If you’ve never read the short stories of O. Henry, you’re missing out on one of the most humorous, beautiful, and profound American writers of all time. Writing at the turn of the twentieth century, O. Henry had a knack for capturing episodes in the life of everyday Americans in a way which exposed the beauty and mystery present in every human life. Although sadly only a handful of his stories have been retained in the cultural memory today, throughout the early and mid-twentieth century they were wildly popular, and it was only a matter of time until a cinematic adaptation of some of them came along.

There’s only one problem: O. Henry’s stories are stubbornly uncinematic. The stories are not grand, sweeping narratives full of set pieces, long character development, and great dramatic gestures; rather they are simple episodes in people’s lives, episodes which reveal the dignity of ordinariness and the presence of God in every person, place, and moment. Indeed, O. Henry is perhaps the one author in English who best captures the Epiphany of the Lord in each and every human life. (You didn’t think I picked this film just because one of its segments is Gift of the Magi, did you?)

The only way to adapt O. Henry for film is to make an anthology, selecting several stories which are thematically linked and presenting us with a series of short films, quick vignettes which capture the essence of O. Henry’s magical world. O. Henry’s Full House brings together five great directors of the 40s and 50s, giving each of them one of O. Henry’s stories to bring to life in their own way, and they got the acclaimed American author John Steinbeck to introduce and narrate the collection to boot. Anthology films can be difficult to pull off, but this one really nails it (for the most part; 4 out of 5 ain’t bad), choosing well-paired stories to distill the essence of O. Henry into a delightful two-hour cinematic experience that leaves the reader thirsty to dive into more of his wonderful stories.

It’s hard to describe each of these stories and their profound epiphanies without spoiling them, but I shall try. First we have Henry Koster’s The Cop and the Anthem, starring the magnificent Charles Laughton as Soapy, a vagrant trying to get himself arrested so he can spend the winter in a warm jail cell instead of on the streets. As the police keep ignoring his petty crimes, he gets increasingly desperate until a visit to church causes a shift in his mindset - if the law will allow him to carry through with it.

Next is Henry Hathaway’s The Clarion Call, a noir-inspired piece about an honest cop who can’t bring himself to arrest an old friend because of a favor he owes him from years before.

Jean Negulesco’s The Last Leaf shows a young woman with pneumonia who has lost the will to live, and has resigned herself to give up the ghost when the last leaf falls off of the dying vine outside her window. A vulgar but friendly artist upstairs determines to risk his life to ensure that last leaf never falls.

Howard Hawks’ The Ransom of Red Chief relates the hapless bumblings of two small-time con men who get more than they bargained for when they kidnap the son of an Alabama landowner, looking for ransom. This is the weakest of the five stories, as it doesn’t match the others in tone, theme, or setting (all the others take place in New York), and I have seen reports that it was cut from the film either in its overseas release or perhaps even on first release in America. Despite its mismatch with the rest of the films, it is still quite funny and enjoyable.

Finally, Henry King’s The Gift of the Magi describes a loving but poor married couple desperate on Christmas Eve to find the perfect gift for each other, even if it means sacrificing the material possession they each hold most dear. This is, perhaps, O. Henry’s most famous story and with good reason; its title captures well the Epiphany of divine love and self-sacrifice contained within these spouses’ love and devotion to one another. Jeanne Crain and Farley Granger’s performances perfectly encapsulate the sweetness and simple beauty of this magnificent story.

Each of these stories (with the possible exception of The Ransom of Red Chief) contain moments where the presence of God shines through in ordinary life, whether it be through a remarkable act of providence allowing our hero to do the right thing, or exemplary self-sacrifice in service of others, or the simple love shown by the various people for each other. I can’t say more without spoiling the stories; hopefully you will check this one out for yourselves and discover these glories Epiphanies as originally conceived and executed!

This concludes our 12 Days of Cinematic Christmas as the Christmas season winds down today. We at 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See hope it has been an enjoyable and edifying journey through some truly great Christmas classics, and that you have discovered some new gems to add to your annual holiday film cycle (I know I have!). Like Ebenezer Scrooge, let us resolve to keep the Christmas spirit in our hearts throughout the year, for today a virgin giveth birth to the Transcendent One, our sin and sorrow are banished away, and we have nothing more to fear. Merry Christmas, happy Epiphany, and may God bless you throughout this new year!

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Is there a musical more synonymous with Christmas than White Christmas? From its glorious Technicolor visuals to its many exuberant song and dance numbers to the sharp chemistry between all the characters to the intricate soundstage sets to the warm and bright titular song, every frame of this film simply exudes the silly joy that one wants out of a golden age Hollywood musical. At the same time, despite all the talk about “angles”, all the characters display an admirable selflessness and generosity that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Christmas.

