OPINION
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By Ava Riddle
Temperatures are dropping, peppermint flavors are beginning to appear, and, of course, holiday movies are everywhere. Welcome to the holiday season.
There’s nothing quite as cozy as making a cup of hot chocolate and sitting down to turn on Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas viewing schedule on a chilly December day. Since I can remember, I’ve always been an avid fan of holiday movies. At the age of eight, I used to watch Elf at least once a week, if not more. During the Decembers of Lower School, I would come home from school absolutely thrilled to see a holiday movie on T.V. The best Lower School days were when we would wear pajamas, drink hot coco, and watch a holiday movie with the class. Unfortunately, as I got older and reached the age of having to take midterm exams, I quickly discovered that I could not watch a holiday movie on each night of December. So I have had to prioritize watching my favorite holiday movies, while avoiding my least favorites.
So, as an dedicated holiday movie watcher, I am here to definitively rank the top three holiday movies, as well as the top three overrated holiday movies.
Before I decided on my picks, I decided to poll the Upper School students for their opinion. I asked them what their favorite holiday movie is, why it is their favorite, and if they have any holiday movies that they dislike.
The results of the survey sent out to the Upper School. Image credit: Ava Riddle.
The results were not very surprising, with Elf and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation taking the lead. However, through the explanations of student responses, I was able to narrow down my original list of classic holiday movies into what I think are the best of the best.
So the next time you find yourself searching for the perfect holiday movie, I’d strongly recommend the following:
Die Hard, the wildly entertaining tale of policeman John McClane saving a company holiday party that has been interrupted by terrorists, isn’t your traditional holiday movie. In fact, many people refuse to recognize it as a holiday movie at all. Regardless, there is no doubt that this movie is pure cinematic gold. I am positive it will keep you glued to your screen for the entirety of its two hours.
Bruce Willis crawling through an air vent in 1988’s Die Hard. Photo credit: 20th Century Fox.
Many Upper School students are also big fans of Die Hard, with it earning nearly 10% of surveyed students’ vote for the best holiday movie. One fan, Jonathan Yackle (‘22), explained that Die Hard is his favorite because, “it’s not as boring as all the other Christmas movies… while it may not be directly related to Christmas, there still are some mentions for it!” The movie is definitely action-packed and gives a great adrenaline rush that keeps the audience invested.
However, Die Hard’s R rating for its violence, nudity, and profanity make it not a great choice for families with younger children during the holiday season. Nonetheless, I would recommend this movie to those age-appropriate enough to see it, as it is an institutional classic holiday movie.
A promotional poster for Home Alone. Image credit: 20th Century Fox.
Home Alone is an iconic story. When a family accidentally leaves behind their eight-year-old son to go on a holiday trip to Paris, Kevin McCallister is left to fend for himself. Chaos ensues as two burglars attempt to rob the house, and Kevin is forced to defend his house from the intruders using various booby traps. Kevin’s traps for these two robbers give the movie an entertaining Tom-and-Jerry type of violence that is funny every time. The movie is entertaining, visually appealing, and has a heartwarming ending.
I was originally surprised by the large percentage (nearly 20%) of surveyed students who chose Home Alone as their favorite holiday movie. Once I read Anjun Dhillon (‘24) explain her choice—“it’s my favorite because of all the pranks, they never get old”—I finally understood why so many chose this movie as their favorite. The feelings of childhood nostalgia attached to this movie are like no other, and it has enough quality that it is still entertaining to watch as you get older.
Christmas Vacation is a popular, yet timeless classic. In the poll, Christmas Vacation received the third-highest amount of votes, with around 18% of students who responded saying it was their favorite holiday movie. Will Clifford (‘25) explained it best, saying that, “it’s no question, Christmas Vacation is simply the best holiday movie.”
The Griswolds at the dinner table. Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Clark Griswold and his family’s antics never fail to make me laugh, no matter how many times I have seen them. Phrases like “Eat my rubber!” “Look kids, a deer!” and “the blessing!” create just some of the magic that appears in this holiday movie. The best part of this movie, however, is its sheer relatability. It can be stressful trying to make the holiday season perfect, and every family has a weird cousin Eddie to make things interesting. Both kids and adults alike can find themselves in this hilarious movie, making it an American classic and my choice for the best holiday movie out there.
