Jess Bradbury
As the most wonderful time of the year approaches, it’s time to don your Santa hats and get cosy as ‘tis the season to watch all of your favourite Christmas films.
Although I’ll be consuming many Christmas films throughout December, there are always a few I’ll return to each year. In the middle of the festive season, I’ll spend one of my favourite days of the year with my partner watching Christmas films. With enough snacks and hot chocolate to make us both inevitably feel sick, we’ll settle down for the day and binge some Christmas classics. Often, we’ll start with Jingle All The Way (1996) - a hilarious, one of those so-bad-it's-good Christmas films which sees Arnold Schwarzenegger try desperately to get his son a Turbo Man action figure on Christmas Eve. Next, we’ll move on to something like How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) or Nativity! (2009), both absolute classics in their own right. Much to my partner’s dismay, I’ll then stick on Richard Curtis’ Love Actually (2003), which may potentially be one of the cringiest Christmas films of all time but I can’t help but love it. Moments like when Emma Thompson is standing in her bedroom listening to Joni Mitchell’s CD will always get me, and I do love the intertwining narrative between each character (plus I’m sure we all agree that we NEED Hugh Grant as Prime Minister given the state of our current government). Finally, we’ll finish with It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), which I consider to be the best Christmas film. The portrayal of George Bailey as a man caring for his family whilst being let down by the system is as resonant today as it was 77 years ago when it was first released - the yuletide setting only bolsters the message that there is always light in the dark.
Strangely enough, I don’t think that I have ever watched a film on Christmas Day. My family’s Christmas film traditions all take place on the run up, finishing with The Muppet’s Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve (1992). When I was young, we would watch it in our brand new pyjama’s before putting out a mince pie and huge glass of whiskey for “Santa”. Now I’ll come back from my Christmas Eve shift at the village pub to watch it before going on back out myself. Going to see Love Actually in the independent cinema a few villages away is also a must-do for my mum and I on the week running up to Christmas.
I don’t know if you can call it a ‘tradition’, but every December I like to slowly make my way through what I consider the classic Christmas films. The only ‘rule’ I have is that hot chocolate, cosy blankets, and twinkly fairy lights must be involved – extra points if there’s a tree in the room.
First of all, these may not be Christmas films, but November/December are my Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter rewatch months, it just feels right. For me, they are the ultimate comfort movies, especially The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). I will then move on to the underrated animated masterpiece that is Anastasia (1997) - not entirely Christmassy, but just enough to start getting me into the spirit. Also, I’m not sure how Christmas-related this is, but I really love The Thing (1982) and there’s a lot of snow in it, so I’ll throw that one in too. As we creep closer to the main event, the films I watch get increasingly more festive. Some of my favourites to watch around the mid-point of the month are the fun comedies, namely The Holiday (2006), Nativity, Home Alone (1990), and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). On Christmas Eve, there is nothing cosier than the animated short, The Snowman (1982); it is pure magic and the epitome of Christmas for me. On the big day, I have to watch my all-time favourite, It’s A Wonderful Life, as well as the absolute classic that is Love Actually – both of which I sob at every year without fail.
And no, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993 )is NOT a Christmas film.
