Christmas movies have become as important a part of festive season as the Christmas tree itself. There are many films that capture the spirit of Christmas, warming the hearts of the young and old. Here are some suggestions on films and animations that capture Christmas for you. The section has been broken down into:: New Release, London-themed, Traditional, Modern, and Animation.
Best. Christmas. Ever. (Released 16 November 2023)
Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, Jason Biggs
Every year at Christmas, Jackie sends a cocky newsletter to her friend Charlotte. Fate brings Charlotte to Jackie's doorstep. As a result, Charlotte tries to prove that her friend's life is not perfect.
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Candy Cane Lane (Released 1 December 2023)
Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell
A man is determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an elf to help him win--and the elf casts a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, which brings chaos to town.
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About a Boy (2002)
Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette
Will, a rich, child-free and irresponsible Londoner in his thirties invents an imaginary son and starts attending single parent meetings. As a result of one of his liaisons, he meets Marcus, an odd 12-year-old boy with problems at school.
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Boxing Day (2021)
Aml Ameen, Aja Naomi King, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Melvin (Ameen), a British author living in America, who returns home to London for Christmas to introduce his American fiancée. Their relationship is put to the test as she discovers the world her fiancée has left behind.
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A Christmas Carol (1999)
Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant
Standing out in the crowded field of screen adaptations of the classic Dickens novel A Christmas Carol is hard to do, but this version pulls it off.
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Last Christmas (2019)
Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson
Kate (Emilia Clarke) harumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions. Tom (Henry Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers … you gotta have faith.
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Love Actually (2003)
Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Martine McCutcheon, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley
An all star cast in this pleasant film, featuring several stories of love and lost love, all set against a glorious Christmas backdrop.
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The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Christopher Plummer, Dan Stevens, Jonathan Pryce
The magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol.
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Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey? (2014)
Martin Clunes, Catherine Tate, Adam Garcia, Marc Wootton
The pupils of St Bernadette's and the madcap Mr Poppy (Marc Wootton) are back! When their new teacher Mr Shepherd (Martin Clunes) loses his memory as well as Archie the Donkey, it's up to them to save the day.
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Surviving Christmas with the Relatives (2018)
Julian Ovenden, Gemma Whelan, Joely Richardson
A British comedy drama in which the families of two sisters gather at their late parents' country house to celebrate the season.
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It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
James Stewart, Donna Reed
Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement.
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Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood
The original 1947 version of this Valentine Davies story follows the misadventures of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) as he gets a job playing Santa Claus at Macy's department store in New York City.
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The Nativity Story (2006)
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Ciarán Hinds, Alexander Siddig
Following Mary and Joseph’s life for the two years before the birth of Christ. "The Nativity Story" chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus.
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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman
All Clara wants is a key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift from her late mother. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather holiday party, leads her to the key and a strange and mysterious parallel world.
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Scrooge (1951)
Alastair Sim, Mervyn Johns
The classic Charles Dickens tale about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who treats all men with contempt and all kindness as 'humbug'. Probably the finest version made.
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Scrooge (1970)
Albert Finney, Alec Guinness
A mixed bag as variations on A Christmas Carol go, this 1970 British musical tells the usual story of Scrooge (Albert Finney) and his spirits on Christmas Eve, although the whole thing is set to music by Leslie Bricusse.
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White Christmas (1954)
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen
This semi-remake of Holiday Inn (the first movie in which Irving Berlin's perennial, Oscar-winning holiday anthem was featured). Crosby is cool, Clooney is warm, Kaye is goofy, and Vera-Ellen is leggy.
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A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon
We follow our three under-appreciated moms as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of Christmas. And they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers.
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A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Henry Lawfull, Stephen Merchant
Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. An endearing story that proves nothing is impossible.
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All I Want for Christmas (1991)
Harley Jane Kozak, Jamey Sheridan, Ethan Embry, Kevin Nealon, Thora Birch
"All I Want For Christmas" is a comedy about two New York City children who launch a hilarious scheme to get what they most want this holiday season.
