~* Thursday Thirteen - Favorite Holiday Movies*~

 

My friend Mikki at Under His Construction did a fun
TT post of listing her favorite holiday movies...and since I'm not quite back into my blogging groove, I'm shamelessly following suit.

Thirteen Favorite Holiday Movies:
1.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
directed by Brian Henson

Michael Caine is superb as Scrooge...his scenes of saying good-bye to Belle and at the cemetery are worthy of Oscars.  This version also holds my favorite Spirit of Christmas past. The Spirit of Christmas Present in Muppet Christmas Carol ties with the one in the George C. Scott version. Scrooges nephew Fred is delightful in the MCC version as well.

As always the interaction between the muppets and the humans is delightful and well done.

And, with the exception of one special rat that recently made his big screen debut, it's the only movie where I have a fondness for rats.

The tale is timeless, the acting is wonderful, the music beautiful, the sets well-done, the message important.  It's family fun that you'll enjoy over and over again.  This is my number one holiday movie pick.

2.

  The Nativity Story directed by Catherine Hardwicke
This is our newest addition to our family holiday movies, and it is rapidly moving it's way to the very top of our list.
So often, the beautiful Christmas story focuses on the manger scene, leaving out what leads to that beautiful and precious moment.  The Nativity takes you to the time preceding the birth of Christ.
It captures the essence of life for the poor under brutal King Herrod and the Romans.   It reminds us of the harsh consequences to a young girl pregnant without being married.  It captures Joseph's side of the story better than anything I've ever seen or read.
This movie reminds us of why we celebrate Christmas and why our human time line has a dot dividing BC from AD.
A beautiful movie for the whole family...and the generations. 

3.

 A Christmas Carol
Directed by Clove Donner
George C Scott is a formidable Scrooge and fills this role with his usual to-a-T style.  Edward Woodward
manages to be both a magnanimous and sneering Spirit of Christmas Present and ties with the Muppet Spirit of Christmas Present for favorite. 
I also enjoy the characters of Fred (Scrooge's nephew) and his wife in this version.

The sets on this version are also very well done.

4.

A Christmas Carol directed by David Hugh Jones

Patrick Stewart is another actor to really capture and portray the Scrooge character with depth.

5.

  Scrooge directed by Ronald Neame

This version is my honey's and second son's favorite.
I enjoy the music, the Victorian sets, and the time given to the townspeople's perspective of and interaction with Scrooge.  This movie also has the best look at Scrooge's changed perspective with his playing Santa Claus to the Cratchet family and his tearing up the debts owed him by the townspeople.
It's a bit long and the hell scene (the one with big, waxy looking goons) too bizarre, but the other positive aspects make it easy to overlook (and sometimes fast forward) the other.

6.

The Polar Express directed by Robert Zemeckis  The amazing computer animation makes this one to watch over and over again just for the eye candy.

7.

It's A Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra

This is my honey's very favorite holiday movie.  And really, as this movie reminds us, it is a wonderful life...hard times and all.

8. 

Frosty the Snowman directed by Arthur Rankin Jr
What would holiday viewing for the kids be without this classic ...or this one:

9.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer directed by Larry Roemer

10. 

The Little Drummer Boy directed by Jules Bass
My personal favorite of the children's classics.

12.

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol directed by Abe Levitow
My mom's favorite version of Dicken's story.

13.

Bachelor Mother directed by Garson Kanin
What's this one doing here, you ask?  Well, this is our annual New Year's movie.  The funniest scene is when Ginger Rogers pretends to be a visiting friend from a foreign country and supposedly can't speak or understand English.  Includes a great Times Square scene.  Great fun and a wonderful way to start of the New Year.

What are your favorite holiday movies?