Thirteen Movies I Love To Watch At Christmas

I will warn you now. Some of these are not Christmas movies. Bear with me. I’ll try to tell you how they relate in my head. And I’m doing it as a countdown. Here we go:

13. A Christmas Story – I actually hate this movie. With a passion. So, why did it make my list? It is worth it on Christmas Eve to see my husband watch the 24-hour Christmas Story marathon and watch the complete and utter joy on his face. Maybe it’s a guy thing. But he loves it.

12. Scrooged – I love the story of A Christmas Carol, and Bill Murray is at his deadpan best in this remake.

11. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – I’m not a huge fan of the Vacation movies, but I find myself enjoying this one every year. My favorite part is when the grandmother rings the doorbell. It starts off ding-dong. Then goes to diiing doooong. Then goes to the death toll – Boooong Boooooong. Classic!

10. When Harry Met Sally – Okay, work with me here. They go through two Christmases together, and it ends on New Year’s Eve. This is one of my favorite damn movies of all-time! Plus, it has the line that I have probably used 100 times over the years: "Do you really want to go through the rest of your life knowing someone else is married to your husband?"

9. Serendipity – I would watch John Cusack in anything, but I just love this one. Yes, it’s a little sappy, and not really a Christmas movie, but they DO meet on Christmas. It’s a great movie for everyone who believes in fate.

8. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Aside from the fact that I feel like Bridget Jones 90 percent of the time, I also love any excuse to see Colin Firth. Particularly in a reindeer jumper. Plus, it has the greatest ending line of a movie.

Bridget: "Nice boys don't kiss like that."

Mark: "Oh yes, they f*cking do."

7. Elf – Will Ferrell makes me laugh until I just about pee my pants. I remember seeing this movie when Eli was just a baby. We actually took him, and he slept on my lap through the whole thing so we could enjoy it. Plus it's got so many great quotes. "You sit on a throne of lies!"

6. An Affair To Remember – Yeah. Yeah. Not really a Christmas movie either, but it does end on Christmas day. I can watch this movie over and over again, just to see Cary Grant take Deborah Kerr into his arms at the end of the movie. It doesn’t get any better than that.

"I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there."

5. Die Hard – Hopefully, I don’t have to argue that this is a Christmas movie. That’s pretty much a given. And it’s one of the best action movies of all-time. Plus, Alan Rickman is deliciously evil. Love it! "Yippee ki-yay . . . "

4. Sleepless in Seattle – I know most people think of this as a Valentine’s Day movie, but I like to watch it around Christmas time. The whole thing starts on Christmas Eve when Jonah calls the radio station. Plus you have the shots of the boats sailing by decorated in Christmas lights. And Meg Ryan in her car singing along to Christmas music. “Horses, horses, horses, horses . . .”

3. The Ref – Oh Lord, black comedies just don’t get any better than this. Denis Leary takes a couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage on Christmas Eve, and ends up having to deal with their whole dysfunctional family. You find yourself rooting for the bad guy and wanting to mame the couple’s family. Ohhh Christmas! Fa la la la la.

Best line of the movie: "You know what I'm going to get you next Christmas, Mom? A big wooden cross, so that every time you feel unappreciated for your sacrifices, you can climb on up and nail yourself to it."

2. Love Actually – I think I’ve already watched this twice this year. What a great Christmas movie. Christmas miracles and love conquers all. It has so many wonderful intertwined stories, and each and every one draws you in. I can’t even tell you which one is my favorite, because they are all wonderful. I love love love this movie!

1. It’s a Wondeful Life – Apparently, I’m a traditionalist. I watch this movie every year, and I cry . . . no, make that sob . . . every single time. Jimmy Stewart is a true American classic. He is amazing in this movie, and it always makes me appreciate every single person in my life. Every year, I think I’m not going to cry, but every year, the same line at the end gets me.

“A toast to my brother, George – the richest man in town.” And then George Bailey opens up his Bible and reads the inscription from Clarence, “No man is a failure who has friends.”

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