THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - ANNIE CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN

 

Santa's daughter Annie (Maria Thayer) is to take her first trip away from the North Pole during the Christmas season.

The hope is she will find adventure and love in sunny California.

Annie arrives in Los Angeles and becomes friends with Lucy (Vivica A. Fox), the owner of the Candy Cane Inn and her daughter, Mia (Nay Nay Kirby).

Very soon she finds a job at Wonderland Toys and is persuaded to direct the Christmas Pageant at Mia’s School.

Wonderland Toy’s is an old-fashioned Toy store selling old-fashioned toys in a digital world and the owner, Ted (Sam Page) is struggling to stay in business

All the while this is going on a plot hatched at the North Pole to have her fall in love with an unemployed actor named Dean so that her Uncle Chester can take over the business.

But Annie soon realizes that she wants Ted's business to thrive because she has feelings for this Christmas traditionalist.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – MY LAST CHRISTMAS (2015)

 

Angelica (Katya Martín), is a 16-year-old girl who's battling a rare kind of cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and it will claim her life if she doesn’t get a bone marrow transplant and on top of her struggles to try to live a normal life is the very real prospect of never finding a donor match, but higher on her priority list are her hopes of finding her first true love before it's too late.

But then she meets homeless teenager Sean (Juan Castano).

A heart-warming film in which the acting is only surpassed by the Cinematography, well worth a watch.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - MR ST NICK

 

King Nicholas XX (Charles Durning) is ready to retire and pass the throne to his son, Nick St Nicholas (Kelsey Grammer).

But Nick fails to turn up for the rehearsal of his coronation, preferring instead his lavish Florida seaside lifestyle and his sexy girlfriend.

So he falls out with his father and is enticed into portraying a fictitious Santa Claus for a charity (Mr.SaintNick.com) by Heidi (Elaine Hendrix) and Hector (Luis Garcia).

His only remaining link to the North Pole is his butler Jasper (Brian Bedford) who then hires a new cook, Lorena (Ana Ortiz) who will prove to be Nick’s salvation.

While Nick begins to fall in love with Heidi and asks her to marry him, he is totally unaware that Hector and Heidi are transferring the charity's money into their own account in the Cayman Islands and leaving Nick as the patsy.

Only a miracle can save Christmas with the help of Queen Carlotta (Katherine Helmond).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – ALONE FOR XMAS (2013)

When the family leave home to visit Grandma's house on Christmas Eve, they leave their dog at the kennels, but suspecting the family home is going to be burgled, he escapes so he can protect the home.

In essence the film is a canine version of “Home Alone” with Bone the dog pitted against burglars Jake and Rob (Jeremy Mascia and Justin Hoffmeister) and his goal is to prevent them from stealing the presents from under the tree, and he must use every trick he knows to stop them, even when they call Quentin (Kevin Sorbo) an evil dog catcher to help them.

But he keeps the home safe until Mom and Dad (Kim Little and David DeLuise) and the kids Dillon and KC (Davis Cleveland and Natalie Jane) get home and they can have a peaceful Christmas together.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – HALLMARK: WELCOME TO CHRISTMAS (2018)

 

Resort developer Madison Lane (Jennifer Finnigan) is tasked with finding a location for a new ski resort, even though she has already made the case for her preferred option in Mountain Park, but her boss tells her to take a trip to Christmas, Colorado, to consider that location and to discuss the revised incentive package they're offering.

On her way into town to meet with the Mayor, Madison has a minor collision with the town's welcome sign, which renders the car un-drivable and the sign unwelcoming.

The towns Sheriff Gage McBride (Eric Mabius) drives upon the scene shortly after it happened and offers to give her a ride into town so she can attend the meeting while the car is towed to the garage and repaired.

Little does she know however, that the town is on a mission to convince her that Christmas is the best place for the new ski resort.

While stranded in the town she falls in love with the town of Christmas, the spirit of Christmas that runs throughout it, and its residents and its Sheriff.

But the more she falls in love with the place the more she questions whether a resort is really the right move for Christmas? Or would the town be better off keeping its charm and traditions intact?

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

 

George Billings (John Denver) is a successful New York City architect and his boss Thomas A. Renfield (Edward Winter) sends him on a business trip to look over a small Colorado town that he has earmarked for a possible real estate development. 

One year earlier, at Christmastime, George’s beloved wife had died so what was meant to be a joyous season is a time of painful memories for George and his seven year old daughter Alexandra (Gennie James).

George decided he would take his daughter with him on the trip for a Christmas vacation and when he and Alex arrived in the small charming hamlet of Georgetown, they discovered that it was a place where everyone, from the very oldest inhabitant to the very youngest child, believed in Santa Clause.

It doesn’t take long for George and Alex to fall under the towns spell, or for George to do the same with the hamlets lovely postmistress Susan McMillan (Jane Kaczmarek).

Unfortunately, on the strength of George's glowing reports, his boss Renfield proceeds with plans to transform the town into a modern ski resort.

Soon everyone, Susan and Alex included turns against George, despite the fact he had already lost his job for protesting against it.

However he wins the inhabitants of the mystical Colorado town back with his daring plan to thwart Renfield and preserve Georgetown's old fashioned charm.

And just to make the whole tale even more special Santa pitches in with a few "miracles" of his own.

