Ultimate Christmas Movie List Printable
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! Time to see extended family and best friends. Time for Christmas trees, hot chocolate, and twinkly Christmas lights. And yes time for all the Christmas movies we love. Don’t forget to download the free Christmas movie list printable for easy reference.
Family Christmas Movie Checklist
Let’s start this Christmas movie list off with something for the littles.
Cartoon Christmas Movie List
1. The Star
The story of the birth of Jesus is retold through the eyes of a donkey named Bo and the rest of his barnyard animal friends. This is the perfect film to watch on family movie night if you have young children at home.
2. A charlie Brown Christmas
In this holiday classic, Charlie Brown gets sad when he sees what Christmas has become…..Nothing but commercialism. Even Snoopy has entered a contest for money. Charlie decides to help his friends remember what the true meaning of Christmas is by becoming the director of the holiday play. Will his bold plan work to remind everyone the deep meaning of Christmas?
3. Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Disney Christmas movies were for a long time some of the best Christmas movies for families to watch. Although some of their new movies are not my favorite, the classic ones will always be holiday favorites.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol is the animated version of Charles Dickens’s novel, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts: The ghost of Christmas past, ghost of Christmas present, and ghost of Christmas future. Will Ebenezer Scrooge take a closer look at his own life of stinginess before it’s too late?
4. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
Another Disney favorite, Mickey’s once upon a Christmas is three short stories of the most beloved characters holiday season.
Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas, A Very Goofy Christmas, and Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi.
5. The Snowman
Is the magical tale of a little British boy who’s snowman comes to life and takes him to see Father Christmas. This is just a sweet short film, perfect to watch just before bedtime on Christmas Eve.
6. Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Last on the Disney list is Winnie the Pooh. Join the celebration of friendship in the Hundred Acre Wood as Pooh, Piglet, and Tiger too set New Year’s resolutions.
7. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
8. Frosty The Snowman
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90’s Family Favorite Christmas Movies
9. Home Alone (PG)
The home alone movie franchise are great holiday movies perfect for the whole family.
The first one, Home Alone, is my personal favorite. The McCallister family accidentally leaves their eight year old son Kevin home alone, while they go on their family vacation to Paris. A couple of no good robbers get wind of this and try to rob the McCallister home while the family is away. Too bad they didn’t plan on eight year old Kevin’s booby traps placed all through the house! This movie is so much fun to watch with elementary aged kids.
10. Jack Frost (PG)
The heartwarming story of a boy who losses his dad in a car accident right as the holidays approach. One year later his dad comes back as a snow man, thanks to the holiday magic of a harmonica being played by his son.
Watch their adventures unfold this Christmas season.
11. The Santa Clause Movies
12. Jingle All The Way (PG)
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Christmas Classic Movie List
These films are all the “original” classics from the first half of the 1900’s. Some are even in black and white and they all have wonderful musical numbers. Make them part of your favorite holiday tradition this year.
13. Meet me in St. Louis (1944)
Although only a third of the movie takes place in the Christmas season, the song “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” was written specifically for this movie. All these years later, and it is still a beloved Christmas song. If you have an old soul like me, you will love the heartwarming storyline of this 1940’s film.
14. White Christmas (1954)
If you need something to get you into the Christmas Spirit look no further than this 1950’s classic Christmas film.
After WWII two soldiers decide to become a dance and song act. They end up falling in love with a pair of sisters who also happen to have a song-and-dance act. The foursome travel to a Vermont lodge to perform in a Christmas show.
Immerse yourself in the nostalgia of Christmas past during simpler times.
15. Miracle on 34th Street
The fact that this movie has been remade so many times (1947, 1959, 1973, and 1994) is a sign that it is one you HAVE to have on your Christmas movie list.
A single mom hires an old man to be the Santa Clause for New York City”s Macy’s department store. After the old man says he IS the real santa clause, his sanity is put into question. It’s up to him and his lawyer to prove that what he’s saying is true.
16. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Make sure you give this black and white classic a chance and include it in a Christmas movie night this holiday season. It was remade with color a couple of times but there is something charming about watching it in black and white. Maybe you can even make it a theme for the night.
It has everything you could possibly want this time of year: Angels, snow, music, family, miracles, and a happy ending.
17. The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
Another black and white film. I’m going to share a quote from it that we all could use reminding of today, and it pretty much encompasses the spirit of this Cary Grant movie:
“Tonight I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking. Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child’s cry. A blazing star hung over a stable and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven’t forgotten that night down the centuries; we celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, the sound of bells and with gifts. You give me a book; I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer and uncle Harry could do with a new pipe. We forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled….all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It’s his birthday we are celebrating. Don’t ever let us forget that. Let us ask ourselves what he would wish for most….and then let each put in his share. Loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth.” -Henry Broughman in The Bishop’s Wife
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All Time Family Favorite Christmas Movies
18. Elf (PG)
I’m sure most everyone has seen Elf, so instead of talking about the story line of this one, I’m going to give you a movie fun fact.
Did you know Elf was originally written with Jim Carrey in mind for the role of Buddy the elf? The movie took ten years before a studio picked it up which is how Will Farrel got the role, because by then Jim was already working on How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I’m glad things turned out as they did because I can’t even imagine anyone else besides Will as Buddy the elf! Can you?
19. A Christmas Story
At the risk of sounding like a prude, If you ask me this movie has some questionable quotes not the best for young ears; like in the scenes where the dad gets his “grand award” the famous leg lamp.
But other that that it’s a pretty funny one with a lot of relatable family dynamics.
20. Christmas With the Kranks (PG)
This one is a favorite at our house.
A couple of empty nesters decide to skip christmas all together, and instead go on a ten-day Caribbean cruise. But when their daughter Blair decides to come home early from the Peace Corps, they are thrown into a last minute frenzy to pull off Christmas; which will take the help of the entire neighborhood!
21. Deck The Halls (PG)
22. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13)
23. The Nativity Story (PG)
24. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (PG)
25. The Polar Express (G)
26. Disney’s A Christmas Carol (PG)
27. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (PG)
Christmas Movie List Printable
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Romantic Christmas Movies
28. The Holiday (PG-13)
Living on opposite sides of the world (London and California), Iris and Amanda decide to trade homes for two weeks during the Christmas Holiday. Both running away from their less than perfect love lives and with high hopes of forgetting their unfaithful respective boyfriends. Watch their whirlwind romances unfold with two handsome sweet guys.
You will find everything you want in this movie: Humor, romance, and a general feel good factor.
29. While You Were Sleeping (PG)
Lucy, a very lonely woman without any family, falls in love with a man she rescued after an accident. While this handsome stranger lies in a comma his family takes her in as part of the family. This really is such a cute romantic comedy set in the city of Chicago during the Christmas season. A very simple love story full of likable and quirky characters.
30. The Family Stone (PG-13)
If I remember right, I wasn’t sure if I really liked this movie the first time I watched it. It’s not your usual feel good love story. It’s full of messy and a bit sad family relationships. But the more I watch it the more it grows on me. The Family Stone is one my husband will watch with me, but definitely not one the kids will enjoy.
Okay, after that review you’re probably saying “so why even put it on the list!?” right? What can I say, I have a love hate relationship with this movie. So just watch it and come back and tell me what you thought of it.
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Final Thoughts
I hope you find some old forgotten favorites on this Christmas movie list, and soon to be future favorites.
Of course there are always more I could add, like Die Hard, there’s a debate going on whether or not that one counts as a Christmas movie or not.
Or the bazillion made for tv movies on the hallmark channel, Disney channel, GAC family and so on.
Some of my favorite tv Christmas movies are The Princess Switch movies, I think there’s three of them.
Don’t forget to download your copy of this Christmas movie list printable. All you need to do is enter your email in the box below and a copy will be sent straight to your inbox!
From my home to yours I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
