Keep reading all the way to the bottom for the winners of the two most recent Advent giveaways, and my next to last giveaway of the season, which just might help you enjoy these Netflix recommendations a little more. Speaking of that . . .
As I’ve written about here and talked about here, our family likes to avoid watching Christmas movies during Advent, then we watch one movie every night of the twelve days of Christmas while eating Christmas treats in a cinematic and gastronomical Christmasplosion . . . for Baby Jesus.
But this new baby has been making me feel pretty Netflix-y, and, since I’m a responsible parent AND a professional blogger . . . I decided to make the sacrifice of pre-screening many, many Christmas movies that Netflix Streaming has to offer. This way, I’ll know that I’m offering my children and you, gentle reader, only the BEST and most enriching in Christmas entertainment.
Until very recently, this was my favorite version of A Christmas Carol. I’ve watched quite a few and they have always been too badly animated, or too badly musical, or too Jim Carrey for my taste. So, even though this one is very short, and takes quite a few liberties with the plot, I’ve always really liked it. As have my kids. We love how familiar characters are cast in the story and how it manages to get Dickens’s message of redemption across with humor. There are some slightly scary parts, but it’s Goofy as the ghost of Marley, and Pete as the undertaker, so I really think all but the most sensitive kiddos would be okay with it. It’s a good starter version.
It’s available on Netflix Streaming as a part of Snowed In at the House of Mouse.
The Mickey one used to be my favorite version, but now this is. By a landslide. It’s the Muppets, so, like Mickey’s version, we’ve got familiar faces in the roles, but in this version we also get great songs, top notch live actors, and a VERY faithful adaptation of the book, complete with actual quotes.
I actually think this version is also a little less scary than the Mickey one, but it’s more sophisticated plot may be more difficult for little kids to understand. But they won’t mind, because they’ll be watching Kermit.
And, just as a quick aside, if you find yourself poking about on Netflix and you think to yourself, as I did, “Hey, there’s Scrooged! I loved that movie when I was a kid. I’ll be a cool mom and let my big kids watch it this year.” I’m just going to tell you that there is a The Walking Dead-worthy zombie-esque Marley, and Solid Gold Dancers and the nipples of Solid Gold Dancers in this movie. And maybe other stuff, but that was as far as I made it. And I’ll let you decide from there.
I am a huge fan of Bing Crosby, and we watch a lot of his movies as a family. So I was really excited to see this one available on Streaming this year. It’s got war and slapstick for the boys and dancing and romance for the girls, how could you go wrong?
It’s mostly just an excuse for a bunch a musical numbers, but there is a sweet story of helping out an old buddy woven in there. Plus Phil tells Bob that what he really needs to do is get married and have nine kids.
Speaking of Bing Crosby, we also love this classic sequel to Going My Way. It’s very funny and very Catholic, and features an adorable Christmas pageant, which makes it appropriate for the season.
It would be worth watching just to hear Bing Crosby singing as Fr. O’Malley, but you also get Ingrid Bergman as Mother Superior teaching a little boy to box. And there’s a grumpy rich old coot and the sisters’ blind faith in miracles, and it’s all just lovely. It’s slower than today’s movies, of course, but my kids really think it’s funny.
These are the two Veggie Tales Christmas movies available on Netflix Streaming. Our family actually usually watches the St. Nicholas one on December 6th for St. Nicholas Day, and we’ve got another, older Veggie Tales movie called The Star of Christmas
that is in our regular Christmas movie rotation. But, really, you mostly can’t go wrong with Veggie Tales. They are funny and clever and sweet. We like ’em.
Here’s where I’m going to go a bit rogue on you. Because when I said I watched a lot of Christmas movies on Netflix, I mean I watched a LOT of Christmas movies on Netflix. Including this grainy black and white movie from the 40s wherein a bunch of little kids defeat some horse thieves. It’s like Australian Home Alone.
I love how independent the kids are. You see them lugging saddles around for themselves. The boys ask their mom if they can head off a day’s horseback ride away to go camping, and her response is, “Sure, but you have to bring your sister and your little brother.” Which is AWESOME. The kids are brave and resourceful and responsible.
One note: it’s from a different time, and the aborigional people are referred to as “blacks” in a way that seems really noticeable to today’s ears. I’m okay with just discussing this with my kids, but it might be uncomfortable for some. It’s also not ALL that Christmasy. It IS Christmas in the movie, but it’s also summer, because Australia is weird like that.
Okay, okay, I KNOW. But, really this isn’t a joke. I actually intend to show this movie to my kids and husband over our Christmas break. Yes. It is super cheesy. There are people in green spandex suits and a bad guy with an evil mustache growing through his green face paint.
But this movie actually has a lot going for it, as far as I’m concerned. Santa is dignified and heroic. He is generous and loving towards his Martian captors, but in the end, he conquers them. I think it’s a pretty accurate depiction of how the historical St. Nicholas might have behaved in such a situation, although maybe there would have been more punching.
Also, as in the movie above, the children make brave and selfless decisions. I want to encourage that kind of thinking in my kids. And, mainly, I just think it’s going to be really hilarious to watch as a family.
