The Best Christmas Movies of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated December 16, 2020 334.8k votes 31.7k voters 217.5k views127 items

List RulesVote up your favorite films about or set during Christmas time.

One of the most telling signs that the holiday season is upon us is when classic Christmas movies begin to flood our TV screens and newer ones hit the big screen. Many of the best Christmas movies feature heartwarming tales that families can watch together. And even the weirdest Christmas movies have some redeeming features.

A lot of these movies are dramas or romantic comedies, and feature some of the best known stories in cinematic history. Who can forget James Stewart's portrayal of George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life? The movie may not have done so well at the box office, but its themes of caring, thoughtfulness, and sacrifice, along with the presence of George's guardian angel, has resonated with many, and it's long been considered the best Christmas movie of all time. This doesn't mean there's not a fair share of funny Christmas movies as well. Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and Elf are three examples of hilarious Christmas movies that people have grown to love over the years. They are also great Christmas movies for kids too – like the Rankin/Bass classics or the animated masterpiece The Nightmare Before Christmas. In between laughs, the constant within all of these top movies is family, which is what attracts people to these holiday comedies. You will also find some of these films on this list of the best Christmas dinner scenes.

Vote here on this Ultimate List for what you think is the best Christmas movie of all time. There are some great movies to choose from so vote for the movies you think are the greatest Christmas movie ever!

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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chevy Chase
Released: 1989
Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
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2
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Elf
Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell
Released: 2003
Directed by: Jon Favreau
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3
7,928
3,815
Home Alone
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci
Released: 1990
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas family comedy film written and produced by John Hughes... more
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4
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Janis Orenstein
Released: 1964
Directed by: Larry Roemer, Kizo Nagashima
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5
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Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Boris Karloff, June Foray
Released: 1966
Directed by: Chuck Jones, Ben Washam
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6
6,599
2,850
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Bill Melendez, Peter Robbins
Released: 1965
Directed by: Bill Melendez
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7
8,689
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A Christmas Story
Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon
Released: 1983
Directed by: Bob Clark
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8
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It's a Wonderful Life
James Stewart, Donna Reed
Released: 1946
Directed by: Frank Capra
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The Santa Clause
Tim Allen, Frank Welker
Released: 1994
Directed by: John Pasquin
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Die Hard
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
Released: 1988
Directed by: John McTiernan
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Miracle on 34th Street
Natalie Wood, Maureen O'Hara
Released: 1947
Directed by: George Seaton
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12
3,875
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Frosty the Snowman
June Foray, Paul Frees
Released: 1969
Directed by: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass
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13
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The Muppet Christmas Carol
Michael Caine, Frank Oz
Released: 1992
Directed by: Brian Henson
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14
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Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Jim Carrey, Anthony Hopkins
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ron Howard
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The Polar Express
Tom Hanks, Steven Tyler
Released: 2004
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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16
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Scrooged
Bill Murray, Robert Mitchum
Released: 1988
Directed by: Richard Donner
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17
3,703
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White Christmas
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye
Released: 1954
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
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18
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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Donald Trump, Macaulay Culkin
Released: 1992
Directed by: Chris Columbus
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3,216
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A Christmas Carol
George C. Scott, Susannah York
Released: 1984
Directed by: Clive Donner
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20
3,886
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The Nightmare Before Christmas
Paul Reubens, Catherine O'Hara
Released: 1993
Directed by: Henry Selick
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Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire
Released: 1970
Directed by: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass
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Mickey's Christmas Carol
Gene Kelly, Ethel Merman
Released: 1983
Directed by: Burny Mattinson
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23
2,069
2,189
Miracle on 34th Street
Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson
Released: 1994
Directed by: Les Mayfield
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The Santa Clause 2
Elizabeth Mitchell, Aisha Tyler
Released: 2002
Directed by: Michael Lembeck
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The Year Without a Santa Claus
Mickey Rooney, Shirley Booth
Released: 1974
Directed by: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass
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