Christmas wouldn鈥檛 be Christmas without watching at least one film featuring sleighs, snow or the odd elf. But what makes a really top-notch seasonal movie?
A great Christmas movie is like a great Christmas pudding: a selection of sweet and savoury ingredients, skilfully blended and seasoned to perfection.
Here are some of the key components journalist and film critic Adam Smith thinks are essential for the perfect Yuletide film.
Santa!
Father Christmas, Santa Claus, Saint Nick鈥 whatever you call him, the star of the holiday season is the guy in the red suit, so it鈥檚 no surprise he鈥檚 the centre of attention in some of the greatest Christmas movies.
Among the many actors doing the ho-ho-ho on film are Tim Allen in The Santa Clause (1994), Paul Giamatti in Fred Claus (2007), Tom Hanks (well, his voice) in The Polar Express (2004) and John Goodman in The Year Without a Santa Claus (2006).
But, for looks alone, king of the crop must be Sir Richard Attenborough in 1994鈥檚 remake of the 1947 classic Miracle On 34th Street. He didn鈥檛 even need to grow a beard.
A darker flavour
Like the strong brandy that gives the Christmas pud its oomph, some of the most memorable Christmas movies have a surprisingly dark elements running through them - even though, since it鈥檚 a Christmas movie, we all know things won鈥檛 get too worrying.
Joe Dante鈥檚 hilarious Gremlins (1984) has mischievous monsters overrunning a small town, Home Alone (1990) pits young Macaulay Culkin against dastardly burglars - who don鈥檛 stand a chance - and Tim Burton鈥檚 A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)鈥 well, the title says it all, really.
An uplifting message
Author Charles Dickens is often credited with having shaped Christmas as we know it today with his story A Christmas Carol. So it鈥檚 not surprising the classic tale of miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge who is visited by the ghosts of Christmases Past, Future and Present, has been adapted dozens of times for the big screen - from the 1951 classic black and white film with Alastair Sim to The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), with Sir Michael Caine as Scrooge amidst a host of furry supporting players.
But the story鈥檚 uplifting theme, of Christmas bringing redemption and good cheer even to the hardest of hearts, and of it being a time where slightly magical things happen, runs through many great Christmas movies from It鈥檚 A Wonderful Life (1946) to How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). All thanks to Mr Dickens.
A hit Christmas song
It鈥檚 surprising how many classic Christmas earworms have their origins in a movie, and often old ones. White Christmas is from Holiday Inn (1942) starring Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds, Silver Bells is from The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) with Bob Hope, while Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is originally sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me In St. Louis (1944).
And if a movie doesn鈥檛 have an original seasonal song, it can always borrow some, like this year鈥檚 surprise hit Last Christmas starring and co-written by Emma Thompson, which features the Wham! track of the same title.
Romance
Perhaps it鈥檚 because it鈥檚 so chilly outside, but heartwarming love stories are at the centre of many great Christmas movies. When Harry Met Sally (1989) has Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan seeing if a man and a woman can be 鈥榡ust friends鈥 (err, yes) and star-studded Brit-hit Love Actually (2003) follows 10 romances over the Christmas period.
And it doesn鈥檛 stop there: While You Were Sleeping (1995) has Sandra Bullock finding Christmas romance with Bill Pullman and A Christmas Prince (2017) sees Rose MacGyver falling for heartthrob Ben Lamb. Bring on the mistletoe!
A happy ending
Christmas is no time for grumps or Grinches, and a happy ending is absolutely guaranteed in a great Christmas movie. But the happiest ending of them all must be George Bailey鈥檚 in Frank Capra鈥檚 It鈥檚 A Wonderful Life (1946).
The film often tops Best Christmas Movie lists, and the heartwarming final sequence, which has George reunited with his family around the Christmas tree after being put through the wringer by evil bank manager Henry F. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), is one reason why.
But a shamelessly soppy ending is the hallmark of a great Christmas movie. After all, even The Grinch finally gives Christmas back鈥
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