I love Christmas. I love the family, the food, the traditions, the decorations, the anticipation of the season, the music, and, of course, the movies. Though, as the years go on, I feel like every movie is overplayed. I love The Grinch, White Christmas, and Home Alone, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t say those three make my list anymore. Over the past few years, I’ve been on the hunt for original, funny, meaningful Christmas movies to add to my holiday watch list. So, in no particular order, here are my favorites that I would absolutely recommend you watch, too!
Noelle
While the plot may look basic at first glance, this movie makes me cry every time. This 2019 Disney+ original follows the story of Santa’s daughter, Noelle, whose older brother, Nick, is in the line of succession to be Santa Claus. She helps train him to be Santa when their dad passes away, but ‘being Santa’ doesn’t seem to come naturally to Nick. Noelle tells him he should get away for the weekend to de-stress from the job training, and he ends up finding his happiness outside of the North Pole. Noelle, who suggested he get away just days before Christmas, goes to hunt him down, since everyone in the North Pole is mad at her for her suggestion to Nick. The bubbly Noelle is known for making extravagant cards, wearing over-the-top festive outfits, and saying things like “oh my garland” and “that is so naughty!” Everytime the opening to this movie comes on, I immediately feel the Christmas spirit. This movie is for the daughters. Hilarious, honest, and meaningful, this movie never fails to make me cry happy tears at the end. Oh my garland, you have to watch Noelle this year!
Klaus
In 2019, I watched Klaus with very low expectations. The animated, Netflix-original film is a new take on the origin story for Santa, and it warms my heart every time. At the beginning, you see Jesper: a rich, entitled son of the head postman. To teach Jesper a lesson, his father sends him to a little, fictional island called Smeerensburg. The people on the island have never had a postman that lasted very long because the conditions are bitterly cold and the people there are always angry at one another. Jesper hates it at first, but as he meets genuinely good people, including a craftsman who lives in the woods there, his attitude begins to change. The widowed man in the woods who makes toys, Klaus, teams up with Jesper to deliver his handmade toys to the kids on the island. I love this take on the origin of Santa Claus, making this movie a classic for me every December. It’s heartwarming, powerful, and leaves me in a puddle of tears every time.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This has been my favorite Christmas movie for as long as I can remember. While I probably shouldn’t have been watching this at seven years old, the innuendos went right over my head; now that I get the jokes, I find this movie even funnier. The story is simple: a dad trying to give his family the best Christmas ever. He decorates the house with thousands of lights; takes the family to cut down their own tree; hosts all the grandparents, aunts, and uncles; and cooks a big Christmas dinner for everyone. Like all good comedies, nothing seems to go as planned. I love this classic so much, and if you haven’t watched it, you have to this year!
These movies never fail to put me in the holiday spirit. And make me cry. But maybe I just cry watching all movies… Regardless, you have to add these to your list this year!
