Best Movies About Santa Claus

From Henry Selick, starring Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey
Rated PG

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop-motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. The film tells the story of Jack Skellington, a resident of "Halloween Town" who stumbles through a portal to "Christmas Town" and decides to celebrate the holiday, with some dastardly and comical consequences. Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween Town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween — but alas, they can't get it quite right. He then attempts to kidnap Santa Claus and take over the role of Santa Claus and deliver presents to children. However, his plan backfires and he is nearly destroyed by his own bad plans. In the end, with the help of Sally, Santa Claus, and the citizens of Christmas Town, Jack Skellington learns the true meaning of Christmas.

From Bob Clark, starring Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz
Rated PG

A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the film follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) and his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Along the way, he runs into a host of obstacles, including a crabby department store Santa, his mother's insistence that he'll shoot his eye out, and a triple-dog-dare from a school bully. With his family and friends, Ralphie eventually overcomes all of these obstacles and is rewarded with his prized BB gun. The film also stars Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon as Ralphie's parents and Ian Petrella as his kid brother, Randy.

From Chris Columbus, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard
Rated PG

Home Alone is a classic Christmas comedy film that follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister as he accidentally gets left behind when his family goes on vacation. He must fend for himself in his empty home, while also preventing two bumbling burglars from breaking in and stealing his family's valuables. With the help of his neighbor, an old man and a young polka band, Kevin is able to outsmart the burglars and save his family's home. The film stars Macaulay Culkin and was directed by Chris Columbus.

From Richard Curtis, starring Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney
Rated R

Love Actually follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England. The stories deal with the joys and pitfalls of love in the various forms it can take, from the romantic to the familial. The characters confront a variety of dilemmas as they navigate their way through the complexities of love in the modern world. Through it all, and despite the difficulties, each couple is determined to find a way to make their respective relationships work and find a way to true happiness.

From Jeremiah S. Chechik, starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki
Rated PG-13

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a 1989 American family comedy film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. It is the third installment in National Lampoon's Vacation film series and stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid. The film follows the Griswold family, now starring Clark (Chevy Chase) and Ellen Griswold (Beverly D'Angelo) as they try to have a perfect Christmas. Clark's attempts to provide a great Christmas for his family are continually plagued by misfortunes, from his father-in-law's unexpected visit to his boss's Christmas bonus. Clark's plans for a big Christmas party for the family are further hindered when his cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his family come to stay with them. Despite the mishaps, Clark and his family still manage to enjoy the holiday season, and in the end, find a way to make everything work out. The film was a box office hit, grossing over $71 million against a budget of $27 million, and has since become a holiday classic and a staple of Christmas television.

From Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, starring Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad
Rated PG

From Peter Ramsey, starring Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine
Rated PG

From Directors: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook, starring James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie
Rated PG

From Terry Zwigoff, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter
Rated R

From Jon Favreau, starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel
Rated PG

From Donald Petrie, starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith
Rated PG-13

From Nancy Meyers, starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black
Rated PG-13

From Richard Donner, starring Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover
Rated PG-13

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Steve Valentine
Rated PG

From Chris Columbus, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara
Rated PG

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Leslie Zemeckis
Rated G

From Jalmari Helander, starring Jorma Tommila, Onni Tommila, Peeter Jakobi, Tommi Korpela
Rated R

From John Pasquin, starring Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd
Rated PG

From Thomas Bezucha, starring Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Diane Keaton
Rated PG-13

From Preston A. Whitmore II, starring Regina King, Columbus Short, Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba
Rated PG-13

From Ron Howard, starring Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Kelley, Jeffrey Tambor
Rated PG

From Chazz Palminteri, starring Susan Sarandon, Penélope Cruz, Paul Walker, Alan Arkin
Rated PG

From Alfredo Rodriguez de Villa, starring John Leguizamo, Freddy Rodríguez, Debra Messing, Alfred Molina
Rated PG-13

From Charles E. Sellier Jr., starring Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson
Rated R

From Seth Gordon, starring Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall
Rated PG-13