But Pat Corley as Taxi Driver Bud Sawyer and the ever reliable Mary Wickes as Henrietta are the icing on the very festive Christmas cake

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS EVE

 

This is a “Groundhog Day” style Christmas Tale.

Calvin Carter (Steven Weber), is a very successful business executive who has it all, but he blatantly neglects all those closest to him.

But on Christmas Eve, all that changes when a large sign on his office building falls on him. He awakes in what appears to be a hospital bed, attended to by Angie (Molly Shannon), a nurse who soon lets him know he has 12 days (12 chances) to get his act together and achieve the "perfect" Christmas Eve.

As each subsequent Christmas Eve slips by he succeeds only in making perfect Christmas Eve’s for himself.

Finally he is told in no uncertain terms that if he doesn’t figure out what he is doing wrong there will be dire consequences.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – ARDEN DRIVE (2016)

 

All Eddie Kirkpatrick (Sean Ryan Fox) wants for Christmas is a pair of Breezy 3000s, the hottest new shoes which will make him the envy of his friends.

But come Christmas Day, he finds there are no presents under the family tree, let alone his shoes, because his older brother, Zack (Colin Smith) is getting married and the family is so focused on the wedding they have side-lined Christmas.
He storms out of the house angry that his Christmas has been ruined, and heads into town where he comes across a mysterious new shoe store.

After meeting the store owner (Joey Lawrence) he is granted one wish, so Eddie wishes to have his Christmas back, and the wish is granted.

However as a result he is stuck reliving the same disappointing Christmas day on an endless loop, and is destined to do so until he learns what the spirit of Christmas is really about.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THIS IS OUR CHRISTMAS (2018)

 

“This is Our Christmas” tells the story of love, redemption, courage, and the importance of helping others.

A father, James Bennett Foxworth (Vincent De Paul) tries to help his spoiled Beverly Hills teenage daughter Ravin (Ravin Spangler), overcome the loss of her mother Angelina (Donna Spangler) find the true meaning of the holidays.

He does this by sending her to stay with Aunt Maggie (Nancy Daly) to help with her failing country style bakery business.

James is are ably assisted by friends and family as well as their magical guardian angel, Angelina, in reaching their goal of discovering the true miracle of Christmas”.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - A CAROL CHRISTMAS (2003)

 

An enjoyable and humorous reworking of Charles Dickens well spun yarn of redemption.

This retelling of the story is of an ego-maniacal driven and heartless TV talk show host, Carol Cartman (Tori Spelling) who is determined to destroy the festive fun in the studio.

However on Christmas Eve she is visited by the ghost of her Aunt Marla (Dinah Manoff).

The story unfolds much as you might expect from then on but the late Gary Coleman is a quite excellent Ghost of Christmas Past and William Shatner steals the show as the Ghost of Christmas Present.

The use of the Star Trek tele-porter effect when he "moved" Carol from one location to another was quite inspired.

There are also very credible performances from Nina Siemaszko as ill-used assistant Roberta and Michael Landes as Roberta’s love interest Jimmy.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS GETAWAY (2018)

 

Claire (Alexandra Breckenridge), is a savvy venture capitalist from New York City, who decides to escape to the quaint town of Glastenbury, Vermont for the holidays, following an uncharacteristically bad company floatation.

She chose Glastenbury for her getaway because of its reputation as a great Christmas Town with many traditional activities and a famous festival.

And as she is not the kind of person to do nothing she books in as a guest of the Fortenbury Bookstore, which entitles her to run the Store for the duration of her stay.

However upon her arrival, Claire finds Christmas celebrations have been cancelled by the town after a devastating autumn flood and the bookstore in a dire state of disrepair.

Unshaken she immediately takes on the challenge to revitalize the store, but clashes with the owner, Andrew (Jamie Spilchuk), who initially rejects all her proposed improvements, though she finds an ally in his Aunt, Mrs. Tumulty (Jane Alexander).

Gradually Claire wears him down with her infectious optimism and revives his yuletide spirit and inevitably romance blossoms, until Claire discovers that Andrew is planning to sell the bookstore in the New Year.

Which begs the question “Will the spirit of Christmas be enough to change Andrew's mind and encourage him to follow his heart?”

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - IT'S CHRISTMAS, CAROL!

 

An enjoyable and credible reworking of Charles Dickens well spun yarn of redemption.

This retelling of the story is of a driven and heartless publishing executive, Carol Huffman (Emmanuelle Vaugie) who on Christmas Eve is visited by the ghost of her former boss, Eve (Carrie Fisher).

Eve tells Carol that she has lost sight of the things that are truly important in life and that she is there to show her the errors of her ways.

There is a wonderful reference to Dickens in the tale when Eve explains why the normal trinity of ghosts were all represented by her alone, as she was in sole charge of Carol's journey through her past, present and future, and that was because “Chuck” was prone to over embellishments.

It’s very much worth a watch if only for Carrie Fishers mischievous Eve.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - MY SANTA

 

Jen Robbins (Samaire Armstrong) is a single mother, who works as a writer of human interest stories for the small town newspaper in the town where she has lived all her life.

Alas she lost her Christmas spirit after her ex-husband Paul walked out on her six years earlier when her son Eric (Gabe O'Mara) was only one year old, and to add insult onto injury it was also Christmas Eve.

