The only animated film on this list, The Polar Express is a 2004 Christmas fantasy film based on a children’s book with the same name. With the setting taking place on Christmas Eve, we follow a young boy traveling to the North Pole on a train powered by magic.
We follow the protagonist, Chris, who doesn’t know if he believes in Santa anymore. He is invited on a magical train by the Conductor. When they finally arrive at their destination of the North Pole, the conductor announces someone will be chosen to receive a gift from Santa Claus. Chris receives a bell which Santa lets him keep to remember the occasion and the train returns home.
The movie was a massive success as it grossed $286 million despite having a $170 million budget, the highest ever for an animated film at the time. That figure jumped to $318 million after it was re-released. The production of the film was different as human characters were portrayed using motion capture computer animation, with those animations taking place from June 2003 to May 2004.
Based on the famous Dr. Seuss’ short story, the live action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), stars Jim Carrey as the aforementioned antagonist living on Mount Crumpit, who hates the holiday of Christmas and the people of Whoville and attempts to ruin their Christmas celebrations.
The movie grossed a record $347 million against a budget of $123 million, as it began the highest growing film of 2000 and the second highest-grossing holiday film of all time behind Home Alone (1990). Along with multiple Academy Award wins in makeup and costume design, Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor due to his performance.
This movie does a great job of explaining the Grinch’s backstory as it delves into his childhood upbringing being raised by two female Whos. In school, the Grinch was bullied for his hairy face by Augustus MayWho, who ends up becoming the town’s mayor. Everyone laughs at him except Martha May Whovier, a girl the Grinch likes. Due to the humiliation from the incident, the Grinch decides to move away and take up residence on Mount Crumpit.
Throughout the book, the Grinch’s character arc is a major theme, as he becomes overwhelmed with the spirit of Christmas with the help of one of the Who children, Cindy Lou Who. Before his elaborate plot to steal all the town’s Christmas presents, the Grinch hears the townspeople singing and experiences his heart growing three sizes. The resolution of the film ends in the Grinch returning the presents and Martha professing her love for the Grinch.
Arguably the most iconic Christmas movie of all time, and the first in the franchise, Home Alone is a comedy about a young kid, Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin), an eight-year old boy who is forced to defend his home against burglars after his family makes the mistake of leaving him behind on route to Paris for Christmas vacation.
The movie ended up grossing a total of $476.7 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 1990 behind Paramount’s Ghost. It was the beginning of Culkin’s career as a child star and was nominated for multiple film awards including two Academy awards and two Golden Globes. In 2023, the film was inducted into the National Film Registry due to his cultural significance.
The premise of the movie can be related to the angst of the holiday season, as Kevin, labeled a troublemaker by his family, causes a fight with his older brother Buzz, requiring his mother to punish him by making him sleep in the attic. In his frustration, Kevin wishes that his family would disappear. The next morning, Kevin wakes up and searches the house before finding everyone missing. He makes the famous remark, “I think I made my family disappear!”, before a compilation ensues of him doing things he didn’t have permission to do.
A pair of burglars stake out the house in an effort to break in but Kevin, in realizing this, sets up an array of elaborate traps which thwart the plans of the burglars. The resolution of the movie occurs when Kevin lures the burglars into his neighbor’s home, where they are knocked out with a snow shovel. On Christmas Day, Kevin’s family returns and a heartfelt resolution between the family occurs.
