As the weather gets colder and the end of the year draws near, now is the perfect time to get cozy on the couch and enjoy a holiday movie.
But which of the thousands of holiday movies should you watch? Here & Now staff members have some very strong opinions about the best seasonal movie.
Here & Now staff movie picks
“Love Actually” (2003)
Picked by Indira Lakshmanan, co-host
“ The 2003 movie, to me, opens up in one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie.
“It’s a scene from Heathrow Airport where we see lots of real people — mothers and children, husbands and wives, families — embracing each other, and speaking over the top is Hugh Grant, who plays the Prime Minister in this film.
“ This movie, I watch it every single year with my family. It proves that love doesn’t have to be romantic. It focuses on eight couples. It shows us platonic love.”
“Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001)
Picked by Kalyani Saxena, associate producer
“It’s this really great story because yes, there is a love story between Bridget and Mark, and you see very quickly how their temperaments are different from one another. But there’s this iconic line in the movie where she has a conversation with him, and she’s like, ‘I know you think that I’m a mess,’ and whatever. And he says, ‘No, I like you just as you are.’
“Is that not what romance is? To be seen and loved just as you are? And of course, there’s a scene at the end of the film where there’s snow and an epic love declaration, which makes it holiday enough for me to say it’s the best holiday film.”
“The Apartment” (1960)
Picked by Matt Reed, senior technical director
“ I was going through some Christmas movie list and I felt really robbed when I saw this one a couple years ago. It was the first time I’d seen it, and it blew my mind. I loved it so much.
“The most important parts of the film happen on or around Christmas. Christmas Eve, [main character C.C. Baxter] closes down a bar with Santa Claus. Then on Christmas Day, some sad events occur that I think add to the melancholy. It’s nice to have a little bit of melancholy thrown in with all the glee.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
Picked by Caleb Green, senior technical director
“ I spent my youth going to see it live in theaters at the Strand Theater in Clinton, Massachusetts. And about 10 years ago, when I first met my fiancée, I brought her there, and the lasso of the moon scene came to mind right away. And right then and there, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m in love with you. I’m so in love with you.’
“ I’m also a huge fan of David Lynch who loves ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ And one of the things that I listened to him recently say, so this is a 1946 film, right after the war, [James Stewart] comes home and does this amazing movie. He’s wondering if he still has ‘the stuff,’ as David Lynch would say.
“And the scene where he’s losing his mind, when nobody knows who he is, he’s screaming ‘Mary, Mary,’ it’s the moment that just defines his career in so many ways, where he does still have ‘the stuff.’”
“Die Hard” (1988)
Picked by Jon Peck, syndication specialist
“ On Christmas, I grew up in a Jewish family, we would go see a movie and get Chinese food. And with my dad, it was always like some inappropriate action movie.
“It is a Christmas movie, and it’s my favorite one, and it makes me think of my father and this weird legacy of seeing very strange movies at a very young age.
“ An off-duty police officer is going to visit his wife. Their marriage is a little bit on the rocks. It’s a holiday party. It’s going to be very awkward for him. Terrorists take over the holiday party, and he’s actually much more comfortable, I think, probably in that scenario than he would’ve been in a cocktail party. This one guy, John McClain — Bruce Willis —was a breakout role for him.
“The building blows up, but everyone’s fine. Magic was made. The holiday was saved, and I can’t think of a better movie that takes place in Christmas that blows up more buildings. It’s just silly and fun and the kind of thing I enjoy with my family.”
“The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992)
Picked by Thomas Danielian, producer, and his mom, Clare Danielian
Thomas Danielian: “ It’s just joyous. I mean, infectious music. Actually, there’s a big family tradition for me. We all watch it at the same time on Christmas Eve, wherever we are in the world. You know, actually, it means more to my mom.”
Clare Danielian: “ I’ve loved The Muppets since I was a student in the 1970s, and I used to watch it with my friends. And then of course, add into the mix, Michael Caine. He’s brilliant, and he was determined to play the part of Scrooge straight. He refused to make any allowances for the fact he was working with puppets. And I think it’s a great version of ‘A Christmas Carol.’”
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
Picked by Hafsa Quraishi, associate producer
“I don’t even know where to begin. This is just a masterpiece of a film, from the costuming to the innumerable quotable one-liners to the perfect delivery of those lines. The storyline alone is a Christmas classic — which we already knew from the original beloved animation from the ‘60s — and the way they brought Dr. Seuss’ world to life is incredible. But it’s this remarkable performance by Jim Carrey that really puts this live-action feature at the top of my list.
“The absolute dedication from Carrey to participate in this while in prosthetic makeup that took hours to put on every day — to a point where he had to consult a torture specialist to figure out how to get through the makeup process — and to bring such life to an already-iconic character was truly special to witness. I can’t imagine anyone else in this role.
“I’ve only grown to love this movie even more as I grew up. There is so much more humor to appreciate in it as an adult — jokes that flew over my head as a kid. The entire film is camp personified, and it will always have a place in my home.”
“The Holiday” (2006)
Picked by Emiko Tamagawa, senior producer
“[It stars] Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz as two women who switch houses for the holiday because they have trouble in their love life.
“The romances are fun. I always love watching them. But what I really love is the relationship that Kate Winslet’s character has with an aging screenwriter, played by Eli Wallach, and he gives her the most amazing relationship advice.
“ I have watched that movie, oh, I don’t know, 10, 12 times. Every year. I still love it. It gets to me.”
“The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974)
Picked by Micaela Rodríguez, senior editor
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Karyn Miller-Medzon produced and edited this segment for broadcast with Mark Navin. Grace Griffin produced it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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