And . . . that officially exhausts the Christmas movies on Netflix that I feel would be appropriate and enjoyable for all members of our family. But since there are twelve days, I’ll also share with you the other four movies we’ll be watching even though it will mean kneeling on the floor and waiting for the little DVD drawer to open like some sort of cave person.
We usually watch the Veggie Tales version of this story AND the classic black and white version. I HOPE my kids prefer this one, but it’s hard to tell. There are a lot of sweet, funny moments, and the message is timeless. Its theology about angels is, um, how to put this . . . totally wrong. But we just explain to our kids that people don’t become angels when they die anymore than cockroaches become horses when they die, and then we enjoy the movie.
Hee-haw and Merry Christmas!
Our whole family loves this movie, but perhaps we shouldn’t. The dad uses gibberish words instead of actual swear words, but there are a handful of lesser but still significant bad words in there. It’s got the infamous leg lamp, which Ralphie caresses. The department store Santa is mean, and Ralphie is pretty convinced that the meaning of Christmas is Getting Stuff. Still, somehow, it seems fun and funny and lighthearted, and the family is loving. We’re going to watch it again this year, but it’s okay with me if you don’t.
This one is another Tierney family favorite, but maybe not for everyone. It has some language, an unpleasant family fight right at the beginning, and a very brief scene of Kevin finding and tossing aside an adult magazine. (Nothing that a quick trigger finger on the remote can’t handle.) It also has an extraordinary amount of comic slapstick violence that results in very nasty looking injuries.
BUT. The sound track is perfect, the kid is brave and resourceful, and there is a message of forgiveness and redemption and the importance of family. There are beautiful scenes involving a Catholic church, in which a character listens to his granddaughter’s choir sing Christmas carols, and Kevin hides from the bad guys in a life-size nativity scene.
Okay, to finish with here, let’s go non-controversial. The Small One is a classic Jungle Book-era Disney animated short film. It’s sweet and fun and has catchy, if not-always-relevant-to-the-plot musical numbers. And, spoiler alert, it’s got the Baby Jesus at the end.
We have it in Volume 9 of Walt Disney’s Classic Cartoon Favorites, titled Classic Holiday Stories. But it also seems to be available on YouTube.
These are my honest opinions, but it’s a sponsored post. And there are affiliate links, too, clicking the titles of the movies will take you to Amazon. (By the way, thank you SO MUCH to all of you who have been shopping through my affiliate links this year. It doesn’t cost you any more, and it makes our family a few pennies every time, which have really added up. I am very grateful to each of you!)
The giveaway is closed. Thanks to all who entered!
There’s another giveaway coming, to help you watch all these crazy shows I’m always going on about.
But first, I’ve got some winners to announce.
The winner of the Alison Oliver BabyLit print and copy of the new book Doodle Lit
is: Tori who liked the Jungle Book prints! (check your email)
The winner of the set of Shining Light Dolls
The winner of the Whole Parenting Goods scarf is: Megmckham (please email me by Thursday)
and
The winner of the ebook copies of Feast! and More Feasts! is: Elizabeth whose mother is gluten-free! (please email me by Thursday)
And now, for another installment of the Catholic All Year Advent of Giving . . .
Tired of not being able to weigh in on the big Curious George Boofest controversy of 2014, because you haven’t seen it, and don’t know whether you approve of hat-kicking or not? Wish you could watch all the cool TV shows about dresses that Christy and Haley are always going on about? Want to commiserate with me about how much we love a bunch of dirty English gangsters or some star-crossed Spanish lovers who might be dead now but we don’t know what happens to them because the third season isn’t in English . . . on Netflix or ANYWHERE?
Doesn’t that sound great?
Well, it’s your lucky day. Because I have two, yes TWO one year subscriptions to Netflix Streaming to give away to my awesome readers.
Just leave a comment telling me your family’s favorite Christmas movie, whether it’s on Netflix Streaming or not (but if I’m being honest, if it’s not on Netflix Streaming . . . probably I’m not going to see it). If you already HAVE Netflix Streaming, you can still win. You can either give the subscription as a gift to someone else, or just add it on to your existing subscription.
You’ll be able to watch movies and TV shows on your computer, tablet, or on even on your TV if you’ve got the right set up. And you’ll finally know what we’re all talking about with these shows!
Come back Friday for the last of the Advent giveaways, which is sure to help you ring in 2015 right.
If you’d like to keep track of ALL the feasts of the Catholic liturgical year, I’ve created a wall calendar to help you do it!
It features the all the feasts and fasts of the Universal Calendar and then some, illustrated with images featuring the traditional Catholic monthly devotions. It’s an easy visual way to bring liturgical living into your home. You can keep track of the feasts and fasts and seasons of the Catholic year, and be reminded to focus your prayer on a different aspect of our faith each month.
As the Church year begins with December, so does this calendar. You get December 2018 through December 2019, thirteen months. Available for purchase here. Thanks!
Coupon codes are available from the publisher here.
