Top 5 Christmas Movies of All Time

In the spirit of the season, and as a Christmas devotee, I thought I'd compile a little list of my favorite seasonal movies and why I enjoy them so much. I may not have expertise in many areas, but Christmas is certainly one of them.

5. A Christmas Story. I was reading recently that this story wasn't remotely popular when it was first released. Funny how movies can turn into cult favorites over the years. Nowadays, plastic replicas of leg lamps and life-sized pink bunny suits can be found at every neighborhood Walmart. And a marathon of the flick runs for 24 hours on Christmas day! No other movie has earned that right. And with good reason. This movie elicits those fond memories of a simple childhood, when your most pressing worry was what you were getting for Christmas. Sigh. Those were the days.

4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I'm actually not a huge fan of Chevy Chase. His humor is a little too slapstick and overrated for my taste, but this movie is still a classic. Beverly D'Angelo as the tolerant wife of a goofball, Julianne Lewis in her last normal role ... it makes a great combo. Maybe it's the family's pathetic attempt at the "perfect Christmas". You know, that elusive holiday no one has ever attained. Because, as Clark Griswold reminds us, anything involving our families is bound to be screwed up, one way or the other.

3. It's a Wonderful Life. This is the Christmas movie we've all grown up with. George Bailey and his beautiful Bedford Falls are an integral part of American culture. This story, cliched and overplayed though it may be, still continues to remind us that life is about more than money, power and world travel. In the end, it's about relationships. And Jimmy Stewart did an utterly fantastic job of immortalizing a character that we all can't help but love. Even though I've seen this movie 600 times, 601 doesn't get old.

2. Scrooged. Okay, this movie has it all ... the classic Dickens story we all adore, and Bill Murray. What more could you want? Bill has a rare ability to turn everything he touches into entertainment gold. Well, in my eyes, anyway. This movie is no exception. A golf ball dropping from the head of his dead friend, hallucinating a waiter going up in flames, facing his own demise ... Bill does it all with terrific humor and style. This is a movie I look forward to watching each and every year, and I don't think it's moving from the top of the list anytime soon

1. Elf. This is my favorite movie of all time. There's something about Will Ferrell dressed in a pointy hat and tights, pracing through the streets of New York City at Christmastime ... how can you not giggle with delight when watching it? "We elves like to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup." Ahh, to live at the North Pole and spend your life spreading Christmas cheer. Sign me up.

So as the winter cold fronts settle in over your town, buckle down, snuggle up and rent one of these Christmas classics. You'll be in the spirit of the season before you know it.

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