question of the day: What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

It’s a Wonderful Life is not a Christmas movie, no matter how many people think it is. Yes, it ends at Christmas, but that’s the only connection. It only became viewed as such when networks began showing it at Christmas time.

Your list, MaryAnn, at least has movies that are about Christmas, other than Meet John Doe.

My favorite Christmas movie: Love Actually. Centers on Christmas from the opening, never loses sight of Christmas, crescendos on Christmas Eve, and is full of love (and laughs).

I think It’s a Wonderful Life is a Christmas movie in the best sense since it is centered on a person who exemplifies the spirit of Christmas. George Bailey gives to others throughout his life despite his selfish human impulses, and is shown that giving is better than receiving.

On the other hand, I’ve seen it too many times, so it no longer ranks in my top five. They are, inpo:
A Christmas Story (because it reminds me so much of growing up in Indiana); Love, Actually (for reasons enumerated by funWithHeadlines);
A Muppet Christmas Carol (Amy is right, it’s a totally wonderful version of Dickens)
White Christmas (for the music, performances and color)
and
The Apartment (which is only tangentially about Christmas, but I can’t get through the Season without watching it again)

Mine is a tie between Love Actually, which always just leaves me feeling full of happy, and A Muppet Christmas Carol which just puts me in a Christmas mood.

Close behind those two, however, is The Ref, because who doesn’t want Denis Leary fixing their parents’ relationship on Christmas Eve? At gunpoint, no less…

My favorite Christmas movie is The Bishop’s Wife. I love it for three reasons. One, it’s a tacky orgy of the special effects that were available in the era in which it was made, and therefore cute and nostalgic. Two, it’s really pretty funny — Cary Grant especially. And three, what a great story! On the surface of it, it’s a religious story about how God sends his angel to serve and help the mortals who have lost their way — he uses stories and miracles and pushes moral lessons, (sounds a lot like a guy I read about in book once …) That’s fine for religious people, I’m sure, but personally, as a secular humanist, I prefer to see in this movie how we can all be a little bit more like “angels,” a little less burdened by convention, a little more daring, motivated by compassion and humbled by the responsibility to put the needs of others before our own desires. You don’t necessarily need God for that, you just have to decide for yourself that it’s worth it.
I would think you’d like it, too, MJ — after all, the angel in The Bishop’s Wife is a lot like The Doctor. This charming gentleman shows up, does amazing things, tells odd stories about the past, brightens everyone’s life, shows them how brilliant they are, but ultimately, he can’t stick around, and he’s definitely not allowed to fall in love with a human woman and lead a normal life …

I thought you asked this question already.;-)

My list:

1. Miracle on 34th Street. The original.
2. The Shop Around the Corner. Not really a Christmas movie but it takes place around Christmas time.
3. Remember the Night. I love Barbara Stanwyck.
4. Christmas in Connecticut. I really love Barbara Stanwyck.
5. . The one Christmas-ish movie with Cary Grant I like best.
6. Holiday Affair. You wouldn’t think Robert Mitchum would be the type of person you’d associate with a decent Christmas movie but you’d be surprised.
7. Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. I actually used to know most of the songs in this by heart–and who doesn’t love Sally?
8. The Man Who Came to Dinner. A contrarian Christmas movie made long before they started making contrarian Christmas movies.
9. Love Actually. Some parts I like, some parts I really like, some parts are eh?
10. It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ll probably think of another choice ten minutes after I log off.

If I don’t post again on this site between today and tomorrow, I wish you a Merry Christmas, MaryAnn.

Oh, come on! There’s no contest! It’s Scrooge, the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol starring the irreplaceable Alastair Sim. My Christmas isn’t Christmas without it.

For me it is a Christmas movie and so my favourite is “It’s a Wonderful Life” because as others have pointed out George Bailey exemplifies the spirit of Christmas. But then I can see why others say it isn’t so each to their own.

I would also have to choose Scrooged, The Muppet Christmas Carol, White Christmas and Love Actually in that order for my top 5.

Thank you, Persephone, for reminding everyone of Alastair Sim’s Scrooge! He’s really brilliant in the part, probably the best onscreen depiction of the role I can think of (Patrick Stewart comes a pretty close second, but I prefer Sim’s humanity after Scrooge’s transformation).