Ah, this would be awesome to win!! We have Prime now and I'm thinking of canceling because they have NOTHING that I want to watch so it's not really all that worth it anymore! And I've been too cheap to do Netflix. Huh. I think our favorite Christmas movie is The Nativity Story but I am quite excited to let my oldest watch A Christmas Carol this year. We read it last year and I think I may do one of the older versions and then the Muppet one. I think the littlers would be too freaked out by it still. Thanks, Kendra!
My favorite is one called the Star of Christmas which isn't the Veggie Tales one. It's about researching the Christmas star and how science actually does support the Bible in the stars movement (I'm a science geek and love mixing two loves with my faith and science). Our favorite family Christmas movie is White Christmas, but we're also old school and enjoy the claymation Rudolph story. It's a shorter film and keeps the kids attention. We're excited to try out the Bells of Saint Mary this season to see what it's about. Thanks for the Netflix chance to win. We've got the basic cable and still have advertisements to sit through. Would love to have something that we can start on our schedule and save precious minutes of ad time. Thanks!
Ooo…I'd love a Netflix subsciption. We use to have it, but cancelled it in favor of Prime. But Prime isn't as good, so now I watch fewer TV and spend too much money on impulse 2 day purchases.
Anyway, my favorite Christmas movie is definitely It's a Wonderful Life. We watch it every year on Christmas Eve. My husband is also going to show our kids The Nativity Story (and I might watch too…or I might not and enjoy my free time)..
And becayse I'm nosy..how do you find the time to prescreen so many movies on Netflix with homeschooling and kids around all day? Do you watch them all at night?
It is very important that I win this, because you got me started on Gran Hotel, and I CAN'T FIND IT ANYMORE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! NOT EVEN IN SPANISH!!!!!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY LIFE??? (as an aside, my friend who is Spanish – but doesn't own the DVDs of Gran Hotel, not even for my penguin Christmas jumper, what is wrong with her? – says the "Isabel" series on Isabel la catolica is equally wonderful).
Breathe.
So, our favourite Christmas movies are not actually about Christmas, but they feel all christmassy, because the French television has them on every year around Christmas (why? no-one knows). The first ones are the Sissi trilogy (1955, not 1997 horrible version which is just rubbish). Your girls will love them, because princess, dresses, and all that, and you will be able to laugh out loud because the cheesiness is such that it amounts to comic genius. Seriously, I can quote it in its entirety. And you can channel your inner French 10-year-old by sighing about Franz.
The other ones are the Don Camillo series. They're hilarious (but more on purpose than Sissi). Don Camillo is a catholic priest in Italy and he chats with Jesus on the crucifix in his church. I can't describe the awesomeness very well, but trust me, those are great.
Have I earned Netflix? Pretty please! I have Gran Hotel withdrawal syndrome!
Isabelle, that IS tragic! But I gotta say, we're in nearly the same boat. I got a couple of friends hooked on it here and we're in shock about the crazy cliffhanger ending to the second season. And there's only one more season, but it's not in English anywhere! It's just not right.
I haven't even got to the crazy season 2 cliffhanger yet! >imagine this to be a crying smiley, I don't know how to make it appear, the internet is hard<
My favorite is It's a Wonderful Life, but we also LOVE The Veggie Tales Christmas movies! What a wonderful and fun give away!!
We love Claymation Christmas! (a tv special from the early 90s I think)
This give away is one of your best ever! I love your blog but when I see a Netflix post I think that I have to file your ideas away in my mom memory–we have Amazon Prime. My husband and I are pretty disappointed in the selection and we have exhausted all of the decent Children's movies (and the 3 semi-decent Christmas ones!). We are old school (dinosaurs, maybe?) and use DVDs and love to watch White Christmas. Like you said, there is the army and slapstick for our boys and the sisters and the romance for our girls. We all love the music! Our town just showed it in the local movie theater a few weeks ago and it was such a wonderful experience for the family. An upgrade to Netflix would be great–better selection than Amazon Prime and I can put your awesome suggestions to (semi-)immediate use rather than file away in my already crowded and foggy mom memory. Merry Christmas!
We love the Muppet Christmas Carol! It's been my favorite since I was a little girl, and my husband finally upgraded us to a DVD copy after I introduced him to the movie. That VHS was in rough shape, let me tell you!
We're a movies-only family. Cable can keep its ads and junky TV shows – we'll keep our money, thanks. It would be lovely to have some new things to watch to keep my eyes open during nursing sessions. I'm on a year-long (unpaid) maternity leave though, so eating takes precedence over netflix.
A favorite Christmas movie is tough! I have loved White Christmas since I was a little kid – so many memories of my sister and I watching it. But, probably my favorite feel-good Christmas movie on Netflix is While You Were Sleeping. It's not exactly a Christmas movie, but it takes place that time of year and has Christmas decorations and gatherings taking place. The family in it is very loving and Catholic, and it's a just funny and sweet. I definitely recommend checking it out!
My favorite is Elf but my husband's favorite would definitely be Home Alone 2!
we love A Christmas Story! It's an annual tradition in our house to watch it after dinner on Thanksgiving. Even though I've seen it a bajillion times I still laugh so much!