One of the things that must be appreciated about White Christmas is the beauty of the dance sequences. Dance is an artform which rarely gets its due appreciation in modern times, mostly because in twenty-first century America our dance is rarely beautiful. However, the dance sequences in this film are stunning expressions of human athleticism and sheer fun. All of the dancers are at the top of their game, especially Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen. Their genuine talent and art are a joy to watch and are amazing expressions of human creativity and ability. Especially when paired with Irving Berlin’s sparkling music, these song and dance numbers always bring a smile to my face because of how fun they are.

Beyond the fun and art of the musical, the story itself portrays a group of friends constantly looking out for the good of each other, even if they don’t always consult each other before trying to help them. At the very beginning of the film, Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) put on a Christmas variety show for their WWII unit in Italy to keep up morale and bring a small taste of home to their fellow soldiers; at the end of the pageant, Phil saves Bob from a collapsing building at the cost of a wound to his arm. Phil tries to find Bob a love interest, concerned at the workaholism Bob evinces and feeling somewhat guilty for suggesting they produce the show which has sparked Bob’s busy-ness. Phil and Bob (with the help of new friends the Haynes Sisters) both try to do something to help out their old army commander, General Waverly, who has fallen on some hard times in post-war America. Despite the fact that yes, by helping their friends they too may get something out of it, their primary motivation is always selfless, and the secondary, selfish motivation is often played for laughs. Of course, this is a romantic comedy, so everything works out for everyone in the end, giving us the joy of seeing all of these friends have a happy ending together.

Finally, this film exemplifies many of the aspects we traditionally associate with Christmas in America, without dipping too far into the trap of commercialism. Much of the film is set in a ski lodge, with classic American stone walls and a big fireplace, plenty of pine trees and Christmas wreaths decorating everything, cozy moments and fun parties, and lots of red and green everywhere. One of the plot points is the curious lack of snow in Vermont in December, but of course in the big finale the promise of the title is fulfilled and we do, indeed, get a white Christmas. Everything about the aesthetic of the film contributes to the nostalgic feeling of Christmas, making it a wonderfully cozy classic to put on as Christmas winds down.

There’s two things people remember the name of “Rankin/Bass Productions” for: their productions of The Hobbit and The Return of the King and their Christmas specials. Despite the Tolkien specials gaining somewhat of a cult classic following over the years (and definitely were instrumental in influencing a young Peter Jackson) it’s clear that the Christmas specials are what immortalized the company in the eyes of generations of children from the 1960s onward.

Decades before Ed Catmull and John Lasseter would revolutionize 3D animation with the advent of Pixar, the team at Rankin/Bass Productions was creating fantastic wonders of the imagination every holiday season in a way no other studio was doing. Sure, stop-motion animation had been around since the days of Willis O’Brien with King Kong and Ray Harryhausen with…literally everything else, but it was always used as a special effect rather than a full-on artistic medium. Under the guidance of Japanese stop-motion artist Tadahito Mochinaga and his special “Animagic” process of creating animation we got such memorable specials as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and The Little Drummer Boy. And that’s not forgetting the 2D animation work such as Frosty the Snowman, which was made in very much the same art style. Each special ended up becoming a huge ratings hit, and they went from being shown only once each year to now playing several times on network television during the Christmas season.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer may be the stand-out of all their works, featuring Burl Ives’ iconic take on the titular song and “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”. The colorful supporting cast of characters such as Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the group of characters who populate the Isle of Misfit Toys. If anything, many may remember being terrified as a child by the Abominable Snow Monster! Santa Claus and Frosty also feature memorable turns by classic Hollywood actors Fred Astaire and Jimmy Durante as the respective narrators for each special, with their own fantastic voice casts to boot.

With their combined focus on humor, heart, and technical wizardry these shorts, along with A Charlie Brown Christmas, became the definitive Christmas television specials for decades to come, with filmmakers like Jon Favreau and Wes Anderson both having paid extensive homage to these specials in their works. Each story manages to put a unique spin on a classic tale while always ending with a great message for kids and adults alike. There really is something special about seeing these stop-motion puppets talk and dance and move around in a way only this oft-neglected medium could: it very much feels like magic at times. It truly would’ve been remiss to not include these iconic specials on this list!

The only real frustrating part is that they’re notoriously hard to find anywhere on streaming outside of simply watching them when they air on TV! Definitely recommend buying one of the DVD/Blu-Ray collections to have for you and your family for years to come.

