Eggnog and Jimmy: Christmas Movies that Gladden the Heart

Watching delicate snowflakes carpet your backyard, while snuggling with your loved ones by a crackling fire is the vision of an ideal Christmas morning.  However, here in Florida, we’re lucky if it reaches a frigid 50⁰!

Lit up palm trees, shorts and visiting the beach are all popular Yule-tide events here in the Sunshine state.  But regardless of whether your Christmas is white or green, there are several things that make this holiday a special one.

One of my favorite traditions is settling down with a piping hot mug of cocoa (with extra marshmallows!) and watching a feel-good holiday movie.

So, get the cookies out of the oven and hang up your stocking, because here is a list of my favorite Christmas movies that are sure to make even the Grinch feel warm and tingly inside!

5.  Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

This is a romantic comedy about a magazine writer who writes about her life on her Connecticut farm with her husband and child.  In her articles she includes the gourmet recipes she prepares for her family.  Her boss decides to boost readership by having a war hero spend the holidays with her and her family, but there’s one tiny snag, she can’t even cook!  Actually, every single thing she writes about is a big fat lie, but does that deter her from hosting an “old fashioned Christmas”?  Of course not, and with her elaborate charade, calamity ensues.  You might be thinking that a movie based on deceit and manipulation lacks the crucial components of a traditional Christmas tale, but this movie is very fun and upbeat, making it “honky donkey” in my book!

4.  Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970)

Few things shout “Christmas” as much as Mickey Rooney.  Okay, perhaps that’s just me, but you have to admit, he is a jolly little elf!  Based on the song, this hour-long, Rankin-Bass television special focuses on the “true” story of Santa Claus.  Besides Mickey, who brings a creepy charm to Kris Kringle, there are also the vocal talents of Fred Astaire and Keenan Wynn (what more could you want?!?!).  It’s not Christmas at my house, until we pop in this VHS tape and enjoy the light-hearted innocence that makes Santa Claus magical!

3.  White Christmas (1954)

A Christmas movie list wouldn’t be complete without Ba-Ba-Ba-Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in this delightfully frou-frou musical about two war buddies turned Broadway stars.  While trying to lift the spirits of their old, retired general, who now runs a bed and breakfast in Vermont, the duo meet up with a swinging sister act who provide romantic tension and humorous misunderstandings.  Alright, so this isn’t a thought-provoking answer to the meaning of life, but it is a charming film to watch with loved ones.  Listening to Bing’s velvet voice will sooth the savage beast, and Danny’s over-the-top shtick is sure to bring a smile to your face!

2.  A Christmas Carol (1951)

There have been so many remakes of the Dickens’ novel, from silent films to musicals and even Muppets!  Through the various versions of the miser Scrooge, his underpaid employee Bob Cratchit and the three ghosts of Christmas, my personal favorite would have to be the 1951 version, starring Alastair Sim.  I don’t know why this version is so special to me other than it gives more back-story than the ’38 production, while still maintaining Scrooge’s genuine transformation.  No matter which adaption you prefer, from computer animations to comedies, this will always be a classic that helps you make rather merry while learning about the power of giving!

1.  It’s a Wonderful Life

This is it, my all-time favorite Christmas movie!  This is such a spectacular film, and I’m not just saying that because Jimmy Stewart is my lover boy (okay, my real dream boat would be a cross between Jimmy and Cary Grant, but I digress!).  Watching this movie is like going on a journey, a joyful yet melancholy journey filled with elements of “life”.  Like all of us, George Bailey (Jimmy), has plans of changing the world when he gets older, but as in life, those plans often change when reality sets in.  We can’t just drop everything and travel around the world, we have responsibilities and people whom depend on us.  Although it may seem tragic, life really isn’t that bad, just as George learns.  As long as you have family, friends and a guardian angel, no matter how dire the circumstances, you will see that you do have a wonderful life!

Christmas is an ideal time to curl up on the sofa and watch a feel-good movie with loved ones, and since it’s just around the corner, you better start watching now!

Here was my list of Christmas movies (and YES, I checked it twice!), but if I didn’t include one of your favorites, please let me know!