Get the tree up, the fire lit, and curl up together in front of one of these Christmas classics this winter.
From laugh-a-minute Elf to heart-soaring moments courtesy of Miracle on 34th Street, it wouldn't be Christmas without a festive film or two...
Get the tree up, the fire lit, and curl up together in front of one of these Christmas classics this winter.The best family Christmas films
- The Snowman<p> It’s now 30 years since The Snowman was released, instantly becoming a Christmas staple and making Aled Jones a household name (even though he doesn’t actually sing on the sound track.) Beautifully animated, a boy spends a magical night soaring through the skies with his snowman which has come to life - but of course by the morning, the sun has come out and he is nowhere to be seen - just his scarf remains. Sob. </p>
- The Nightmare Before Christmas<p> If you’ve had enough of the cute cosiness of Christmas, this Tim Burton film is the one for you. Jack Skellington from Halloween Town threatens Christmas by kidnapping Santa, but sees the error of his ways before it is too late, everyone becomes friends and the presents get delivered. So actually, it does end up fairly cute after all. </p>
- Muppets Christmas Carol<p> The good thing about this one is that even though it’s got Muppets, humour, songs and Michael Caine, it follows the story of Dicken’s Christmas Carol so it’s also educational. Kind of. </p>
- Meet Me in St Louis<p> A tear-jerker based around young love under threat which all comes right in the end. And really, what could be more Christmassy than Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?</p>
- Fred Claus<p> Did you know that Santa has a brother? Santa’s slightly bitter older brother Fred is forced to move to the North Pole and ends up stepping in to save Christmas when efficiency-expert (Kevin Spacey) threatens to shut the North Pole down. A bit sentimental, but also very funny.</p>
- Home Alone<p> In the first of five (!) Home Alone films, Macaulay Culkin plays an eight-year-old boy accidentally left at home while his family go away for Christmas. Mainly one for the children, while adults may find Culkin bratty, kids love the booby traps he sets to outwit the burglars who turn up on Christmas Eve. </p>
- It's a Wonderful Life<p> Surely the ultimate Christmas film - although it doesn’t start out cheerfully with the central character George Bailey planning his suicide on Christmas Eve. Fortunately George’s guardian angel turns up to show him how much worse life would have been for just about everyone if he had never existed - giving him a new enthusiasm for life and making him realise It’s a Wonderful Life after all. Aww. </p>
- Nativity<p> A Christmas newcomer but surely destined to become a classic. Teacher Mr Maddens (Tim from The Office) is dreading Christmas because his girlfriend has gone off to Hollywood but nonetheless manages to put on an amazing Nativity play, trouncing the local posh school. Children dressed in sheets and tea towels will never seem the same again. </p>
- Polar Express<p> A boy who is doubting the existence of Santa is whisked away to visit him in the North Pole, along with other children with various, similar reasons for being on the same train. Amazing animation and a touching plot - a great film for any children who may also be starting to doubt. </p>
- Miracle on 34th Street<p> Slightly complicated plot for young children but much-loved by many. Shoppers in a New York department store are made to wonder whether Kris Kringle, this year’s in-store Santa, might actually be the real thing. </p>
- Elf<p> Arguably (maybe) the funniest Christmas film ever made - Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human who has been brought up as an elf by Santa in the North Pole, returning to America to find his real dad. Both hilarious and touching - and bound to have your children asking for spaghetti and sweets for breakfast. </p>
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