7 Movies to Get You Excited About the Holidays

wreathThe holidays are almost here and at The Lakeside Collection we are excited to break out the garland, hot cocoa and candy canes! The guests haven’t arrived yet, so we still have a little bit of time to spend with the family — that means movie night! We have a whole list of movies that get us in the mood for festivities in the next two months — and we think they’ll work on you, too! Here are 7 movies to get you excited about the holidays:

Home-AloneHome Alone Who can resist the young, clever, towheaded Macaulay Culkin? In this 1990 John Hughes classic, he wins us over as Kevin McCallister — the youngest of a horde of children, who’s abandoned in his home while his family is off to Paris for Christmas. While the innocent little guy is trying to survive on his own, his calm, new life of solitude is disrupted by two brainless burglars. But our fearless youngster outsmarts the bad guys just in time for the family to return home on Christmas.

Elf While Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf is decades older than Kevin McCalister, he’s also more naive. This 2003 favorite follows Buddy from his home with Santa and the Elves at the North Pole to New York City to find his biological father — a grouchy man who didn’t know he had a 40-year-old son. To Buddy’s disappointment, his dad rejects him and he’s left to navigate the new city by himself. But Buddy is persistent and as his dad gets to know Buddy, he softens and welcomes Buddy into his family for a merry Christmas.

Muppet-Christmas-CarolThe Muppet Christmas Carol If you’re going to watch any version of the Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday, make it The Muppet Christmas Carol. Though it’s a dark story, the Muppets give it life and comedy with songs like “Christmas Scat” from Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. Though they are Muppets, the movie stays true to the story with Michael Caine taking Ebenezer Scrooge from mean old man to kind gentleman, you walk away from it feeling a little more generous.

A Christmas Story Rewind to a 1950’s Christmas in which a Red Ryder BB gun is at the top of 9-year-old Ralphie’s Christmas list. It’s his only fantasy and, despite the warnings he gets from everyone, he wishes and begs for the Red Ryder. Just about anyone can relate to his obsession with getting a toy, but few of us would persevere the way Ralphie does after being discouraged — repeatedly — from getting excited about the Red Ryder. After an awkward Christmas Eve dinner and disappointing Christmas morning, Raphie gets exactly what he wished for —  and way more than what he bargained for.

Christmas-VacationChristmas Vacation We went to Wally World and Europe with the Griswolds, but in Christmas Vacation, they take us us home — but with all the misadventure of their other trips. It’s as uncomfortable and difficult as any other family holiday, just more… wacky and dangerous. With Chevy Chase as Clark, he is as ambitious as ever and simultaneously failing masterfully at all his plans as the holiday arrives. Christmas might be disappointing for the Griswolds, but the Griswolds don’t disappoint us.

Gremlins The best Christmas present ever: a tiny, furry creature with all the charm of a two-week old kitten. The worst Christmas present ever: a tiny, furry creature that multiplies when it gets wet, turns into a scaly, slimy goblin when it eats after midnight and turns your town into a war-zone. That’s what happens when Billy Peltzer receives a “mogwai” over the holidays. This horror-comedy is more hilarious than horrific — it’s good for a laugh as the holidays approach. If you have doubts about its entertainment value, Steven Spielberg was the executive producer and the director was Chris Columbus of Home Alone fame.

GrinchHow the Grinch Stole Christmas Looking vaguely similar to a gremlin, the Grinch is only slightly less menacing as the mythical creatures. The bitter Grinch — annoyed by Christmas cheer, takes it upon himself to make the holiday as miserable for everyone in Whoville as it is for him. He dresses up as Santa Claus, sneaks into all the homes to steal presents before they can be opened. Despite the Grinch’s efforts to put a stop to Christmas, he didn’t destroy Whoville’s Christmas spirit but, in the process, made a change for the good in himself.

You only get so many weekend nights in before the family and guests start trickling in for the holidays. With gift shopping and holiday parties ahead, things are only going to get more crazy. Make the most of the calm moments before the storm for movies with the kids to enjoy the holidays before they get hectic.

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