloyd as Charlie Calvin

Spencer Breslin as Curtis

The Santa Clause 2 was definitely my favorite growing up. Even though I can't stand Toy Santa, I like the storyline in this one best. There was a lot more scenes in the North Pole, which I think is great as it's really neat looking.

Neil and Laura always bugged me in the first movie, just 'cause they're rude and kinda grumpy to Scott, but in this film they're so much happier and fun, which I like. 

The scene when Scott plays Secret Santa at the party is fun and the part when Lucy meets Curtis is one of the best. It doesn't have the same effect when you explain it; you just have to see it!

Synopsis: Scott Calvin has been Santa Claus for the past eight years, and his loyal elves consider him the best Santa ever. But Scott's got problems. His son, Charlie, has landed on this years naughty list and Santa himself is mysteriously de-Santafying. To top it all off, if Scott doesn't get married by Christmas Eve, he'll stop being Santa forever. Desperate both to find a wife and help his son, Scott heads back home, leaving a substitute Santa to watch after the North Pole. But when the substitute institutes some strange redefinitions of naughty and nice, putting Christmas at risk, it's up to Scott to return with a new bag of magic to try and save Christmas.

The Santa Clause 3

{2006}

STARING

Tim Allen as Santa Claus/Scott Calvin
Martin Short as Jack Frost

Elizabeth Mitchell as Carol Newman
Spencer Breslin as Curtis

Eric Lloyd as Charlie Calvin

The main reason I like The Santa Clause 3 is because of Martin Short who played Jack Frost. Best part of the movie right there! The sadist part is that Bernard the elf isn't in this one. Curis is in it, but he's just not the same. One of the best parts is when Neil, Laura, and Lucy all go to the North Pole for the first time. Neil and Laura were like kids in a candy store!

When you really think about it, nothing really happens in the movie. The storyline it's self is very simple and short and there's lots of character time surrounding it. The characters are what make it fun for me, so I don't mind too much.

Synopsis: Now that Santa/Scott Calvin and Mrs. Claus/Carol Calvin have the North Pole running smoothly, the Counsel of Legendary Figures has called an emergency meeting on Christmas Eve!. The evil Jack Frost has been making trouble, looking to take over the holiday. So he launches a plan to sabotage the toy factory and compel Scott to invoke the little-known Escape Clause and wish he'd never become Santa.

So, what are some of your favorite Christmas films?