The holidays are coming and with them the holiday traditions. The crowded gatherings, awkward dinners, and the reunions that bring out the best and worst of family values are some of the traditions that are followed every year worldwide. While these traditions differ in most cultures, there is one that seems to be common: watching a movie as a family.
Sure, there are no rules when it comes to selecting which movie to watch, but to follow the more traditional side of holiday celebrations, we put together a list for you. Family-friendly films that are perfect to cure the hangover, the meat sweats, and why not,the awkwardness of a family discussion. These are a few films to stream over the holidays that you can watch with your family.
9’Home Alone' (1990)
Available to Stream on Disney+
Home Alone
InHome Alone, the McCallister family is going to Paris for Christmas. They’re a huge group, so naturally eight-year-old Kevin isn’t having the best time. When his family leaves for Paris, and mistakenly leaves him home alone, the boy starts having the time of his life, but there are shady bandits who will attempt to break in while Kevin’s mom tries her best to be back home for Christmas.
The Christmas classicHome Alonedoes get a little violent at some point, but its goofy villains are funny enough to make Kevin’s knowledge of defense mechanisms safe for the whole family. It’s ridden with iconic dialogue and Macaulay Culkin’s lead performance was enough to make him a Hollywood star overnight. It featuresseveral of the most iconicChristmas movie characters of all time, so chances are this is already on your holiday watchlist.
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8’Hook' (1991)
Available to Stream on Paramount+
InHook, Peter Banning is a boring lawyer who has an estranged relationship with his children and wife. When he takes them on a work trip, Peter’s children are taken to a magical land by an evil villain. Peter is suddenly reminded of who he once was when he was just a kid who refused to grow up and become a boring adult.
Hookis aPeter Pansequel with enough references to the original story to make it a worthy continuation. Spielberg detractors often look down on it but it’s one ofthe director’s most underrated moviesthat always deserves a revisit, and is apt for the entire family. It’s a holiday movie because it takes place during Christmas, and its family themes are compelling enough to make it a solid addition to the holiday watchlist.
7’Elf' (2003)
Available to Stream on Max
Decades ago, a baby in an orphanage crawled into Santa’s sack and was mistakenly taken to the North Pole. He’s named Buddy by Santa and the elves, and he grows up in a community where he doesn’t fit, size-wise. One day, Buddy realizes he’s meant to search for his father in modern New York City, so he makes the long trip and finds out his real father doesn’t exactly have a Christmas spirit. Luckily, Buddy’s infectious jolly attitude will make a difference.
Jon Favreau’s modern Christmas classicis a beautiful and extremely funny family adventure that checks every item in the list of comedy movies without any naughty elements to report. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy in the heartwarming movie that will make you believe in some long-forgotten values associated with the holiday season. How this one didn’t get a sequel is beyond belief.
6’Miracle on 34th Street' (1994)
InMiracle on 34th Street, a department store hires a man who looks exactly like Santa Claus when the last performer doesn’t do very well. When Kris Kringle actually helps people spend less, he’s framed by some corporate moguls and put on trial. Kringle claims he’s the real Santa Claus, and with the help of a lonely girl and a brave attorney, he will convince the city that perhaps it’s all just a matter of believing in the impossible.
Miracle on 34th Streetisa solid remakeof the 1947 classic. It has enough heart to keep your attention for a while, with a beautiful Santa story that doesn’t really push its boundaries. It’s just a fantasy drama that tries to ask the right questions in its “Scrooge-y” context where grown men aren’t allowed to believe in childhood nonsense. When it comes to modern Christmas movies to watch with your loved ones, it doesn’t get any better than the film starring Richard Attenborough as a very real Santa Claus.
5’A Christmas Story' (1983)
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Storytells the story of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, a naive boy who just wants one thing for Christmas in 1940: a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle (yeah, those of us who obsessively see this film every year, know the name by memory). However, Ralphie’s family isn’t exactly keen on him getting the toy. This is only one of several misfortunes of Ralphie’s holidays as his family is very… peculiar.
IfChristmas comediesare your thing, you will find yourself in tune withA Christmas Story. Bob Clark’s Christmas classic is a compelling and lighthearted comedy with great characters and an emotive message. While there are better Christmas films, you will findA Christmas Storyin more reruns than any other film, as it is America’s signature holiday movie.
4’The Christmas Chronicles' (2018)
Available to Stream on Netflix
The Christmas Chronicles
The Christmas Chroniclessees siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce as they get in a bit of a pickle. The siblings end up recording Santa Claus, but Santa has an accident and his sleigh is broken beyond repair. Teddy and Kate try to help him deliver the presents on a very fun Christmas Day that they will never forget.
One ofNetflix’s best original films,The Christmas Chronicleswas the streamer’s version of a Hallmark movie with enough thrills to capture the attention of everyone at home. It’s very entertaining while also following the texture of Netflix comedies that won’t exactly go down as classics. Nevertheless, it got a sequel that goes well in a double feature. Kurt Russell as Santa Claus completely steals the movie.
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3’It’s a Wonderful Life' (1946)
Available to Stream on Prime Video
It’s a Wonderful Life
Frank Capra’s classic Christmas film tells the story of George Bailey, a small-town business and family man who, after a series of personal and business losses, attempts to jump off a bridge on Christmas Eve. Bailey is stopped before he can jump by Clarence, an angel who wishes to show him how much impact he has had on those around him in order to keep him from killing himself. Jimmy Stewart stars as George Bailey, with a further cast that includes Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Henry Travers.
Frank Capra’sIt’s a Wonderful Lifetells the story of George Bailey, a depressed man thinking about suicide on Christmas Eve. Somehow, an angel hears the prayers of Bailey’s loved ones and decides to do something about it. Watching George’s past inspires the angel to contact him, and shows George another version of the world in which he was never born.
A rewatchable Christmas classic despite some detractors who believe it’san outdated movie. Sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, the 1946 classic is widely considered the best Christmas movie ever made, with American audiences constantly revisiting it each holiday season. Even though the reception was good back then, the film turned into a sentimental classic over the years that everyone should see at some point in their lives.
2’Planes, Trains and Automobiles' (1987)
Planes Trains and Automobiles
A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving with a lovable oaf of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion.
Neal Page is a very unlucky guy. He’s trying to get home to his family from New York City to Chicago a couple of days before Thanksgiving. The odds are against him, but Neal’s worst nemesis is a man he can’t seem to get rid of. Dell Griffith is a salesman who’s also trying to get home, and Neal is running into him every couple of seconds, and he can’t stand the chatty and obnoxious man.
At first a formula-based road trip buddy movie,Planes, Trains and Automobilesturns into one of the best comedies ever made andthe perfect holiday film. Written and directed by John Hughes in one of his few efforts to leave the teenage angst universe, and wonderfully performed by Steve Martin and John Candy, the movie is the perfect way to start off a holiday movie marathon that the small ones can also see.
1’A Charlie Brown Christmas' (1965)
Available to Stream on Apple TV+
A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmasfollows the title character as he’s missing the holiday cheer. Charlie Brown follows advice from one of his friends and accepts to direct the neighborhood Christmas play. The problem is that the boy’s contempt for the commercial aspect of Christmas will prove to be a challenge for everyone else.
When it comes toanimated Christmas movies, there are a bunch that should be on your watchlist.A Charlie Brown Christmasis an ideal pick because it manages to merge two very important audience groups: on one hand, it’s a perfect movie for children, as the story is friendly and has the signature emotion onlyCharlie Browncartoons can have. But it’s also a beautiful story for adults, who will surely embrace themselves in a fit of nostalgia for one of the most endearing TV movies ever produced.
