The Ones That Got Away
Overlooked holiday classics (and personal faves) from leading movie critics.
Love Actually. Photo courtesy Photofest/Universal Studios.
Love Actually
“Not universally well received by the critics, but it has endured with viewers and is fast becoming a cult favorite.” —Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post
The Nightmare Before Christmas
“Wonderful songs and beautiful stop-motion animation. I watch it every December.” —Rene Rodguez, The Miami Herald
Addams Family Values
“Hilarious, satiric take on Thanksgiving that brings me great joy whenever I view it.” — Adam Keleman, Slant Magazine
Best of the Best
Favorite holiday films of all time from top critics.
The Shop Around the Corner. Photo courtesy doctormacro.com.
It’s a Wonderful Life
“Hate to be such a cliché but it is still my favorite holiday movie.” —Steven Rea, The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Can there be any other?” —Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post
Scrooge
“What is great about the film is that British actor Alastair Sim makes Scrooge a real person. This was a role of a lifetime for him. It is a phenomenal performance.” —Kenneth Turan, The Los Angeles Times
The Shop Around the Corner
“I watch this film every year on Christmas Eve. This is the movie that was miserably remade as You’ve Got Mail, but I’ve tried to put that out of my mind.” — John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
3 Comments
Introduced my daughter to Holiday Inn a few years ago…now we sing “Snow, Snow, Snow” when talking about fave Christmas movies! A made-for-tv movie favorite starring Lee Remick, Angela Landbury and Polly Holliday “The Gift of Love – A Christmas Story” is wonderful too! Had to purchase a (bad) copy as it’s not played anymore.
Enjoyed Robert Osbourne’s comments about Christmas movies.
I would like to add to what he said about the possibility
of Hollywood making another good Christmas movie. He said
they could but probably couldn’t resist putting in ten
exploding trucks and an animated spider man climbing up
the side of a building. I would also add that they would
be certain to add an abundance of sex and violence and
would certainly not allow any recognition of Christian
beliefs.
Maybe not one of the greatest movies ever, but “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” has been a family favorite for years.