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The Mayfield Crier
The Student News Site of Mayfield Senior School

The Mayfield Crier
The Student News Site of Mayfield Senior School

The Mayfield Crier

The 10 Most Essential Christmas Movies

Mary Bingham, Online Managing Editor-in-Chief
December 13, 2025
Bring on the Christmas spirit by sitting in front of the fireplace to watch some iconic holiday films. Graphic by Mary Bingham produced on Canva.
Bring on the Christmas spirit by sitting in front of the fireplace to watch some iconic holiday films. Graphic by Mary Bingham produced on Canva.

If you haven’t noticed already: It’s December. You might have seen a Christmas tree or two by now, and perhaps have put one up in your house yourself. As someone who started celebrating Christmas on November 1st, it’s exciting to see the holiday season come in full swing. 

One way my family and I get our Christmas on every year is by watching Christmas movies– there’s roughly 40 or so in our rotation (omitting some occasional Hallmark watching that happens sometimes. 

We certainly don’t get around to seeing every one of these movies each year, but here are 10 of the most classic films that never fail to bring on the holiday spirit. 

A short disclaimer: there might be some omission of classic holiday specials like the original Grinch special or Frosty the Snowman. For the list’s purposes, a film is classified at 45 minutes or longer.

 

10. The Holiday (2006)

Courtesy of Colombia Pictures. The Holiday has some connection to the San Gabriel Valley. Cameron Diaz’s house in the film is set to be in Beverly Hills, but is actually located in San Marino, less than 4 miles away from Mayfield!

A double rom-com set in LA and England? Yes please! With icons like Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, and of course, Jude Law, The Holiday maybe isn’t the most magical Christmas film ever, but it is certainly one of the romantic ones that’ll give you a smile and a laugh. You can rent The Holiday on Prime or Apple TV. 

9. A Christmas Story (1983)

Courtesy of MGM. On Christmas day, the channel TNT a Christmas story is played on repeat for a 24-hour marathon.

From unique lamps, bunny pajamas, and getting your tongue stuck on a cold pole, A Christmas Story is a lighthearted family movie that brings on the nostalgia of dreaming of a special toy every December. A film that gives the whole family a smile, you can stream A Christmas Story on HBO Max or Hulu.

8. The Santa Clause (1994)

Courtesy of Disney. Tim Allen stars as the regular dad-turned Santa Claus in his first lead role in a feature film (IMDB).

In a playful comedy, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and his son realize an incredible fate on Christmas Night: becoming Santa and living in the North Pole. Learn what it takes to drive Santa’s sleigh by catching The Santa Clause on Disney Plus.

7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (2000) 

Courtesy of Universal Pictures. Jim Carrey’s well hailed portrayal as the Grinch was quite the role to take on, particularly the Oscar-winning makeup, which in early filming took two hours to apply (IMDB). Despite that, Carrey proves himself a chameleon in a performance that is a holiday essential.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without giving the Grinch a shout out. An extension of the bona-fide Dr. Seuss classic, the Ron Howard film really brings viewers into the magic of a holiday who-bilation in the whimsical world of Whoville. Jim Carrey’s rendition of the Grinch brings humor, heart, and the holiday spirit in one of the most quotable Christmas films of all time, that is available to stream on Peacock. 

6. White Christmas (1954)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures. The film’s star Bing Crosby actually broke a world record with his rendition of the film’s titular song, which according to Guinness is the best selling single of all time with over 50,000,000 copies, awarded back in 2012. Even then, the song was actually written for Bing Crosby in the 1942 Holiday Inn, which is credited as the lesser-known predecessor of White Christmas.

In Southern California, it’s easy to dream of the idyllic White Christmas that this film is all about. A joyful, classic musical starring Hollywood legends like Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, this film proves itself cozy, nostalgic, and all together festive. While hoping for snow this season, you can stream the 1954 film on Amazon Prime.

5. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) 

Courtesy of Rankin/Bass Productions. Rudolph’s complementary theme song, as sung by Gene Autry, was a recording that was actually released in 1947, almost 20 years before the classic family film.

Just like Gene Autry sang, the most famous reindeer of all is undoubtedly none other than red-nosed reindeer, with his iconic 1964 stop-motion film that has been loved by generations. Filled with iconic songs like Silver and Gold or We Are Santa’s Elves and iconic characters like Hermey or the adorable Clarice, this throwback is sure to bring you back to your childhood this Christmas. You can rent Rudolph on Apple TV or Prime Video. 

4. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) 

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures. One of the film’s most iconic sequences features dancing on a retractable floor where (spoiler alert) George and Mary fall into the pool it reveals. That retractable floor is located at Beverly Hills Highschool and is still used today (IMDB).

Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings! 

 

It’s certainly a throwback, but It’s A Wonderful Life is not only a Christmas classic, but a cinematic staple standing as the 21st highest rated film of all time, according to IMDB. It’s a film best enjoyed in its original black and white, but its message of life’s value and meaning is resonant beyond the holidays, seeing that life’s struggles always have a greater purpose. You can enjoy this bona-fide holiday classic by renting it on Amazon Prime or Apple. 

3. Home Alone (1990)

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Disney. Despite being released in November of 1990, just in those two months Home Alone was the highest grossing film of the year, and the highest grossing film of all time before the release of Aladdin the following year (Favoree).

 

Since its box office takeover in 1990, Kevin McCallister has stood as a quintessential holiday idol. Famous for his burglar-defeating cleverness, don’t forget to watch Home Alone this season like (spoiler alert) Kevin’s family forgot him on their way to Paris! You can catch all the merry mischief of Home Alone on Disney Plus. 

2. Christmas Vacation (1989)

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Christmas Vacation boasts a similar origin to that of Home Alone, being one of iconic screenwriter John Hughes’ most successful films.

The Griswolds are up there in the most iconic families of the Christmas season, in a film that shows all the chaos of the holidays: decorating, family gatherings, mall shopping, and the hope of a Christmas bonus. This movie is sure to make you laugh, so pull up a chair and join the Griswolds for the holidays on Disney Plus or HBO Max. 

1. Elf (2003)

Courtesy of Warner Bros/New Line Cinema. On Netflix’s docu-series The Holiday Movies that Made Us, the sequences filmed on location in the streets of New York were done in only nine days due to the film’s limited budget. Even then, there’s nothing more iconic than the central park snowfight or Buddy the Elf walking into a taxi.

 

At the top of the nice list… is none other than Buddy the Elf. With Will Farrell’s comedic genius, Elf shows us the magic of the North Pole to the magic of Christmas in New York City, all through the eyes of a human elf. Get excited, because at 10am Santa can come to town on HBO Max or Hulu. 

Happy watching and even happier holidays!

About the Contributor
Mary Bingham
Mary Bingham, Online Managing Editor-in-Chief
Mary Bingham is a junior at Mayfield, and is excited to be the Online-Managing Editor-in-Chief of the Crier this year. She has two Scholastic honorable mentions in the review and poetry categories. Outside of Newspaper, she is a member of Mayfield’s Theatre Conservatory, participating in both the fall play and the spring musical, a highlight playing Jane Seymour in the Six: Teen Edition production last spring. She is also a retreat leader, a theater representative on the Arts Council, and a member of Campus Ministry. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, singing, songwriting, listening to music, reading, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. She is especially interested in writing about entertainment and pop culture.