Our Favorite Holiday Movies | Group Chat

Cinemantic's contributors log on to share their favorite Yuletide Movies

From time to time, Cinemantic’s four main contributors — Tyler MacQueen, Graham Piro, Caleb Boyer, and Daniel Mitchell — will jump on a call to chat about anything and everything movies. This month, we’re joined by some of Cinemantics’ incredible contributors to share our favorite Holiday movies.

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TALIA: Every year around Christmas, my family comes together from various locations across the country. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for certain: At some point, somehow, some way, we’ll end up watching Emmett Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977). Why we continue returning to this obscure Jim Henson TV-movie is hard to say for sure, but it initially had something to do with my dad liking it as a kid. From there, it’s taken on a life of its own, becoming, essentially, a family meme. It’s become tradition for my youngest brother to replay the opening 10 seconds of the movie until someone becomes legitimately angry, my dad to do a half-decent impression of half of the characters, my mom to cry when Ma Otter sings to baby Emmett, and my middle brother to sing “Brothersssss!” along with Emmett’s jug-band. Lest this sound more alienating than alluring, I should probably mention that the movie is actually good. It’s a heartwarming and hilarious musical tale about family, friendship, and the serendipity of giving. And if that still doesn’t do it for you, it’s narrated by Kermit the Frog.

DAMON: Workaholic father Howard Langston fails to secure a hot new superhero toy for his son before Christmas Day, and so must spend Christmas Eve scouring Minneapolis in search of the elusive Turbo Man doll. Arnold fights Santa. A reindeer gets drunk. Sinbad is there. Hilarity ensues. Surely by now you’ve clocked that I’m talking about Brian Levant’s Jingle All the Way (1996), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rita Wilson, Phil Hartman, Jake Lloyd, and of course, Sinbad. As a superhero-obsessed 90s kid whose dad constantly chased down toys for me, I was instantly sold on JATW’s trailer, and 28 years and many viewings later, it remains my all-time favorite Christmas movie. The antics, comedy, cameos, and not-so-subtle adult jokes remain top-notch, oozing the 90s family movie charm you simply cannot get anymore. Now that I’m a father myself, Jingle All The Way’s lesson — that it’s better to be present than to give present — carries more weight than ever, but rest assured that I too would fight Santa, get a reindeer drunk, or crash a televised Christmas parade to get my son the superhero toy of the season if I had to. It’s Turbo Time!

KATIE: What is it about a Christmas story that makes it uniquely subject to repetition? Satoshi Kon’s lushly animated Tokyo Godfathers (2003) is one such story, itself a retelling of 1948’s 3 Godfathers, but with a bit of repackage. Our heroes are Gin, an aging alcoholic; transwoman Hana, and teenage runaway Miyuki. All of them are experiencing homelessness, for reasons we explore over the course of the film. On a cold Christmas Eve, they find a baby girl while picking through a garbage pile, and name her Kiyoko (literally translates to ‘Silent Night’). The three decide to find the baby’s mother and so begins the simple premise. The plot, though, is far from straightforward: it includes an assassination attempt, yakuza bosses, drag queens, a cat named Angel, and more than one chase sequence. The success of the film is its ability to transition from jokes and action into deep connections and heartbreak of the characters. Each of them have no trouble helping others, but all must be reminded of their own worth. Far and above the Christmas setting, it’s their ability to find goodness in the most unlikely places that makes it not only a worthy iteration but a true holiday classic.

J.D.: Miracle on 34th Street has always been one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. Very few films convey the “true meaning of Christmas” as charmingly as this tale of Kris Kringle, a bearded, white haired grandfatherly figure who believes he is the genuine Santa Claus. Miracle operates on two levels: children believe he’s the real St. Nicholas, while adults are charmed by his guileless, earnest manner. Thanks to an Oscar-winning performance by Edmund Gwenn, every major character at the start of Miracle undergoes a change in attitude toward Christmas by the end of the movie. Equally worthy of note are the Oscars Miracle deservedly won for Best Screenplay and Best Original Story—quite simply, it’s one of the funniest Christmas movies ever made. Maureen O’Hara is a comedic delight as she realizes her department store Santa believes he’s the genuine article. And the movie’s climactic trial features hilarious turns by Gene Lockhart as the judge, William Frawley as the political boss, and Jerome Cowan as the DA, all trying to avoid the consequences of telling the world there’s no Santa Clause and triggering a political and economic meltdown. Put this one on your Christmas list!

AMY: As Christmas movies go, I like the same ones everyone else likes. I love the composite nature of Love Actually. I love A Christmas Story because my dad used to read Jean Shepherd even before the movie. I love Elf because I just think it’s utterly delightful. All of it. But my favorite Christmas movie is one that most people don’t mention and a lot of people haven’t even seen. It’s The Family Stone (2005). I. Love. That. Movie. And I know a lot of people hate it. I even get it. The story is preposterous. Several characters are completely unlikable. It can’t decide if it’s a comedy or a drama. There’s cancer AND hijinks, which is pretty much everything you want in a Christmas movie. While an ensemble, the movie’s heart is Diane Keaton’s Sybil, who is battling a recurrence of breast cancer and while this looms heavy through the story, the cancer is really hovering in the background without taking over the movie. The story isn’t about Sybil Stone dying of cancer. It’s about Sybil Stone’s last Christmas BECAUSE she’s dying of cancer and her efforts to have this Christmas be a beautiful one despite her pending fate. And also despite the fact that her eldest son brings home a girl everyone hates and announces he intends to marry her.

