# Let's pick the cream of the contemporary Christmas movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510 "2009-11-30T20:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/1 "2009-11-30T20:12:21Z")
By “contemporary” I mean _released since 2000_. By “Christmas” I mean “not merely taking place at Christmastime, or released in December, but actually involving the Yule holiday as a major part of the plot.” In other words, The Preacher’s Wife does not quallify; nor do any of the Lord of the Rings movies. I’ll open the bidding with [Love Actually](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/). Being that it clearly a Christmas movie and also the greatest movie of all time, it is also, obviously, the greatest Christmas movie of all time. Admittedly it loses some points for Alan Rickman’s inexplicable cheating on Emma freaking Thompson with the brunette skank, but it’s so overall wonderful that no one cares. Admittedly, not showing January Jones naked was probably a mistake, but the wonderfulness of the Liam Neesom and Laura Linney storylines compensates for that. Anyway, that’s just me. Anybody else? ETA: Not supposed to have been a poll. I must have been distracted by work. Stoopid job. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/2 "2009-11-30T21:04:51Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Admittedly it loses some points for Alan Rickman’s inexplicable cheating on Emma freaking Thompson with the brunette skank, but it’s so overall wonderful that no one cares. We don’t know that he cheated. All we know for sure is that he bought her jewelry and he bought his wife a CD. Intent to cheat, maybe, but no concrete proof. But anyway, I agree with you. Mostly because I can’t think of any other Christmas movies released since 2000 that didn’t out and out suck. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/3 "2009-11-30T21:26:46Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > We don’t know that he cheated. All we know for sure is that he bought her jewelry and he bought his wife a CD. Intent to cheat, maybe, but no concrete proof. > > But anyway, I agree with you. Mostly because I can’t think of any other Christmas movies released since 2000 that didn’t out and out suck. I always read it that he didn’t actually sleep with her. But I’d consider buying her that present emotional cheating. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/4 "2009-11-30T21:31:45Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I always read it that he didn’t actually sleep with her. But I’d consider buying her that present emotional cheating. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/5 "2009-11-30T21:37:09Z")
[Elf](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319343/) was pretty good. Not **Love Actually** good, but good. (Martine McCutcheon was the hot one in that movie, BTW.) ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/6 "2009-11-30T22:31:57Z")
The “after 2000” criteria leaves out the best Christmas movie of all time, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/7 "2009-11-30T22:40:32Z")
_Elf_ and _Bad Santa_ are right up there for me, although I do owe myself a repeat viewing of _Love Actually_. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/8 "2009-11-30T22:41:18Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > The “after 2000” criteria leaves out the best Christmas movie of all time, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. I figured I was better off with a recent cut-off date for the sake of the young’uns. Besides, if I had chosen NO cut-off date, the answer would clearly have been _The Bishop’s Wife_, which, as it stars NOT ONLY Cary Grant, but also David Niven and Loretta Young and that old guy whose name I just forgot, is clearly the greatest movie ever made. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/9 "2009-11-30T22:46:50Z")
I loathe Christmas movies. The only recent one I can think of that I like is **Bad Santa** ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/10 "2009-11-30T22:48:20Z")
Hands down - Elf. It has the “sappy Christmas tale” without being syrupy (ha!), it tackles some pretty sensitive issues without being timid, and has some of the funniest moments in any movie, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/11 "2009-11-30T22:50:18Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I loathe Christmas movies. The only recent one I can think of that I like is **Bad Santa** I feel obliged to point out that Bad Santa, for reasons not even Athena understands, does not show Lauren Graham naked despite three clear and compelling reasons to do so. It fails thus. