It’s that time of year where you’re either feeling the Christmas season or you’re not. We over at Lifestyle Asia can definitely feel it. Holiday dinners, eating mounds of food, and going to Christmas Tree lighting ceremonies have kept our schedules quite busy. Not to mention, we have been publishing our Luxury Gift Guide for 2018 on this website in different parts (here’s Part 1 and Part 2), and will continue to do so for the next few weeks.
If you’re not quite feeling the Christmas spirit quite yet, we’ve gathered a list of five magical holiday films that will definitely get you in mood. Though it was hard to narrow the list down to just five (there is definitely no shortage of great films in this world), we’ll stand by this list of select classics. Scroll down to see our ranked list of elegant Christmas movies…
1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is by far the ultimate Christmas movie. The Frank Capra classic is widely popular amongst critics and audiences alike. It deserves its place in the pantheon of great works of art. The message of the film is simple: you have a wonderful life no matter what circumstance you are in. In the movie we follow James Stewart’s George Bailey, a small town boy with big dreams of seeing the world. But as he gets older, things continue to pull him down—a troubled family business, his father’s death, and defending the town from a greedy land developer, has kept him miserable at his rural town. On Christmas Eve, George tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. However, an Angel from Heaven is sent down to teach him the most valuable of lessons.
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2. White Christmas (1954)
The second best Christmas movie in our opinion is 1954’s White Christmas, the Irving Berlin-penned musical-comedy that is somewhat the unofficial sequel to 1941’s Holiday Inn (another great film that just missed this list). Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play song-and-dance men who make it their mission to help their old army general make his failing skiing resort into a tourist destination. And how will they do it? By putting up a magnificent, holiday show! The score includes many holiday classics such as the titular song, Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep and Snow. Actress Rosemary Clooney and va-va-voom dance extraordinaire Vera-Ellen provide wonderful support!
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3. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Although not a Christmas movie, Meet Me in St. Louis’ message about family and home screams the holidays. The iconic Judy Garland plays second daughter Esther Smith, a strong-willed young girl who happens to be in love with John Truett, the boy next door. Everything seems to be ideal in the lives of the Smith sisters…until it isn’t. One night, their father announces that they’ll be leaving St. Louis and relocating to New York for his work. The sister’s lives slowly begin to fall apart when the idea of leaving their loves, their home, and their close friends begin to sink in on Christmas Day. Director Vincente Minnelli pulls on the heart strings for this musical painting of the American way of life during turn-of-the-century St. Louis. BONUS POINTS: The holiday song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas first appeared in this musical movie…and it’s the best scene in it as well.
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4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The 90s version of this classic has been quite popular with today’s generation, continuously playing on loop in HBO during this time of year. However, if you want to experience true class on film, we suggest you seek out the original 1947 George Seaton version. A man named Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn in an Oscar-winning role) fills in for an intoxicated Santa Klaus for the Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving. After a successful show, Kris garners fans from both the elder and younger generations of Manhattan. But when he starts claiming he’s actually the real Santa Klaus, New York City begins to the question the old man’s sanity. Can it be true? Or should this mysterious old timer be put into medical care?
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5. Home Alone (1990)
Even as an adult, it’s hard not get a kick out of Home Alone (1990). John Hughes penned a perfect script, Chris Columbus made his directorial mark in Hollywood, and Macaulay Culkin is simply awesome in his signature role as Kevin McCallister. If you don’t already know the story, the film follows Kevin, who is accidentally left alone at home during the holidays. The McCallisters are a big family, and Kevin was lost in the shuffle as everybody tried to make it to their flight to Paris. Although everything starts off as a fun adventure for Kevin, two burglars eventually show up and he must now pull out every trick to defend his ground. Classic, nostalgic and extremely funny, Home Alone will always be one for the ages.
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