It’s the most wonderful time of the year for a festive film or two!
Christmas is almost upon and, whilst it seems that it will be a little different to normal, one thing will remain the same. The wonderful array of festive films that we can feast our eyes on during December!
With so many to choose from we thought we’d see what was most popular amongst our staff up and down the country, and what makes these films such annual, timeless classics. Believe us, it caused much debate and discussion on email!
Rom-com Christmas
It seems like a good few of our staff that were asked, simply love a good rom com with Love Actually and The Holiday getting a fair few votes each! The former is an engaging story of how all the character’s lives intertwine with stellar performances from Emma Thompson, the late Alan Rickman and High Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, The Holiday sees two people (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) swap homes over Christmas, moving from the UK to the USA and vice versa, with romance predictably evolving for them both!
The old ones are the best
Also featuring heavily in the ‘must watch’ movies at Christmas were some of the classics. Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 version, topped the leader board in this section. It’s a Wonderful life (1946), which sees a guardian angel visit a man and show him what life would have been like for others had he not been there, was a close second. Both are incredibly heart-warming and if you’re easily caught up in the moment, it’s perhaps best having the tissues ready!
More recent classics
Thankfully, amazing Christmas themed films continue to be made and in the last couple of decades it seems that some of the best have been made according to our team. Home Alone, the original, was an out and out favourite, with Elf hot on its heels. Home Alone made in 1990, a staggering 30 years ago, launched the career of Macauley Culkin, an eight year old boy who was left home alone by his family during the Christmas holiday and finds himself defending the home from burglars! Elf, another hit which certainly cemented the early career of Will Ferrell, tells of Buddy the Elf who had been raised as an elf at the North Pole but discovers he is a human and sets off to New York to find his real father.
All it takes is a little animation
Some of the best have been cinematic works of art with animated characters capturing our hearts. The Polar Express tells of a small boy who, on Christmas Eve, embarks on a magical journey to the North Pole aboard the Polar Express where the true meaning of Christmas is discovered. Similarly, How The Grinch stole Christmas was high on the list with Jim Carrey taking the lead role in this adaptation of the Dr Seuss Book. Most recently was Arthur Christmas, which tells of the son of Santa getting to grips with taking over the reins of the family business and the hiccups along the way!
In addition to the ones that most people mentioned there was also the original Die Hard, Bad Santa, and White Christmas that featured in the Christmas film watching traditions for some of our team. Perhaps what we did find most surprising was that The Nativity, didn’t get a mention from them at all which just goes to show that favourite festive films really are a personal choice! The Nativity, is definitely top of our list at Miller blog HQ!
Perhaps the most wonderful thing about a good old Christmas film is the sheer escapism of it all, so what are you waiting for?! Grab a blanket, a foody treat, a tipple of your choice, or a good old cuppa, and take a break from the world for an hour or two! Many can be found on popular streaming services, but they are also available on DVD if you have the means to play them! Oh, and if you want to share your favourite festive film with us, we’d love to hear from you!