Despite her disdain for Christmas however, after a number of encounters, Jen finds herself falling under the spell of Chris (Matthew Lawrence), who is the shopping mall Santa Claus.

Eric truly believes that Chris really is Santa although in truth he is Kris Kringle Jr the heir apparent to the magic of Christmas.

He has set his cap at Jen to be the next Mrs. Claus, so that he can continue the Christmas spirit into the next generation.

But that woman has to truly believe in the spirit of Christmas for Chris to be able to take over the reins from his father.

So a cynic like Jen may not be easily persuaded.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – SMALL TOWN PRINCE (2015)

 

Prince Duncan (Kirk Barker) is experiencing cold feet about his upcoming arranged royal wedding, so the charming European prince steals away incognito to the America in search of true love.

Pretending to be someone he isn't, the prince-on-the-lam rents a car and hits the road but he loses control in the wintry conditions and crashes, and that’s where he meets Emma (Viva Bianca) a diner waitress whose Christmas needs brightening considerably, and that’s where the Christmas romance begins in earnest.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – IRA FINKELSTEIN'S CHRISTMAS (2012)

 

Ira J. Finkelstein (Elijah Nelson) is a Christmas obsessed Jewish boy.

He's seen every Christmas movie ever made and his dreams are filled with reindeer, sleigh rides and of course, snow.

The problem is, apart from the fact that Ira is Jewish is that at 11 years of age he feels that Christmas is passing him by and When Ira's hopes for a holiday vacation in Aspen are dashed, he hatches a plan to finally get the Christmas of his dreams.

When flying unaccompanied to visit his grandparents in sunny Florida, he swaps tickets with Mikey Amato (Justin Thomas Howell), another 11-year-old also flying unaccompanied on his way to Christmastown, WA.

But they not only trade airline tickets but places as well and Ira gets more than he bargained for when he experiences his first “White Christmas”.

Elliott Gould and David DeLuise also star in this pleasant Christmas caper.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER - TRADING CHRISTMAS

 

In South Woodbourne, Washington, widowed second grade schoolteacher Emily Spengler (Faith Ford) loves the Christmas holidays, as do all the townsfolk, and she is looking forward to spending the holiday with her grown up daughter, Heather (Emma Lahana), as usual.

However Heather, who is at college in Boston, drops the bombshell a week before Christmas that she is going to be too busy studying to make the long trip home to South Woodbourne.

Emily calls her BFF Faith Kerrigan (Gabrielle Miller) for sympathy after receiving the news and asked her to come for Christmas instead but she is further disappointed when divorcee Faith tells her she is too snowed under with work to make the trip from San Francisco.

Also in Boston lives an unsentimental novelist and English professor Charles Johnson (Tom Cavanagh), who his desperate to break his writer's block and complete his latest novel which is overdue at the publishers.

In addition to his lack of sentimentality, along with his workaholic brother Ray (Gil Bellows), he doesn’t celebrate the season.

Ray, as the owner of his own lucrative business, is trying to decide if he should accept a very generous offer for his company, and advises Charles to do a house swap for the holiday suggesting that a change of scene might well help to unblock him.

And that is where the story really starts.

Emily and Charles meet on a house swapping website and agree to do a one week swap in the lead up to Christmas.

However all does not go well, Emily goes to Boston to surprise daughter Heather only to find on her arrival she has secretly flown to Phoenix with her boyfriend Jason.

Charles meanwhile finds the over decorated house and the over friendly townsfolk of South Woodbourne somewhat over sweet.

But that turns out to be the least of his problems when Emily's best friend, divorced corporate events planner Faith Kerrigan, arrives in South Woodbourne from San Francisco intent on keeping Emily company during the holidays in Heather's absence.

Due to circumstances beyond her control Faith is forced to stay at the house with Charles for the better part of the week.

At the same time Emily sets off the silent burglar alarm in Charles apartment and brother Ray and the Police walk in on her.

Obviously in true Christmas tradition romance blooms in both Boston and South Woodbourne.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – LITTLE WOMEN (2017)

 

This is a modern retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, an autobiographical account of her life with her three sisters in Concord, Massachusetts in the 1860s and is a “coming of age” drama tracing the lives of four sisters: Meg (Melanie Stone), Jo (Sarah Davenport), Beth (Allie Jennings) and Amy (Taylor Murphy), who struggle to make ends meet in their New England household while the girl’s father (Bart Johnson), is away fighting in the Civil War.

I his absence the family is headed by the girl’s beloved mother Marmee (Lea Thompson), and the March family are supported by the help of their kind and wealthy neighbour, Mr. Laurence (Michael Flynn), and his high spirited grandson Laurie (Lucas Grabeel).

The story details the March girl’s passage from childhood to womanhood and despite harsh times, they cling to optimism, and as they mature, they face blossoming ambitions and relationships, as well as tragedy, while maintaining their unbreakable bond as sisters.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – POLAR EXPRESS

 

The Polar Express is a beautifully animated magical Christmas feast based on the book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg.

On Christmas Eve, a boy who has come to doubt Christmas boards a magical train that is headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home.