We we like a Elf, but we haven't watched very many Christmas movies as a family. A netflix subscription would be perfect!
Little Women, the 1995 version, which I saw in theaters during Christmas that year and has a number of Christmas scenes- don't know if its really a Christmas story though.
Right now we only have Internet on our phones but are getting real Internet soon, so this would be perfect!!! Needless to say, we really wouldn't buy it for ourselves since we are only just now buying Internet but we love BBC shows!!
We love the old cartoon Grinch Who Stole Christmas!
As a girl I was completely in love with Smoky Mountain Christmas with Dolly Parton and Lee Majors. again, resourceful kids, love wins, etc. We have Prime which I love for all their BBC stuff, but the movie selections seems ehhh.
I remember being frustrated last year when we couldn't find Muppet Christmas Carol anywhere, online or library, so I was so excited to see that Netflix had it this year. Do you, as an insider, happen to know how long these films will be on Netflix? Are they there to stay or are they just there for Christmas? And if they are just a Christmas thing, will they at least be there through the end of the year?
Our favorites are Elf and Little Women. And Die hard, but not for kids đ
I've never seen Die Hard, or Little Women! I saw Elf, and just couldn't see explaining to my kids what lingerie is or why anyone would want it. So, that one hasn't made it into our rotation. I'm curious about all you Elf fans, don't your kids ask about that?
It looks like the only Christmas movie leaving at the end of the month is Love Actually, which I also watched (for the first time) in preparation for this post, but do NOT recommend. Wow, are all those people ever getting the concept wrong. :0)
I don't actually watch any of these with the kids. They would be bored with Little Women and mostly bored with Elf. There's a lot in Elf I wouldn't like for the kids anyway (the shower scene comes to mind and the whole illegitimate child story line) But Die Hard is a hard fast never for the family film, so I guess that's why I clarified. All our kid favorites are on your list already.
But I'm glad to know most of them will be on there for awhile since we're waiting until Christmas to watch them.
Little Women would be hard with little little kids, but I was 9 when the 1995 version came out and loved it at that age. I think my younger sisters liked it then too…or I made them sit and watch it with me regardless of their opinion…one of the two.
I saw it in theaters when I was 12, with my mom, aunts, sisters and cousins. Loved it. But I mostly have boys, and while I hate to do the gender stereotype thing I can't help but think that with this movie, gender makes a HUGE difference, probably more then age.
My favorite Christmas movie is It's A Wonderful Life. My husband isn't in to black and white movies, but I get him to watch that one.
On a side note, I try to click through here or somewhere when I buy on Amazon, and I find it too amusing. Just yesterday, I was like "I hope sometime soon Kendra looks to see what people bought from her affiliates link and is really curious about that container of duck fat. Just duck fat."
Hah! I DO check sometimes, but I hadn't noticed the duck fat. Someone bought a Christmas toilet seat, which seemed very festive! Thanks so muck. đ
Mickey's Christmas Carol was my favorite growing up as a little girl. Our family still even quotes scenes from the Muppet version too…and of course, it's a wonderful life! Hee-haw to that!!
We LOVE the Muppet Christmas Carol but don't own it. It'd be great to get Netflix and be able to see it this year!!
Oh, we love the Veggie Tales It's A Wonderful Life!
My husband's family watches The Bell's of St. Mary's every Christmas Eve — which means that I've never actually seen the entire thing, because they spend most of the movie talking about how tired they are of the movie.
So I need to actually watch this movie, now.
The Muppet Christmas Carol has been our favorite for ages!
and it is on Netflix streaming đ
Have you ever read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson? I think they made a movie of the book, but I've never seen the movie. The book, however, was one of my late mother's favorites and is now one of mine. It's about a reluctant pageant director's inclusion of a family from the wrong side of the tracks in their Christmas pageant… and it's hilarious. As an adult, I look back at my mother's enjoyment of the book and realize how much that reflects who she was as a person and a Catholic and a teacher.
Yes! We listened to the audio version on our Thanksgiving road trip and the kids are all still shouting, "Hey! Unto you a child is born!" It's so great. I haven't seen the movie though.
One of our favorites is Charlie Brown Christmas đ
That Is IS a great one.
The Bishop's Wife, Little Women, White Christmas, and It's a Wonderful Life are our favorites. We just had our first child this year though and we can't wait to add some kids movies to the list! All your recommendations sound great!
Love love The Bishop's Wife (original only) – a favorite here too.
We love the Veggie Tales St. nicholas movie!
I like Elf.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
Merry Christmas!
It's a Wonderful Life. For quite a few years, we watched the 'Turnerized' version where they colorized it. I know, not traditional, and now the kids don't get when we watch it in black and white. Still has a great message, even if the naysayers have tried to dismiss it over the years.
Our favorite Christmas movie is technically a three-way tie: White Christmas (streaming on Netflix), It's a Wonderful Life (not streaming), and Holiday Inn (not streaming, but another seriously classic Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire holiday dancing & singing fest – where the song White Christmas debuted originally, actually). David proposed to me after watching It's A Wonderful Life together, so you could say that might win for that reason alone. đ
Little Women – not technically Christmas but perfect for this time of year!