There’s an essential trio of Christmas character transformations that have warmed our hearts for decades. First, there’s George Bailey, a fundamentally good man who needs his perspective on life changed through Angelic assistance. Second, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a covetous old sinner, a warped man who has lost any sense of joy, love, or value outside of himself and his money. Unlike George Bailey, Scrooge truly is evil, but it’s an evil which has grown over time, slowly changing Scrooge from a good man into a bad one. By travelling back in time and reminding Scrooge who he once was, showing him who he is now, and warning him of where he is almost certain to end up without some change, three spirits help Scrooge to reverse that evil transformation and keep Christmas in his heart all the year long.

And then we have the Grinch. Twice imitated (first in a flawed and ugly but bizarrely admirable way by Ron Howard and again in a soulless corporate snoozefest by Illumination) but never surpassed, Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones’ original How the Grinch Stole Christmas holiday special presents us with a thoroughly and chaotically evil personage who simply hates Christmas. There’s no deeper reason, no tragic backstory to explain why the Grinch is so Grinchy; the best explanation is that he is actually biologically predisposed to be evil. How could this Grinch possibly undergo the same transformation to goodness and charity that we know and love in the other two?

First, we must admit that all of the Grinch’s complaints about Christmas in the first act are completely valid. He looks at Christmas and what does he see? Crass materialism. Gross consumption. Gluttony, greed, over-indulgence, and noise, noise, noise, NOISE! The Grinch looks down from his high mountaintop and passes judgement over the Whos, condemning them for many of the sins we might agree have polluted American Christmas. Granted, he condemns them mostly because they are personally annoying to him; he is evil, after all, and not a neutral observer impartially judging their morality. But in this way, I think the Grinch is quite the sympathetic character. After all, who among us has not complained about the neighbor putting up that 15 foot tall Frosty blow-up thing the day after Thanksgiving? Who hasn’t wished Christmas was less about toys and more about Christ, joy, peace, and love? Who isn’t exhausted by the end of Christmas, especially if they spend it near young children?

The Grinch (and, my dear reader, you and I) have all had our idea of Christmas corrupted by its accidents, though hopefully we aren’t as far gone as old Grinchy Claus is. Just as supernatural assistance was required for George Bailey and Ebenezer Scrooge to complete their Christmas transformations, so too it is needed for the Grinch and for us ourselves. After the Grinch has wrapped up all the trappings of Christmas, the toys and the food and the lights and the presents and everything that seems like Christmas, he is shocked to discover that none of that is the essence of Christmas. We can strip away all the trimmings and trappings OR we can add and add and add more and more and more to it, but we cannot change or take away what Christmas is. It is impossible to understand or discover what this is by our own effort, or to build Christmas for ourselves, or to take it away and destroy it. Rather, we must experience the supernatural joy and wonder of dah-who doris; and after we puzzle and puzzle til our puzzler is sore, perhaps we will get the supernatural revelation all the noise has, until now, drowned out.

Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store.

Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

Joyeux Noel, the war film by Christian Carion is a beautiful work of art set in the trenches of World War I, inspired by true events at the end of 1914. Through the eyes of combatants on either side, we see the celebration of Christmas amid the tragedy of war. This film, unlike the rest of the films on this list, may not be for all ages, but will certainly remain relevant to those of age through the ages.  

The film opens with scenes of patriotic optimism from both the allies and the Germans and swiftly dashes that optimism with depictions of the harsh reality of war.  The scenes become more hopeless leading up to Christmas, when each side begins singing Christmas carols.  

While hesitant at first, the trenches begin to volley back and forth different carols in different languages. This leads to an impromptu cease fire that turns into the individuals in the trenches getting to know each other.  They exchange gifts, show pictures and even play a game of soccer. As Christmas draws to a close, the realization that these new found friends will have to resume killing each other sets in. Some refuse to fight when the orders are given and are faced with discipline.  

Although the film makes a brief effort at the beginning to set the Church separate from peace amid devastation, the film faithfully shows a real Christmas Truce in 1914 during World War 1.  It shows the reality that man's best efforts at peace in our time requires and ends in massive worldwide suffering: the only true source of peace is trust in God.  The film shows this by sitting the audience directly next to individual combatants on both sides of the conflict and humanizing them.  The individuals have little to no personal stakes in the bloodshed and are put through hell for some countries' idea of peace or victory.  The soldiers are given an opportunity to put aside worldly patriotism and participate in The Holy Mass together in a beautiful scene.  

The film's relevance is only reinforced by the state of the modern world.  Most of the west lives in almost complete comfort, while bloody and senseless violence consumes parts of the world.  Joyeux Noel reminds us that partisan favor on any side of a conflict only perpetuates suffering.  The only true way to peace is through forgiveness and love, not revenge or hate.  It points us back to our true country, that of heaven, and calls for sacrifice of self in service of Christ.  

