In honour of the festive season, it’s time to talk Christmas movies!
We’ve taken a quick poll in the office and come up with our favourites.
Take a look below and let us know what you think on Twitter using #FriendChristmas, or send us a message on Facebook.
Angela, Editor
For me, it has to be “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, surely the best adaptation of a Dickens novel ever made. We watch it every Christmas Eve!
I also have a very soft spot for “White Christmas” . . .
Judey, Production Editor
“Scrooge” starring Albert Finney — it should be on all channels from December 15 on a loop.
Alex, Features Editor
It has to be the black and white classics. Christmas is a time for unashamed nostalgia and heartfelt sentiment, and modern movies just can’t provide that – they’re too self-aware and usually a bit commercial.
I used to watch “Holiday Inn” with my sister every year, which I still think is a slightly stronger film than the “White Christmas” remake.
Listening to Bing’s voice in the original is like listening to vinyl now compared to the latest digital tech — it’s warm and rich, with the occasional pop and crackle in the soundtrack, just like the sound of an open fire. Irving Berlin wrote the songs for it, and they’re all gorgeous.
“The Bishop’s Wife” is my absolute favourite, though. Cary Grant is an angel — Dudley — sent down to remind stressed Bishop Henry (David Niven) of the important things in life. Like “It’s A Wonderful Life”, it’s a testament to its enduring appeal that it still gets shown in a few cinemas to this day.
It’s as heart-warming as a big mug of hot chocolate . . .
Alan, Fiction Team
“It’s A Wonderful Life” — it’s the ultimate feel-good movie. Also, it has Jimmy Stewart and Clarence the angel. And it’s in black and white!
Jacki, Production Team
My favourite Christmas movie is “The Christmas Wish” with Neil Patrick Harris and Debbie Reynolds. It’s a made-for-TV movie, where Will (played by Neil Patrick Harris) is asked by his grandmother, Ruth, to uncover a family secret surrounding his grandfather.
This movie is filled with emotion and is a heartwarming, yet bittersweet, tale of love and forgiveness.
Yvonne, Features Team
My favourite Christmas movie has to be “Elf”. It embraces the magic of the season, wrapped up in sheer silliness with a sprinkling of magic dust on the top.
Will Ferrell shines as the childish Buddy, an oversized elf that leaves Santa’s workshop in the North Pole to head to New York to find his father. The “bah humbug” role of Walter — who wasn’t aware he had another son, let alone an elf one — is also brilliantly played by James Caan.
Mishaps and mayhem follow Buddy, who at a towering 6-foot plus incredibly pulls off the innocent childlike role with aplomb. I defy anyone not to sing along as Buddy tries to help Santa save Christmas when his sleigh falters in the face of festive apathy.
It’s a feel-good movie the whole family will love.
It’s also the favourite movie of Tracey from the Fiction team and Design Editor Jaclyn!
Moira, Design Team
My favourite Christmas movie has to be “Christmas Vacation”!
Lucy, Fiction Team
I love Christmas films!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “Home Alone”, “Elf” and “Miracle on 34th Street” (old or new version) surely have to be best.
If it has to be one, I’d say “The Muppet Christmas Carol”. Genius.
Nicole, Design Team
It’s got to be “Miracle On 34th Street”, though as a child it was “Santa Claus The Movie”. Magical!
Mairi, Features Team
Definitely “Love Actually”. Although it’s maybe not the most PG . . .
Photograph by Kenny Smith Photography.
Marion, Features Team
I love Charles Dickens’s classic story “A Christmas Carol”, and I love the Muppets, so naturally my favourite Christmas film is . . . Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (kidding – that’s my second favourite).
I saw “The Muppet Christmas Carol” at the cinema with my family when it first came out. We loved it. There are so many little visual jokes and muppety goings-on that we laughed a lot. My son and I loved the scene between Scrooge and his hard-working, freezing cold rat clerks when they all popped up in their little Hawaiian shirts.
Yet the film manages to be genuinely poignant, too, so you can go from laughter to tears quite quickly. Michael Caine as Scrooge takes his role seriously, and that takes this from a fun Muppet caper to a genuinely touching way of telling the story.
Gonzo, as narrator Charles Dickens, quotes Charles Dickens’s words from the book throughout. It’s a brilliant way of bringing a cherished story to life, with beloved characters and great special effects making a memorable family classic for the twentieth century and beyond.
Manon, Illustrations Editor
The Santa Claus, because it always brings me right back to my childhood!
Now those are some good Christmas movies. We’re really in the festive spirit now!
Did your favourite appear on our list?
For more from the team, read our blog here.
Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