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Call Me Claus (2001)
Whoopi Goldberg, Nigel Hawthorne, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Victor Garber, Taylor Negron
When Lucy Cullins, a successful but cranky producer at a home shopping network, hires an actor named Nick to play Santa Claus on the network she gets more than she bargained for.
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The Christmas Candle (2013)
Hans Matheson, Samantha Barks, John Hannah
In Gladbury, every 25 years an angel visits the candlemaker and bestows a miracle upon whomever lights the Christmas Candle. Shortly after the arrival of a new pastor, David Richmond in 1890, the Candle goes missing.
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Christmas in Wonderland (2007)
Patrick Swayze, Tim Curry, Carmen Electra
It’s turning out to be a pretty rotten Christmas for the Saunders family. Having just moved to Edmonton, Canada, all the way from Los Angeles, Brian and Danny are missing their friends.
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A Christmas Princess (2011)
Sir Roger Moore, Katie McGrath and Travis Turner
Christmas is right around the corner and Jules Daly (McGrath) is doing her best to create a loving home as new guardian to her mischievous niece and nephew.
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The Christmas Shoes (2002)
Rob Lowe, Kimberly Williams, Max Morrow, Maria del Mar, Hugh Thompson
The Christmas Shoes bounces between two families - the Laytons, where father Robert (Lowe) is so consumed with work; and the Andrews home, where mother Maggie (Williams) has been diagnosed with a fatal ailment.
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A Christmas Story (1983)
Melinda Dillion, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley
In 1940's Indiana, nine-year-old Ralphie dreams of his ideal Christmas gift: a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle.
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A Christmas Star (2015)
Rob James-Collier, Suranne Jones, Bronagh Waugh
When a developer threatens Noelle's peaceful life, she and her friends use her gift of performing miracles to thwart his plans and save their village.
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A Christmas Too Many (2007)
Mickey Rooney, Ruta Lee, Andrew Keegan, Gary Coleman
A Chrismas Too Many is a comedic romp that examines the relationships of the "perfect" Christmas family. When Oscar winning actress Lana Myers decides to invite her estranged family back home to California for the holidays.
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Christmas with the Coopers (2015)
John Goodman, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, Alan Arkin
When four generations of the Cooper family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down ....
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Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd
Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther (Allen) and Nora Krank (Curtis) have in mind when they decide to skip the holiday altogether.
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Daddy's Home 2 (2017)
Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, John Lithgow, Mel Gibson
Father and stepfather Dusty and Brad join forces to make Christmastime perfect for the children. The partnership is put to the test when Dusty's old-school, macho dad and Brad's gentle father arrive to turn the holiday upside down.
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Deck The Halls (2006)
Danny Devito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat
A family comedy about one-upsmanship, jealousy, clashing neighbors, home decoration and the true spirit of the holidays.
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Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski, Treat Williams
Seasonal cheer comes to a screeching halt when a cold-hearted woman tries to sell her hometown's land. Can music, magic and memories change her mind?
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Elf (2003)
Will Ferrell, James Caan, Katie Asner, Mary Steenburgen
Ferrell makes yet another memorable splash on the big screen in Jon Favreau's sweet and hilarious Christmas fable. Ferrell is Buddy, an innocent figure who was raised as an elf in the North Pole by his adoptive father, Papa Elf.
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Four Christmases (2008)
Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen
When upsacle, happily unmarried San Franscisco couple Kate and Brad find themseleves socked in by fog on Christmas morning, their exotic vacation plans morph into the family-centric holiday they had, until now, gleefully avoided.
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Fred Claus (2007)
Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Kevin Spacey
Fred Claus has lived his entire life in his brother's very large shadow. Fred tried, but could hardly live up to the example set by the younger Nicholas, who was just a perfect, well, saint.
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Get Santa (2014)
Jim Broadbent, Warwick Davis, Jodie Whittaker
A father and son who team up to save Christmas once they discover Santa Claus sleeping in their garage after crashing his sleigh and finding himself on the run from the police.
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The Grinch (2000)
Jim Carrey, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Anthony Hopkins
Jim Carrey is up to all his old tricks (and some nifty new ones) in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, a live-action film of Dr Seuss's holiday classic.
