Best Christmas Movies List

'A Christmas Story' (1983): The Gift of Family

Peace on earth? Goodwill toward men? Pish. Sometimes, the true spirit of Christmas comes packaged as a Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock.

Most 9-year-olds don't have time to dabble in altruism. They've got bullies to deal with, parents to con, and Santa's laps to scale. And, instinctively, they suspect that Christmas ain't Christmas unless it comes with some serious loot. Ralphie Parker wants his BB-gun, even as those around him warn that it could "put your eye out." But Ralphie comes to understand that the gun, really, isn't the end all, BB all. Rather, it's his family--understanding, giving and willing to laugh over a Chinese turkey for Christmas dinner— which prove to be the real gift.

'Children of Men' (2006): The Gift of Faith

Imagine a child in a world devoid of children. Imagine a spark of life in a world winding slowly down to death. Such is the world of "Children of Men," a movie based on a book written by mystery writer P.D. James.

Opening on Christmas Day in England, "Children of Men" has been called a sci-fi retelling of the Nativity story—the hope of humanity coming to earth in the form of an infant, borne to an impoverished, unwanted mother. Shepherded by a man named Theo (the Greek word for God) and guarded by a faction of fighters known as the "fishes" (a symbol for Christianity), "Children of Men" is a tale of hope told in the face of hopelessness. This is a movie that, in its own bleak, dystopian way, conveys the true reason for the season and reimagines what Christians believe is the greatest gift of all.

'Die Hard' (1988): The Gift of Honor

John McClane has had better Christmases. At least, we hope he has. Flying to Los Angeles to reconcile with his wife, the New York City cop (played by Bruce Willis) comes face-to-face with Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and a band of Eurotrash terrorists bent on pocketing enough bearer bonds to buy their own private island.

McClane could've just found a nice, quiet corner, opened up a carton of eggnog and quietly sung Christmas carols to himself. Instead, McClane tries to move up Santa's "nice" list by battling terrorists, inept law enforcement, and a particularly knotty fire hose to save his wife, his marriage, and the reputation of NYPD's finest.

Gifts come in all sorts of packages, big and small. But "Die Hard" suggests that sometimes life – paired with honor – is the greatest, most tiring gift of all.

'Disney's A Christmas Carol' (2009): The Gift of Kindness

Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" has enjoyed a longer life than even the hardest of fruitcakes. Originally published in 1843, Dickens' creepy story of Ebenezer Scrooge has been told and retold so often that most of us can recite a good chunk of the tale from memory. But, like a favorite bedtime story, we all come back to hear it again.

We've seen the story told in live action, animation, and claymation, starring everyone from A-list celebrities to Disney characters to Muppets, and we've seen Scrooge played by everyone from Alastair Sim and George C. Scott to Bill Murray and Mr. Magoo. But perhaps the most faithful retelling of Dickens' holiday classic is the most recent—"Disney's A Christmas Carol," helmed by the Grinchiest of Scrooges, Jim Carrey.

Whatever version you prefer, the core theme of "A Christmas Carol" shines through in each retelling: Be kind to others, or risk having your bed sheets stolen from underneath your cold, cold corpse.

'Elf' (2003): The Gift of Wonder

Remember this holiday gem, and it might help you forgive Will Ferrell for making "Land of the Lost." Or maybe even "Step Brothers."

Buddy (Ferrell), raised in the candy canes confines of the North Pole, loves being an elf. He loves the hat. He loves being such an integral part of Christmas. Perhaps he even loves being the dominant player in elf intramural basketball games. But when he learns that he's not really an elf at all, but rather the son of a businessman sequestered to (gasp!) the naughty list, Buddy decides to visit his paps and see if he can figure out who put the crab in his Kringle.

"Elf" tells us that, while we've all got to grow up sometime, that doesn't give us license to lose our childlike wonder at the world around us. Family and faith are gifts, the film suggests, and it's worth anything – even singing dorky Christmas carols – to hold them tight.

'Gremlins' (1984): The Gift of Guidance

The instructions were simple enough: Don't let the thing near bright light. Don't get it near water. Don't feed it after midnight. Which means that if Gizmo had been treated like most Christmas presents—thrown into a closet and promptly forgotten—everything would've just been fine.

