Last night my family watched Elf, starring Will Ferrell. It’s a new entry on my list of favorite Christmas movies and it marked the final installment in our 2009 Christmas movie schedule. (That’s not to say we won’t re-watch one or two this year, only that we actually made it through the entire list.)

I’m sure sharing Christmas movies is a family tradition many of you have enjoyed for years, but for us, this is the first year we’ve been able to convince our son to watch many of our old favorites. For one thing, he has an aversion to black and white films while I have an aversion to the colorized versions of classic movies. (I have to admit we compromised a little … Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol in black and white, It’s a Wonderful Life in all its colorized glory.) In addition to those old standards (along with How the Grinch Stole Christmas), we added some contemporary holiday films to the mix this year, much to my son’s delight. He loves Elf (as do I, I’ll admit it!), and he thoroughly enjoyed two other Christmas movies whose age appropriateness are highly debatable – Scrooged and Christmas Vacation.

I didn’t realize how “colorful” the language was in either of those movies before we watched them this year (I had never seen Christmas Vacation!) but the look on my son’s face when Chevy Chase launched into the tirade about his boss after he realized he wasn’t getting a Christmas bonus made it all worthwhile. His mouth dropped open, his eyes bulged out and he literally rolled on the floor in hysterics. (The best part? The words were so unfamiliar to him he couldn’t remember any of it after the movie ended. That, I’m sure, will change in future years!)

I still love the original black and white version of Miracle on 34th Street best of all, particularly the scene when Santa speaks Dutch to the little orphan girl, but I have to admit, Elf has its own special charm. And the thrill of watching all these movies with my husband and son, cuddled up by the fire, munching on popcorn and peanut butter fudge (and sipping the occasional hot buttered rum) make every one a holiday classic.

What movies are on your family’s holiday favorites list? Are there some you love but have to “persuade” your kids to watch? Do they have holiday favorites you might not choose to watch by yourself? Please post your reviews below … we’re hoping to add to our repertoire for 2010 and beyond.

December 21st, 2009 | Category: Holidays