Plan to veg out and be a couch potato this Yuletide season? Here are our picks of the best Christmas movies ever made.
Contributed By Jamie Lim and Yeo Zhi Qi
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
A painful—quite literally—but touching movie by Tim Burton about a man with scissors for hands finding not just his place among society, but true love and friendship.
X(mas) Factor: This is the modern fairytale that propelled Johnny Depp into household fame. It portrays the harsh realities of society’s intolerance toward those who are different while depicting the love and kindness that still exist, providing hope in a cruel world.
Home Alone (1990)
No “Best Christmas Movie” list is complete without this classic comedy about a young boy, Kevin, who gets left behind by his family when they fly to Paris to spend Christmas there. An independent child, it’s all in a day’s work for Kevin as he does the laundry, prepares his meals and fends off two bungling burglars.
X(mas) Factor: This laugh-a-minute movie nevertheless reminds us about the importance of family reconciliation and not judging our neighbors based on their appearance.
The Polar Express (2004)
This ground-breaking motion capture film follows the adventures of a boy on a magical train called the Polar Express. The boy, together with the passengers of the Polar Express, reaches North Pole where he meet Santa Claus and gets to select the first gift of Christmas.
X(mas) Factor: The winter wonderland has never looked more forbidding yet magical. Who can forget the acrobatic waiters dispensing hot chocolate to a coach filled with impressionable young ones? An enchanted movie to cosy up to, The Polar Express takes you on a journey that leaves you feeling like you’re 6 years old again.
Alvin And The Chipmunks (2007)
Three singing chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore help Dave, a struggling songwriter, to get his big break in his career. However, with the charm comes the chaos, as they turn his life and his home into a wreck, no thanks to their wild nature.
X(mas) Factor: This real-life adaptation from the cartoon version tugs at the heartstrings with its sweet portrayal of the meaning of family—yes, even one that comprises of a man and three talking rodents.
Love Actually (2003)
This Christmas rom-com follows the (loosely related) lives of eight different couples dealing with their love lives, set in the frantic month before one Christmas in London.
X(mas) Factor: This movie is an apt reminder of treasuring the things that truly matter in life: family members we take for granted, friendships that have endured the years and even new-found relationships amidst the buzz of the festivities. If nothing else, Hugh Grant never fails to bring on the Yuletide festivities.
Toy Story (1995)
Every child’s imagination comes to life with this much beloved movie chronicling the adventures of Woody the pull-string cowboy and a high-tech, space-ranger action figure, Buzz Lightyear, as they overcome their differences to fight the vicious toy-destroying boy, Sid.
X(mas) Factor: Full of heart and warmth, this first installment in the franchise remains the best, infusing a feel-good tale with truths about life and friendship.
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)
Four siblings chance upon the mystical land of Narnia during a game of hide-and-seek. The land is populated by talking animals and covered in snow all year round, under the curse of the evil White Witch. All four siblings are called to fight alongside Aslan, the lion who is the rightful king of Narnia, to vanquish the White Witch and help regain peace in the land.
X(mas) Factor: What can be a more seasonal watch on Christmas day than a movie that allegorizes a Christian’s walk with God?