Now, you may be wondering: Where is Elf on the top holiday movies list? Well, my next list may be a bit controversial for you.
Here are what I consider the top three most overrated holiday movies:
Elf is definitely a classic holiday movie that the majority of people have seen. But that’s just it. Everyone has seen it. Everyone knows the story. Buddy the Elf, who finds out he is actually a human, travels to New York City to meet his real Dad and ends up loving his new family as well as falling in love with a New York girl. While Will Ferrell is amazing, there’s something about rewatching Elf that makes his jokes land shorter each time I hear them. I wish I could go back in time and see this movie for the first time again, but unfortunately I cannot.
Buddy the Elf enjoying a nice light lunch. Photo credit: Warner Home video.
Not surprisingly, around 22% of polled Upper School students said that their favorite holiday movie was Elf. When asked why it was her favorite, Mary Gyer (‘25) explained that “You can’t beat Elf and Will Ferrell. It’s an iconic movie and was a big part of my childhood.” Many of the others who also chose Elf as the best holiday movie cited the same two reasons: that Ferrell is funny, and the movie is nostalgic. I agree; Ferrell is indeed very funny, and yes, the movie is quite nostalgic. However, does that alone make it a good movie to see again and again?
In contrast to the Elf lovers, critic Slate Lambert (‘23) explained that he dislikes Elf “because it is overrated and played way too much.” I agree. The magic of Elf has sadly been worn out after years and years of reruns. I suggest that Elf superfans choose a different holiday movie to obsess over this year.
In a word, this movie is creepy. Holiday movies should not scare you; creepy movies have their time around Halloween. I understand that the animation quality was not what it is now back in 2004, but the movie is still difficult to watch nowadays. The soundtrack is also eerie. I have also never been able to really understand the plot of this movie. There are a bunch of children in pajamas on a train, they travel to the North Pole and meet Santa, then a boy gets a bell from Santa, and they all go home? I don’t understand the hype. Also, the conductor looks like he has killed at least one person. I feel justified in criticizing the animation choices if they were saying the same thing back when the movie was released. CNN film critic Paul Clinton said it best back in 2004 in a movie review titled “Review: ‘Polar Express’ a creepy ride”, where he claimed that the movie “is at best disconcerting, and at worst, a wee bit horrifying.”
Three creepy Polar Express children. Photo credit: Warner Brothers.
Whit Wallace (‘23) emphasized how he too is not a fan of The Polar Express, explaining that “The Polar Express gives off creepy vibes, the characters just look wrong.” Meanwhile, only around 6% of surveyed students said that The Polar Express is their favorite holiday movie.
This movie is severely overrated and overplayed.
All aboard! The Polar Express needs to leave the T.V. station.
There are few things I hate more in this world than the movie A Christmas Story. Sure, I’ve taken a few really good naps with it acting as white noise in the background, but other than that I have had no positive reaction to this movie whatsoever.
The whole plot of A Christmas Story is based on a man, Ralphie, reminiscing about one of his childhood Christmases where he asked for a BB gun. He asked his parents for the BB gun for months, but was told he couldn’t get one because, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Miraculously, Ralphie receives the BB gun as a gift on Christmas morning, and he immediately shoots himself in the eye. If this sounds boring, stupid, and pointless to you, that is because it is.
Annoying Ralphie. Photo credit: MGM Studios.
In the movie, you watch Ralphie get bullied by both kids and adults. It makes you wonder why the man is looking back on this childhood Christmas fondly at all. There is also not a single likable character in this movie; they are all irritating. All their voices sound like nails on a chalkboard, especially Ralphie’s angry Dad and his whiney little brother.
I’ve honestly never in my life heard anyone say that their favorite holiday movie is A Christmas Story. Out of the 68 Upper School students polled in our survey, only two said it was their favorite. Why is it that this movie continues to play so often on T.V.? The world may never know. (My guess is so that they can sell more leg lamp memorabilia.)
Despite whatever holiday movies you find yourself watching in the coming weeks, I hope you enjoy this holiday season. Remember to give your weird cousin a gift, and to avoid watching A Christmas Story at all costs. Happy Holidays.
Featured image: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty.
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