Chance's Corner: Christmas Movies

It's hard to believe that it's already December, and Christmas is 15 days away. Yikes! Hold on, I have to let it sink in for a bit. *takes in deep breath*

Whew! Now that I've been avoiding Christmas movies since Halloween (I'm looking at you Hallmark Channel), I've got some catching up to do. Luckily, the Franklin County Library has plenty of Christmas movie selections to enjoy!

Here is a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies our library has to offer:

A Christmas Story - I'm starting off the list with probably the most well-known and well-watched Christmas movie (thanks to the constant loop on TBS). Set in the 1940's, Ralphie has his eyes set on an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle for Christmas. He'll do anything to get it -- including asking his parents, writing an emotional class essay, and begging Santa. Their response? You'll shoot your eye out! Filled with humor, heart and nostalgia, A Christmas Story is a great watch for anyone.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Those zany Griswold's remind us that anyone that tries to pawn off the idea of a perfect family Christmas is living in some kind of fantasyland. We all have that one family member or that one thing that happens that throws a kink in the whole festive season. But it's the laughs along the way that make things just right.

Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas - The cartoon is fine and swell, but Jim Carrey's delightfully over-the-top performance as the Grinch makes this live-action spectacle just as good, as well.

See what I did there?

It's A Wonderful Life - Considered a box office flop and snubbed at the Academy Awards, It's a Wonderful Life rose from the ashes of disaster and is considered one of the greatest films of all time. Feeling down on yourself and seeking purpose? Then this is the film for you.

Miracle on 34th Street - A Santa working at Macy's claims to be the real deal, but skeptics  push dear old Kris into an insane asylum and into court. It's up to Maureen O'Hara and a very young Natalie Wood to save the day!

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas - When one thinks of Jim Henson, Emmet Otter is tragically overlooked. One of Henson's earlier works, Emmet Otter is a touching tale of a poor mother and son (who happen to be Otters) that sacrifice the things they love to give each other something for Christmas, but in the end the biggest gift of all is love. It's cute, funny and touching.

Christmas With The Kranks - The Kranks have the bright idea of skipping Christmas (to the chagrin of Dan Aykroyd and the rest of the neighbors) and going on a cruise since their daughter won't be home for the holidays. However, surprise! Their daughter is coming home for Christmas to show her foreign lover what a magical Christmas with the Kranks is like. The Kranks race against the clock on Christmas Eve to get their act together, and with the help of their neighbors, they manage to pull it off.

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - This is as classic as a classic Christmas movie can get. The songs... the animation.. it all comes together. If you're a kid or not, you'll love it (maybe).

Home Alone - A maybe-misunderstood little boy, played by child-star Macauley Culkin, is forgotten by his family, who are on their way to Paris, France. He mistakes it as a wish come true and has some fun... until a pair of bumbling robbers are determined to break in.

Home Alone is still a fun movie to watch, but to newer and younger viewers the plot can be hard to understand now that times have changed. They may wonder why they don't just use a cell phone to contact a neighbor or their son, and why isn't CPS involved, and why weren't people on Facebook chastising the family for their bad parenting? I guess these qualities make a movie remake impossible. Thank goodness!

There are plenty of other Christmas movies to choose from at the Franklin County Library, but these are the few that are my must-watches to make the holiday complete.

Come let me know what your favorites are!