Door 20: Five Festive Films

Stuck on what to watch this Christmas? Here’s my top five picks!


Only 5 days left to go until the big day – where has the time gone?!

With more people staying indoors this year than usual, naturally they might be looking towards to the TV and cracking out a festive film. But with so many Christmas classics out there, where do you start?! Never fear – here are my five specially hand-picked recommendations for Christmas-themed movies you can watch on the big day!


 

  1. 1 It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)


    Directed by: Frank Capra
    Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore

    Starting off with a personal favourite of mine that never fails to make me smile! Starring the iconic James Stewart and the glamorous Donna Reed, it tells the tale of George Bailey – a man driven to the edge on Christmas Eve before an intervention by his guardian angel gives him a new perspective on life. It's a heart-warming tale that is sure to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. And don't just take my word for it - Sky Movies viewers voted in their thousands for the film, saying it was the one they'd most likely to tune into on Christmas day.

  2. 2 The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

    D23

    Directed by: Brian Henson (1992)
    Starring: Michael Caine, Kermit The Frog, Gonzo The Great, Miss Piggy

    Switching up the theme, here's a Christmas classic perfect for the whole film. 'The Muppets Christmas Carol' is a a film adaptation of a classic Dickens novel, in which Charles Dickens is played by Gonzo The Great, Ebenezer Scrooge by Michael Caine and Bob Cratchit by Kermit The Frog. If that doesn't entice you, I don't know what will! Heart-warming, fun, festive and family-friendly, this is by far one of the best Christmas movies – ever!

  3. 3 Die Hard (1988)


    Directed by: John McTiernan
    Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman


    Did I put this movie on the list to reignite the debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie? Maybe, maybe...Regardless, Christmas just wouldn't feel like Christmas without spending quality time with Bruce Willis as John McClane in his ripped and bloody vest, leaping over broken glass and taking out bad guys.

  4. 4 Home Alone (1990)


    Directed by: Chris Columbus
    Starring: Macaulay Calkin, Joe Pesci, Catherine O’Hara

    It would be remiss of me to not put Home Alone on this list. After all, it's one of the highest grossing Christmas movies of all time. Now, in case you’re the only person on the planet yet to have seen this movie, its features an eight-year-old boy (Kevin McCallister) who, after a particularly bad scolding from his mother, wishes he had a nicer family. He wakes up on Christmas morning to discover he’s the only one left in the house. He thinks his wish has come true – but his family have actually left him there by mistake. Queue a hilarious sequence of events, and some seriously inventive (and slightly terrifying) booby traps, and you have a instant classic on your hands. 

  5. 5 Love Actually (2003)


    Directed by: Richard Curtis
    Starring: Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth 


    And finally, topping it off our list is my favourite Christmas movie. Yes, I'm a soppy romantic, and no I don't regret saying that. Even if you’re not a fan of rom-coms, you’ll be hard-pressed to resist the charms of this quintessentially English, slightly awkward, heart-warming tale. The star-studded movie focuses on the lives of eight very different couples and their love lives leading up to Christmas day. Filled with adventure, fun, romance, and plenty of humour, there's no better way to spend the festive day than with a bit of Love Actually.



What did you think of my list? Let me know in the comments your thoughts, and what movies you often crack out on the big day!


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Sam Kenealy

Sam is a member of the Students Association staff team.

One Comment

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  1. I like all but the ending of It’s a Wonderful Life. The final scene is too saccharine for my taste. The Muppet Christmas Carol is quite good but I prefer the 1951 version with Alastair Sim. I’ve never seen the other three films and your descriptions don’t tempt me.

    I’d go for Some Like It Hot (1959), Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), Casablanca (1942), North by Northwest (1959) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).