THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS COLLECTION: MOLE'S CHRISTMAS (1994)

 

“Mole's Christmas” is a delightful, animated Christmas tale featuring characters created by Kenneth Grahame.

On Christmas Eve Rat and Mole (Richard Briers and Peter Davison) are trudging through the snow, on the way to visit Badger, and are oblivious unaware that weasel pickpockets are following them.

Mole suddenly detects a familiar smell and longs to visit his old cozy underground home, his beloved Mole End, and eventually Rat agrees to help Mole get home.

After eluding the pursuing thieves, they reach their goal and find Mole End is dusty and neglected, Mole is a little dejected but Rat soon has a fire going and then the field mice carol singers (Alexander Britten, Benjo Fraser, Oliver Howard, Amanda Lake, Tanya Lake and, Sophie Mullen) arrive at the door and it isn't long before they are all enjoying a merry festive supper.

 

Other featured voices provided by Imelda Staunton, Ellie Beaven, Stephen Donald, Jonathan Gabb, Olivia Hallinan and Richard Tate.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – LASSIE: A CHRISTMAS TAIL (1963)

 

When Timmy Martin (Jon Provost) has organized a wild animal feeding program during the severe winter, but the local farmers blame it on a surge in wolf numbers

Then Mr. Nicholson (Lloyd Corrigan), a quaint travelling toy mender arrives in town on a wagon drawn by a donkey named Holly.

He soon meets Timmy’s mum Ruth (June Lockhart) and lodges with the Martins and helps the Calverton Ladies' Aid in providing toys for children at the local hospital.

He also helps Timmy and Lassie with their winter-feeding project, until wolves start killing farm animals, lured by the easy prey and an ill-tempered neighbour insists they stop the feeding project.

 

Also featuring Hugh Reilly, Eddy Waller, Stuart Randall and Bonita Granville

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A HEART FOR CHRISTMAS (2024)

 

8-year-old Kennedy Heart (Sydney Reese Hall) writes to Santa and asks for a mom for Christmas because her own mom left her on her first birthday leaving her dad Johnathan (Maurice Hall) to raise Kennedy on his own.

Shortly afterwards Kennedy breaks her arm and when Jonathon takes her to the hospital, he meets Dr Danielle Frost (Nikiva Dionne) and there is a definite spark.

They meet again at a Christmas book launch party held by Danielle’s best friend Krystal Kane (Annie Gonzalez), Jonathon and his business partner Tony Holliday (Major) are there as they are remodelling Krystal’s house and the sparks fly again and everything is clicking into place between them and it looks like Kennedy’s Christmas wish is coming true.

But then to revive her career after a PR blunder movie star Scarlett Gray (Taja V. Simpson), Kennedy’s real mother shows up out of the blue and threatens to ruin everything and drive Dannielle back into the arms of her ex-Dr Karl Winters (George Gallagher).

So will Christmas magic untangle the complicated family reunion and make sure Kennedy gets the right mother for Christmas.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – LASSIE: THE CHRISTMAS STORY (1959)

 

While the Martin's are Christmas shopping, Paul and Ruth (Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart) go inside a store and leave their son Timmy (Jon Provost) outside with Lassie and when the dog sees a small child run out into the road Lassie saves the child from getting run over by a truck but is struck herself and was witnessed by the child’s mother Mrs. Bailey (Anne Barton).

Paul takes her straight to Dr. Weaver (Arthur Space) but after X-rays, a thorough examination and an operation he is uncertain if he has done enough to save Lassie and Dr. Watkins (Addison Richards) a specialist who could save her is unreachable.

So, amidst interest from Al Bronson (Larry J. Blake) a journalist with the Capital City Spectator the family have to wait and pray that Dr. Watkins will be found soon.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE HOMECOMING: A CHRISTMAS STORY (1971)

 

On Christmas Eve 1933 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia the Walton family are preparing for the holiday, but they are becoming increasingly worried because John Walton (Andrew Duggan), who has been forced to take work in a different part of the state because of the depression, is long overdue getting home.

John promised Olivia (Patricia Neal) he would be home early on Christmas Eve, and then she and the grandparents Zebb and Esther (Edgar Bergen and Ellen Corby) hear about a bus crash on the radio but kept it from the children.

However later she sends her eldest, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) to Charlottesville to look for his father.

However, on the way he runs out of gas, then he got a ride with Pastor Hawthorne Dooley (Cleavon Little) and the Baldwin sisters, Emily and Mamie (Dorothy Stickney and Josephine Hutchinson) on their sleigh until they have to turn back due to a fallen tree.

When he returns home empty handed, he is chastised by his mother who is now rather panic-stricken with fear.

When Grampa Zebb heads out to ring the church bells, John-boy offers to take the children to the barn to hear the Christmas miracle of the animals speaking but when he opens the door, he finds his father standing there.

 

The rest of the Waltons are played by Jon Walmsley, Judy Norton, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, David W. Harper and Kami Cotler and other guest stars include William Windom, David Huddleston and Woodrow Parfrey.

The prologue and epilogue and narrated by the author Earl Hamner Jr.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – RED SKELTON'S CHRISTMAS DINNER (1981)

 

After returning a lost dog to its ungrateful owners Mr. and Mrs. Wilberspoon (Tudi Wiggins and Mavor Moore) Freddie the Freeloader (Red Skelton) sets off on a New York winter day as he intends to have Christmas Dinner with his good friend Professor Humperdo (Vincent Price) in a very expensive New York restaurant, the Shakespeare Gardens.

On his way to meet the Professor he runs into Molly the Bag Lady (Imogene Coca) who tells him that she saw an ambulance outside his digs, so he makes his way to the Hospital where Nurse Cathy (Ann Lantuch) mistakes him for a clown.

So, he goes with her to the children’s ward and he stays to entertain the children with comedy and finishes with a song then when he leaves the hospital, he finds a Drunk Santa (Jack Duffy) at a Christmas Tree lot, then he went to see Sgt. Kelly (Ken James) at the precinct and discovers that the Professor is a guest.

After posting bail for him Freddie and the Professor head towards the restaurant but when Freddie goes inside he immediately thrown out and it looks like they would be dining at the Midnight Mission but due to being misidentified as being excentric millionaires they are invited in and dine well.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – MOLE'S CHRISTMAS (1994)

 

“Mole's Christmas” is a delightful, animated Christmas tale featuring characters created by Kenneth Grahame.

On Christmas Eve Rat and Mole (Richard Briers and Peter Davison) are trudging through the snow, on the way to visit Badger, and are oblivious unaware that weasel pickpockets are following them.

Mole suddenly detects a familiar smell and longs to visit his old cozy underground home, his beloved Mole End, and eventually Rat agrees to help Mole get home.

After eluding the pursuing thieves, they reach their goal and find Mole End is dusty and neglected, Mole is a little dejected but Rat soon has a fire going and then the field mice carol singers (Alexander Britten, Benjo Fraser, Oliver Howard, Amanda Lake, Tanya Lake and, Sophie Mullen) arrive at the door and it isn't long before they are all enjoying a merry festive supper.

 

Other featured voices provided by Imelda Staunton, Ellie Beaven, Stephen Donald, Jonathan Gabb, Olivia Hallinan and Richard Tate.