14 Classic Christmas Movies
1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The hard-won uplift and triumph of director Frank Capra’s fantasy drama hasn’t lost a bit of its power over the decades. James Stewart gives his most iconic performance as George Bailey, a banker who discovers the value of his life thanks to a visit from his guardian angel. According to the American Film Institute, It’s a Wonderful Life is the most inspiring movie of all time. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Winner of three Academy Awards (it was also nominated for Best Picture), George Seaton’s dramedy Miracle on 34th Street stars Edmund Gwenn as a department store Santa who claims to be the real thing. The fresh, well-acted 1994 remake starring Richard Attenborough is a Christmas classic in its own right. 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
Based on the writings of Canada’s Jean Shepherd, the family comedy A Christmas Story—centered on a boy who pines for a Red Ryder air rifle—has aired in 24-hour blocks on TNT and/or TBS since Christmas 1997. (Director Bob Clark also helmed a different kind of holiday classic, the 1974 cult slasher flick Black Christmas.) Courtesy Everett Collection How to watch it: Stream A Christmas Story on HBO Max or watch it when it airs on TV.
4. The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven star in the Samuel Goldwyn–produced rom-com about a bishop mentored by a charming angel. The Bishop’s Wife was remade successfully in 1996 as The Preacher’s Wife with Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and Courtney B. Vance. John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
5. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
One of the most respected film stars in history, Barbara Stanwyck radiated toughness, authenticity and intelligence. By the mid-1940s, she was the highest-paid woman in the United States. She charms in this rom-com about a magazine writer who falls in love with a fan. (Christmas in Connecticut was remade in 1992 as a TV movie directed—believe it or not—by Arnold Schwarzenegger.) Silver Screen Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images How to watch it: Stream Christmas in Connecticut on HBO Max.
6. Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Produced by Arthur Freed (whom many credit as the brains behind The Wizard of Oz), Meet Me In St. Louis is a turn of the 20th century slice-of-life musical. The film most famously showcases Judy Garland debuting “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The number will give you chills to this day. MGM Studios/Courtesy of Getty Images
7. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan star as co-workers who can’t stand each other—only to realize they’re falling in love through anonymous letters. Sound familiar? The Shop Around the Corner was remade decades later as You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. How to watch it: Stream The Shop Around the Corner on HBO Max.
8. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A Charlie Brown Christmas is timeless proof that you don’t need a big budget to enchant millions. This jazzy, restrained half-hour animated special premiered on TV as Charles Schulz’s Peanuts became an international sensation in the mid-’60s. It has been a yuletide staple ever since. courtesy Everett Collection How to watch it: Stream A Charlie Brown Christmas on Apple TV+. Find out how to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas without an Apple TV+ subscription.
9. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, star Chevy Chase and the Griswold clan make the most of a holiday where everything goes disastrously, hilariously wrong in this slapstick-heavy perennial favorite written by John Hughes. Warner Brothers/Getty Images How to watch it: Stream National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on fuboTV, HBO Max and Philo.
10. A Christmas Carol/Scrooge (1951)
Of the countless adaptations of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol (titled Scrooge in the U.S.) to hit the screen, this one is the bestand one of the most essential. Dramatic, funny and even frightening, the picture hinges on a mighty, complex performance by Alastair Sim as Scrooge. © Entertainment Pictures/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com How to watch it: Stream A Christmas Carol/Scrooge on PLEX.
11. White Christmas (1954)
Casablanca and Mildred Pierce director Michael Curtiz steers Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in this essential Christmas musical, the highest-grossing film of 1954. Filmed in vivid Technicolor, White Christmas was the first movie ever released in widescreen process VistaVision. George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images How to watch it: Stream White Christmas on fuboTV, Netflix and Philo.
12. Elf (2003)
Director Jon Favreau’s sunny, irreverent comedy has so many charms and bright spots (like Ed Asner as Santa Claus and Zooey Deschanel as a department store elf). But Elf simply wouldn’t be what it is without the formidable commitment of Will Ferrell as Buddy, an irresistible, childlike elf in search of his father (James Caan). New Line/Everett Collection How to watch it: Stream Elf on fuboTV, HBO Max and Philo. Find out how to watch Elf on TV.
13. Love Actually (2003)
Richard Curtis’ character-rich, sexy and romantic R-rated ensemble rom-com divided critics when it first arrived in theaters. Still, Love Actually was a huge hit with audiences from the outset, grossing about five times its budget on its way to becoming a modern classic. How to watch it: Stream Love Actually on Peacock. Find out how to watch Love Actually on TV.
14. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Like fellow holiday classic Gremlins, director Tim Burton’s Halloween-Christmas mashup The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the scariest movies ever aimed—ostensibly—at kids. The stop-motion musical has grown so iconic and popular that it’s become its own brand, but it’s important to remember just how special the film is on its own merits. Film critic Roger Ebert even compared the picture to Star Wars. Touchstone Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images How to watch it: Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+. Now, pass the time with the best Lifetime Christmas movies of all time!
