Hellobee

I love Christmas. I can’t help it. The season, the weather, the decorations, the general merriment. I just love it all. One of my favorite things to do during this season is to watch Christmas movies with my kids. But I have a little different list than your typical holiday movie list, and this is mostly because my parents had some obscure movies we watched when I was a kid, and now these movies mean holidays to me.

Holiday Inn – I can’t say enough about this movie. If you have seen White Christmas you will be familiar with the set and the actors because this was a precursor to White Christmas. It stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and is about a dancer who decides to quit his life and move to a farm. He quickly learns that the farm life is not for him and decides to turn the farm into a venue that is only open on holidays, hence Holiday Inn. There is a ton of great music and the scenery is amazing, especially the dresses. As a word of warning, there is a really offensive scene that I fast forward over, so be prepared for that. It is a movie that makes me nostalgic and happy and I look forward to watching it each year.

White Christmas – This is such a great holiday classic. It stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as a pair of army buddies that start a traveling dance and singing duo. Shenanigans ensue when they meet the Haynes sisters, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. The movie is beautiful and has awesome songs and dancing. The chemistry between Crosby and Kaye is magical, especially the scene when they impersonate the Haynes sisters. This one is great to watch with your kids and show them the nostalgia of the past.

Christmas in Connecticut – One of the lesser known gems for holiday viewing, this is a great option that will entertain your kids. The story is about a writer who is impersonating an ideal housewife living on a farm. In reality, she is a single woman living in a tiny apartment and has never cooked or cleaned in her life. A soldier recovering from war wounds requests to spend Christmas with her at the farm, which her editor approves because he believes her to be the homemaker she is pretending to be. The characters end up at a farmhouse and try to maintain an elaborate guise and in the end, a romantic situation occurs with a feel good ending. There are some really great silly scenes that can only happen in these old movies.

The Shop Around the Corner – If you’ve seen You’ve Got Mail, this is the movie that inspired that movie. It stars Jimmy Stewart in one of his early roles. He and Margaret Sullavan are pen pals who have never met, but in real life they actually work together and despise each other. They eventually decide to meet and Stewart’s character arrives at their location and sees that it is Sullavan waiting for him and he panics and leaves. She is devastated and doubts her pen pal, but Stewart begins to treat her differently and they eventually fall in love. It’s a sweet movie, and it’s especially fun if you’ve seen You’ve Got Mail.

While You Were Sleeping – Ahhh, my favorite movie ever. And how great that it is also a holiday movie. This one stars Sandra Bullock as Lucy, a single and lonely women who saves her crush’s (Peter) life by pulling him off the train tracks before he gets hit by a train. A mixup at the hospital places her as Peter’s fiance, and as a result Lucy is adopted by Peter’s loud and loving family. Over the next few days, Lucy spends time with Peter’s family and ends up falling in love with Peter’s brother Jack. When Peter wakes up, he decides he is going to ask Lucy to marry him again and she accepts his proposal despite being in love with Jack. In the end, she chooses Jack and he asks her to marry her with his family in tow. I don’t know what it is about this movie, but I love it.

The Family Stone – If you are looking for a funny but serious movie that will certainly make you cry, this is the one for you. It is relatively new and has a great cast. The story is about one family’s Christmas, which ends up being the first meeting for much of the family of the oldest son’s girlfriend. The family is not kind to the new girlfriend, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and the situations that occur as a result of their behavior. The movie flows really well and the ending is both incredibly sad and so happy. I cry literally every single time I watch this one. It’s not the best one for kids, but it is great to snuggle up and watch with your partner.

Scrooged – As a warning, this is absolutely not a movie to watch with your kids. However, it is hilarious and it gives the good Christmas vibe throughout. This stars Bill Murray as a scrooge who ends up in a modern Christmas Carol. The ghosts that visit him are so funny and the other characters give great performances. It is a nice break from all the feel good movies that are popular for this season. There is a scene with Carol Kane that is pure gold and one that makes me giggle every single time.

A Christmas Story – This is Mr. Cereal’s favorite Christmas movie. I am less of a fan, but he loves it so I sit through it each year. I remember watching this one as a kid and I loved it. Almost everyone knows this movie and it has some classic items that people associate with it. I probably won’t watch this one with the kids this year, but it will be one we add in for them as they get a little older.

It’s a Wonderful Life – I try to watch this one every year on New Year’s Eve. It is such a special story and the acting and scenery is amazing. Jimmy Stewart is spectacular and his acting really brings you into the story. This is another tear jerker for me, and I have to prepare myself to watch it. I love the story behind it and when the town comes together to save George, I lose it every time. This one is probably a little tough to watch with little kids because the pace is pretty slow, but older kids might appreciate the story and the sentiment.