The story that unfolds is an engaging adventure aboard the magical train which for the boy and his new friends becomes a journey of self-discovery which shows them that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A CHRISTMAS CAROL: SCROOGE'S GHOSTLY TALE (2006)

 

A Christmas Carol: Scrooge's Ghostly Tale is an animated retelling of Charles Dickens' tale about miser Ebenezer Scrooge “A Christmas Carol”.

The classic tale in which he is taught the true meaning of Christmas by three Spirits who visit him, revealing to him the truth about his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current catalogue of cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways.

Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold, death or redemption.

The vocal talents of Tim Bentinck, Brian Bowles, Teresa Gallagher, Keith Wickham, Jo Wyatt, Adam Rhys Dee and Alan Marriott bring the story to life.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE FAMILY MAN

 

The Family man is a Capraesque style film in many ways, in which Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) a happy singleton with a successful career as a talented businessman wakes up to find his world turned upside down.

He has everything he could ever want, or so he thinks, then one day he wakes up in a completely different life where he is married to his old college girlfriend Kate (Tea Leoni).

He now lives in Jersey with Kate and their two kids and instead of being president of an Investment House he sells tires for his father in law Big Ed.

He desperately wants his life back, he wants his Ferrari back and not the temperamental family mini-van.

But after a bad start, day by day he become's more comfortable in his new life and starts to see what he's been missing and it turns out in the best Frank Capra tradition that money isn’t everything and love wins out.

 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)

 

Christmas Eve is a magical time, but for many people, the coldest, loneliest night of the year falls on Christmas Eve.

“The Night Before Christmas” tells the story of one of those people, Nick Allman (Mike Kelley), a disillusioned young man, who has broken up with his girlfriend and has lost touch with the true spirit of the holidays.

The story is set in Chicago on Christmas Eve, and it follows Nick’s day, from the moment his alarm goes off in the morning until beyond midnight as he encounters a variety of characters who help renew his belief in the festive season where everyone's expectations run high.

 

As a veteran devotee of Christmas movies, I watch more than my fare share and although this is by no means perfect, it is exceptional as it does something original with the material.

It is slow paced and has a very definite “film noir” feel about it with its use of Chicago's north side neighbourhood’s and has a very realistic feel, and at the end you are left, not with a happy ever after, but something much more precious, hope.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – FOUR CHRISTMASES

 

Brad (Vince Vaughan) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have been together for three years. They are very much in love and spend their time having fun and doing a great deal of things together purely for their own enjoyment.

They have no intention to marry or have children and do their level best not to spend the holidays with their families.

However, on Christmas morning, they are on their way to Fiji, having told their two sets of divorced parents that they're off to do charity work.

But the flight is cancelled and when, they are caught on camera by a TV news crew at the airport, they are forced to visit each of their four idiosyncratic parents.

As the day wears on, Brad and Kate remember their respective childhoods, and each learns more about the other.

As a result, Kate realizes that her life isn’t as good as it could be and finds she wants more from the relationship.

But does she want more than Brad can give?

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – DEAR SANTA

This is certainly cheesy and clichéd yet still manages to be a wonderful movie.

Amy Acker steals your heart as the poor little rich girl, told to do something useful with her life or lose her financial support.

Which she does after inadvertently intercepting a child’s letter to Santa, which brings her into contact with Haydn-Jones and his daughter Olivia Gowan.

She instantly falls in love with him and forms a close bond with her.

Gina Holden is excellent as the evil queen character as Haydn-Jones girlfriend who is at her worst/best when Acker comes between the two of them.

It’s a really sweet Christmas film not to be taken too seriously but is to be enjoyed.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL: A FAMILY STORY (1998)

The Christmas Angel is the heart-warming and beautifully portrayed story in a Nutcracker meets Disney on Ice style offering performed by Dorothy Hamill and other equally talented skaters.

Chip Davis and Olivia Newton-John narrate the story of a decorative angel that is stolen from the top of a Christmas tree by a villain called the Gargon. The toys under the tree will not become presents until the angel is found so with the toys' help, a young mother must defeat the Gargon and save Christmas.

Mannheim Steamroller provide the music and helps to set the mood of each scene in a great family movie that won’t disappoint fans of Mannheim Steamroller or Disney on Ice.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (2017)

Realtor Jane McKendrick (Catherine Bell), is an overprotective widowed single mom who has to maintain the balance between her career and her teenage daughter Betsy (Matreya Fedor), and even denies herself a love life with friend and admirer Jackson Hart (Victor Webster).

Mother and daughter have a good relationship, at least they did before Betsy met and fell in love with a serving soldier Tyler Sloane (Anthony Konechny).

Jane tries her best to steer her daughter away from the heartache, as her husband had been a soldier who was killed in action, but Betsy is determined to share a long-distance relationship with her active-duty soldier in the line of fire.

But she comes to the conclusion that her mother was right when it is reported that Tyler was killed in Afghanistan.

However they don’t realise that they are about to learn important lessons of the heart and that taking chances can make this Christmas one they will cherish forever.

ADOLPH HITLER REALLY LOVED CHRISTMAS

Adolph Hitler really loved Christmas

That much is perfectly clear

He loved the sleigh and the team

But Blitzen was his favourite reindeer?

