There are three Christmas movies that stand out above all others and must be watched each year in the days leading up to the big day. They are: Home Alone (now 25 years old… wow), A Christmas Story, and It’s a Wonderful Life. I’d say they should be watched in that order, on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th, because somehow that just makes sense. Television stations will help you out on this one because these movies will be shown pretty much constantly this week.
The sort of “sleeper” pick for me as great Christmas movie, one that I must watch every year is Bad Santa, an underrated vehicle for Billy Bob Thorton as a boozing, thieving, department store Santa. Yes, the film is a bit silly, but isn’t everything, really? Don’t watch this one with your kids, though, as it is definitely not family friendly.
I should add that each year between Christmas and New Year’s I must watch the movie Diner, one of my favorites of all time. Sort of a Christmas movie, the action begins on December 25, 1959, and shows the week leading up to New Year’s 1960. It’s a movie about life and love and of growing up. I liked it when I was in high school, in college, post-college, and I still like it now. I think I’ll have Franklin watch it when he’s about 15.
And Bad Santa when he’s 27.