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 35-39)

Growing up, one of my favorite memories is watching the Muppets with my siblings, and around Christmastime The Muppet Christmas Carol was a requirement. (Sometimes we wouldn’t even wait for Christmas!) There are several elements to this movie that make it a great way to introduce your kids to this classic story. As Gonzo narrates the story as Charles Dickens, we hear many of the most crucial lines from the book. Even though the movie is obviously adapted to interest children and has a more modern feel, the character and feeling, and purport of the book come through beautifully.

For example, Fozziwig’s party conveys all of the fun and spirit that comes across from Dicken’s original description in the book. Even though Fozziwig and his lady don’t dance “Sir Roger de Coverley”, the jig that Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem play gets everyone dancing and enjoying themselves in a way that does Dickens’ description in the book proud. I also like the subtle addition that the writers made to this scene where Scrooge tries to remonstrate with his boss about the expense of the party. It gives a good grounding to Scrooge’s character. They also add Scrooge’s first meeting with Belle to this scene, which I think was a nice touch.

One more example of the movie’s accuracy to the spirit of the book is the scene where the Ghost of Christmas Present sings “It Feels Like Christmas”. I can remember enjoying several different sensations when watching this scene as a kid. The music, lighting, cinematography, and choreography all convey the spirit of excitement, anticipation, fun, and warmth that everyone should feel on Christmas morning. When I first read the book, years later, I immediately had the same feelings when reading Dickens’ description of the marketplace and town square in the third stave where the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge Christmas morning.  

Even though the Muppets dial back the darkness and creepiness of the story quite a bit, they still get the message across with the two Marley brothers and the Ghost of Christmas Future. The Marley brothers are played by the two cynical stage hecklers, Statler and Waldorf. Even though their song is quite catchy and they say some puns, the jokes are rather harsh and jaded, just like the attitude that the Marley brothers had when they were alive. As for the Ghost of Christmas Future! Well, let’s just say that, when I was little, I was still pretty terrified during that scene. So even though the Muppets do take some poetic license, this movie still gives kids an accurate introduction to the story.

The family values scattered throughout the movie give it the warmth and meaning that we all expect in a Christmas movie. I especially like the scenes with the Cratchit family. Old fans of the Muppets know that Kermit and Miss Piggy have an annoyingly selfish relationship, but in this movie they play a married couple that are selflessly trying to make each other and their kids happy. We see them struggle through poverty, hardship, and even the loss of a child together, and their attitude and behavior through it all is actually quite admirable. There may be some people who like the normal, non-committal, will-they-won’t-they relationship between Kermit and Piggy, but I will admit that I was thrilled to see them actually play a married couple with a self-sacrificial attitude towards each other and their children. Scrooge’s relationship with his nephew is also very well done in this movie. The tension between them at first is believable and relatable, but Scrooge’s nephew provides a great example of Charity and Perseverance.

For those of you who like Michael Caine, this film is another stellar performance. I admire Michael Caine a great deal because he obviously enjoys doing his job and he works well with his fellow actors. He sells his role so well in this film. In one of his interviews, he told the reporter that he tried his best to make his performance as seriously in earnest as possible and let the Muppets add the comedy. It also seems like he enjoyed making this movie a lot. From the interviews and promotional videos for this movie, it seems like Michael Caine just has an excellent sense of humor about it all.

Another impressive aspect of Michael Caine’s performance in this movie is that he had never had a singing role before. He admits that he is not a good singer at all, but that he really enjoyed working on the songs for this movie, especially “When Love is Gone”, his duet with Meredith Braun. When they recorded the song together, he was very kind and complimented her on her voice. I think Michael Caine is one of those actors who builds up the people he works with, and I really appreciate that kind of attitude in an actor.

For me, a movie’s soundtrack is a big part of the experience, and this soundtrack, composed by Miles Goodman, does not disappoint. The songs are catchy, as all Muppet songs should be, and their lyrics are quite good. “Bless Us All” is an old favorite of mine as well as “Thankful Heart” and “It Feels Like Christmas”. Unlike some Disney songs that can make parents cringe when they hear their children belting them out, these songs have wholesome lyrics and good messages. On the other hand, the soundtrack still brings across some of the darker elements of the story as well. The deep base viol theme which is played behind the Ghost of Christmas Future sequence definitely adds to the ominous tension. Even two of the songs, “Scrooge” and “Marley and Marley”, have some darker elements to them, which illustrate the darkness, emptiness, and loneliness that Scrooge is feeling at the beginning of the story.

If you are looking for an entertaining Christmas movie to enjoy with your kids, I would highly recommend this film because of its warmth, humor, and good taste in presenting Dickens’ story in a child-friendly setting.

