Christmas is upon us and for our part we offer you a top 5 of classic and timeless films that can be nice to dust off for the occasion
So let’s get ready together most magical night of the year with the films that have made the history of cinema, and in some cases also of Italian television, to the point of rightfully entering Christmas traditions such as panettone, the decorated tree or the classic tombolata. Who doesn’t love curling up on the couch with loved ones or a cup of hot chocolate watching a funny Christmas comedy? So let’s get to the heart of this short ranking.
5. Mom I missed the plane | Top 5 classic films for Christmas
It’s not Christmas without Home Alone, a film from the nineties that filled television schedules and continues to do so. The story is that of Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) an eight-year-old boy who, during the Christmas holidays, is accidentally left home alone by his family and is forced not only to take care of himself without ever having done so before, but above all to stand up to a couple of criminals (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) who rob houses left empty for the holidays. Having become a true cult over the years, with timeless scenes such as those linked to the hunt for the thief, Home Alone is truly an unmissable title and is available on Disney+which also features the sequel, Home Alone: I Got Lost in New York with a cameo by the now former US President Donald Trump.
4. The Grinch | Top 5 classic films for Christmas
Among the various Christmas classics, we cannot fail to mention The Grinch, a 2000 film directed by Ron Howard which sees Jim Carrey take on the role of the green creature who he hates Christmas and is determined to ruin it for all the inhabitants of the town of Chinonsò, who instead can’t wait to celebrate the Christmas holidays. Like other great classics, The Grinch is a title that appears every year in the television schedule for the incredible performance of Jim Carrey (not surprisingly linked several times to a sequel, although so far denied) and for the story of an antihero ready to open his heart.
3. It’s a Wonderful Life | Top 5 classic films for Christmas
Another classic not only of Christmas, but of the history of cinema in general is It’s a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra film with James Stewart in the role of the protagonist. The plot revolves around the figure of George Bailey, a good-hearted man who is forced to give up his life plans when he agrees to carry on the family business. Always altruistic, generous and ready to sacrifice himself for others, with a wife in love with him, George begins to doubt himself and everything when events begin to turn towards ever greater difficulties. Reached the breaking point, George contemplates suicide, but before he has the chance to throw himself into the cold waters of the river he is joined by a guardian angel who will show him how important and, in fact, wonderful his life is.
2. The Family Man | Top 5 classic films for Christmas
Another title to include among the Christmas classics available on Netflix is The Family Man, the 2000 film directed by Brett Ratner which stars actors Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni. The plot revolves around a narrative subterfuge similar to that of Sliding Doors: a successful but lonely man finds himself having the possibility of peeking into an alternative existence, observing how things might have turned out if he had made different decisions. Although not entirely focused on the Christmas season, The Family Man remains indisputably a Christmas classic.
1. An armchair for two | Top 5 classic films for Christmas
If there is a tradition that has been proven over the years, it is that of broadcast John Landis’ film on Italia 1 on Christmas Eve. For the few who still don’t know this eighties cult with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd it’s a sort of comic reinterpretation of the classic The prince and the pauper. The plot revolves around a rich Wall Street man who, following a bet made against him by his two bored employers (Don Ameche e Denholm Elliott), loses everything. In contrast, Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy’s character) goes from being homeless to having more money than he has ever seen. However, when the two realize that they are nothing more than a game in the life of two elderly people with too much free time, they decide to take their revenge. Relaunching a career for some, a springboard for others, this film is the history of Christmas cinema. This year too, as for more than a quarter of a century now, the appointment with Una ltrona per due is on Italia 1.
What is your favorite Christmas classic?
From cinepanettoni to great holiday classics, from romantic comedies to animated films: what is your favorite Christmas film? In this special we have listed only five but of course the list could be much longer: from Love, Actually (from which the cover image is taken) a Nightmare Before Christmasyes Miracle on 34th Street (who perhaps has the image of the ultimate Santa Claus played by Richard Attenborough) to, why not, Christmas holidays from 1983. Let us know your opinion in the comments!
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