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Tis the season: Top 10 best Christmas movies and TV specials of all time

In many families, Christmas flicks and TV specials are another tradition that helps set the mood and context for the holidays, but a movie doesn’t have to be a beloved standard – or even very good, for that matter – to stoke one’s yuletide mirth.Here is a collection of cinematic faves from The Gazette’s features team.For more Gazette lists, check out our lists page.

#1 A Christmas Story (1983)
#1 A Christmas Story (1983) “So many classic moments – the bundled-up little brother, the ridiculous leg lamp. So warm and fuzzy.” – Jennifer Mulson
#4 It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
#4 It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) “A community displays the Christmas spirit by helping a man whose problems have impacted them all realize why his life is worth living.” – Linda Navarro
#2 Scrooged (1988)
#2 Scrooged (1988) “Holiday cheer is served with caustic riffs in the darkly comedic reinterpretation of “A Christmas Carol,” with Bill Murray as bad guy-turns-good.” – Stephanie Earls
#3 Elf (2003)
#3 Elf (2003) “The modern classic brought to you by Will Ferrell, with the old familiar themes (and Leon the snowman!) that shaped the Christmas movie canon.” – Seth Boster
#5 A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
#5 A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) “It’s our longtime family tradition watching and dancing along as Chuck and his little friends rescue the holiday play.” – Linda Navarro
#6 Home Alone (1990)
#6 Home Alone (1990) “A kid inventively fends off some burglars while realizing his love of family. Hilarity meets heart.” – Seth Boster
#7 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
#7 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) “The most quotable of all holiday hits. How can you celebrate the season without the Griswolds?” – Seth Boster
#9 Gremlins (1984)
#9 Gremlins (1984) “They say you shouldn’t give pets as gifts. When that pet is a Mogwai, the advice goes double.” – Stephanie Earls
#10 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
#10 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) “The stop-motion animation of 1964 tells the story of how Rudolph went down in history, with the help of some unforgettable friends.” – Seth Boster


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