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE CHRISTMAS COAL MINE MIRACLE (1977)

This movie is based on the true story of tragedy strikes a small mining community one fateful Christmas Eve in 1951, when a series of explosions strike a mine notorious for its unsafe conditions, and a group of miners become trapped underground after a cave in.

The off duty miners and those who managed to escape, along with family members work desperately to rescue the trapped men before an even larger, more deadly explosion occurs.

Mitchell Ryan, Kurt Russell, Andrew Prine, John Carradine and Barbara Babcock star but Melissa Gilbert steals the show. 

MY MUM HAS A TERRIBLE PROBLEM

 

My mum has a terrible problem

“Please get help” I implore her

Because she suffers from OCD

Obsessive Christmas Disorder

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – MY FIRST CHRISTMAS (2015)

 

Angelica (Katya Martín), is a 16-year-old girl who's battling a rare kind of cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and it will claim her life if she doesn’t get a bone marrow transplant and on top of her struggles to try to live a normal life is the very real prospect of never finding a donor match, but higher on her priority list are her hopes of finding her first true love before it's too late.

But then she meets homeless teenager Sean (Juan Castano).

A heart-warming film in which the acting is only surpassed by the Cinematography, well worth a watch.

WE MET AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY

We met at the Christmas party

And I instantly fell in love with you

The prettiest girl in the room by far

Dressed in shades of Christmas hue

And when I heard your joyous laugh

The blissful love in my heart grew

And though we had never spoken

Nonetheless I somehow knew

That for every Christmas to come

In my future I'd still be loving you

So, I look back, with you in my arms

As my Christmas prediction came true

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – BETHLEHEM RANCH (2018)

 

Bethlehem Ranch is the story of an elderly rancher called Chap (Steve J. Young) who grapples with the loss of his wife and the loneliness that accompanies it.

This is exacerbated because his daughter Laura (Tara Reid) is a Lawyer who lives and works in New York which allows him to isolate himself from his friends and neighbours.

That is until his estranged foster child Jessica (Andrea Logan White) re-enters his life with her two children, Spenser and Cassidy (Graham Schneider and Taylor Bedford), after leaving her abusive partner Eddie (Alexander Kane).

Though not initially welcome Chap has to concede to them staying until the New Year following a fall and this time facilitates the rekindling of an old romance between Jessica and old flame Tyler (Randy Wayne) and for Cassidy to get into her Grandpa’s heart, giving him a new purpose to live and so Rancher, foster family and the town come together for a wonderful Christmas.

HOLLY DEAREST

 

Icicles hang from the gutters

All on the landscape is still

Ice crystals pattern the glass

Snow stands deep on the sill

Curtains drawn against the dark

As a fire roars in the hearth

While my darling lays in my arms

And love burns hot in my heart

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – KIDNAPPED (2016)

 

All Eddie Kirkpatrick (Sean Ryan Fox) wants for Christmas is a pair of Breezy 3000s, the hottest new shoes which will make him the envy of his friends.

But come Christmas Day, he finds there are no presents under the family tree, let alone his shoes, because his older brother, Zack (Colin Smith) is getting married and the family is so focused on the wedding they have side-lined Christmas.
He storms out of the house angry that his Christmas has been ruined, and heads into town where he comes across a mysterious new shoe store.

After meeting the store owner (Joey Lawrence) he is granted one wish, so Eddie wishes to have his Christmas back, and the wish is granted.

However, as a result he is stuck reliving the same disappointing Christmas day on an endless loop, and is destined to do so until he learns what the spirit of Christmas is really about.

UNDER THE CHRISTMAS SKY

Under the Christmas sky

Their breath plumed

In the frost filled air

And the night sky

Sparkled with stars

Like diamonds sewn

To the curtain of night

And they both sighed

Beneath its majesty

And felt so blessed

To be in love beneath

Such a Christmas sky

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – AND SO GOODBYE (1940)

 

In this charming Christmas movie, George Melton (Harry Carey), Allan Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith) and Michael O'Brien (Charles Winninger), are the heads of a successful engineering firm.

All three are rich beyond measure but are ultimately lonely, so they invite three strangers to dinner on Christmas Eve.

However only two show up, James Houston (Richard Carlson) and Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker), who fall in love and become friends with their three benefactors.

But tragedy strikes when the three men are killed in a plane crash after which they return to their old home as ghosts.

In the months following the accident, although left financially secure, true love between James and Jean encounters some very rough spots and ultimately, it’s left to the ghostly O'Brien to help the young couple.

THE GRINCH AND THE ELF

 

When love was taken from him

He was left bereft, and his heart stopped

And his world was transformed

To a place of ice and snow

Where his cold heart,

Once over flowing with love,

Froze solid in his chest.

So he came to like the winter

With its long cold nights

And short dismal days

He found comfort in the season

And its bitter unfriendly ways

Only Christmas spoiled it for him,

Disrupting his misery,

With its joyous music,

Gaily decorated shops,

And of course, its joviality

But then one day out of the blue

As he tried to avoid the jollity

It happened, his heart began to thaw

All because of an Elf

Or to be more precise

A girl in the green tights, pointy shoes,

Brightly coloured tunic and a cute hat

All it took was one smile

For the connection to be made

And she had him body and soul

Although he was unaware

It was a mutual attraction

Because she didn’t show her hand

And played hard to get

She wanted him, but she made him work 

To win her, to pursue her

To prove that he was worthy

So it wasn’t until Christmas Eve

That the Elf yielded to the Grinch

And they kissed by the light of the moon

Before attending midnight mass

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – WITH ALL MY HEART (1944)

 

Mary Marshall (Ginger Rogers), serving a six year term for involuntary manslaughter, is given a Christmas furlough from prison to visit her closest relatives, her Aunt and Uncle (Spring Byington and Tom Tully) and niece Barbara (Shirley Temple) in a small Midwestern town.