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In New York in 1947, just a few blocks down from the Miracle on 34th Street, "it" happened on 5th Avenue. New York's famous 5th Avenue: Millionaires' Row. Home to some of the most gorgeous (or gaudy) Gilded Age mansions every built. But every winter the millionaires flee to sunnier climates, and Aloysius T. McKeever, a delightful philosopher-drifter, moves into their homes and assumes some aspects of their lives. McKeever invites Jim Bullock, a down-on-his-luck WWII veteran, to live with him at the home of real estate baron Michael J. O'Connor for the winter, and soon the two of them attract a crowd of friends to the boarded up mansion, including the house's actual owners in disguise!

Everything about It Happened on Fifth Avenue is absolutely delightful. The characters are wonderful. The dialogue is witty, and if it's not quite as snappy and fast-paced as something like His Girl Friday or Bringing up Baby it only adds to the cozy pleasantness of the story. The situations and jokes are clever and funny, and all the set-ups are paid off in a satisfying and endearing way. 

The heart of the story comes from the change wrought in the O'Connor family, especially Michael O'Connor himself. O'Connor is a self-made man, but seems to have forgotten everything but greed and power on his way to the top of the business world. He has acquired many possessions, but none of them bring him happiness. He has forgotten that these things, these material goods, are means, not ends. Seeing the happiness that they bring these less fortunate people who ride out the winter in his house helps to bring back some of the humanity he has lost. Caught up in the happiness of community and family, he finds that joy and contentment he has been missing for years. 

Every character here is unique and well-played, all playing off each other with extraordinary chemistry. McKeever leads the whole merry band with a combination of worldly wisdom and a count-your-blessings philosophy which guides the other characters out of their respective difficulties. He exudes a love of life and of other people which is a true joy to watch. The climactic scene on Christmas Eve breaks through the various selfishnesses and petty vices of the new group of friends and exudes the joy and warmth of Christmas. 

Overall, while this is not a bona fide masterpiece, it's a fun and cozy classic that deserves a place in the annual rotation of Christmas movies. Its endearing characters, focus on love and community, and reminder that money is a means, not an end, all put me in the Christmas mood. It feels very Capra-esque, in the best ways, and it makes a fitting companion to It's a Wonderful Life and your favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol. May we all learn to appreciate and share our blessings with friends, family, and the wider community at Christmastime and throughout the year!

Coming out of the 1980s, the established dominant force of Hollywood was none other than Steven Spielberg: whether it was films he directed or films that he only produced like The Goonies and Back to the Future, his name was equivalent with dizzyingly huge success. In 1983, E.T. overtook Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time, a feat he would repeat exactly 10 years later with Jurassic Park in 1993, the same year he also released Schindler’s List which won him his first Best Picture and Best Director Oscars. So it went without saying that his name carried around significant weight in Tinseltown, and there are hundreds of actors, directors, and writers who owe their success to him giving them a boost when they needed it most.

One such young writer by the name of Chris Columbus was one of those touched by the “Midas hand” of Spielberg: in 1980, while attending the Tisch School of Arts at NYU, the young wannabe filmmaker released a short film titled I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here which caught the attention of the Indiana Jones director himself. Spielberg eventually bought Columbus’ script for Gremlins which ended up becoming the young writer’s ticket to success, along with the Spielberg-produced The Goonies a few years later.

Both Gremlins and The Goonies deal with young protagonists who find themselves in over their heads and usually must rely on themselves and other kids rather than adults: in one sense these could’ve just been knock-offs of the success of E.T. but both managed to find a voice that made them iconic hits, with Columbus’ scripts being brought to life by such talented filmmakers as Joe Dante and Richard Donner.

Columbus’ next giant hit would come in 1990 with the Christmas blockbuster Home Alone. It’s a film that has enjoyed an extremely long shelf life on cable television, and I can speak from experience that it’s usually on at least 3-4 times in my family’s house when the holidays arrive. Video essayist Patrick Willems did an excellent breakdown this film that addresses a lot of what makes this film great better than I could, including the blend of warmth and slapstick, marvelous comedic supporting cast, and that banger of a score from legendary composer John Williams:

While Patrick’s video covers a lot of ground and you definitely should watch it, I’d like to focus on one scene in particular that simply cannot get enough love, and it’s the scene where young Kevin McCallister (child star turned YouTube movie commentator Macaulay Culkin) finally confronts “Old Man” Marley (Roberts Blossom) after seeking shelter in a nearby church. As Kevin enters we are treated to John Williams’ gorgeous rendition of “O Holy Night” as he sits down, hoping to have finally evaded Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern’s pesky burglars who are trying to rob his house. Feeling good about his smart escape, he is then surprised to see Marley- who he was afraid of after hearing tall tales from his brother Buzz (Devin Ratray)- approach his pew, with Columbus’ camera making him seem almost ten feet tall compared to the diminutive Kevin.

