Holiday Films

Each day until Christmas, I’ll post one list of 5 Christmas-related things. Today: 5 holiday films that remind me of Christmas!

There are many things to be loved about Christmas, not the least of which are the huge amounts of holiday movies which are constantly playing on the tv – the cheesy ones, the perfect ones, the ultra-cheesy ones. And then there’s these 5, my absolutely favourite Christmas movies!

1. The Sound of Music, 1965, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer

I have a lot of traditions as far as movies go, but the biggest one is probably this movie: every single year, during the holidays, this movie is on the television at least once – if I can’t see it at that point, I’ll watch it later.
If I’m feeling down, and need some of that Christmas-coziness, I’ll listen to its soundtrack, I know all the songs by heart, I’d die for Liesl’s dress during Sixteen Going on Seventeen and I will quote some of the lines at the weirdest moments – this movie, more than anything, is part of my childhood, and I seriously do not think I will ever grow tired of it…

2. Serendipity, 2001, starring John Cussack and Kate Beckinsale

I love this movie so much – for one thing, it’s actually quite funny, I love the way it plays with words (after all, the whole plot revolves around the concept and the use of ‘serendipity’) and I love the way chance both tears these people apart and keeps on bringing them together. Finally, this movie was the first time I actually saw Jeremy Piven do something on a screen I liked, even if it was writing obituaries, so this film should be thanked, at least, for that…

3. White Christmas, 1954, starring Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen

This is really one of those penultimate Christmas Movies, but I love it for way more than just that – for one thing: it has singing in it. A lot of singing. For another, it has Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, two singers whose voices I wish I had… And of course: it has humour, it has love, it has magical costumes and scenes, and it’s absolutely feel-good… What’s not to love?

4. The Prince and Me, 2004, starring Julia Stiles

This one isn’t technically a Christmas movie, but I saw it for the first time 5 days before Christmas – it was shown in prime time, right before Serendipity (and I wanted to see that movie) and I just sort of fell in love with the lightness of the story, and somehow it’s just always remained something of a Christmas movie for me – the power of association is strong in this one, apparently 🙂

That moment Cameron Diaz is running back to Jude Law, though – and that soundtrack!

5. The Holiday, 2006, starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law

Is the plot for this film quite cliche? Yes. Should you still watch it, even in spite of this? YES! If nothing else, this films soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard in years – and this is coming from someone who religiously looks up ALL soundtracks if even just one number strikes her liking – apart from that, this film is perfectly christmassy, but it also shows a much broader view on some elements of the holidays that are too often forgotten (see: loneliness!). Apart from that, I really think that the cast all do a great job – and I just love Eli Wallach’s part as, basically, a version of himself.