Dec. 4, 2023
By Keso Mumladze
Staff Writer
“A Boy Called Christmas” (2021) is a Christmas fantasy film based on the 2015 book of the same name by Matt Haig. In this movie, an ordinary young boy named Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny.
“A Christmas Carol” (2009) is an computer-animated Christmas comedy-drama fantasy film based on Charles Dickens’ classic novella. At the start of the film, the townspeople in London, England are joyfully awaiting the arrival of Christmas, but the embittered miser (Ebenezer Scrooge) thinks it is all humbug, berating his faithful clerk (Bob Cratchit) and cheerful nephew Fred (Roger Rees) for their view. Later, Scrooge encounters the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), who warns that three spirits will visit him tonight. The ghosts take Scrooge on a journey through his past, present and future in the hope of transforming his bitterness.
“The Christmas Chronicles” (2018) is a comedy that follows two sibling children, Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy (Judah Lewis), who notice Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) in their home and jump into his sleigh with his reindeer. They accidentally cause the sleigh to crash, and the presents are lost. As Christmas morning nears, it is up to the children and Santa to save Christmas by correctly delivering all of the presents.
The classic comedy “Elf” (2003) tells the story of Buddy (Will Ferrell), who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. The adult Buddy travels to New York City in full elf attire in search of his real father, who ends up being the cynical businessman Walter Hobbs (James Caan). After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.
“Falling For Christmas” (2022) is a Netflix original romantic comedy that depicts the adventures of Sierra Belmont (Lindsay Lohan), a spoiled, newly engaged heiress who loses her memory in a skiing accident. Entertaining events ensue after she lands in the care of the handsome lodge owner Jake (Chord Overstreet) at Christmas time.
“The Holiday” (2006) is a romantic comedy set in both California and England. Iris (Kate Winslet), a depressed single woman who lives in the countryside, agrees to swap homes with similarly unlucky-in-love Amanda (Cameron Diaz) for a much-needed break. Iris finds herself in a palatial Hollywood mansion while Amanda navigates the lanes of a picture-perfect English village. Soon enough, both lovelorn ladies bump into local lads that bring love to their lives.
“Home Alone” (1990) is a family comedy centered around Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), an eight-year-old who acts up the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O’Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish not to have a family has come true. His excitement sours when he realizes two con men plan to rob the McCallister residence and that he alone must protect his family’s home.
“Jingle All The Way” (1996) is a family comedy in which father Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) vows to get his son Jamie Langston (Jake Lloyd) a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. However, every store is sold out, so he must travel all over town and compete with everybody else in order to find one. As Langston searches for the elusive gift for his son, he runs into mailman Myron Larabee (Sinbad), another father with the same problem. With the clock ticking, Langston’s moral code is tested as he learns about the real meaning of Christmas.
“Love Hard” (2021) is a Netflix original romantic comedy that focuses on Los Angeles journalist Natalie Bauer (Nina Dobrev), who has been unlucky in love. She thinks her luck has finally shifted when she meets a guy on a dating app and decides to travel to meet him in his hometown for Christmas. She encounters a big surprise when she sees the unfamiliar face of Josh Lin (Jimmy O. Yang) rather than the handsome, online crush (Darren Barnet) with whom she thought she was falling in love.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) is an American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film that tells the story of Jack Skellington (voiced by Danny Elfman), the king of Halloween Town, who stumbles upon Christmas Town and plans to take over the holiday. The people of Halloween Town experience Christmas on their own and start to understand the joy and importance of it.