But Marley is not here to intimidate Kevin, and ends up taking a seat right next to him. The following conversation that ensues features some great dialogue and character development from master comedic screenwriter John Hughes and serves as a heartwarming scene, and upon reading it in the script when initially taking the job, it was what convinced Chris Columbus to direct the movie, as he talks about in this 2015 interview with Entertainment Weekly:

I thought there was a really strong emotional context to the film. I’ve always been fascinated by Christmas, even back when I wrote Gremlins. I set Gremlins, which is a very dark story, against the bright cheery time of Christmas, and I thought it was a good contrast. Christmas is a time when people are at their happiest or at their most emotionally low place in their lives, and I thought that this is a great backdrop for a kid who’s left home alone on Christmas. I think what really completely convinced me I had to do the movie was the scene in the church with the old man and Kevin. I just thought that was a beautifully written scene, and that scene on film is exactly as John wrote it. I mean, we didn’t change a word of that scene.

Overall, I’m not sure how much convincing I have to do to watch what will most likely end up being the most well-known movie on this list, but if you haven’t (these people exist, one of them is on our writing staff although he has since amended that gap in his film logs) it’s a film that is well worth checking out especially around the holidays. The slapstick violence does teeter to the edge of “PG-13” territory but overall it’s a film for the whole family with great messages about the importance of family and overcoming your pride.

And as we approach 2024…

(Yes, I realize this is from Home Alone 2)

A list of Christmas movies would not be complete without Peter Godfrey’s 1945 cozy classic, Christmas in Connecticut. This wartime screwball comedy delivers a load of good cheer amidst an absurd premise. Elizabeth Lane, played with feminine grace by the renowned Barbara Stanwyck, is a widely successful columnist in Smart Housekeeping whose writings about her domestic family life on a Connecticut farm have amassed a large audience. The only problem is, Elizabeth is neither married, nor does she live on a farm. In a scenario that bears similarities with today’s influencer culture, Elizabeth lives a vastly different life from the ideallic scenes she puts on paper for her audience. When her publisher Alexander Yardley, unaware of her ruse, insists that she host returning war hero Jefferson Jones on her farm for Christmas, the stage is set for an absurd series of events. Elizabeth must quickly cobble together a farm, a husband, and a baby in a matter of days. 

Released a few days prior to VJ day in August 1945 (an odd summer release time for a Christmas movie, a pattern Miracle on 34th Street would follow years later), Christmas in Connecticut highlights the return to the domestic life which was on the mind of so many Americans at the war’s end. Amidst comedic escapades set around snowy sleigh rides, roaring fireplaces, and lavish Christmas trees, the film alludes to the importance of spending Christmas at home with family and friends. Even Alexander Yardley, an affluent publisher with many connections in the city, is drawn to spend his Christmas at the cheery family farm Elizabeth describes in her column. To Yardley and the returning soldier Jones, Elizabeth’s home captures the spirit of Christmas, beckoning them to leave the cold sterility of the city and the army hospital to spend the most important time of their year amidst the warmth of family life. 

As comedies of that era often do, Christmas in Connecticut uses hilarity to show the confusion and mayhem that follow when domestic structures are upended. Amidst the lighthearted chaos and hubbub, the film presents a strong emphasis on the importance of marriage. There’s a feeling that something in the home is not quite right since Elizabeth and her sappy fiancé John Sloan are not yet married. A series of twists and gags follow that continually thwart their plans for a Christmas Eve marriage. As fate has it, Elizabeth and the strapping young war hero Jones fall in love as they continually find themselves performing domestic chores together, from a humorous scene where Jones teaches Elizabeth how to properly bathe a baby to feeding the farm animals. It is amidst these duties of the home life that true love blossoms. 

Christmas is the season for returning home, pausing from the bustle of daily life and spending time with those you love. It's a time for laughter, joy and merriment around the hearth as the winter winds howl outside. Christmas in Connecticut perfectly encapsulates this domestic warmth and brings to mind Bing Crosby’s wartime holiday classic tune:

I'll be home for Christmas

You can plan on me

Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents on the tree

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

It’s fairly common to hear people cite The Muppet Christmas Carol as their favorite rendition of Charles Dickens’ perennial holiday masterpiece, and I don’t blame them. It still stands as perhaps the greatest Muppet movie ever made, yet somehow manages to be faithful in spirit to the Dickens text. I myself adore that movie and always will, but for people who also want to experience the story the way Dickens actually wrote it (dramatically, without talking puppets), and are sifting through the countless other adaptations looking for a quality version, you cannot go wrong with this 1984 made-for-tv adaptation starring the magnificent George C. Scott.

