Source: Pexels by Tima Miroshnichenko
From timeless classics to action and rom-com features, here’s the best Christmas films list that will always be in our minds and hearts.
- Meet me in St. Louis (1944) – directed by Vincente Minnelli
Stars: J. Garland, M. O’Brien, M. Astor, L. Bremer, T. Drake, L. Ames.
Plot: We are in St. Louis, Missouri, where the four Smith sisters live a comfortable, cheerful life. The contentment is soon devastated by the father’s plans to move to New York City for a job promotion, leaving behind their beloved home in St. Louis, just before the long-anticipated 1904 World’s Fair begins.
- Miracle On 34th Street (1947 and 1994)
1947 film: written and directed by George Seaton, based on a story by Valentine Davies (both won Oscars for Screenplay and Original Story).
Stars: M. O’Hara, J. Payne, N. Wood, and E. Gwenn (the latter also received an Oscar for Best Supporting Role).
1994 film: directed by Les Mayfield.
Stars: R. Attenborough, E. Perkins, D. McDermott, M. Wilson.
Plot: On Thanksgiving Day, Kris Kringle is very displeased about the man chosen to play Santa at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Event director Doris encourages Kris to take his place. He makes it so real that he’s hired to play Santa at Macy’s NY store on 34th street. When Doris asks Kris to tell her daughter he is not the real Santa, he refuses and insists that he is…
- Trading places (1983) – directed by John Landis.
Stars: D. Aykroyd, E. Murphy, R. Bellamy, D. Ameche and J. Lee Curtis.
Plot: Louis Winthorpe III, an upper-class broker, and Billy Ray Valentine, a trickster homeless, cross paths on Christmas Eve when Billy accidentally bumps into Louis, who in turn (believing he was being attacked) calls the police to have him arrested. They are unwillingly made the subject of an elaborate (one dollar) bet of brothers Mortimer & Randolph Duke to test how each man will perform when their life circumstances are swapped.
- Die Hard (1988) – directed by John McTiernan.
Stars: B. Willis, A. Rickman, A. Godunov, and B. Bedelia.
Plot: Hostages are taken from a group of German terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Amongst them there is Holly, estranged wife of detective John McClane, an NYPD officer who just arrived in the city of Angels hoping to reconcile and spend Christmas with his her. As events evolve, McClane sets up a one-man-against-all mission to save his wife and her co-workers.
- Home Alone (1990) – directed by Chris Columbus.
Stars: M. Culkin, J. Pesci, D. Stern, J. Heard, and C. O’Hara.
Plot: Kevin McCallister, is accidentally left home by his family on their way to spend Christmas in Paris. Two burglars who have been breaking into other vacant houses in the neighbourhood are now targeting the McCallister’s residence. Little Kevin will first trick them to think the whole family is still there but when his plan fails, he comes up with original ideas to defend his home.
- Love Actually (2003) – directed by Richard Curtis.
Stars: H. Grant, L. Neeson, C. Firth, E. Thompson, A. Rickman, K. Knightley
Plot: Billy Mack is a witty rock legend who, convinced by his manager Joe, has to record a Christmas version of a 1967 song (Love Is All Around) as a big coming-back idea.
Juliet and Peter are happy newlyweds which wedding is videotaped by Peter’s weird, best man Mark who’s keeping an unspeakable secret.
Karen is a dedicated mom and wife that fears her husband Harry is having an affair. She’s also sister to Prime Minister David, who’s captivated by raw, sweet Natalie, a member of his staff. These are, actually, just some of the stories…
- The Holiday (2006) – directed by Nancy Meyers.
Stars: K. Winslet, C. Diaz, J. Black, J. Law, E. Wallach
Plot: Amanda and Iris are two women from different parts of the world connected by disastrous love lives. They meet online on a home exchange website and decide to swap for Christmas. Amanda flies from her enviable Beverly Hills mansion to a lovely cottage in Surrey, England, where she meets Graham, Iris’s fine brother. Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, Iris meets Arthur, a former screenwriter, and Miles, a film music composer who works with Ethan, Amanda’s ex. “Legend has it, when Santa Ana blows, all bets are off, and anything can happen“.