Unlike every other internet influencer that has been serving up Christmas content since August, New South Essays observes a rigorous adherence to a holiday schedule that allows each celebration to have its own, dedicated season.
With Thanksgiving now in the rear view, we can officially turn our attention to Christmas. And in this season of gift guides, decorating tips and family tradition compilations, New South Essays offers its own unique contribution to the most wonderful time of the year.
Introducing the New South Essays Definitive Must-Watch Christmas Movie List™. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill click bait. Sure, those folks over at IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes have lists, but can you really trust those Hollywood insiders to give you the people’s perspective? The New South Essays list is both authoritative and scientific, which these days means I completely made it up.
Before we dive in, I must give credit to where credit is due. New South Essays owes the inspiration for this list to loyal reader (and my middle son) Harris, who has always been a Christmas enthusiast. He has long maintained a list of Christmas movies that he must watch in a certain order each year or else he’s afraid he can’t unlock the portal that allows Santa to bring Lego to his house, or something like that.
Call it a superstition if you will, but Harris is a man of principle. I admire his unyielding adherence to a plan despite all logic and contrary opinions.
So, my Santa’s hat is off to you, Harris. I hope you approve of this list, though I’m sure you will have some thoughts, which you will share with me.
In no particular order, here is the 2025 New South Essays Definitive Must-Watch Christmas Movie List™:
Home Alone. I was in college when this now Christmas classic was released, and I am old enough to have seen it in theaters. It quickly became a VHS mainstay of our holidays, and I thoroughly enjoyed introducing it to our kids. For a few years there I remember watching it on Thanksgiving night to help usher in the Christmas season.
The Nightmare Before Christmas. Super controversial choice in our household. My oldest believes it is a Christmas movie. My middle, the traditionalist, asserts it is a Halloween movie. We are siding with the eldest on this one (sorry, Harris). It’s literally in the name.
The Polar Express. I know, I know, the animation makes everyone look like soulless zombies, but, hey, who doesn’t love a zombie Christmas movie? Besides, when my oldest was a little guy, he loved trains. We saw this one with him in the theater, and even though they’re all grown up now, my boys like to watch it on Christmas Eve and hope to be transported away to the North Pole to get into mischief and make sure little Billy gets some hot chocolate – and his present – this year.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This selection comes with a parental warning. There are TWO, not one, instances of adult language. The first time I showed this classic to my children, I had misremembered where to mute it. So they were treated with a double dose of previously unheard colorful metaphors. It wasn’t the transgression that thrilled them as much as seeing me fumble with the remote and receive a scolding from my Darling Beloved for corrupting their impressionable minds and offending their delicate dispositions. I was never prouder than the year when we were watching “White Christmas,” and in the closing scene when Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye were singing the titular tune, my oldest turned to me and said, “We’ll have the best Christmas since Bing Crosby danced with Danny (expletive omitted by Barron then and here as well for sensitive readers) Kaye.” He finally understood the source material and got the joke!
A Christmas Story. Another Christmas classic in which language plays a key role, this one is a mainstay and must-watch Christmas Eve viewing in our home, thanks to the TNT folks doing that marathon every year. We don’t try to time it out and watch it during the marathon broadcast on account of the commercials. We broke down and purchased it for $3.79 or somesuch about 10 years ago on Amazon Prime Video, so we can just start and stop it whenever we want to. We also love to say when our dogs are being too rambunctious, “Aha, the Bumpus Hounds!”
Christmas With the Kranks. There are some obvious tonal issues here and some really bad animation, but anytime you get a mad scramble to throw a Christmas party at the last minute and Dan Aykroyd in the same movie, it’s worth your time. This film introduced the idea of a canned ham to a new generation (and no, I’m not referring to Tim Allen.)
The Santa Clause. Speaking of Tim Allen, the first installment in what would become an endless series of Santa Claus movies is the one that holds the most nostalgia for us. It moves a little slow in parts and has about 14 fat jokes too many, but it’s a sweet story with a happy ending and some classic Judge Reinhold in amazing sweaters.
Miracle on 34th Street. I know they did a remake in 1994, and it’s not half bad, but the 1947 original in black and white still holds up. For our middle son, this was his preferred viewing on Thanksgiving night because the movie starts with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. As a student of arguing and legal stuff, he also loves the courtroom scenes. I like the dashing moustaches.
It’s A Wonderful Life. I admit up front that I don’t always have the patience to watch this 1946 masterpiece every year because of its 2 hour and 10 minute run time, but it definitely belongs on the list. It’s great if you’re ever having a down year and need to be reminded that your life really matters. I still remember the year I went to a screening of it at The Grand Opera House in Macon, which felt old-timey and super authentic. I also love to quote Zuzu Bailey at random points during the Christmas season: “Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”
Gremlins. My youngest was much too young the year I unleashed this on the family by saying, “Y’all want to watch a great Christmas movie you’ve never seen before?” As a result, he was simultaneously traumatized and fell in love with it. He says it’s still his favorite Christmas movie. He loves small, furry, cuddly animals, and Christmas Eve mayhem. I defy you to not guffaw when Phoebe Cates tells the story about her dad dying in the chimney trying to play Santa. So inappropriately hilarious.
Die Hard. Another controversial choice, we didn’t watch this until our boys were much older. Come to think of it, I don’t believe my youngest has still seen it. So young and impressionable. Every year the debate rages about whether or not this is a “Christmas movie.” I agree that a movie set at Christmas doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a Christmas movie, but this one is set on Christmas Eve at an office Christmas party, and who hasn’t been at an office Christmas party secretly wishing a group of machine gun-toting terrorists would interrupt the festivities? And not even the most skilled muter can safely navigate the language of this film. I don’t think I need to say this about a film that came out in 1988, but be forewarned, it’s definitely not safe for sensitive viewers. Please be advised.
Elf. Will Ferrell chewing the scenery is one thing, but for my money, it’s Bob Newhart who steals the show. His trademark deadpan as Papa Elf works on so many levels. Another movie quote I love to deploy randomly comes from this cinematic wonder, specifically Mr. Narwhal: “Goodbye, Buddy, I hope you find your dad!”
Klaus. Netflix has been trying to get the Christmas movie formula right for several years now, but this entry from 2019 is one of theirs that’s a keeper. A lean running time, nice animation and great voice work, this one will give you a new appreciation for the postal service.
A Charlie Brown Christmas. This makes my list for two reasons, both church related. When our boys were in children’s choir at church, our ambitious music minister, Mrs. Susan, decided to tackle the musical stage version of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for that year’s special performance. Some sort of unavoidable life circumstance interrupted rehearsals, however, and the show was delayed until May. For that reason, I like to joke with the boys that we should watch it every May, to which they respond with eye rolls, and Harris rants about how you can’t watch Christmas movies in May. Our friends, the Samps, also hosted viewings of this cartoon classic for the youth group every year, including outdoor showings with a projector and cool audio set up. It was always fun to watch and shiver in the elements with a cup of hot chocolate.
Scrooged. Of all the retellings of the Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” this one is my favorite. Yes, even over the Muppets one and that new one with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell that was on the Hulu a few years back. It’s got Bill Murray being wry and sarcastic. What else do you need? It preceded by five years his treatment of another holiday movie that would become the seminal work for that special event known as “Groundhog Day.” So if you really want to have fun, watch them as a double feature.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’m not talking about Dr. Seuss’s 1957 book-turned-to-TV-special in 1966, though that is widely thought of as the best treatment of the source material. I’m also not talking about the 2018 digital animation version with Benedict Cumberbatch. I’m talking about the obnoxious Jim Carrey one from 2000. I don’t know how or why, but this movie has wormed its way into my brain while being overwhelmingly annoying all at the same time. Until it was replaced by “Gremlins,” this was Carlton’s favorite, leading to such repeat viewing that we had to replace the DVD because he literally wore the first one out. It also has a great line I like to rehash when I’m going over a particularly busy schedule: “”4:00, wallow in self-pity; 4:30, stare into the abyss; 5:00, solve world hunger – tell no one; 5:30, jazzercise; 6:30, dinner with me – I can’t cancel that again; 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing…. I’m booked.”
There you have it, the New South Essays Definitive Must-Watch Christmas Movie List™. You have 26 days until Christmas. Forget about shopping and get to watching these movies!
Have a happy merry and merry happy and all that festive fa la la la stuff.
So what did we leave out? Join in the Yuletide listmaking and add your recommendations in a comment below.
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