My kids loved Veggie Tales The Toy that Saved Christmas when they were younger, and I think we'll pull it out for their youngest brother. We also like Olive, the Other Reindeer and the cartoon version of the Grinch.
We really like Christmas Vacation, the Griswold's Family Christmas movie.
cbythesea5@gmail dot com
We love the CCC St. Nicholas movie!
Tie between Elf and Love Actually! Would love to try netflix!
Love these movies! I was the same way about Mickeys Christmas Carol – totally my fave. When my aunt introduced me to Muppet Christmas Carol as a teen, I was hooked. We've already seen it three times this year. LOVE!
ELF! And we haven't watched it yet this year! Quelle horreur! Better get on that.
My favorite is Abigail, a Hungarian movie (not on Netflix) I was actually named after the main character. It features an adorably awkward Christmas scene at a protestant live-in girls' school.
My favorite Christmas movie is The Nativity Story. I cried basically the entire time I first saw it. And I wasn't even pregnant! It still makes me cry.
I also enjoy the old classics like It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas and Holiday Inn (love some Bing Crosby!) — although I always get those last two confused.
While it has nothing to do with Jesus and only a little to do with the true meaning of Christmas, we just love Elf around here. We watched it last year on Christmas night while I was in labor! My girls also enjoy the Peanuts, and Veggie Tales St. Nicholas.
The Bishop's Wife (original) and A Miracle on 34th Street (original) are perennial favorites here.
We love the Muppet Christmas Carol movie, Small One, How The Grinch Stole Christmas . . . there are so many great Christmas movies.
My favorite is A Christmas Story. I love Ralphie!
Ok we love Muppet Christmas Carol, and the REALLY OLD cartoons about christmas, from like the 1920's and 30's. There is one called Christmas Comes but Once a Year by Max Fleischer circa 1936 that is our all time favorite. ever. ever. You can find it on google/you tube.
Mickey's Christmas Carol has always been my favourite. But the muppet version is pretty awesome.
Our favorites are White Christmas and the New Miracle on 34th Street.
We love Elf and Its a Wonderful Life! Thanks for giveaway opportunity! :);
I love White Christmas. We watched it every year when I was a kid. I hope to keep the tradition going with my own children, they are a little too young to be interested right now.
This would be super awesome since I've been debating cutting our streaming Netflix due to budget, but we love it soâŚ
Anyhoo, our favorite is It's A Wonderful Life with Elf a close second.
I love the Muppets Christmas Carol. It is my favorite version, too. We watch the VeggieTales movies as well, but they don't warm my heart quite as much as watching Michael Caine as Scrooge.
I am obsessed with Mickey's Christmas Carol. My parents recorded it for me on VHS off the television and I used to watch it all year long. As an adult I re-read the book every year starting the day after Thanksgiving and ending (hopefully) on Christmas Eve. I wanted to watch with this with my little one this year but the DVD costs $33.29 on Amazon (yikes!!). So thank you, thank you, thank you for mentioning that it's on Netflix under a different title!
My husband's little brother used to watch it every day after school, year-round!
My favorite christmas movie: its a tie between White Christmas and It's A Wonderful Life. I grew up watching White Christmas and discovered that I love It's a Wonderful Life as an adult.
My husband's favorite is: Charlie Brown Christmas, which I had never seen until we married… and yes, I did grow up under a rock. LOL!
I love this list! My fav is and always will be It's a Wonderful Life….SO GOOD!
Our favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life. Another one that I bet the kids would love, that we owned on VHS when I was a kid is A Muppet Christmas Carol.
We'd love to win the Netflix subscription! My favorite Christmas movie is the Bishop's Wife. Just because we always watched it when I was a kid … but it really is a great movie!
I'm a new reader, and I had to click over to read about the Curious George Boofest controversy–we watched that one probably 25 times this year (BIG CG fans over here). Anyways, my husband and I love Home Alone, Elf (duh), and I LOVE the Family Stone. I watch it every year! It's so sweet.
Here's the update to that post, after I actually watched it!
My favorite Christmas Movie is White Christmas, but my favorite movie of all time is While You Were Sleeping, which takes place at Christmas, so sometimes we say it's a Christmas movie.
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas is one of our favorites. Mickey's Christmas Carol is a top favorite also.
I have never heard of Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, but I can tell from the title that I love it.
We just watched this one for the first time this year based on my husband's sudden memory that it was his FAVORITE as a child (which he has never before mentioned to me in our 12 years of marriage…so see, single people, marriage isn't boring! There's always something new!). It's a really great gift-of-the-Magi-esque tale featuring rodents. Our kids love rodents. And it's a musical. I highly recommend!
I'm convinced! I just ordered the DVD from Amazon for $3.99.
I love the Charlie Brown Christmas special!
This would be great to win! I feel so alone in this non-Netflix-owning house! It is basically impossible for me to pick a favorite Christmas movie…A Christmas Story and Muppet Christmas Carol make me feel so nostalgic and I still thoroughly enjoy them! Thank you TBS for 24 hours of A Christmas Story every year!
