Christmas comes with a flood of classic seasonal films, known and beloved by people of all ages, races, and creeds. Some of the greatest films of all time – It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas. Then the age-old question – is Die Hard a Christmas movie? What about The Nightmare Before Christmas? (It’s Halloween, just to be clear). And how many different adaptations of A Christmas Carol have you seen?
But there are always a few that fly under your childhood radar or came out after your Christmas collection was already complete. Some are old and/or obscure. But thanks to the Internet, these holiday gems are now easy to find.
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977) Available on Amazon Prime
Wizard Jim Henson’s little Christmas tv special is whimsical, charming, and filled with incredible puppetry effects. Little Emmet Otter and his widowed mother happily scrape by in the Southern swamp town Frogtown Hollow. As Christmas approaches, Emmet and Ma wish to buy each other nice Christmas presents for a change and decide to enter a local singing competition. A quiet, sweet story in the vein of Gift of the Magi, that is perfect family material and graced with the wonderful songs of the great and underrated Paul Williams, including that haunting hymn, “When the River Meets the Sea.” Kids need more of these kinds of things – soft-spoken without all the frenetic energy.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) Available to rent or buy on Amazon
My little brother loves this film he calls “The Movie Where the Baby Gets Stolen.” But no spoilers. Barbara Stanwyck stars in this B&W screwball romcom, as a writer who has built up a reputation for herself as America’s #1 Housekeeper and Cook. Only trouble is, she is really a bachelorette living in a cheap New York apartment who can’t tell one end of a skillet from another. But when she unwillingly gets roped into hosting an old-fashioned Christmas for a returning Navy hero and her bombastic, straight-arrow boss, she must quickly procure a husband, a baby, and a farm or lose her job.
Her stuffy suitor offers marriage in exchange for the use of his farm, but of course the judge who’s supposed to marry them keeps getting interrupted by the arrival of the guests, and as we all know sparks fly the second Stanwyck and the handsome navy man (Dennis Morgan) lay eyes on each other. Over the years, I’ve warmed up a bit more to this one. It’s cute, Stanwyck is a sparkler, and it’s interesting to note this was written by a woman. Great for the whole family.
Arthur Christmas (2011) Available to rent or buy on Amazon
A fast-paced Aardman CG-animated film that asks, “What if Santa Clause was an inherited position passed down from father to son?” When a single present gets overlooked leaving one child gift-less, Current Santa’s younger, awkward son Arthur sets out to deliver it, bringing along addled Grand Santa and a gift-wrap obsessed elf. As expected from Aardman, the laughs are howlers, the animation is filled with small details and hidden jokes to be discovered with every new viewing, and a fantastic cast of UK vets like Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, and James MacAvoy.
Holiday Affair (1949) Available to rent or buy on Amazon
Before Reverend Harry Powell and Max Cady, Robert Mitchum played a likeable, down-on-his-luck salesman who finds himself in a love-triangle over Janet Leigh, a young widow with a son (of course). Predictable, but even if you think Leigh makes the wrong decision in the end, this one has a charm to match other less famous holiday classics, such as The Shop Around the Corner, or The Bishop’s Wife.
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) Available with ads on Tubi
An anime film may seem like an odd addition to a list of Christmas movies. Especially one by the late, great Satoshi Kon, of Perfect Blue, Paprika, and Paranoia Agent fame. But this gritty, urban drama/ comedy/ crime caper/ magical realist fantasy set in Tokyo during the Yuletide season has a dark kind of beauty as it navigates a maze of what its director calls “meaningful coincidences.” The story takes off when three homeless people running from their pasts – Gin, a middle-aged drunk, Hana, a trans-identifying man, and Miyuki, a runaway teenage girl, find a baby in a garbage bin on Christmas Eve and set out to find her mother.
Side note: If you’re worried about wokeness don’t be. I doubt very much the wokies would like this one. The point is, all three of these characters have sought a kind of rebirth, Gin through making up elaborate lies about his life, Hana through transvestitism, and Miyuki through running. But the discovery of the baby sends them on a journey through the underworld of Tokyo, among the homeless, the criminal, and the mentally ill, all while a mysterious force, perhaps the city itself, seemingly guides them to where they need to go. Like Terry Gilliam, Satoshi Kon perfectly finds the balance between the grotesque and the beautiful, the profane and the sacred. Definitely not for kids and be sure to watch it in its original Japanese.
Prancer (1989) Available to rent on Amazon or Free with Ads on YouTube
Little girl finds injured reindeer that she is convinced is the eponymous Prancer of Santa’s Sleigh Team. That premise might make you gag, but you add Sam Elliot as the gruff, widowed father, a less-annoying-than-usual child actress, and a surprising balance between the whimsical and a harder reality. A small-time film but sweet without being overly saccharine, and smart enough to hold the attention of both kids and adults.
Are They Christmas Films?
We all know the debate about Die Hard’s status as a Christmas movie. But there are other films that I think can easily qualify for the label. Perhaps you’ve watched some and these and thought so too.
- While You Were Sleeping (1995) -Well, it takes place during the entire holiday season. And surely its themes of family are season appropriate.
- An Affair to Remember (1957) – This iconic romance begins on new Years Eve and ends on Christmas. With that framework, I’d say it qualifies as a holiday watch.
- Edward Scissorhands (1990) – It ends on Christmas, but really this one just seems like a winter watch to me. It’s sad and beautiful, and perfect for an end of year viewing.
- Little Women (1994) – Not exactly Christmas-themed, but another one that I just feel is best suited for wintertime viewing. Maybe it’s the heavy themes of family or the warmth that emanates from rich color palette (remember when films had color?).
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – one of my all-time favorite movies as a kid, and it’s still on my big list. As for it being a “Christmas” film, Father Christmas himself shows up, doesn’t he? One of the best family movies of all time.
What do you think of these potential Christmas movies? Are there any obscure holiday movies you know of that others might not? Feel free to comment below!
***
English (US) · 