With the same faithfulness as the Muppet version, but with more of the Victorian gothic tone of Dickens’ prose, brought vividly to life with stately production design and colorful acting, director Clive Donner follows the novella text not only in story but in style. Just as Dickens was all too aware of the poverty surrounding him, Donner films the snow-covered London set as a bustling city where joy and poverty are forever intermingled. To quote another famous Dickens story, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, and yet, even in a freezing house without enough to eat, the spirit of Christmas lives in the hearts of the impoverished Cratchit family. But of course, the joyful spirit the poor folk of London carry is met with a sneer from Ebenezer Scrooge, the infamous miser who hates Christmas and the idle people who celebrate it. Played throughout history with varying levels of grotesquery (from Alastair Sim, to Albert Finney, to the legendary Michael Caine Muppet performance), George C. Scott stands as my personal favorite depiction of the miserable Scrooge. Why? Because he doesn’t act miserable. He acts happy in his greed, perfectly content to hoard his wealth and condescend toward people who dare ask for charity. His complacency in his own greed is the highlight of Scott’s performance, because it makes it all the more apparent how in need of redemption he is. In other versions, he’s grumpy and mean spirited, but here, he’s just passing through life happy to be a miser, unaware how miserable he truly is. Once he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and is shown the error of his ways, we slowly watch the scales fall from his eyes, and it’s a deeply moving performance from Scott, as Scrooge looks into his own soul for the first time in years. After going on his spiritual journey with the Christmas ghosts, and he comes to his final moment of repentance, the tears he cries feel truly earned, as do our own. 

The spirit of redemption has a strong tradition in Christmas tales, as it should, and many famous holiday classics, including It’s a Wonderful Life, owe a great deal to Dickens for laying the groundwork for holiday stories of repentance and redemption. For myself, this version of A Christmas Carol is a necessary companion piece to It's a Wonderful Life, and has become an annual Christmas tradition in our home. The story has been told time and again, but stripped of bells and whistles (or puppets), and told in a faithful, straightforward way, the beauty of Dickens still rings true, and still holds the power to soften our hearts towards our fellow men.

“And so, as Tiny Tim observed,

God bless us, everyone.”

Miracle on 34^th Street, a Christmas movie about hope, generosity, and, of course, Santa Claus, has become a Christmas favorite for many. Made in 1947 and produced by 20^th Century Fox, Miracle on 34^th Street is a film that displays the spirit of Christmas time. Kris Kringle, played by Edmund Gwenn, exemplifies the traditional spirit of Santa Claus. By generously helping kids get the toys that they wish to get for Christmas, and providing joy to all who truly hope and believe in Christmas, Kris truly feels like Santa Claus even to those who may not believe in him. Throughout the movie, not only the other characters in the movie but the viewing audience as well have to be convinced that this individual is indeed Santa Claus. For some it is easier to convince than others. The biggest test is the other main characters in the show, Susan and Ms. Doris Walker.

At the beginning of the movie, Susan Walker and her mother, Ms. Walker, do not believe in Santa Claus. When Kris shows up at the parade that Ms. Walker is organizing and plays Santa in the parade, everyone thinks that he is just a Santa impersonator, and just dresses up as Santa for kids. But, when Ms. Walker offers him a job in the department store to play Santa, he begins to tell customers where the toys are that the kids are asking for, even if his store doesn't have them. Later, Ms. Walker finds out that this might actually be Santa Claus, as his identification card says ‘Kris Kringle’. Little Susan is harder to convince though. Just as Kris Kringle is connecting with Susan, she wishes for a house for Christmas, one with her own room and a swing in the back yard. For the first time in the movie, a worried look comes over Kringle’s face as he begins to explain that her wish is asking a lot. Sure, he can wear the outfit, tell kids that they are going to get their toys for Christmas, and name all the reindeer, but if he really is Santa Claus, shouldn’t he be able to get Susan her house for Christmas?

The story peaks when Kringle, and his friends, Ms. Walker and Mr. Gailey, have to attempt to prove in court that Kris is Santa Claus. Although many witnesses can say that he acts like Santa Claus by his behavior and generosity toward children at Christmas time, there seems to be no actual proof that he is indeed Santa Claus and in fact the one and only Santa Claus. All hope seems lost as time is running out and there seems to be no actual evidence that Kris is Santa Claus, until the people at the post office discover that he is in the courthouse and decide to deliver all the Christmas cards for Santa down to him at the courthouse. While this might be enough to provide the court with enough evidence that he is Santa Claus, will he be able to actually convince Susan that he is Santa Claus? Will he be able to follow through and fulfill her wish for a house and prove to her (and all of us watching) that he is without a doubt Santa?