And if I’m honest, that’s probably why I relate so personally to this movie.

I was the loathsome girl brought home by the oldest son in a big family and I endured more than one difficult Christmas. While Meredith, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, is a challenge, I could see her struggling to dig herself out of a hole while simultaneously digging it faster. In her analysis of the film, “Most Tender Grief: The Family Stone,” author Sophie Corser sums up the dynamic of this film perfectly:

Maybe it’s because I have had one of these Christmases: a last Christmas, when someone is catastrophically ill. I understand deeply how The Family Stone’s peculiar, almost jarring combination of slapstick comedy, screwball plotting, family tragedy, and romance makes sense through grief: through a grief you’ve begun in advance, that will still not prepare you for the grief yet to come. You laugh too hard at weird things, then cry soon after. Stuff gets dropped, split, tripped over, mislaid. Decisions are made too quickly or agonized over. It can be impossible to say – or really know – what you feel.

And that is what I love most about this film. When someone says, “It gave me all the feels,” I know exactly what they mean. That is what The Family Stone does for me. And there’s no better time of year for all the feels than Christmas.

CAMERON: In the MacQueen household, we debate many things. But one thing we always agree on is what the best Christmas movie is: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Apart from the genius of The Muppets, who fit so well within Charles Dickens’ legendary tale, it features a perfectly cast Michael Caine. Bringing out the best in some amazingly talented people, including songwriter Paul Williams, Muppets Christmas holds a special place in the heart of Muppet fans as the first film in the series made after the tragic deaths of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt. This movie proudly honors their legacy, bringing out the beauty of the timeless story, and infusing it with all the good things the Muppets provide the world: empathy, playfulness, and—most importantly—laughter and joy.

DANIEL: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is a story of the human experience – with themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness. Told through the eyes of George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart gives the everyman performance of a lifetime as he journeys to see the value in his own life. At its core, the movie emphasizes the theme of community and the powerful bonds that connect people. George Bailey's struggles and sacrifices in the small town of Bedford Falls make him universally relatable. Financial and legal problems combined with feelings of inadequacy lead George to wish he’d never been born. In an answer to prayer, George soon finds out how different life would be for those he loves had he never been born. Every year I watch this movie as close to Christmas Eve as I can. Without fail, the ending scene makes me overwhelmed with emotion. Full of gratitude, perspective, and all the holiday spirit, It’s a Wonderful Life will always hold a special place in my heart. This is an easy decision choice for me. “To my big brother, George – the richest man in town.”

GRAHAM: “Spoiled psychopathic brat hires hitman to kill Santa Claus” doesn’t exactly sound like a premise that lends itself to a serious meditation on old age and modernity. But for a film with such an absurd presence, 2020’s Fatman is one of the more surprisingly poignant stories you’ll watch around Christmas. Mel Gibson stars as a world-weary Kris Kringle, cynical at a world losing its appreciation for Christmas, who becomes caught in the crosshairs of a hitman (the incomparable Walton Goggins) charged with killing Santa Claus, all while Kris tries to navigate a U.S. military contract he’s forced into by economic struggles. Fatman is restrained and focused, a meditation on aging and the compromises one is forced into by a changing world. It’s not exactly the feel-good story of the season, but it ends on an uplifting enough note to warm the cockles of any cinephile’s heart.

CALEB: Die Hard (1988) is a Christmas movie. Yeah, I said it. While there are many wonderful, heart warming films to get you in the spirit of the season, there are some things that good ol’ Yuletide can’t solve, like terrorists interrupting your office’s festivities or the in-laws staying for a “just a few” extra days. We all could blow off a little steam during this hectic and stressful time of year, which is why Die Hard is my favorite Christmas-action film for the holidays. Still, tis’ the season that brings us together. We shouldn’t let an objective fact of cinema divide us. Besides, who wants to get cornered by the cookie table and debate the opinionated second cousin that uses words like “diegetic” and won’t stop talking about that one frame from Citizen Kane. Yippee-ki-yay, and merry Christmas!

TYLER: No other holiday movie has the iconography of A Christmas Story (1983). Just think about it: the bunny suit, the Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle, the Leg Lamp, and any of these immortal words: “Fra-ge-lee. Must be Italian,” “I triple dog dare you,” and “You’ll shoot your eye out!” This Cleveland-shot, TBS staple is Norman Rockwell if covered in salt and vinegar, featuring all the classic Americana trappings but with a knowing, sardonic wink to the camera. In some ways, it’s the Seinfeld of Christmas movies. It’s about nothing and says nothing, permitting audiences to project whatever they want on the material. And that makes this movie — and “the gleaming glow of electric sex”— so universal.

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Reader, what’s your favorite holiday movie? Let us know why in the comments below! And, from everyone at Cinemantics, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.