The Hawk Talk’s Top Holiday Movies

The Hawk Talk Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH.COM

With the pandemic changing holiday plans and traditions, what better way to spend some safe family time than watching a few classic holiday films? Here is a list of some of The Hawk Talk staff’s favorite holiday movies:

A Christmas Story (1983) – a 1983 film taking place in the winter of 1940 that follows a young boy Ralphie Parker and his desire for the one and only gift, a “Red Ryder air rifle.” 

Love Actually (2003) – A movie that depicts eight different couples with intertwining stories and dealing with one of the hardest emotions: love. This 2003 movie is set in London, England, a month before Christmas. 

Home Alone (1990) – Eight-year old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left at home when his large family leaves for the airport on their holiday vacation. His joy of being home alone is soon disrupted when two con men plan to rob the McCallister residence, leaving Kevin as the sole protector of his home.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Jack Skellington gets sick of scaring people every year in HalloweenTown and accidentally encounters the happy and colorful Christmas Town. Jack gets a new view on life and gets the idea to bring Christmas back home to HalloweenTown. His new found sensibility only sparks confusion among the ghouls, bats, and goblins. 

Elf (2003) – starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by elves in the North Pole since he was a toddler. Feeling out of place, Buddy travels to New York in search of his real father 

Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas! (2011) – While the Duncans are on their way to their Christmas vacation in Palm Springs, Teddy and her mother Amy get separated from their family. The two attempt to make their own way back to their family before Christmas is over. 

The Polar Express (2004) – A young boy who begins to doubt the truth behind Christmas magic, embarks on a journey aboard a mysterious train to the North Pole. During his adventure, he discovers new friendships and the true spirit of Christmas. 

While You Were Sleeping (1995) – Lucy Moderatz saves her long-time crush Peter from an oncoming train but at the hospital he enters a coma. Peter’s family mistakenly assumes Lucy is his fiance, which Lucy does not correct. Things continue to get complicated when Lucy finds herself falling for Peter’s brother.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – The Griswald family prepares for the perfect Christmas celebration. Clark Griswald’s hope for an old-fashioned Christmas is disrupted by uninvited relatives and doubts of a large Christmas check from his work. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – The live action adaptation of the famous Dr. Seuss story The Grinch. Jim Carrey plays Grinch who creates a master plan to ruin Christmas in the cheery nearby town Whoville. He sneaks down to the town and swipes everything holiday-related, but his bitter attitude towards Christmas begins to fall apart when he meets the cheery Cindy Lou Who. 

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – This 90s Muppets film is an adaptation of the classic holiday story, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and stars Michael Caine as Scrooge.