# Top five Christmas movies of ALL time, anyone?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2003, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154 "2003-12-20T10:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/1 "2003-12-20T10:45:01Z")
Here’s my top five – nay, SEVEN – Christmas movies of ALL time: 1. Diehard (arguably the best Christmas flick of all time); 2. Diehard 2 (another serious Christmas classic that leaves me all numb and tingly every time I see it); 3. Lethal Weapon (Christmas – L.A.-style – with Sgt Riggs and Murtaugh!) 4. The Long Kiss Goodnight (Touching scene where Samuel L. Jackson is trying to fence stolen goods on his son as a christmas gift.) 5. Goodfellas (Touching gift-exchanging scene between Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco – gangsta style!); 6. Rocky II (Rocky goes Christmas shopping with ADRIENNE in this one!); 7. Das Boot (celebrate Christmas with Juergen Prochnow and a bunch of other Gluewein-swilling Nazis.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/2 "2003-12-20T11:19:08Z")
Pfft, no mention of _A Christmas Story_? For shame. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/3 "2003-12-20T11:53:46Z")
**Behind Enemy Lines** In Bosnia Santa isn’t the only thing flying on Christmas Day. **Diner** Even in Baltimore life’s a bitch at Christmas. **Eyes Wide Shut** Look what I got for Christmas. **The Junky’s Christmas** From the pen of a real one. Ho Ho Ho. \*\*Less Than Zero \*\* Christmas is a time for family. **The Silent Partner** That’s how he pays for all those presents. ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/4 "2003-12-20T12:16:35Z")
OK, maybe I should rephrase the question. What are your top five Christmas-themed movies of all time? (As opposed to movies that you just watch on or around Christmastime.) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/5 "2003-12-20T12:30:14Z")
What the hell do you mean. I understood you **perfectly**. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/6 "2003-12-20T12:33:38Z")
And may I add savage Christmas and a violent New Year. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/7 "2003-12-20T12:38:35Z")
Well, since nothing can beat _The Star Wars Holiday Special_, I don’t need to make any other choices, right? ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/8 "2003-12-20T12:50:35Z")
I really like **A Midnight Clear.** Other faves: **The Bishop’s Wife**. (Sorry, Denzel, I prefer the 1947 version.) But it just isn’t Christmas without: **Little Women** (actually prefer Winona version) **White Christmas** “Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters…” **A Christmas Story** “You’l shoot your eye out!” ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/9 "2003-12-20T13:06:03Z")
The only ones I will watch every year are: **Santa Claus Conquers the Martians** MST version or not. **Santa Claus** MST version or not **Star Wars Holiday Special** **A Christmas Story** ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/10 "2003-12-20T14:40:45Z")
For me? _A Christmas Story_ _National Lampoons Christmas Vacation_ _Gremlins_ _Home Alone_ _The Lion in Winter_: Not traditionally thought of as a Christmas movie, I’m sure, but it does take place during the Christmas holidays and there’s a scene where Katharine Hepburn decorates a Christmas tree and puts the finishing touches on gifts. It’s like the ultimate dyfunctional family during Christmas movie! ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/11 "2003-12-20T16:59:19Z")
**Rabid Child** , I thought I was the only one that thought of _]The Lion in Winter_ as a Christmas movie! I watch it every year before I head down to see the family over the holidays. My family is not dysfunctional (more or less), so watching this reminds me how lucky I am. Traditional Christmas: _Miracle of 34th Street_ (the original), and _A Christmas Story_ A bit strange at Christmas: _Jungle Book_, the animated Disney version–it’s a tradition to go to or watch an old animated movie on Christmas (Disney used to time a re-release to the holidays, before the era of VCRs and DVDs) and _Jungle Book_ is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/12 "2003-12-20T17:18:35Z")
No one else has mentioned Ernest Saves Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![kmg365](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@kmg365](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmg365)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/13 "2003-12-20T17:26:47Z")
_Ernest_? Oh, that’s a good one I haven’t heard in a long time! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > \*\*What the hell do you mean. > > I understood you **perfectly**. \*\* Umm, the problem is that of all six movies you mentioned as being your favorite “Christmas” movies, not one of them have anything to do with Christmas. See what I mean? ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/14 "2003-12-20T17:54:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kallessa \* > **Rabid Child, I thought I was the only one that thought of _]The Lion in Winter_ as a Christmas movie! I watch it every year before I head down to see the family over the holidays. My family is not dysfunctional (more or less), so watching this reminds me how lucky I am.** I believe most of the movie takes place on December 24th and 25th. Either way, Eleanor, Richard, and Geoffery are summoned to be with Henry II and John for the Christmas holidays. I would love it if those movie stations that have Christmas marathons would put this movie in their lineup. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/15 "2003-12-20T22:32:28Z")
[Brazil](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/) is a very Christmasy movie. [Scrooged](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/) “staples?!” ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/16 "2003-12-21T01:03:45Z")
A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sims. Hands down. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/17 "2003-12-21T02:35:56Z")
Batman Returns. “A kiss is even deadlier, if you mean it.” ---
**Author:** ![Mazikeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9a28c/32.png) [@Mazikeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mazikeen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/18 "2003-12-21T03:22:06Z")
In no particular order, here are mine: 1. Miracle on 34th Street (the original, of course) 2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 3. A Christmas Story 4. Scrooged 5. A Muppet Christmas Carol ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/19 "2003-12-21T08:24:38Z")
kmg365: You seem to be a bit inconsistent here. First you post a list of movies that either happen to occur around Christmas time, or in a couple of cases have only a scene or two that occur around Christmas time. This I understood to mean that any movie with even the slightest link to Christmas could be considered a “Christmas movie”, in other words the point of the exercise was to find movies that weren’t really Christmas-themed movies, but which had some minor or obscure link to Christmas which could then be used to justify their inclusion on a list of Christmas movies. Then you criticize someone else because their list included movies that were not “Christmas-themed”. None of your movies are “Christmas-themed”. The first three happen at or near Christmas, but this fact plays little to no role in the events; transplant the same plot to some other time of the year, and it would work just as well with only minor changes to some background elements and incidental scenes. The final four on your list have individual scenes or sequences that occur at Christmas, but have neither an overall plot nor a theme centered on it. ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154/20 "2003-12-21T08:45:11Z")
Ok its not Christmas- Its new years- and its “200 cigarettes” Also “Peter’s Friends” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-five-christmas-movies-of-all-time-anyone/220154.md?page=2)