Favorite Christmas Movies

A friend listed his top seven favorite Christmas movies on Facebook, and it inspired me to do the same. I was hoping to narrow it down to five, but I couldn't make that final sacrifice. Thus, here are my top six favorite Christmas movies. These are the ones I have seen at least ten times, and would watch over anything else if they are played on network TV this holiday season. Yes, these are the ones I would suffer through commercials for.

1.) It's a Wonderful Life

If I only had one, this would be it. Has anyone ever had a better smile than Jimmy Stewart has in this film? Has anyone been more beautiful than Donna Reed? Has anyone been more evil than Mr. Potter? I love, LOVE that Potter has zero redemption, that this film is dark enough that the villain would let an innocent man go to prison for daring to step on his business. That's some balls for a Christmas movie. The lows in this movie are true lows, the worst it could get for every character in the film. It makes the payoffs ever so sweet.

2.) Love Actually

Yes, it's saccharine sweet, but I love this sugar. All the characters that tie up all-too-neatly at the end in a perfectly wrapped present. It should be too much, but it's Christmas! I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes...

3.) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

In junior high, my friend Kristen and I would rent this movie at least three times a week. Seriously. In the middle of summer. And we'd watch it while sipping on raspberry Clearly Canadians. No, that is not alcohol, and it is not a euphemism. Bubbly flavored water and Chevy Chase. It didn't get any better than that.

Every scene in this movie is funny. There's not a single moment that misses a chance at being humorous. Crazy stuff happens all the time, yet it somehow feels not-too-out-of-the-ordinary because the conflict is rooted in the dysfunctional family dynamics that we all share.

4.) Bridget Jones's Diary

Who doesn't want Christmas Pride and Prejudice with a messy female protagonist?

5.) Home Alone

Still one of the most fun and imaginative movies I've seen. Watching this, I get to feel like a kid again, and that's always a good thing. Plus, this movie has one of the great scores of all time.

6.) Elf

Every time Will Ferrell trampolines off of the couch into the Christmas tree, I cry. Without fail. It will never not be tear-inducing funny. Just thinking about it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.