On the train she meets Sergeant Zach Morgan (Joseph Cotton), on leave for the holidays from a military hospital, where his physical wounds have healed, but is still fragile mentally and is subject to panic attacks.

The pair are attracted to one another and in the warm atmosphere of the Christmas season friendship blossoms into romance, but Mary is reluctant to tell him of her past and that she must shortly return to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.

UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN

 

Don’t worry that the little ones

Will be up at the crack of dawn

It is worth it to see the simple joy

In their eyes on Christmas morn

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – WYNYARD BROWNE'S, THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (1952)

 

Family Members assemble to celebrate Christmas in the home of their widowed father, Rev. Martin Gregory (Ralph Richardson) in a quaint English village where his daughter Jenny (Celia Johnson) keeps house for him.

They are joined by his other daughter Margaret (Margaret Leighton), son Michael (Denholm Elliott), Aunt Lydia (Margaret Halstan) Aunt Bridget (Maureen Delaney) and family friend Richard Wyndham (Hugh Williams).

They all present themselves as well met but deep secrets are hidden on the pretext that the Reverend wouldn't understand “because he's a parson”

But of course nothing can be kept hidden for ever so the truth begins to be revealed bit by bit in a memorable crescendo.

John Gregson also stars as Jenny’s love interest in this wonderful real Christmas story about real people in an emotional roller coaster that leaves you wanting more.

ICE THAT WILL BEAR THE WEIGHT OF SANTA

Ice that will, before Christmas,

Bear the weight of Santa

Will not, according to folklore,

Bear the weight of an Elf after

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – SANTA'S LITTLE YELPERS (2012)

Only child, Oliver Richmond (Andrew Beckham), is a lonely kid because he hardly ever sees his workaholic parents, Jessica (Shannon Elizabeth) and Jeff (Jason Burks).

Because of that he reaches out in desperation to some classmates, and although they’re bad news he reluctantly joins their gang and on his first day as a member, the gang take over a foreclosed home for the holidays.

The former owners had abandoned the house and contents and left town, even leaving behind a Golden retriever and her five puppies, animal welfare had taken the mother to a shelter but the puppies were left behind.

When they were discovered the gang leader saw an opportunity to make some money but Oliver just fell in love with them, and that’s when the adventures begin as Oliver attempts to reunite the puppies with their mother and along the way roles are reversed as the dogs help him reconnect with his parents as they all foil a robbery on Christmas Eve.

The vocal talents of Haylie Duff, Kim Little, G.K. Bowes, Darrel Guilbeau, Steve Sirkis, Kyle Hebert, Roel Navarro and Megan Miller bring the canine characters to life in the pleasing children’s movie. 

RICHARD GURLEY DREW

 

Richard Gurley Drew invented sellotape

In order to help out a mechanic friend 

I got his autobiography for Christmas but

I didn’t finish it as I couldn’t find the end

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – HOLIDAY HEIST (2013)

 

When the family leave home to visit Grandma's house on Christmas Eve, they leave their dog at the kennels, but suspecting the family home is going to be burgled, he escapes so he can protect the home.

In essence the film is a canine version of “Home Alone” with Bone the dog pitted against burglars Jake and Rob (Jeremy Mascia and Justin Hoffmeister) and his goal is to prevent them from stealing the presents from under the tree, and he must use every trick he knows to stop them, even when they call Quentin (Kevin Sorbo) an evil dog catcher to help them.

But he keeps the home safe until Mom and Dad (Kim Little and David DeLuise) and the kids Dillon and KC (Davis Cleveland and Natalie Jane) get home and they can have a peaceful Christmas together.

THAT'S POLITICAL CORRECTNESS THAT IS # 1

That's political correctness that is

In one of its insidious ways

That’s stops us saying merry Christmas

And makes us say happy holidays

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – ANGELS' COOKING (1955)

 

It’s Christmas on Devils Island and three prisoners, Joseph (Humphrey Bogart), Albert (Aldo Ray), and Jules (Sir Peter Ustinov) escape from the Penal Colony to a small coastal town. Once there they decide to rob the General Store, run by Felix Ducotel (Leo G. Carroll) and his wife Amelie (Joan Bennett), to get some money and clothes and then travel by ship to another place where they might make their way back to France.

They pretend to be there to fix the roof while they plan the crime, but pretty soon they realize that the financial condition of the family Ducotel is not very good and they find themselves befriending the Ducotel’s and their daughter Isabelle (Gloria Talbott).

And after helping them in many different aspects of their lives they are invited to spend Christmas night with the family and as a result of being so well treated by the family they become very protective towards them.

