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8 Classic Movie Moments To Get You In The Holiday Spirit
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The holidays are officially here (depending on who you ask, of course), which means it’s time to start queuing up those festive films and specials that help bring the spirit of Christmas home every year. Your favorite streaming services are jam-packed with quality options for what to watch with your family to celebrate the season, so to help guide you in the right direction, here’s a rundown of where you can find the very best Christmas movies to stream right now.
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
This heartwarming tale about Kris Kringle’s stint as Coles’ Santa Claus, and his legal battle to prove he is the real deal, will make a believer out of anyone.
Watch it on: Hulu
Doctor Who‘s Christmas Specials
Since there won’t be a new Doctor Who Christmas special this year, now’s as good a time as any to revisit the old episodes, featuring the 10th, 11th, and 12th Doctors.
Watch it on: Amazon
Nowadays, a kid Kevin McAllister’s age would probably have a cell phone to help his parents track him down faster, but that doesn’t make this 1990 Christmas classic any less fun to watch. His sheer sense of invention in fending off the big bad burglars who want to ransack his ritzy neighborhood is worth the suspension of disbelief that any of this could ever actually happen.
Watch it on: Starz (where the first sequel is also available)
This Christmas drama might be a bit kitschy, but there’s still a lot of heart to be found in the criss-crossing narratives of these characters, who each want nothing more than to be loved by the ones they cherish. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and feel all the feels again and again.
Watch it on: Netflix
This 1988 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol features Bill Murray as a crusty TV executive who abuses his staff and everyone who dares to care about him before facing the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future — all of which are pretty grim, to be honest. What works so well about this one is the fact that it all feels like a giant fever dream, as he’s experiencing all this just before his network is slated to broadcast a more traditional version of Ebenezer Scrooge’s story.
Watch it: Starz
This classic Christmas movie centers on a man who’s down on his luck and gets a much-needed pick-me-up from an unexpected source. And, fun fact, every time someone watches it an angel gets its wings.
Watch it: Amazon
Motion capture movies might be much more common now, but when Robert Zemeckis used the technology to create his 3D animated adaptation of Dickens’ iconic tale, it was still quite new. Even so, the film still holds up as Jim Carrey’s quirky portrayal of the miser comes through in every frame.
Watch it on: HBO (Note: 1935’s Scrooge is available on Amazon Prime)
Not everyone is sold on the spirit of Christmas. This romantic comedy features a couple of those naysayers whose plan to spend the holiday in the tropics gets thwarted, and they’re forced to spend the big day with their unusual sets of family members. Hijinks ensue.
Watch it on: HBO
What happens when a millionaire decides to pay the cranky family living in his childhood home to let him hang around for the holidays so that he can get in touch with his Christmas spirit? Hilarity, that’s what.
Watch it on: HBO
In this slapstick adaptation of John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas, the Kranks decide not to engage in all the yuletide merriment they’ve managed for so many years … until their adult daughter decides she’s not going to spend the holiday away after all. From there, it’s a mad dash to put on a Christmas worth coming home to, and it’s a chaotic jumble of laughs.
Watch it on: Amazon
While the kiddos are sure to get a kick out of the 1979 animated version of Jack Frost (available on Amazon Prime), the 1998 live-action and animation pic presents a touching take on the character. After losing his emotionally distant father in a car accident, a young boy gets one last chance to spend some of that quality time he’s missed with his old man — only his dad’s now a walking, talking snowman. The concept might sound ridiculous, but Michael Keaton’s portrayal of our frozen father here will give you chills.
Watch it on: HBO
For those with a raunchier sense of humor, this story of a foul-mouthed mall Santa who uses his annual gig to rob the place blind is a riot.
Watch it on: Netflix
Who better to head up his own musical Christmas special than Bill Murray? With an onslaught of supporting stars coming in to support his attempt to put on a show, despite being snowed in, the comedy special is unique and filled with great song performances.
Watch it on: Netflix
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Ron Howard’s modernized take on Dr. Seuss’ celebrated Christmas story might be a little zanier and less musically-oriented than the 1966 animated version of the same, but it’s still bound to leave the kiddos is stitches this season.
Watch it on: Netflix
Source : TVGuide
