December 12, 2022 by Eliza Krackeler (’24)
Home Alone
The movie Home Alone, popular with SSHS students, finds Kevin McCallister forgotten and left alone in his house while his family is away on a Christmas vacation. This movie takes on a nostalgic tone as it explores themes of family, safety, and self-reliance. This film will strike a chord with the imaginative and can be appreciated by the whole family for what it brings to the table.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Can you relate to the grinch? Do you hate the holidays and want to spend as little time as possible participating in all the holiday merrymaking? If so, this 26-minute-long film is the perfect movie for you to satisfy your Christmas loving family members.
For some, this is a movie of choice. Senior Giana Cammisa said, “The Grinch is a classic. They don’t animate movies like that anymore.” The art is next level, and perfectly describes the childlike feeling of waking up on Christmas morning.
Die Hard
Adventure. Terrorism. Criminal activity. All words commonly associated with Christmas. Nothing screams Christmas like a hostage situation in Los Angeles. Set on Christmas day (and perhaps the only connection to the holiday this film has), Die Hard is an anti-cheer action packed movie with never a dull moment.
To junior Bianca Babcock, this movie is a “holiday tradition.” Violently funny, in more ways than one, Die Hard is the perfect movie for fans of action and can easily be watched again and again, year after year.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has humor around every turn. This movie showcases a nuanced take on the theme of the classic large family gathering gone sideways. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without family, right?
In the film, main character Clark Griswold is shocked by the happenings at his Christmas reunion. He is forced to grapple with trouble at work, his brother-in-law camping out on the lawn and blowing up his sewage system, and a crazy squirrel that wasn’t invited (but who sort of blended in with the ragtag group anyway) causing chaos during the family’s already tumultuous vacation.
The Burl Ives Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer claymation film has stood the test of time and still comes to mind as an iconic Christmas movie. To junior Jillian Ferrie, Rudolph’s red nose is, literally and figuratively, the highlight. She said, “I like his red nose.”
At least someone does. The story follows Rudolph, a reindeer whose red nose makes him a social outcast, as he’s working on finding his place in the world. This story will have you tearing up.
The Holiday
This movie is for all the hopeless romantics out there. In the context of another fake scenario that would never happen (the common thread between romantic comedies), two women swap houses, seeking ways to mend their broken hearts.