This list is only my personal opinion. If you like good simple films like me, maybe even a little naive, but sincere and cute, you will certainly like every movie from this list. If you are also a child of the 90s, then even more so. If you prefer action, suspense or black humor, then my selection is not for you.
1. Home alone and Home alone 2 (1990 и 1992)
For me, this is the best Christmas movie ever, I love it since my childhood! It is the most festive in mood and atmosphere, so I watch it every year. Most likely, everyone saw him, but I can not but include him in this list.
2. Miracle on the 34th street (1947 and 1994). They both are great
One of the kindest movies about Christmas. The idea of the film is also pretty sweet: a person proves to the modern and already rational world that he is a real Santa Claus, he is even judged for it. I like the 1947 film more because of the script and dialogs, and the 1994 film is beautiful in its visual images, very festive in mood and atmosphere.
3. Holiday Inn (1942)
The movie is not only creates a festive mood, but also tells a good romantic story. There are a lot of wonderful songs and music. I’m not sure that there are such amazing actors as Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire now who are able to sing, dance and play their roles so great.
4. A shop around the corner (1940)
Here is another very kind romantic story that happened before Christmas. The film is unhurried, but for me it is not at all a boring classic.
5. Scroodged (1988)
One of the versions of Charles Dickens’ “The Christmas Carol”, modernized and shown with humor. Other adaptations that I watched are scary for me. This one also has a bit terrible moments, but they are shown somehow sarcastically so that they do not spoil the evening. Bill Murray is great in this role. But I would not watch this film with children.
6. New year’s eve (2011)
There are several good romantic stories that happened on New Year’s Eve in this movie. Here is a cute mood film with a festive atmosphere.
7. Christmas in Connecticut (1942)
I really liked this script, which is probably strange for American cinema, with a romantic story and sometimes strange humor, almost modern. This is a very kind, musical and funny film.
8. The Holiday (2006)
This is another romantic comedy that happened at Christmas. Kind, positive and atmospheric.
9. While you were sleeping (1995)
It is the best romantic comedy for Christmas and New Year for me! I love the film since childhood for its simplicity and good humor, I noticed some jokes only on after severals viewing. This is the best film about a family holiday.
10. Borrowed Hearts (1997)
It is a good family story, almost a fairy tale about how a man hired a family for Christmas to promote his business and fell in love with her.
11. Santa Claus (1994)
This is a fantasy story about how a person had to become Santa. Another very kind and funny family holiday movie.
12. Holiday affair (1949)
I really liked this film for it’s script and dialogs, I even quote it now sometimes. Despite the fact that the film is black and white, it has wonderful jokes and modern thoughts about life. It is another good Christmas movie with a romantic story.
13. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Grinch (2009)
I’ve never watched a single Grinch movie in childhood. I watched all of them this year and I liked them all three: the cartoon of the 1966, the movie with Jim Carrey and the Grinch, voiced by Cumberbatch. Perhaps the film with Jim Carrey is the most atmospheric. And the actor, of course, is wonderful in this role. Very kind simple humor, it is sweetest holiday movie. I’m crying every time.
14. Jingle all the way (1996)
This is a good comedy in the style of comedies of the 90s. It is similar to all kids movies that I watched. It is a simple, even naive, but kind story with humor. I watched it for the first time this year and it was like I returned back to my childhood.
15. White Christmas (1954)
Here is another classic Hollywood Christmas story. It is very atmospheric and very festive! What a nice music movie!
16. Serendipity (2001)
It is a modern Christmas romantic story that dragged on for several years.
17. Arthur Christmas (2011)
It’s a nice and kind cartoon about Santas’ family.
18. Bishop’s wife (1947)
It is the wise story about happiness and life for me. It shows relationships inside one family and a ghost that comes to help. It’s about that we can forget how it is to be happy and how easy it is. For me all ghost story is so unusual for a Holywwod of 40th, but it is so fresh. The Christmas is not a main theme of the movie but it is kind of about it too.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!