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These Mashed Potatoes Are So Creamy

A List of Christmas Movies

Austin Channing Brown

Dec 4, 2021
10

I love Christmas movies! They ask you to dive into magic, to believe again in the possibility of the unexpected. Once upon a time, I waited until Thanksgiving to watch Christmas movies. But in the last 3 or 4 years, my indulgences all things cheesy has moved up my timeline significantly. This year I was watching Hallmark's Christmas in July, and I picked up again in October (pre-Halloween!) Old me would tell current me, "thats ridiculous." Current me would reply, "the world is about to get really hard... these movies will be waiting for you."

So, without further ado, I present to you a Christmas Movie Watch List

Must Watch Annually

While You Were Sleeping (I know that title gave it away!)

The Holiday (I mean, Kate Winslet and references to His Girl Friday, yes please)

All I Want for Christmas (saw this when I was a kid and my own parents were getting divorced. I loved it and I love it still)

Oh So Cheesy

Let It Snow (these teens are adorable!)

The Holiday Calendar

Feliz Navidad

Holiday Rush

A Christmas Treasure

Silly Christmas Movies

A lot of Christmas movies qualify as sappy, but these have me laughing out loud every year.

Friday After Next (Im not going to tell you how often I quote this movie)

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

Last Holiday (its sappy too, but Queen Latifah is delightful in this movie)

Black Christmas Movies

The Preachers Wife (I know every word, every ohh and ahhh)

Jingle Jangle

The Best Man Holiday (I was prepared for comedy and was shocked when I found myself crying by the end)

Black Nativity (Angela Bassett is always going to be a yes)

Classic Christmas Movies

Now, you know this list would be super incomplete without some important classics...

Home Alone

Home Alone II (I have to admit, I actually love this one more than the original!)

A Charlie Brown Christmas

The Muppet Christmas Carol (one more sleep!)

A Christmas Story

Animated Christmas Movies

How The Grinch Stole Christmas

The Star

Klaus (I enjoy this more every time I watch it)

Old Christmas Movies

Okay, so here is the thing about being Black and loving old movies... You gotta decide what to do with the racism and/or racist undertones. Sometimes that involves out right racism. Sometimes that involves erasure. Sometimes there's a weird combination of the two. So you have to be careful about when you watch these movies and perhaps hold the remote close so you can fast forward through some scenes. For example: I love The Holiday Inn but the black face number in the middle- sigh. SO with those caveats, here are my favorite vintage Christmas movies:

The Holiday Inn

White Christmas

Meet Me In St Louis

Miracle on 23th St

Okay, I also have an honorable mention. If you haven't yet, please make sure you watch The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, which follows the iconic Debbie Allen and the cutest kids you've ever seen.

Final note, Im not putting Die Hard on this list, and Im not sorry. If ever I make a romcom list however, I might add it because Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJohnson clearly formed a bond and that should be recognized... just not for Christmas. lol

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10 Comments

  • Rachel Lindsay Abasolo
    Writes Honestly, Rach
    Love this list! Thank you so much! I know what my holiday plans are!
    • 24w
  • Top fan
    Emily June Berg
    LOVE this! Such a great list! My husband's and my new tradition is to watch While You Were Sleeping while we put our ornaments on the tree, after the kids are in bed. SO funny, and SO sweet. Also, I forgot about The Preacher's Wife! Grabbing it from th…
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    • 24w
    • Edited
    • Author
      Austin Channing Brown
      yeah… gotta be careful with old movies. they are a reminder of how media both reflects and informs social realities. I haven’t watched Holiday Inn in a very long time but I have always loved it (as long as I ca fast forward).
      • 24w
  • Donna K Kirik
    I'll have to check out some on your list, but I'm not a big Christmas movie person. Every year I watch A Year without a Santa Claus (I'm heat miser), the aimated How the Grinch stole Christmas, and I've come to like Polar Express. I love The Holiday a…
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    • 24w
  • Kathi Pitra Gallagher
    Consider adding this new animated story to your list “5 more sleeps til Christmas “. It’s based on a book by Jimmy Fallon. Airing again in 12/23 on NBC. You can also stream on Peacock!!
    • 24w
    • Author
      Austin Channing Brown
      ohhh! I meant to add a list of movies coming up soon. another Im excited about it is A Gosepl Christmas with Kirk Franklin.
      • 24w
      • Edited
  • Ina Armstrong
    Thanks for your movie list. Once when I had the time and the Hallmark channel, I watched every movie they showed for Christmas! What was my mood? As a child, middle class, white, romantic, I liked White Christmas. Now I cannot stand it, not only it is …
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    • 24w
    • Author
      Austin Channing Brown
      Totally get it. As we grow and evolve, our tolerance levels change. And that’s okay. Hope you find/enjoy some other movies that still give you joy this season.
      • 24w
  • Steph Miller
    This list is amazing
    • 24w
  • Nicole A. Hershey
    This is such a great list!! "These mashed potatoes are so creamy" is my FAVORITE line from that movie! 😁
    • 24w
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