Good post. I agree with most of the ones you've listed. I would have to say While You Were Sleeping and the Holiday are my favorite modern Christmas movies. And I also really like anything the Hallmark Channel plays for Christmas–the schmaltzier the better. I'm grateful for the Church, but I appreciate being able to watch a hopeful, funny story unfold, especially when Christmas can sometimes be sad.
I love a lot of movies on your list, but I think Elf is my personal favorite. And it's so quotable, too.
On Christmas Eve, when my whole extended family is together, we always have National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation playing (with subtitles). Obviously, this is NOT a very appropriate movie, but oh-so funny and quotable.
White Christmas is far and away my favorite. My 6yo son loves Ernest Saves Christmas…pretty silly but I think any adult humor goes well over the kids' heads. We also like Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (for the grown-ups) and Christmas Story. Truly, it is too hard to choose just one favorite movie. Oh, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers…it's not Christmas per se, but all the singing and dancing, we just love it.
I love It's a Wonderful Life (Mr. Andi hates it) and A Christmas Story (I'm the only person I've ever known who actually saw it in the theater when it came out back in the early 80s) and Mr. Andi and I both like Four Christmases and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, although they aren't necessarily family-appropriate!
Our favorite is Elf. We have to watch it at least a few times every Christmas season.
kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom
We really like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. But it's pretty short, so it's usually paired up with Rudolph or Frosty. đ
I just told my fam the other day that we need to watch the Muppet Christmas Carol. Love it!
It's a Wonderful Life (I love the colorized version), A Christmas Story, Mickey's CC, and Charlie Brown's Christmas are all favorites of my family, and I also love While You Were Sleeping and A Shop Around the Corner. đ
"Love Actually" is the adult favorite, and the current kid favorite is "Saving Santa" with its truly silly songs! Can't wait for the kids to see "Miracle on 34thst" though!
Miracle on 34th Street is a favorite classic. And the kids love Elf.
Christmas Vacation – It was a tradition in my husband's family to watch it every year. I hadn't seen it until I met him. It's funny!
I love Elf, so so much.
We love Veggie Tales story of St. Nick! My favorite part is all of his "nick"names!
Thanks for all the recommendations. I love (and have already watched this year) White Christmas.
We host our church advent cookie party which always includes pizza and movies. This year we all watched the classic (and should be only) Grinch, then Love Actually for the grown ups and Mickey Christmas for the kids
These are great recommendations. I didn't realize Netflix had so many Christmas movies. I grew up watching "The Small One".
These are all great ones! I always love watching Meet Me In St. Louis with Judy Garland this time of year. It is not a full on Christmas movie but has the my favorite version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Makes me tear up every time.
Me too! LOVE that movie and the music!
Is, always was and always will be It's a Wonderful Life. đ
My favorite has not been mentioned yet – Sesame Street Christmas! (official title, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street). We have watched it every Christmas day after Santa presents are open since I was a little girl and I just love it. There's singing, and Bert and Ernie in a gift of the Magi storyline (I have a thing for the gift of the Magi, apparently), and it's all just so Sesame Street good.
If you haven't seen The Promise: Birth of the Messiah definitely check if out!! It's a beautiful musical animation based on the Gospel of Luke. My only complaint is the depiction of St Anne as a disbelieving meanie but the babies (John the Baptist and Jesus) are absolutely adorable! You can find the trailer and clips on you tube.
Sorry fixed the links:
extended trailer http://youtu.be/rTwu4MO-IME
clip of Mary singing "I Will Magnify" http://youtu.be/Rj4Mx7xHZ28
amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FURKOMM
A Christmas Story. Hands down! But I'm excited to watch Rudolf and Santa Claus is coming to town with my kids!
My favorite is Elf, but it's not on Netflix Streaming.
It's a Wonderful Life is a favorite. I never saw it until my then-boyfriend (now-husband) forced me to in college. Now it's a must-watch every year. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a close second. I watched it with our 4 year old the other day, and it's pretty hilarious to hear her talking about Kermit, etc al. while my husband is reading Dickens to the family in the evening.
My all time favorite A Christmas Carol is the the 1984 version starring George C. Scott, but it is too dark for small children. A Muppet Christmas Carol is my second favorite, and I happily watch it with my boys every year. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is also very good!
We love Muppet Christmas Carol đ
It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie and it apparently isn't on Netflix streaming. I also like The Family Stone although it's definitely not appropriate for children, but I liked it better before I realized that the mom died at the end… it reminds me of my family at Christmas time.
Oh, Christmas movie-watching is going to be so fun. We are definitely watching Bush Christmas and the Muppet Christmas Carol. And yes, I will allow you to give me a subscription to Netflix. Porque… el Gran Hotel. (BTW, Kevin, my sister and I were CRACKING UP narrating GH last night. I don't want to brag or anything, but I may have a future in voice-over work.)
