By Haylei Snelson
Snuggling up on the couch with some hot chocolate and a Christmas movie in the background is a fantastic way to spend an evening, especially when December 25 is just around the corner. What better way to get into the holiday spirit than to grab some friends and binge watch Christmas favorites? Picking what movies to watch can be difficult, below are some suggestions on what my family watches during the holiday season!
Home Alone
Home Alone, the original obviously, provides laughs for the whole family when a young boy, Kevin, is forgotten at home during Christmas break. During the movie, Kevin defends his house from two men attempting to break in and rob his house. While this movie is definitely a comedy, it also provides heartwarming moments and makes you appreciate family during the holiday season.
Elf
Another comedy for the whole family is the movie Elf. Featuring Will Ferrell, a human born in the North Pole and raised by elves travels to New York in search for his birth father. In the process of finding his birth father, we see the heartwarming tale of a reunited family.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A family favorite to watch is How the Grinch Stole Christmas(which now has multiple cartoon versions and a live action). The Grinch, after a traumatic childhood, decides to steal Christmas from his neighbors in Whoville.
The Holiday
The Holiday, one of my favorite movies, features a handful of rising actors. The main actresses, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, do a house exchange during the Christmas season and find more than they expected! This movie is cute, predictable, and heart-warming!
Love Actually
Love Actually is another Christmas rom-com with a fantastic cast. Going back and forth between nine intertwined stories of people in love, this movie highlights the true love during the holiday season.
A Madea Christmas
A Madea Christmas, highlighting Tyler Perry’s Madea character, follows Madea as she visits her niece’s daughter in a small town in Alabama.
The Last Holiday
Lastly, one of my mom’s personal favorites and a movie we watch every year is The Last Holiday. The one and only Queen Latifa goes to the doctor and learns she has weeks to live. So, she books all the trips she’d always wanted to take and blows her money on delicious food and fun experiences. This movie provides laughs, heartwarming moments, and a feeling of thankfulness for the little things in life.
Overall, you can’t really go wrong with any Christmas movie during the holidays. It’s the only time that cringey Hallmark romances seem possible! I hope you take a look at some of these, if you haven’t seen them before, and watch them with your friends and family. After all, that’s what this season is about; friends and family!
Holiday Movies: A List That Keeps on Giving was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.