THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – WALLY LAMB'S WISHIN' AND HOPIN'

 

This film is based on the New York Times best-selling novel by award-winning author Wally Lamb and is a slice of vivid 1960s life, a wise-and-witty holiday tale that celebrates the “look how far we've come” philosophy. It takes place in1964 in the small town of Three Rivers, where Felix Funicello (Wyatt Ralff) is a Catholic school fifth-grader at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School.

And his only claim to fame is his cousin Annette Funicello (Krysta Rodriguez), the famous Mouseketeer and teen movie queen.

But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette (Molly Ringwald) and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova (Siobhan Cohen) and Felix’s world is turned upside down in this witty and endearing Christmas offering.

Annabella Sciorra puts in a great performance as his ma and Meat Loaf is outrageous as Monsignor Muldoon which just adds to the overall quality.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – MARRIED BY CHRISTMAS

 

This is the story of two sisters, Carrie and Katie Tate (Jes Macallan and April Bowlby) who are as different as chalk and cheese.

Katie is away doing her own thing with no business brain or even any interest in commerce, while Carrie has been working hard for several years building the family business at the expense of a personal life.

But the bottom falls out of her world when Katie suddenly announces that she's getting married on Christmas Eve and all hell breaks loose in the Tate household.

And it’s all because there is some family chauvinistic contract which states that the new husband of whichever girl marries first gets control of the business.

So the race is on, will Carrie find a husband of her own in time to save the business she loves or will she reprioritise her life.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL

 

Kelsey Grammer stars as miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical retelling of Charles Dickens' “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 Spirits are played by Jane Krakowski (Past), Jesse L. Martin (Present) and Geraldine Chaplin (Future)

The other key characters and portrayed by Jason Alexander (Marley), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Emily), Edward Gower and Linzi Hateley (The Cratchit’s), Jacob Moriarty (Tiny Tim),

Brian Bedford and Claire Moore (The Fezziwig’s), Julian Ovenden (Fred) and Leah-Verity White (Fan).

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – SCROOGE (1935)

 

Seymour Hicks stars as miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this quality retelling of Charles Dickens' “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 Spirits are played by Marie Ney (Past), Oscar Asche (Present) and C.V. France (Future)

The other key characters and portrayed by Claude Rains (Marley), Mary Glynne (Belle), Robert Cochran and Barbara Everest (The Cratchit’s), Philip Frost (Tiny Tim), and Robert Cochran (Fred).

 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – CHARLIE AND THE REINDEER

 

The teenage Holton brothers live with their divorced mother, Denise (Stacy Edwards), in a rural town.

Ryan (Robert Clark) is the older brother, who hates the rural life and makes no secret of the fact and wants to go and live with their father, in Chicago.

The shy young Charlie (Gavin Fink) doesn’t understand his attitude, he is happy there even though he gets victimised by the bigger school kids'.

One day on the way home from school he finds two reindeer, one is dead who he believes to be one of Santa's team called Prancer, the other one is younger and Charlie thinks he is his son and heir, also called Prancer which he tries to hide at home and Ryan helps him which brings the brothers closer along the way.

Charlie believes that his Prancer is “the” Prancer from the towns’ legend and will take off and join Santa on Christmas Eve.

Unfortunately when Prancer gets out he bites evil vice-principal James Klock (Michael O'Keefe) and he wants the danger to the public put down.

But a rescue operation is mounted and then Charlie runs away with his protégé to the woods,

His mother Denise is unable to cope, but thankfully her ex-boyfriend, handyman Tom Sullivan (John Corbett), comes to the youngster's rescue in this engaging family film.

Watch out for the wonderful Jack Palance as Old Man Richards.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS

 

Widower Tom Baer (Steven Eckholdt), a school counsellor, recently married widow, school coach Cindy Noll (Julie Warner) and their respective offspring get along fairly well, despite different parenting styles, but as their first Christmas as a family approaches, each set of step siblings is desperate to respect their own seasonal traditions, reminiscent of their late parents. Tom's father, retired preacher Joe Noll (John Ratzenberger), and Cindy's mother-in-law Evie (Dixie Carter), a businesswoman, each liked by both, hoped to bridge the gap, but when that fails, Evie returns home alone.

Which is when the holiday spirit with a touch of schmaltz gets the kids reconsidering their priorities.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A PERFECT CHRISTMAS LIST (2014)

 

Sara (Ellen Hollman) is the successful children's author of the “Mouse” books and shortly before Christmas she is touring and reading her books to children, as her new book is just about to hit the shelves. But in her hometown of Sunny Valley, California, Sara's grandmother Evie (Marion Ross), falls and is taken to the hospital. Sara's father Tim (Richard Karn) calls her and asks her to come home, which she is reluctant to do because she and her critical/ perfectionist mother Michelle (Beth Broderick) don't get along, and the moment she steps foot in the house the comments start.
When Evie leaves hospital she goes to stay with her daughter and son in law to recuperate.

Sara visits with her grandmother and learns of her “Perfect Christmas List” and Evie tasks her daughter and granddaughter Sara, with the list of festive accomplishments to do together before Christmas, hoping that the adventure of the experience will repair their strained relationship. Along the way, Sara discovers an unlisted Christmas adventure of her own in the form of Evie's young good-looking doctor Brandon (Aaron Hill).