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The Holiday (2006)
Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black
In writer/director Nancy Meyers "The Holiday," two women on opposite sides of the globe, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) find themselves in a similar predicament.
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Home Alone (1990)
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci
Now and forever a favourite among kids, this 1990 comedy about a troubled 8-year-old who doesn't comfortably mesh with his large family. He's forced to grow a little after being left behind when his family goes to Paris.
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Home Alone 2 - Lost In New York (1992)
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Tim Curry
This 1992 sequel to the blockbuster Home Alone revisits the first film's gimmick by stranding Macaulay Culkin's character in New York City while his family ends up somewhere else.
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Home Alone 3 (1997)
Alex D. Linz, Olek Krupa, Rya Kihlstedt, Lenny von Dohlen, David Thornton
A band of international crooks has hidden a military computer chip inside a toy car, but an airport mix-up lands it in the hands of whiz-kid Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz) who's home alone with the chicken pox in a quiet Chicago suburb.
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Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)
Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney, Archie Yates, Aisling Bea
When a married couple attempting to retrieve a priceless heirloom sets their sights on the Mercer family's home, it is up to Max to protect it from the trespassers, and he will do whatever it takes to keep them out.
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Jingle All The Way (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad
A comedy about two fathers who are trying to locate and purchase the same hugely popular action toy on Christmas Eve. Schwarzenegger plays a busy father who makes lots of promises to his son that he can't keep.
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Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Madalen Mills
A musical adventure set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder.
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Miracle On 34th Street (1994)
Richard Attenborough, Dylan McDermott
Pretty good remake of the 1947 charmer. Attenborough is wonderful as the man who calls himself Kris Kringle, and Wilson is irresistible as the little girl who doesn't believe in Santa.
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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Juliette Lewis
Disaster-prone dad (Chevy Chase) discovers just how dangerous the Christmas season really is, as the Griswolds' old-fashioned holiday celebration turns out to be more "Bah! Humbug!" than Christmas cheer.
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Nativity! (2009)
Martin Freeman, Ashley Jensen, Ricky Tomlinson
Primary school teacher Paul Maddens (Martin Freeman) decides to take on the biggest challenge of his life - staging his school's musical production of the Nativity.
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Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012)
David Tennant, Jessica Hynes, Marc Wootton, Joanna Page
Donald Peterson is an anxious teacher who takes a job at an underachieving primary school, St Bernadette's. He struggles to deal with his pupils and his classroom assistant Mr Poppy, while caring for his pregnant wife.
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Nativity Rocks! (2018)
Simon Lipkin, Craig Revel Horwood, Meera Syal, Ruth Jones
We're back with the kids from St Bernadette's Primary School in Coventry as the staff and students audition for a coveted place in a spectacular rock musical competition.
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The Night Before (2015)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie
Ethan, Isaac and Chris have been friends since childhood, their Christmas Eve reunion has been an annual night of debauchery. Now entering adulthood, they want to make the end of the tradition as memorable as possible.
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Office Christmas Party (2016)
Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman
When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand ...
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One Magic Christmas (1985)
Mary Steenburgen, Harry Dean Stanton
Grab a box of tissues, gather your loved ones around a cozy television, and bring on the hot cocoa - it's time for a dose of Christmas spirit.
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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Tommi Korpela, Per Christian Ellefsen, Jorma Tommila
A film for those who think they don't believe in Santa Claus anymore ... not for the kids!
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Santa Claus - The Movie (1985)
Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, David Huddleston, Burgess Meredith, Judy Cornwell
The first half of this film, set hundreds of years ago, shows how the old man who eventually became Santa Claus was given immortality and chosen to deliver toys to all the children of the world.
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The Santa Clause (1995)
Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold
Tim Allen makes an impressive screen debut in Disney's well-written holiday film, Divorced toy company executive Scott Calvin is pleased to have his son Charlie for Christmas, though the boy himself isn't happy about it.
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The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judge Reinhold
After eight years of being Father Christmas, Scott Calvin, discovers that he must find a Mrs Claus ... He sets out to find a suitable woman but unfortunately this proves to be quite a difficult task.
