When you think of classic Christmas movies there are probably many that come to mind. You almost inevitably pull up in your mind at least five to ten movies that show on major networks almost every Christmas. You’ve got the fan favorite It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation starring Chevy Chase as Clark W. Griswold, and A Christmas Story, where Ralphie just wants a BB gun for Christmas. These are unforgettable Christmas classics everyone seems to know about. But what about the other deserving classic Christmas films, the ones that not everyone watches but are great classics nonetheless? This article will give you ten lesser known classic Christmas movies to check out this holiday Christmas season.
1. Holiday Inn (1942). If you’re looking for a Christmas musical, you’ve found your movie. Holiday Inn features Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. The Holiday Inn is a farm that is now an inn that only opens on the holidays. Musical dance performances ensue at each holiday gathering at the inn. Irving Berlin created a number of songs just for this movie!
2. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998). For the younger crowd and those who would enjoy a more comedic film, I’ll Be Home for Christmas is a perfect choice. Imagine this snobby rich teenager who never comes home for Christmas. This year, however, his father is going to bribe him into returning. Once he decides to come home, it’s truly an adventure seeing if he can actually make it! The antics begin as he sets off for his destination! This Christmas film stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas as the spoiled teenage kid Jake Wilkinson.
3. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947). Imagine a homeless guy living it up in your New York mansion every year when you leave for the holidays to travel to Florida. As if that’s not enough, the guy has the nerve to invite some of his homeless buddies to stay there with him. Well, what’s going to happen when you come home early and find all of these people living in your mansion? Watch this classic Christmas film and find out.
4. Surviving Christmas (2004). Ben Affleck’s character Drew Latham is a wealthy man. However, his wealth extends only to his finances and not to his family. His girlfriend can’t believe he would want to go to Fiji for Christmas and leave his family, so she dumps him. (For future reference, Ben, I would go with you to Fiji for Christmas any time!) So, Drew is going to be alone for Christmas. He ends up going to his childhood home, now owned by the Valco’s, as part of his therapy to overcome his problems. While there, he offers the Valcos a large sum of money to let him stay there for the holidays and act like they are his family. Guess what happens next?
5. Stalking Santa (2006). Lloyd Darrow (played by Chris Clark) decides he is going to prove that Santa Claus exists. So,he’s got to search him out. He goes all over the glove to make his point. This hilarious classic Christmas movie is so ridiculous, it will keep you laughing the whole way through.
6. The Bishop’s Wife (1947). For all of you Cary Grant fans out there, here’s a Cary Grant classic flick you may not have seen, as well as a lesser known classic Christmas movie you just might not have caught. In The Bishop’s Wife, the Bishop asks for help to build a new cathedral. An angel is provided to him in the form of Dudley (Cary Grant). What’s interesting is that the Bishop thinks that Dudley is there to help him build the cathedral, but he’s actually got other plans.
7. One Magic Christmas (1985). Ginny Grainger, played by Mary Steenburgen, is the mother of two children. Her stressful life has made her forget the true meaning of Christmas. Even though she still has her husband and children, she just doesn’t value her family the way she should. This classic Christmas tale is much like the story of Ebenezzer Scrooge, who has forgotten what Christmas is really about. In this Christmas movie, the mother must realize that her priorities have become way out of whack, and she must discover what it truly means to be part of a family at Christmas.
8. Love Actually (2003). Love Actually has an all star cast including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Keira Knightley. This classic Christmas film has ten different sets of stories that seem to link more and more throughout the movie.
9. The Holiday (2006). Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet live in different parts of the world: one in the United States and one in England. They decide to swap homes for the holidays to get over their recent love losses. If you’ve ever thought of trying this yourself, you can certainly go on the internet to any home swap website. Or, you can just watch this Christmas film.
10. Frozen River (2008). Imagine two women struggling to pay the bills. Somehow they meet, and decide to start smuggling immigrants across the Canadian border for money. Times must really be tough!
What are some of your favorite lesser known classic and modern Christmas movies?