By Annie Wen
Staff Writer
The pumpkins and cornucopias have been put away, the turkey and mashed potatoes eaten and the Black Friday madness gone. Now the radio stations are continually playing classic Christmas jingles, the stores have their Christmas displays up and the air is filled with the holiday cheer.
One of the best things to do during the holiday season is watch movies. The Sidekick is proud to bring to you our Top Ten Christmas Movies picks:
1. Elf: A classic comedy with a Christmas theme Elf tells the story of Buddy, a baby who was taken from an orphanage back to the North Pole on accident. Raised by elves his whole life Buddy goes to New York to find his birth father, Walter, who is on Santa’s naughty list. Buddy experiences New York City and human life for the first time and when his relationship with Walter interferes with Walter’s job Walter is forced to re-evaluate his priorities. This film stars Will Ferrell as Buddy and was released in 2003. A hilarious Christmas favorite this movie is the perfect for family night.
2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: The Griswold family is back for some holiday fun. Clark Griswold wants to have the best Christmas ever and hosts his dysfunctional extended family, but things never go as planned with the Griswold family. Mayhem ensues but in the end everything always works out. Starring Chevy Chase and released in 1989, this list would not be complete without this classic comedy.
3. A Christmas Story: Set in the 40s, 9-year-old Ralphie only wants one thing for Christmas: a Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle. But every adult he asks for the rifle just tells him that he’ll shoot his eye out, from his parents to his teacher to even Santa Clause himself. As Christmas grows near Ralphie tries relentlessly to get his rifle and goes through some learning experiences in the process. Originally based on the novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash the film was released in 1983. This movie has become a Christmas classic and is sure to keep you laughing the whole movie.
4. The Polar Express: This movie takes you on a journey with a young boy who doesn’t believe that Santa Claus exists. On Christmas Eve night he boards The Polar Express, a magical train that takes him and other children to the North Pole, where he meets Santa Claus himself and receives a gift only those who believe can enjoy. A Tom Hanks production, this film stars Josh Hutcherson and is the final performance of Michael Jeter. A childhood favorite this movie will take you back and is a great Christmas movie to show to kids.
5. It’s A Wonderful Life: George Bailey has dedicated his entire life to his town, Bedford Falls. Mr. Potter, a greedy and miserable old man is intent on ruining the lives of all the citizens of Bedford Falls and George is the one person keeping the town together. His whole life George has been unhappy and plagued with misfortunes and when things seem to finally overwhelm him on Christmas Eve an angel named Clarence is sent down to show George what he really means to his family and the entire town. A movie that is sure to bring you to tears, It’s A Wonderful Life is a must-watch movie.
6. Home Alone: Eight-year-old Kevin McAllister is accidentally left behind at home when his family leaves for a vacation in France over Christmas. Kevin has to fend for himself and he enjoys his alone time. However, two robbers plan to rob his house and Kevin has to come up with a plan to protect his house and himself and catch the robbers.
A classic screwball comedy this movie will not only entertain you but also make you appreciate your family.
7. White Christmas: Leaving the army after World War II Bob Wallace and Phil Davis team up to form a song-and-dance act. They become successful Broadway producers. Phil agrees to take on sisters Judy and Betty Hayes, a performing duo as well. The four travel to the Pine Tree Ski Lodge in Vermont only to discover that the inn is run by the boys’ old commanding officer, General Waverly. The inn is in trouble so the four, along with the help of some friends, plan a special show to try and help the General out. This movie is filled with music and heart and even if there is no snow this year you can get in the spirit with this movie.
8. A Christmas Carol: Old miserable Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his dead business partner Jacob Marley on Christmas Eve. Scrooge is told that what he does in life will affect him in the afterlife and three ghosts will visit him to teach him a lesson. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come take him on a journey through his past, present and future. Based on the story by Charles Dickens this movie is a reminder to all of how life should be appreciated and lived.
9. How The Grinch Stole Christmas: Based on the Dr. Seuss book, The Grinch takes you to the wonderful land of Whoville. The Grinch was rejected by the Whos of Whoville as a child and lives in seclusion in the mountains above Whoville. He especially dislikes Christmas time and hates the Whos noisiness, the phony sentiment and wasteful materialism. When little Cindy Lou Who invites The Grinch to Christmas he sees this as a chance to steal Christmas from Whoville. The book was made into a movie staring Jim Carrey and a young Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who. Most everyone knows the story of the Grinch and no matter how old you are the story will never get old.
10. The Ultimate Christmas Present: A 13-year-old Brenda Song stars as the main character Sam n this Disney Channel Original Movie. Sam and her best friend Allie steal a weather machine to create a snowstorm in Los Angeles. It turns out that the machine belongs to Santa Claus. When he realizes it is missing Santa and his elves go to reclaim the machine. When the snowstorm gets out of control Santa and his elves have to help Sam and Allie fix the machine and save Christmas for everyone. A Disney classic, this movie is a favorite of all who watched Disney as a kid.