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/12 "2009-11-30T22:54:49Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Hands down - Elf. > > It has the “sappy Christmas tale” without being syrupy (ha!), it tackles some pretty sensitive issues without being timid, and has some of the funniest moments in any movie, ever. You know what annoyed me about _Elf_? it’s something that annoys me about some other “santa is real” movies as well. It’s that everybody thinks that is crazy to believe in Santa, yet, if Santa was real, then it would be _obvious_, because where else would all the presents come from? It makes no logical sense to have a premise that Santa is real, but no one believes it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/13 "2009-11-30T22:59:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > You know what annoyed me about _Elf_? it’s something that annoys me about some other “santa is real” movies as well. It’s that everybody thinks that is crazy to believe in Santa, yet, if Santa was real, then it would be _obvious_, because where else would all the presents come from? It makes no logical sense to have a premise that Santa is real, but no one believes it. I have reported you to the elves, sir. You are getting a coal in your stocking. Perhaps, in such universes, Santa passes out presents in such a way as to give the credit to someone else–placing _From Mom & Dad_ on the card just as real-world parents sometimes write _From Santa_. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/14 "2009-11-30T23:01:34Z")
_The Grinch_ is one of the few Jim Carrey movies 'll watch. One of the better modern Christmas tales. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/15 "2009-11-30T23:02:43Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > You know what annoyed me about _Elf_? it’s something that annoys me about some other “santa is real” movies as well. It’s that everybody thinks that is crazy to believe in Santa, yet, if Santa was real, then it would be _obvious_, because where else would all the presents come from? It makes no logical sense to have a premise that Santa is real, but no one believes it. I was just thinking about this - they handled the whole “Is Santa real?” question perfectly. It’s a family movie - lots of slapstick and funny words - so they couldn’t blow his cover, and I love that they tackled it head on! “Some people think it’s parents” “That’s crazy! Parents couldn’t do all that in one night!” Then, everyone could just let their disbelief go, and enjoy a heartwarming story. Even if you’re a grown-up, it’s still nice to believe in Santa sometimes 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/16 "2009-11-30T23:17:39Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > does not show Lauren Graham naked despite three clear and compelling reasons to do so If I’m going to start ruling out movies because they don’t deliver goods I’d like them to deliver, I’m going to have to toss out a big chunk of my collection. I, for one, am more than satisfied with hearing Lauren Graham moan “F&ck me, Santa” over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/17 "2009-11-30T23:21:13Z")
**Bad Santa** pwns all Christmas movies in recent years (but is still not nearly as good as **A Christmas Story** which is the single best Christmas movie that will ever be made). My favorite part of **Bad Santa**? > [@](#): > > Kid: I was thinking I wanted a purple stuffed elephant, not pink. But now I changed my mind. > Willie: Yeah? What? > Kid: Now I don’t want an elephant at all. I want a gorilla named Davy for beating up the skateboard kids who pull on my underwear. **And he can take his orders from the talking walnut, so it won’t be my bad thing**. Sage advice! Since seeing this film, I now always make sure that any karmically-tainted actions are ordered by the talking walnut, so it won’t be my bad thing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/18 "2009-11-30T23:37:24Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > **Bad Santa** pwns all Christmas movies in recent years (but is still not nearly as good as **A Christmas Story** which is the single best Christmas movie that will ever be made). > > My favorite part of **Bad Santa**? > > Sage advice! Since seeing this film, I now always make sure that any karmically-tainted actions are ordered by the talking walnut, so it won’t be my bad thing. 😃 Willie: You know, I think I’ve turned a corner. Marcus: Yeah? You fucking petites now? Willie: No, I’m not talking about that. I beat the shit out of some kids today. But it was for a purpose. It made me feel good about myself. It was like I did something constructive with my life or something, I dunno, like I accomplished something. Marcus: You need many years of therapy. Many, many fuckin’ years of therapy. ---
**Author:** ![deedeeknowit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@deedeeknowit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deedeeknowit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/19 "2009-11-30T23:48:16Z")
I enjoyed Elf for the Christmas theme. I really liked Love Actually for being set at Christmastime (for the most part). I am a fan of this time of year. Judge me as you must. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510/20 "2009-11-30T23:58:41Z")
Too bad you didn’t set the cutoff date [six years earlier](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110955/). That movie may as well be a documentary about my family. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-pick-the-cream-of-the-contemporary-christmas-movies/519510.md?page=2)