Babes in Toyland (1934)
This comedic musical Christmas classic stars Laurel and Hardy as two fellows who live in a shoe in Toyland. To cut to the chase on the plot, the evil Bogeymen are invading Toyland. Laurel and Hardy use man-sized wooden soldiers to foil the plot of Bogeyman. Lots of laughs here, and plenty of classical musical tunes. This film is also known as "March of the Wooden Soldiers."
Holiday Inn (1942)
Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. You couldn't ask for anything more from a classic Hollywood musical, especially one like Holiday Inn that features the great song "White Christmas," original to this film. Also, this is the movie that inspired the name of the hotel chain. To cut to the quick, the story here involves a group of entertainers working together to save an inn by having special performers during each holiday.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
This holiday musical stars the ever-great Judy Garland, as well as Mary Astor, Margaret O'Brien and Lucille Bremer. The plot revolves around four sisters in St. Louis in 1904. There's great humor here, as well as a solid romantic plotline. Safe for the whole family, but mom and dad should especially like this one if they enjoy taking a trip back to when Hollywood was still glamorous.
The Last Detail (1973)
Starring Jack Nicholson, the film is about two U.S. sailors who have to escort a prisoner to a naval prison. The prisoner's crime was very small, but his punishment is quite harsh, so the two sailors decide to take the convict out for a blast of a good time before landing the poor fellow in jail. There's tons of cussing here, and plenty of adult situations, but it's also funny as heck. Not a traditional Christmas movie, but the story takes place around the holiday season.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Now don't start screaming that this action flick doesn't have anyplace on a list of Christmas movies, because it does for at least two reasons. One, the storyline takes place during the Christmas season, though mostly the holiday is not intrinsic to the plot. Two, I wanted this list to have a little something for fans of all kinds of movies, not just the typical Christmas stories. And boy is this movie not typical of most Christmas stories. Starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the tale here is loaded with gunfire, explosions, martial arts, etc. One of the best action movies ever made.
A Christmas Carol (1999)
This was actually a made-for-TV movie, but this rendition of the classic Charles Dickens tale is so good, I just had to include it. This version stars Patrick Stewart as Scrooge, and Stewart gives one of the best television performances of his life, portraying Scrooge better than anyone I've ever seen.
The Family Man (2000)
This is the touching story of a rich man who gets a glimpse of what his life would have been like if he had married the love of his life, a woman he dated back in college. Starring Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni, this is one of my favorites of the lesser-known Christmas movies.
Love Actually (2003)
In many ways this is more of a straight romantic comedy than a holiday flick, but it is centered around Christmas in Britain and the holiday has several major roles to play throughout the various stories. Because there is more than one story here, all of which involve love to some extent or another. Not all the stories end happily-ever-after, but enough of them do to make you want to cheer at certain points in the film. Has a huge list of stars, some of which are Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman.
The Polar Express (2004)
This computer-animated film is based upon the classic 1985 book of the same name. Actor Tom Hanks plays five different animated roles here. The plot is about a boy who is searching for the truth about Christmas, and a magical train that takes him to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, this flick is about a couple who has decided instead of celebrating Christmas at home, they want to go on a tropical vacation. But things aren't quite that simple. The neighbors want them to still decorate for the holidays, and their daughter is (surprise!) returning home for Christmas and expecting the traditional big, family Christmas gathering.
Joyeux Noël (2005)
As I wrote above, I wanted a little something for everyone. This one is a war film. And yes, Christmas is more than important to the plot here. The story is based upon true experiences of soldiers during World War I. Apparently Scottish, French and German soldiers called a truce of sorts along the Western Front for Christmas in 1914. The troops sang together, ate and drank together and even played soccer together. But once the holiday was over, the war was back on. A sad tale in many ways, but one that shows the true meanings behind Christmas.
Fred Claus (2007)
Starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, this is a hilarious take on the Santa Claus tradition. Here, St. Nick's less-than-stellar older brother, Fred (played by Vaughn) lands himself in some legal trouble and ends up having to go to work for Santa at the North Pole to raise $50,000. Though this film didn't do great at the box office, I thought it had its moments. Word of warning, though, because not all the humor here is suitable for the kiddies.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
1. Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin