Festive flicks
As families gather for the holidays, one of the time-honored traditions – besides elaborate meals and gift-giving – is watching films that highlight the joys of the season.
Read on for some family-friendly picks that will entertain an audience of all ages while touching on the themes of togetherness and hope that are common in every tradition.
‘A Christmas Story’
Released in 1983, this warmly nostalgic, humorous film is a perennial favorite among families. It follows the story of Ralphie, who has his heart set on a very specific Christmas present: a Red Rider BB gun. Amidst wintry exploits and family drama, the true spirit of Christmas manages to shine through in this beloved film. Some of the subject matter can be off-color, and there are some bullying scenes. So this is a movie best watched with children who are mature enough to make it through without being scared.
‘Little Women’
Based on the Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name, the 1994 telling of this classic follows the March sisters, who confront financial difficulties, romance and family tragedies in mid-19th century Massachusetts. While it’s not a traditional Christmas movie, the importance of spending time with family around Christmastime is a core theme in this coming-of-age tale.
‘Eight Crazy Nights’
Adam Sandler plays a 30-something party animal who overdoes it enough to face legal trouble in this 2002 film. It’s the holidays, so the judge gives Sandler’s character one more chance to redeem himself: He can avoid jail time by doing community service as a referee for the youth basketball league. He thinks it’s a great deal – until he meets his boss. Although it’s animated, it’s hardly for the littlest kids: Toilet jokes and other off-color humor make this one PG-13.
‘Klaus’
Perhaps not as well-known as other animated holiday flicks, “Klaus,” released in 2019, has a personality all its own. Postman Jesper, who is not making the grade at the postal academy, is sent to work in a frozen town in the North, where he discovers
a reclusive toy maker named Klaus. The unlikely duo ultimately team up to make and deliver toys and bring smiles to children’s faces.
‘Meet Me in St. Louis’
Starring the irreplaceable Judy Garland, this movie musical focuses on four sisters who are awaiting the 1904 World’s Fair in their hometown, but learn that their father has accepted a new job and the family must move to New York beforehand. A Christmas miracle occurs and all is right in the end. Garland sings a memorable version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in the film, solidifying this as a holiday classic.
‘Full-Court Miracle’
This 2016 Disney Channel Original movie tells the true story of a retired college basketball star who gets lured back into the game by Jewish high schooler Alex, whose team has never won a game. Despite the reluctant school officials, coach Lamont Carr comes back to see if he can make their Hanukkah dreams come true.
‘The Santa Clause’
This Disney film came out in 1994 and remains a family favorite. When divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, he magically becomes the next Santa. He must learn to cope with the ways the transformation to the man in red interrupts his normal life, eventually giving over to the magic of Christmas.
‘Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas’
Although this 1977 Jim Henson production is a television special and not a full-length feature film, Generation X likely remembers the heartfelt tale of a poor otter family who sacrifice prized possessions to have what’s needed to enter a talent contest. The goal is to win the prize money to buy special Christmas presents.
‘The Black Candle’
While a documentary may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the holidays, The Black Candle displays the progression of Kwanzaa from 1966 to the present day and at the same time shows the struggles and victories of the
African American community.
‘Robin Robin’
This 2021 stop-motion animated musical short film follows a robin who grows up raised by a family of mice. Her differences become more apparent every time they try to sneak into a “Who-Man’s” house. Eventually, she sets off on a daring heist to steal a shiny star and to prove to her family, and a malicious cat, that she can be a really good mouse.
‘An American Tail’
For those looking for a heartwarming and emotional Hanukkah movie, this 1986 animated feature film tells the story of a group of Jewish mice fleeing to America to escape persecution from Russia. One of the most heartfelt scenes happens when the adorable protagonist Fievel gets a blue hat from his father for Hanukkah, which has been passed on in his family for years.
