Christmas is a time for giving, for loving, and for being with your nearest and dearest. Oh, and for watching movies, obviously - let's face it, there ain't much else to do on the 25th!
Here then, are a few suggestions. If you're looking for a festive flick to enjoy with your family this holiday season, we'd strongly recommend any of the following - grab your
Christmas Snug Rug, fire up the
Popcorn Maker, and let's take a tour of the best Christmas movies EVER!
Or pour yourself a glass of wine. Whatever.
Oh, and since it's not a Christmas film unless you're sobbing uncontrollably, we'll be highlighting a Tearjerker Moment from each of our 5 picks. Keep some tissues nearby, m'kay?
Be warned: spoilers may lie ahead.
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The definitive movie version of Charles Dickens's enduring festive fable. We're pretty sure that Mr Dickens was picturing Bob Cratchit as a fuzzy green frog from the moment he picked up his quill.
Tearjerker Moment: Somewhere in the middle of the film, Belle (Scrooge's former girlfriend) sings a very sad song called 'When Love is Gone' before cutting off their engagement. This sequence is part of the 'Ghost of Christmas Past' flashback, and at the end of the song, the camera pans back to Old!Scrooge, mouthing the words along with his old flame and looking positively distraught.
2. Frozen (2013)
The newest film on our list needs no introduction: you've seen the movie, heard the songs, and if you've a young daughter, run yourself ragged looking for Elsa and Anna dolls. Still, Christmas gives us a good excuse to watch it again, right?
Tearjerker Moment: Hey, welcome to another jolly adventure from Walt Disney Studios! Here's Princess Elsa, here's Princess Anna, and here are their parents dying tragically at sea!
You know, for kids!
3. Die Hard (1988)
Held by many to be The Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time, Die Hard's against-the-odds action may seem like an odd choice for your post-turkey lull, but if the sight of Hans Gruber executing Joseph Takagi doesn't fill you with festive cheer then frankly we suspect you're dead inside.
Tearjerker Moment: "He had a ray gun, looked real enough...they can teach you everything about bein' a cop except how to live with a mistake."
Arthur Christmas (2011)
James McAvoy and Bill Nighy set out to deliver a present to the child that Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent forgot about. Oh, and all of those people we just named are Santa, kind of. Why are you still reading this? Go and watch it!
Tearjerker Moment: Ambitious, tech-savvy Hugh Laurie finally realises that his little brother, James McAvoy, would make a better Santa than him. "I'll be the candle, eh?"
5. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Nothing says 'festive classic' like watching a man get driven to the brink of suicide. Thrill as George Bailey gives up on his dreams to remain in the dead-end hole that is Bedford Falls! Delight as his wedding day is ruined by a bank run that threatens to make him and his new bride completely destitute! Feel the spirit of the season rush through your veins as George, now a fugitive from the law, comes to the tragic realisation that he's "worth more dead than alive"!
Tearjerker Moment: Of course, George Bailey's suicide attempt is ultimately thwarted, and he returns home to face the music. If you weren't already bawling into your mince pies by this point, the big ending - where the whole town shows up and donates enough money to save George and his business - will surely break what's left of your resolve. Sniff.
What are YOUR favourite Christmas movies? Let us know on Twitter!
