Greatest Christmas Movies of All Time

Determining the greatest Christmas movies of all time is, of course, a subjective excerise, but there are a few of which most can agree are among the all-time best.

If you have ever perused the Internet or a magazine for a list of the best Christmas movies, but the criteria for how some titles make that list is questionable.

Case in point, one list has I'll Be Home for Christmas, starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas trying to get home before Christmas so he could get a car (or something like that) as one of the top films. This $30 million film only grossed around $12 million. Not exactly the thing that classics are made of, but then again, It's a Wonderful Life has a similar, box office flop story and went on to be one of the most cherished films of all time.

Here are some of the perennial favorites that seem to be on most lists of top holiday films.

The following films are listed in no particular order, but starts with the classics and moves on to the more contemporary Christmas films.

Love it or hate it, this 1946 Jimmy Stewart classic is one of the best Christmas films ever made. It is on the American Film Institute's list of "100 Greatest Films Ever Made." Interestingly enough, when the film was released, it was widely regarded as a box office failure.

No matter how many times this film is remade, this Charles Dickens story and its characters are familiar and well-loved by many generations.

The original 1947 film stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn and young Natalie Wood as Susan. Much like A Christmas Carol, this film has been remade a number of times throughout the years and remains a beloved classic Christmas film.

You would be hard pressed to find any person, of any age, that hasn't seen this 1964 stop motion classic. Technically, it was never released in theaters, but it's an hour long television special that airs yearly during the Christmas season and definitely deserves mention as one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.

Just mention the name of this classic Christmas film, and the two things that automatically spring to anyone's mind is Ralphie's obsession with getting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, and Ralphie's buddy Flick getting his tongue stuck on the flagpole at school.

The list and descriptions of some of the best Christmas films could go on forever. So here is a short list of films popularly regarded as some of the best Christmas films ever made. In no particular order:

• The Bishop's Wife
• Love, Actually
• Elf
• Bad Santa
• White Christmas
• A Nightmare Before Christmas
• Home Alone
• Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
• Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas
• Holiday Inn
• Twas the Night Before Christmas
• The Little Drummer Boy
• The Year Without Santa Claus
• Meet Me in St. Louis

Picking the single best Christmas film is nearly impossible, just as it's impossible to include everyone's favorites here. Obviously tastes are different, but most all the films listed above feature the best things about the holiday season and how it seems: that everyone is just a little bit kinder, a little bit more grateful and a little bit more happy during the holiday season.

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