One of my favorite Christmas traditions is pulling out all the holiday movies and moving them into rotation on the DVD player. Here are my top five kid shows:
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas. The pinnacle of Christmas-ness for me! It brings back great feelings of being cozy in my feetie pj's, snuggled in front of our small TV on our family room rug. Such a great message, and Bible verses -- what more could you want?
2. The Year Without a Santa Claus. Who could forget the Heat Miser and Cold Miser? And "I believe in Santa Claus" will be stuck in my brain for eternity.
3. The Santa Clause (plus II and III). I loved the original, and really enjoyed the two follow-ups as well. Tim Allen is a darned believable Santa, and these three movies have given us many quotable lines ("MMMM! I LOVE COCOA!" and "Well, isn't that a pretty picture. Santa coming down the street in a Panzer!")
4. Jingle All the Way. John and I saw this in the theaters when it came out, and I'll admit it was pretty lousy. But for some reason, we bought it on VHS a few years later. Now, it's one of the most-watched movies in our house. Sinbad is unbeatable as the slightly psycho postman, Arnie is wonderfully comic against Rita Wilson's straight man, and the meddlesome neighbor is perfectly played by the late, great Phil Hartman. ("Balthazar!")
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love the remake with Jim Carrey, but nothing beats the original. I imagine my children's children will be watching this someday!
Come back tomorrow when I share my top five family/adult Christmas movies (and before you ask, yes, they're all PG-rated!)
Did I miss any? Share your fave kids' Christmas shows!
Good list, but you're missing my all-time favorite! Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas- muppets in a whole new/old way. I watched it all the time growing up and it wouldn't be CHristmas without it (okay, it would, but you get what I mean).
so heartwarming and the music is fun!
Posted by: Crafty P | 11/30/2009 at 08:42 AM
I absolutely love the Muppets Christmas Carole. We've already watched it once this season (not that we have kids)we absolutely love it!
Posted by: Danielle | 11/30/2009 at 10:19 AM
Good ones! I also like The Polar Express....
Posted by: Sherrie M. | 11/30/2009 at 10:36 AM
Elf
Posted by: Margie | 11/30/2009 at 11:30 AM
Elf and Polar Express are two of our favorites!
Posted by: Michelle W. | 11/30/2009 at 12:04 PM
I love all your movie picks, Lain! Of course, I love Christmas movies! Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street, even Home Alone 1 & 2. This is my favorite time of year!
Posted by: Michelle Moore | 11/30/2009 at 12:24 PM
I also love the Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original cartoon only -- I don't care for the Jim Carrey version. I'm a Dr. Seuss purist.) and a Year without a Santa Claus. I also love the old Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with Burl Ives singing, the Isle of Misfit Toys, Hermie the elf that wants to be a dentist, Bumble, and Yukon Cornelius. The kids like the animated Frosty the Snowman, but I'm not in love with it.
Can't wait to see your list for grown ups. A Christmas Story would be on my list. Love the leg lamp. Fra-gee-le.
Posted by: Jennifer McGuire | 11/30/2009 at 01:17 PM
I love Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It's cheesy, silly, and reminds me of the Christmas celebrations of my childhood. I can't wait to watch it with my own children someday.
In fact, I might even put it in right now!
Posted by: Jennifer | 11/30/2009 at 01:37 PM
I have to see Rudolph at least once each year, if only to hear the phrase "Bumbles Bounce!" Other than that I really enjoy the Santa Clause and The Polar Express.
Oh, and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town!" I've been known to sing "Put one foot in front of the other" repeatedly to toddlers...
Posted by: Heather D | 11/30/2009 at 02:10 PM
My 5 are...
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
The Holiday
A Christmas Story (again...)
Elf
Posted by: stephenie | 11/30/2009 at 02:11 PM
A Christmas Story for sure! And while it's not really a Christmas movie, we always watch (and maybe sing along ;) the Sound of Music :)
Posted by: Cheryl | 11/30/2009 at 02:12 PM
CB Christmas is our all time fave. My kids quote it all the time - RATS! We like those other old-school ones too like Rudolph with Hermey.
Posted by: PaulaSG | 11/30/2009 at 02:12 PM
Thanks Lain - - I also love the sappy ones on ABC Family and Hallmark - some never make it to DVD but they are fun to watch. Also - absolutely LOVE Eloise at Christmastime!
Posted by: Jennifer McIntyre @atthebluebarn | 11/30/2009 at 02:40 PM
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
Muppet Christmas Carol
John Denver and the Muppets A Christmas Together
I also liked (but haven't seen in years) Olive the Other Reindeer.
Posted by: Gaynol | 11/30/2009 at 05:13 PM
I think all the Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen are my faves. I mean...the kids' faves. They said to add the Home Alone movies. Funny - my boys like the 3rd Home Alone movie best. I'm like - didn't that one go straight to dvd and have all different characters? They were like - so? Excellent point.
Posted by: kellicrowe | 11/30/2009 at 05:17 PM
My youngest LOVES Eloises Christmas!
:)
Lain Ehmann
CEO, Ella Publishing Co.
[email protected]
408.348-2156
Posted by: Lain | 11/30/2009 at 05:42 PM
We absolutely cannot make it through Christmas without the Muppet Christmas Carol. Then we go to my mom's house and she plays it there too. When I was a kid, Frosty and Rudolph were my favorites.
Posted by: Deana Birks | 11/30/2009 at 06:06 PM
The year without a Santa Claus was my DAD's favorite special when I was a kid. I remember they rarely showed it on tv. He used to dance around and sing the Heat Miser song. I can't tell you how happy we all were when they finally released that one on DVD.
Posted by: Noelle | 11/30/2009 at 08:42 PM
Never seen Jingle All the Way, but the others are all great! We have a pile of kids' Christmas DVDs that grows every year, but our favorites are Mickey's Christmas Carol, and of course, Rudolph and Frosty! And don't forget The Polar Express!
Posted by: Etta | 12/01/2009 at 08:26 AM
Oh, I almost forgot--for the really little ones, we discovered Elmo's Christmas Countdown last year. It's very Sesame Street, but it has an all-star cast, including Cheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson and many more. IT's actually pretty funny, (not as annoying as your typical Elmo)and even though my kids have outgrown Elmo otherwise, they love this DVD!
Posted by: Etta | 12/01/2009 at 08:31 AM