Alas, Billy Peltzer couldn't be trusted with a pet rock, much less a pet mogwai. So when Billy manages to do all three of these things, Gizmo replicates into a host of evil gremlins that proceed to deck the halls—and anything else that crosses their paths.

After the sort of mayhem that would make Scrooge's nocturnal adventures look like a night watching infomercials, Billy finally quells the horde of gremlins and returns Gizmo for a full refund. But he comes away with a timely lesson for us all: Always pay attention to those instructions, even if they're written in Chinglish.

'Home Alone' (1990): The Gift of Love

In "The Wizard of Oz," Dorothy told us there's no place like home. Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) couldn't agree more.

Kevin, after a particularly trying holiday season with his extended family, makes a wish before going to sleep that his clan would all, simply, disappear. Waking up, he finds they did just that—leaving him king of his own suburban castle. Alas, the wish loses its charm when a pair of bungling burglars enter the story, and Kevin—in the midst of the fight of his life—discovers that he kind of misses his folks. Man, after all, cannot live on Cheez Whiz alone.

For all its slapstick violence, "Home Alone" is, at its core, the story of a mother's love for her little boy, a little boy's courage, and the realization that, while there's no place like home, there's no people like parents.

'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946); The Gift of Ourselves

We all know the story: George Bailey gives up his dreams of fame and fortune to become a small-town do-gooder, only to be nearly ruined when poor Uncle Billy mistakenly hands off a wad of money to mean ole Mr. Potter. Only a "Christmas Carol"-esque voyage into the past—this one showing all the good George has done, as opposed to the evil of Scrooge—saves George from a sad and soggy end.

It's hard to believe, considering that most of us cry over "It's A Wonderful Life" every Christmas, that not many people cared for George when the film was first released. The film, like George himself, took some time to discover how special it was. And, like George, it found its place in a small-yet-important forum: Television reruns. George— and in some respects, the movie itself—reminds us of an incredibly important lesson: The most important gift we have to give doesn't come in a box, a sock, or a plastic gift card. It comes in the most unexpected, often most ludicrous package of all: Ourselves.

'Miracle on 34th Street' (1947): The Gift of Rightness

Commercialism. Cutthroat big business. The legal system gone awry. These and other themes keep this 62-year-old movie feeling as young, fresh, and jolly as Kris Kringle himself.

Kringle, upset that the Santa that Macy's Department Store hired got drunk on the job, takes over the gig personally and finds himself sitting in the middle of New York's bustling Christmas shopping season—spending some face time with his most avid constituents rather than supervising his corporation of elves. And, when he dares send some parents scurrying to other stores for their holiday shopping—paradoxically fostering a sense of consumer loyalty to Macy's—Kringle quickly becomes a Manhattan legend.

But anyone as kind and good-hearted as St. Nick must be a little light in the stocking, folks figure, and before long, Kringle finds himself in court on the verge of being committed. He's only saved through the goodwill of men, women, and lots and lots of children. The American Film Institute recently named "Miracle" as one of the 10 best fantasy films ever made, but it still contains a lesson grounded in sad, sobering reality: Do the right thing, and some folks can't help but think you're crazy.

'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993): The Gift of Diversity

Jack Skellington, Halloween's head" haunt-cho," would seem to have it all: A nice suit. A loyal pup. The admiration of ghastly minions. But for this melodic Pumpkin King, it's not enough: He wants to make children scream with joy Christmas morning. Not just… scream.

So, doing what any CEO worth his weight in stock options would do, Jack takes on the competition directly, kindly shepherding Santa Claus into a forced vacation and sending his ghostly legions to spread a little Christmas cheer.

Ebenezer Scrooge is used to holiday hauntings. The rest of the world, not so much. Jack, thankfully, realizes his mistake before Christmas is officially crossed off the calendar, setting things right and understanding that not everyone can be Kris Kringle. As gifts go, "Nightmare" is a celebration of diversity, an honoring of oddity—and a nice salute to girls who stitch on their appendages one leg at a time.