Especially after the André Trochard (Basil Rathbone), the selfish and mean owner of the establishment, and his nephew Paul Trochard (John Baer) arrive to do an audit of the business, and they witness first-hand how the Trouchard’s exploit the Ducotel family.

So, the convicts decide they should use their expertise to intervene, in the end events take a surprising turn.

Highly recommend anyone should watch this as it makes for a different kind of family viewing at Christmastime.

I EAT EVERYTHING

 

I love Christmas

The naughty and nice

I eat absolutely everything

Until I pay the price

And I make a Yule log

That I have to flush twice

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A ROYAL CHRISTMAS BALL (2017)

 

39 year old widowed King Charles of Baltamia (Ingo Rademacher) is lonely and dateless at the approach of his nation’s traditional Christmas ball, so he travels to California on a low key trade mission on the pretext of meeting business partners, while secretly planning to track down his American college sweetheart Allison (Tara Reid) who he was forced to break up with just over seventeen years earlier, unbeknown to his ambassador Rosa (Mira Furlan).

When he meets up with Allison, he finds her less than welcoming, so he enlists the help from his old college buddy Sam (Mykel Shannon Jenkins) to help him build bridges and as a result Sam meets Allison’s business partner Eva (Faune Chambers Watkins).

But Charles finds more on his trip than he had bargained for when he meets a 17-year-old girl called Lily (Haley Pullos) who turns out to be Allison’s daughter and the newest princess of Baltamia.

A BLONDE GIFT

 

Bimbette got a new scarf for Christmas

But in the New Year she exchanged it

The store took it back without a quibble

Even though she said it was too tight a fit

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – CHRISTMAS AT GRAND VALLEY (2018)

After failing to get the Gallery show she had worked so hard for, artist Kelly (Danica McKellar) feels burned out from life in Chicago, so she returns home to the picturesque Grand Valley just in time for Christmas.

She hopes that a hometown Christmas will reinvigorate her love of art and guide her down her next path and with that in mind she volunteers to run the kids club at the Grand Valley Hotel.

Which is where she meets Leo (Brennan Elliott), a widowed businessman and father of two, who struggles with the work/life balance, but when he is assigned to review a hotel in Grand Valley to ascertain its value, he sees it as the perfect opportunity for a Christmas family vacation.

Along the way Kelly and Leo's worlds collide, and she re-experiences her favourite Grand Valley traditions with Leo and his children, which reignites her passion for art while opening up her heart. 

CHRISTMAS ISN’T JUST ABOUT PRESENTS

 

Christmas isn’t just about presents

I have a far deeper meaning in mind

Christmas marks the birth

Of the saviour of all mankind

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A VERY COOL CHRISTMAS (2004)

 

Sixteen-year-old Lindsay Deerborne (Brooke Nevin) isn’t looking forward to Christmas, in fact she wants absolutely nothing to do with the whole deal, especially the hanging out with her family, as she thinks she’s just way too cool for Christmas.

What she really wants to do is go skiing with her school friends and the guy she’s been playing hard to get with all year.

So, Lindsay gets up the nerve to notify her physically expressive parents (Barclay Hope and Ingrid Torrance) that her whole class is going skiing on Christmas Day and that she is definitely going with them.

However, the Deerborne’s are not impressed and ask Lindsay to try to be a little less selfish and consider the feelings of others. as Lindsay's six-year-old sister Alexa (Jodelle Ferland) is devastated by the thought of Christmas without her sister.

When her request is turned down, she heads to her second home, the Mall, where she meets the archetypal Mall Santa Claus (George Hamilton), who she decides is in need of an extreme makeover.

But Christmas magic being what it is while she is transforming him, he is changing her and transforming her life forever.

Donna Mills also stars as Mrs. Claus and Adrienne Carter plays Lindsay’s best friend Paige in this adorable family, feel good Christmas movie.

IN THE QUIET MOMENTS

 

In the quiet moments

I can’t remember my father’s face

I try and try but it escapes me

It seems to shift in my mind’s eye

Snippets of familiarity

Many facets blurring into one

Almost pixelated image

Until now I’ve never understood why

Its because in my memory

He had more than one face

There was the proud father face

The joyful Christmas morning face

The grumpy morning after face

The scolding face

The smiling face

The sad face

And for each of these faces

As we both grew older

There were age groups

He had to many faces to remember just one

So now when I want to see his face

I think of a situation and there he is

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A GINGERBREAD ROMANCE (2018)

 

Globetrotting architect Taylor Scott (Tia Mowry-Hardrict) has her eye on Paris as her next assignment, but with Christmas just weeks away, the firm she works for enters her in a contest in which teams will design and build life-sized gingerbread houses, but with the promise that after the contest she is likely be getting the position she has dreamed of.

Taylor ends up being teamed with a local baker and single Dad, Adam Dale (Duane Henry), he is reluctant at first but winning would give the bakery and his designs much-needed exposure which might in turn lead him to his dream of opening his own bakery.

So both are motivated by different dreams, but spending time with Adam and his daughter Brooke  (Melody Nosipho Niemann), either in their cosy home, decorating for the holidays or exploring the town at Christmas, fosters a feeling of longing for a place to call home.

