We know all about the rules of not listening to Christmas music or watching Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving. But we couldn’t wait to give you a list of five of our Christmas movie picks and what our writers have said about them in previous years.
A Christmas movie that is actually a Thanksgiving movie (for all of you who can’t watch Christmas movies until after next week): The Humans. “It’s difficult to find a quality Thanksgiving movie. Sure, they’re out there. But nowhere near the amount of Christmas movies. The Humans captures the reality of not only Thanksgiving gatherings with family but the pain of being human. All the while with an ever present statue reminding of the good news to arrive come Christmas.” – Mockingbird’s Best-Of Picks From 2021
A Christmas movie that everyone debates about whether or not it counts as a Christmas movie: It’s a Wonderful Life. “It’s a Wonderful Life is not a triumph of the human spirit, but a testament to God’s faithful activity through people’s lives. It’s about a man whose previous life of striving was laid to rest and then raised anew. It’s about a God who can take a life in ruins and make it wonderful.” – The God Who Makes Life So Wonderful by Sam Bush
A Christmas movie that hits different once you are an adult or parent: Home Alone. “When I watched Home Alone as a kid, I was mesmerized by the possibility of a few days without parental supervision … This year when I watched, I couldn’t take my eyes off Catherine O’Hara. 
I silently applauded the writing of John Hughes and the direction of Chris Columbus, two men who manage to capture maternal love through phone calls and airport scenes (and a memorable trip in the back of a polka-band-populated truck), then bring it home in a brief interaction between mother and son at the end of the film. I can’t watch it without crying now: the apology, the forgiveness, the running hug.” – Home But Not Alone by Stephanie Phillips
A Christmas movie recommended by the greatest movie list curator, PZ: Come to the Stable (1949). “This is an outstanding Christmas classic of a movie! Directed by our (now) true friend Henry Koster, and starring Loretta Young, who was a devout Roman Catholic, Come to the Stable tells the story of two European nuns, the second of whom is played by Celeste Holm, who come to the US just after World War II and found a convent in southern New England.” – PZ’s (Mostly) Christmas Movie Picks
A Christmas movie that strikes the heart of the Gospel (plus it’s animated!): Arthur Christmas. “Just saw this for the first time last week and was hooked in the first five minutes by a powerful Gospel moment. An elf, delivering presents on Christmas Eve with the help of a “naughty-or-nice-o-meter”, comes across a boy who has been a bit too naughty to deserve anything. The elf frowns, promptly turns the device on himself and imputes to the boy the presents that the elf deserves. Sold!” – The Twelve Days of Christmas (Movies)
