A top 10 list of family friendly Christmas movies
BY COLLEEN ALMEIDA SMITH World Associate Editor
Monday, December 10, 2012
12/10/12 at 6:01 AM
Because I Said So is a blog written by six parents and one grandparent.
Related Stories:
Santa ‘evil’?: Explaining St. Nicholas no easy task
Trying to child-proof: How safe is my home?
With all the things on your to-do
list this month, I hope you will
make a little time for a seasonal
classic or two.
Family Christmas movies are a
great way to get into the holiday
spirit. In my house, we have quite a
few that require annual viewing.
Here is my general Top 10 list of
Christmas TV specials and movies:
“It’s a Wonderful Life.” What can I
say? I cry every time I watch it.
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Clark and his family live on.
Have you seen the new Old Navy
commercial? It cracked me up.
“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”
“The Year Without a Santa Claus.”
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
The stop-motion movies of
Rankin-Bass immediately take me
back to my childhood.
It’s the supporting characters
who make these special: Burgermeister
Meisterburger, Heat Miser
and Snow Miser, and Yukon Cornelius
and the Abominable Snow
Monster, to name a few.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Charlie
Brown and his scrawny tree
know the true meaning of Christmas.
The soundtrack featuring
the Vince Guaraldi Trio is also a
staple in my CD player during the
holidays.
“Miracle on 34th Street.” Edmund
Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara and
Natalie Wood are perfectly cast in
the original 1947 version.
“Elf.” This movie always brings
a smile to my face. The ending is
predictable, but getting there is
great fun.
“The Muppet Christmas Carol.” Michael
Caine is Scrooge, Kermit is
Bob Cratchit and Gonzo narrates
this amusing take on the Charles
Dickens classic.
“Scrooged.” A retelling of “A
Christmas Carol,” this is one of
my husband’s favorite holiday
movies. Bill Murray is great, as is
his assistant, native Tulsan Alfre
Woodard.
“Home Alone.” This movie is better
than it has a right to be. I chalk it
up to filmmaker-extraordinaire
John Hughes.
“The Santa Clause.” Tim Allen is the
everyman who becomes Santa. The
transformation is quite funny.
I know I’m in the minority here,
but these holiday movies leave me
cold:
“A Christmas Story,”
“The Polar Express”
“Frosty the Snowman.”
My very favorite holiday movie
is not family-friendly, so I didn’t
include it on my list.
But not a Christmas goes by
when my husband and I don’t
make time for “Love Actually.”
Richard Curtis, who wrote “Four
Weddings and a Funeral” and
“Notting Hill,” wrote and directed
this ensemble piece. Funny, poignant
and with a great soundtrack,
this movie is both naughty and
nice.
What’s your favorite Christmas
movie?
What do you love about it?
Colleen Almeida Smith 918-581-8481
colleen.almeida@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
In "Elf," comedian Will Ferrell is a lovably oversized elf who leaves the North Pole to find his father. The ending is predictable, but getting there is great fun. COURTESY
|