THE CHURCH BELLS RING OUT

 

The church bells ring out

The Christmas chimes

The congregation sings out

The Christmas rhymes

So lift up your hearts

And join the joyous throng

And sing heartily to the lord

A joyous Christmas song

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A CHRISTMAS ARRANGEMENT (2018)

 

Poppy Benson (Nicky Whelan) is a struggling flower shop owner who at the suggestion of her friend and employee Natalie (Julie McNiven), enters a local holiday floral show which has a cash prize of $5000 which would be more than enough to keep her store afloat.

There are obviously obstacles in her path, firstly her van, which she calls Edna, constantly breaks down, but the largest of which is Blair Covington (Daphne Zuniga) who has won the contest for the previous 12 years.

However, the added complication to her winning is that she has started to fall for handsome Garrett Hurley (Miles Fisher) who turns out to be her direct competitor in the flower show as he works for Team Covington.

BY CAR, BY PLANE, BY TRAIN

 

They make the journey each year

By car, by plane, by train,

Travelling across the miles

To spend Christmas at home again

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A VERY MERRY DAUGHTER OF THE BRIDE (2008)

 

Roxanne (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) and her widowed mother Rose (Helen Shaver) have their own Wedding Planning business which is doing so well they can afford to send Rose to Paris on a buying trip.

While her mother is away Roxanne has a surprise reunion with old flame Dylan (Lucas Bryant) which leaves her rather cold, but on Rose’s return she finds that she has a fiancé in tow Jack (Kenneth Welsh) who she met in Paris.

And Roxanne immediately tries to persuade her mother not to marry a man she's only known for a brief period of time, until an unexpected development, forces her to re-examine her feelings.

Chantal Perron also stars as multiple bride Tish, and Luke Perry as Jacks money grabbing son Charlie, in this enjoyable Christmas offering.

EVERYONE ATTENDED

Everyone attended

No one was excused

Christmas morning mass

Was one of those to-do’s

And even the church mice

Sat smartly in their pews

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – CHRISTMAS JOY (2018)

 

Joy Holbrook (Danielle Panabaker) is an intuitive market researcher in DC who is put upon by her boss, but nonetheless has captured the attention of the Poppy Weatherton (Gabrielle Rose) CEO of a premier account.

And just in time for the holidays Joy is about to get a well-earned promotion, however she receives an urgent phone call from her hometown of Crystal Falls to say her Aunt Ruby (Beverley Elliott) has broken her ankle.

On hearing that Aunt Ruby requires surgery she arranges to take some personal time and rushes back home to see her at the hospital and consequently is reunited with her former crush, Ben Andrews (Matt Long).

To keep her Aunt focused on getting better and resting as much as possible, Joy volunteers to take Ruby's place with the town's legendary baking competition, the “Cookie Crawl,” much to the amusement of Ben who knows Joy has absolutely no idea of the size of the task before her.

Though Joy initially refuses Ben's attempts to “co-captain,” she begins to soften and lets him in, and not only the contest.

ADIOS FRIEND

 

My Christmas wish for you,

My friend is a simple one

Have a happy time in the cold

I’m jetting off to the sun

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – CHRISTMAS BELLS ARE RINGING (2018)

 

30-year-old Samantha (Emilie Ullerup) is a Boston-based free-lance photographer following in her mother's footsteps, but she is trying to get a staff job at the Boston Messenger but can’t quite make it.

So, she is heading back to the family's Cape Cod summer home, where she hasn't been since she was seventeen, and the reason for the trip is to celebrate the Christmas Eve wedding of her father (Mark Humphrey) and step mom to be Helen (Rebecca Staab).

While at the Cape she learns she must resubmit a photo layout by December 23rd for the Christmas edition insert in the Messenger and if it’s selected, she will get the 9 to 5 job she craves.

She enlists the help of an old childhood friend Mike (Josh Kelly) to act as tour guide to help her find the locations which will help her to eventually meet the deadline for the big Christmas spread that could very well ignite her career.

Of course, along the way she falls in love and realizes that Christmas is wherever your family is.

ARE YOU WEARING PLAITS?

Are you wearing plaits?

Seriously though are you

You’re going to wear plaits

To the annual Christmas do

 

And dressed as a milk maid

Perhaps Scandinavian born

You look like you’re dressed

For 1970s porn 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – MRS. WORTHINGTON'S PARTY (2007)

 

Father Jonathan Keene (David Wall) is a cold, embittered Catholic Priest who arrives in a tiny Cape Cod fishing village the week before Christmas.

His reason for being there was simple, to do what he has become uncommonly successful at, shutting down parishes with diminishing congregations.

However, things don’t go to plan when he becomes entangled in the lives of various eccentric village characters, including their beautiful librarian (Kerry Wall), and the naïve and childlike priest (Sean Patrick Brennan) he is displacing.

And things take an unexpected turn after the magical experience at the legendary Christmas Party Mrs. Worthington (Jean Bates) throws every year, where everyone is welcome, and anything is possible.

Ultimately Father Keene learns the power of forgiveness and redemption.

A SIMPLE GIFT

 

I’m hoping that this Christmas

I will get what I desire

I’m not that easy to please

I don’t ridiculously aspire

 

I don’t want the moon and stars

Or diamonds or pearls

Some perfume or cosmetics will do

I’m not one of those greedy girls

 

I just want something for me

Just a small thing, for me this year

But as always it will be something

For the house from IKEA