At this point, Miracle on 34^th Street has become a classic holiday film. It has many of the characteristics that a holiday film should have. The joy of the holiday season and the hope that what you wished for Christmas could come true. And, of course. it even has Santa Claus. Miracle on 34^th Street is a Christmas story that is sure put you in the holiday spirit this Christmas season.

Since its release and my first viewing, Klaus has over time become a holiday classic in our household. The film is a rare gem in the era of modern animation, where it has sidelined all references to the modern world to tell a beautiful story of love and faith. Klaus demonstrates exceptional competence in its delivery, with breathtaking animation and exceptional performances (including my personal favorite from the late Norm Macdonald). 

What ultimately separates this from everything else being churned out in children’s entertainment is the love and spirituality present throughout the film. Klaus chooses to focus on a belief in man’s inherent goodness; that all people are called to love and be a part of a selfless and higher calling for others. Having the courage to follow this calling is what can inspire goodness in a world of senseless hate and rage. The film feels almost like a depiction of the Exodus story that has been told so many times across so many different mediums, with God vocally guiding those to a higher calling. 

Klaus excels with landing its world-building and emotional beats with ease: every character feels full of life and even the most minute character has some form of development. The emotional beats land with grace and a slight unpredictability that adds a wonderful garnish to this film, preventing it from falling into the stereotypical “Christmas flick” that is typically seen by Hallmark. 

Klaus continues to warm my family’s heart every Christmas season, and offers a deeply artistic and spiritual experience upon each viewing. It is absolutely a must watch for any Catholic family each Christmas season, and is a fantastic tradition of a film to have around this time of the year.

There was an old VHS commercial that I would always watch growing up promoting the Peanuts TV specials finally coming to home release, and I’m pretty sure I can recite it from memory from the number of times I watched it as a kid. The part that always stuck out to me as a kid was when this man in his late 30s/early 40s talks about how “as a kid there was nothing more disappointing than realizing that you’d missed the Peanuts special”: it’s kind of comical in retrospect seeing this man give his two cents next to a bunch of 4-5 year olds but it also perfectly encapsulates how much these specials have meant to so many kids ranging from the 1960s to the 1990s to today. Before I was introduced to the Star Wars trilogy, before the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there was the Peanuts “Holiday Trilogy” of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973), and the one that started them all, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Even though they were best watched around the time of their corresponding holiday, they were so entertaining that they honestly could be played any time of the year and I’d still have to watch the entire thing.

The staying power of Charlie Brown Christmas really makes sense when you look at the state of cartoon animation on television at the time: you either had sitcoms like The Flintstones that emulated previous popular shows like The Honeymooners or you basically had Looney Tunes or Looney Tunes by a different name. Then all of a sudden you have this melancholy animated Christmas special with a jazz score where these kids discuss how Christmas has gotten “too commercial” and the main character talks about how the holidays depress him. Most of the crew involved believed it would be a disaster.

And yet it was a huge hit, and ended up winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program and remaining a huge ratings draw for decades to come. It launched a franchise of many more specials to come, each of them indebted to the legacy of this 25-minute episode of television. In 2011, Stephen Pastis, the creator of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine, even tried to make a modern Peanuts special that would emulate the feel of Charlie Brown Christmas down to how they casted/recorded the voices. But the influence doesn’t stop there: in Matt Zoller Seitz’s excellent book on Wes Anderson’s filmography he points out how much A Charlie Brown Christmas influenced the director’s entire style, from the specific left-to-right tracking shots to samples of Vince Guaraldi’s iconic score to even the way characters recite dialogue. Every scene and moment is so iconic from this special that it’s been parodied to death, and yet that only furthers its status as a bona fide holiday classic.

The secret to the special’s success is its simplicity and sincerity: the characters are only acting like they do in the comic strip but with the authentic voices of the children portraying them (except Snoopy, who is voiced by director Bill Melendez) it lends the story a charming aura that immediately draws you in. Right from the get-go, the special begins with Vince Guaraldi’s fantastically mellow song, “Christmas Time is Here” and only continues to drop bangers like “Linus and Lucy” and lovely renditions of classic Christmas songs. Charlie Brown’s journey to find the true meaning of Christmas only gets more and more poignant as the decades have gone by as Christianity is farther and farther removed from the idea of Christmas in the public eye: Linus’ recitation from the Gospel of Luke later in the special is as important as it is refreshing for Catholic families who watch it together every year.

A Charlie Brown Christmas isn’t a fully fledged feature film like most of the films that will be on this list, but I challenge you to find one that is as engaging, witty, and iconic as this one (especially in so short a runtime). Watching it around Christmastime is simply an absolute must.