I am SO excited that you included BUSH CHRISTMAS. This is one of our absolute favourites and we are always bugging the local video store (yes they still exist in Australia!) to sell us their copy as we are the only ones who ever borrow it. I was wondering how Netflix works in Australia as it's not something big here, and found this link so we can actually get the U.S. version. http://www.netflixaustralianow.com.au/
Would be very excited to win this one.
https://fromthecoalface.wordpress.com/
Our family's favorite is Christmas Vacation. I don't know if it's on Netflix Streaming or not because we don't subscribe. Would love to win!
Tie between Little Woman & It's A Wonderful Life (& I'm not sure if either is available on Netflix since we currently don't have it, & it might be pure exhaustion but I couldn't find it on their website either). Little Woman is one I have watched during Christmas time for as long as I can remember. It's A Wonderful Life is one my mom & I watch each Christmas.
Not sure if my post went through?! As I started reading your post, I hoped "Bells of St. Mary" would be included, and it was! It is my all-time fav…such a classic!!! And we are getting rid of cable when hubs deploys next month, so Netflix would be right on time đ
Home Alone
Used to have Netflix…would love to have it again…Favorites are ALL the ones you listed, plus Elf, Arthur Christmas, Come to the Stable, Ozzie and Harriet Christmas episodes, Christmas Story ( about how Santa Claus came to be Santa) The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, Polar Express, The Grinch ( Cartoon Version) , can you tell we love Christmas movies???
Home alone is definitely a Christmas favorite.
Some of my favorites aren't specifically Christmas I guess, but I've always associated them with Christmas and they have Christmas scenes in them. Meet Me in St. Louis is an all time favorite from when I was a kid. Another favorite has been While You Were Sleeping (especially the newspaper boy bike crash split second scene). I've always thought of Little Women as Christmasy too, even though the whole movie doesn't revolve around Christmas.
It's a Wonderful Life!
I like It's a Wonderful Life đ
Hard to choose. I enjoy Muppets Christmas and White Christmas. Another you didn't mention is Claymation Christmas; I think it's from the 80's, but it's fun.
I need Netflix! I'm about to have a baby and babies really should come with Netflix subscriptions. đ
And my favorite is the old shook frosty the snowman cartoon. My kids are loving it and listening to them quote it brings back so many childhood memories.
I like White Christmas!
There are just too many we enjoy! The Christmas Box, Miracle on 34th Street, Borrowed Hearts (totally unrealistic, but kinda fun – and I like Roma Downey), and Charlie Brown, and… and…
While You Were Sleeping. Hands down all time most watched movie anyway but especially at Christmas time. I like your list except for It's A Wonderful Life. (Not a popular opinion I know.) I don't get the hype. Yes he saves his soul by not committing suicide but there is absolutely no comeuppance for Potter. So the movie ends and he's happy he's alive but the next day he's back at where he was at the beginning of the movie.
Oh, this would be so, so fun to win because we just bought a new smart TV for the kids to replace the 15 year old tube TV that we have had for, well, 15 years. It will be a joint gift for them and their only gift from mom and dad, which has had the added benefit of really streamlining my shopping. I'm excited because they're going to be totally surprised, and it's rare that we pull off a real surprise. But it would be so cool and fun to have a Netflix subscription to go with it.
Disney's a Christmas Carol is a favorite, along with Bells of St. Mary's. I also like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (island of misfit toys). Santa Conquers the Martians sounds awesome and right up our alley! I looked it up and it appears to be playing on a random cable channel on Christmas Eve! So I set it up to record.
We love the Brady Bunch Christmas Movie/Reunion. It depicts the kids all grown-up, and depicts their family/marriages in a wonderful light. Mrs. Brady even helps save one of her children's marriages from divorce! It rocks.
My favorite is Elf, but I haven't seen many of the movies you listed, so maybe I'll find some more favorites this year. đ Thanks for another awesome giveaway!
I love The Bells of St. Mary's!!! And A Christmas Story actually takes place in the neighborhood I grew up in (although it was filmed in Toledo, not Hammond). I used to have volleyball practice at Harding Elementary!
I love Love Actually, raunchy as it is, and my husband loves Holiday Inn.
Mickey's Christmas Carol and Elf are our favorites!
White Christmas, for sure!
I love The Holiday, probably because I love all things Maeve Binchy.
Miracle of 34th street…the old and the new. And The Holiday for the chick flick side of things!
Ok so Netflix fav. Christmas movie is White Christmas and non Netflix are It's a Wonderful Life and Elf. What a great giveaway!
Rudolph the red nosed reindeer! I can remember watching it every year as a kid on TV. I don't know if they even show it anymore or if its on Netflix.
YES YES YES! I've been looking for Mickey's Christmas for YEARS to share with my kids. This is the one I watched when I was a kid. It will be our favorite as soon as all my kids watch it. We also watched Switchmas and enjoyed that this year. I'm in RCIA and so VeggieTales St. Nicolas is a new favorite thanks to people sharing on places like her. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I like Holiday Inn, even though it is a bit cheesy and greedy. If only we could all escape the craziness to a simpler life. Here's to trying!
