The Polar Express
On a snowy Christmas Eve, a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole and embarks on a journey of self-discovery, which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Ron Howard’s 2001 live-action remake of this 1966 animated classic can be considered a favorite holiday movie for kids, thanks mainly to Jim Carrey’s hilarious and surprisingly touching performance as the Mean Green One. It’s great finding out what happened to make the Grinch so surly. Plus, the visuals (just imagine how long it took to put on all that makeup) are amazing.
Prancer
This 1989 tearjerker centers on Jessica (Rebecca Harrell), the daughter of an impoverished apple farmer, who still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides the reindeer in her barn and feeds it cookies, until she can return it to Santa. Oh yeah, get the Kleenex out.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV)
The 1964 animated, stop-motion TV classic is something all kids can’t wait to watch on television during the holiday season. Sam the Snowman (Burl Ives) narrates the story of a young red-nosed reindeer who, after being ousted from the reindeer games because of his bright and shiny nose, feels like a misfit and runs away, teaming up with other misfits–Hermey, an elf who wants to be a dentist, and Yukon Cornelius, the prospector. But when Rudolph returns on Christmas Eve to discover Santa’s sleigh is fogged in, suddenly he gets a very bright idea.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (TV)
Of all the animated holiday shorts, from Rudolph to Frosty to Kris Kringle, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the best, hands down. In this genuine classic, the Peanuts gang puts together a Christmas pageant and poor Charlie Brown gets a little–like, really little–tree. Peanuts’ creator Charles Schultz, who died in 1999, will be missed, but there will always be this holiday standard by which to remember him.
The Year Without a Santa Clause (TV)
Another stop-motion classic from 1972 tells the story about the time Santa had a bad cold and decided to take a vacation from Christmas. Two of his elves, Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells, decide to go out to find children who will convince Santa that the Christmas spirit is still important to everybody else. But they have to get pas the Heat Miser and Snow Miser first. Good thing Mrs. Clause knows their mom–Mother Nature.