LOVE white Christmas! Definitely one of my favorites! (along with Holiday Inn!)
xox
giedre
I'm surprised that The Grinch is not on this list! I adore that movie, along with all the stop animation Santa/Rudolph movies.
I think your concerns about Elf are valid; I'm not sure how I would explain the lingerie except perhaps to point out that Buddy is so not with it that he bought his dad a girl's dress. That, and the belch jokes. I hate belch jokes.
Muppets anything is pure gold. A lot of the humor goes over kids' heads and is geared towards adults, but that's not to say kids won't find it fun! I just think that has something for all ages.
I don't need the Netflix, as I find it hard to watch anything streaming lately-I just wanted to add my two cents.
Merry Christmas!
My favorite is Love Actually but my kids watch the Grinch year round. We already have Netflix streaming so I would gift to my parents so they could finish watching Scandal and Orange is the New Black (which I'm sure are not approved by this blog đ
The best Christmas movies, which I have to watch every year, are White Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Little Drummer Boy, Die Hard, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I just started The Bells of St. Mary's the other day, I'm planning to finish it this weekend, but that boxing scene was funny.
There was a movie called The Little Matchgirl.i used to watch it so much growing up when it was my turn to pick the movie. I'm not sure if it is exactly a Christmas movie but I always think about it at Christmas. It is so sad, though. So, if you do find it be prepared. I also own the book. My husbands favorite is Elf. I agree, with what someone said on here that babies should come with netflix. I only have two babies but about 8 months pregnant I start asking my hubby for netflix bc I will be up with a new baby. Lol
Netflix is awesome! We love it. We also love The Grinch, the original animated version. Short and sweet and a great message about being kind. And the songs are so catchy!
Commenting for Elizabeth F:
My top 3 Christmas movies: White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, and Holiday Inn. Awesome!
Other old classics I love: Miracle on 34th Street and Bell's of St. Mary's.
Obscure 1990s movies that I grew up on and still secretly love:
–Yes Virginia there is a Santa Clause (the live people 1990s version. Unfortunately, you can't find a copy of this amazing movie ANYWHERE, and the VHS copy that I grew up with–which is a recording of a TV special–is almost worn out. )
–One Magic Christmas (this plot makes no sense, my sister hated the movie, and my parents always fast-forwarded through a part of it when I was a child, but I always LOVED this movie).
–Holly and Ivy–The Wish that Saved Christmas (not sure it this exists anymore)
–Charlie Brown Christmas
Movies for young kids that are great:
–St. Nicholas–the boy who became Santa. We had lots of the CCC saints videos as a kid, and this was one of my favorites. Loved it so much.
–Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I loved the songs from it, and my sister and I would teach ourselves the sign language version for one of the songs that they sang and signed to. Very heartwarming story, and you've got to love the 1980s/1990s Sesame Street.
Ernest Saves Christmas and the Christmas Story are movies we watch around Christmas every year!
courtney.edson90 at gmail dot com
Our favorites with the kids now are the Veggie Tales Christmas movies.
My favorite Christmas movie is Muppet Family Christmas. Muppet babies! Sesame Street folks! Fraggles! I have no idea if it's on Netflix, but i love it so very much.
We like Polar Express. It had been on Netflix around this time of year in the past, but I haven't seen it on there yet this year đ
I like all the classics you mentioned, but I have to admit I also tried out 12 Dates of Christmas after reading another blogger admit she liked those cheesy Family Channel movies, and I kinda liked it!
Not explicitly Christmas, and not for my family (kids are 10 mo and 3 years, so not much tv/movie watching going on as a family)… but I love Holiday Inn. Haven't seen it in ages, though. We used to watch it on the last day of school (before Christmas) in choir. I'm definitely going to have to seek out some of these others that I've not seen (or seen in awhile)… but I need to rent them on DVD somewhere!
I'm a big Polar Express fan. But, my all time favorite has to be a Charlie Brown Christmas. I know it isn't technically a movie, but it the holidays never feel right without it
Elf is one of my favorite holiday movies!
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is my favorite and sadly, it's not streaming on Netflix.
Charlie Brown Christmas and Home Alone are very popular here!
I can't let a year go by without watching Home Alone…
I like The Dog Who Saved Christmas but do not know if it is on Netflix as I have never watched or been subscribed to Netflix.
You really can't go wrong with It's a Wonderful Life!
I have always love the Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special ever since I was a little kid and we watch it every year. Does that count? Not really a movie but I read recently that it's now on Netflix!
gmmerrell@yahoo.com
We have always loved A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love that Vince Guaraldi jazz music and I really like that it actually has a good message teaches about Christmas for real. And itâs safe and cute for the whole family
jmcharries@cox.net
I love The Santa Clause, its a family tradition to watch it every year. Thanks for the giveaway
cricketlady29@hotmail.com
Excited to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol–
We love watching a christmas story and a polar express
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I still remember watch Santa and the Martian movie…must have been 40+ years ago (when Inwas very small).
I STILL recall the theme song to the movie this day!
“S-A-N-T-A, C-L-A-U-S Hooray for Santee Clause”.
I love Holiday Inn