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The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
Tim Allen, Martin Short, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judge Reinhold
Tim Allen reprises his role of Scott Calvin - AKA Santa - as he juggles a full house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short), who is trying to take over the "big guy's" holiday.
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Santa Who? (2000)
Leslie Nielsen, Max Morrow, Tommy Davidson, Steve Eckholdt, Robyn Lively
Leslie Nielsen tones down the bumbling for Santa Who? but wearing a belly like a bowl full of jelly does little to diminish his trademark dimwittedness, which is what gets the bells ringing on this St. Nick flick.
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Saving Santa (2013)
Joan Collins, Tim Curry, Martin Freeman
With dreams of being an inventor, opportunist and eccentric elf Bernard D. Elf is made to feel a fool yet again when his innovative creation to bring back people's favourite Christmas memories back to life fails miserably.
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Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray, John Forsythe
You have to enjoy his deliciously nasty portrayal of the world's meanest TV executive, who has his cathartic moment one cold Christmas night in New York City.
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Surviving Christmas (2004)
Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate, Catherine O'Hara
A rich record executive (Affleck) stuck with spending Christmas alone decides to return to the one place where he was once happiest, his childhood home, asking the family that lives there now to take him in for their celebrations.
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This Christmas (2007)
Laz Alonso, Sharon Leal, Columbus Short, Mekhi Phifer, Regina King, Idris Elba, Chris Brown
This year, Christmas with the Whitfield's promises to be one they will never forget. All the siblings have come home for the first time in years and they've brought plenty of baggage with them.
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Violent Night (2022)
David Harbour, Beverly D'Angelo, Gertrude Lightstone, John Leguizamo
An elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage. However, they aren't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.
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While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman
If you don't mind a heavy dose of schmaltz and sentiment, this romantic comedy has a gentle way of seducing you with its charms. And most importantly - the story is set around Christmas.
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Arthur Christmas (2011)
Jim Broadbent, James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, Bill Nighy
Arthur Christmas reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?'
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Barbie™ in A Christmas Carol (2008)
A heart-warming adaptation of the classic Dickens story filled with cherished Christmas carols, fabulous fashions and lots of laughs! The tale stars Barbie™ as Eden Starling™ the glamorous singing diva of a theatre in Victorian London. Along with her snooty cat.
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Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
The events unfold between the time in the first film where Belle bartered herself to the Beast and her later return to the village to save her father. So the Beast's heart still hasn't been melted yet and he's susceptible to the inky persuasions of Forte (Tim Curry), a malevolent pipe organ (and former music teacher to the prince)..
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Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)
Jim Carrey, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey), who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of one night.
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The Grinch (2018)
Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Angela Lansbury, Pharrell Williams
The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl's generous holiday spirit.
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How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)
To heck with the kids -this is one of the best Christmas presents you can give yourself. Adapted from the children's book by Dr Seuss, this charming story is one to watch every holiday season. It is just edgy enough to help you forget the more cloying aspects of Christmas.
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I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It's Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun's big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer.
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Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
Mickey and the gang team up for a new holiday adventure and for the first time ever they are all computer animated. There will be five mini films that include: Belles on Ice, Christmas:Impossible, Christmas Maximus, Donald's Gift, Mickey's Dog-Gone Christmas.
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The Muppet Christmas Carol (1993)
Michael Caine
Brian Henson directs his late father's creations in the Charles Dickens classic, the best known (and most oft-filmed) Christmas story of all time. Michael Caine plays the old miser Scrooge with Kermit as his long-suffering Bob Cratchit.
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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
For those who never thought Disney would release a film in which Santa Claus is kidnapped and tortured, well, here it is. The full title is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, which should give you an idea of the tone of this stop-action animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy.
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The Polar Express (2004)
Tom Hanks
Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? For one doubting boy (voice of Daryl Sabara and Tom Hanks), an astonishing event occurs.
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Robin Robin (2021)
Gillian Anderson, Richard E Grant, Bronte Carmichael, Adeel Akhtar
Robin is raised by a family of mice. As she grows up, her differences become more apparent. Robin sets off on the heist to end all heists to prove that she can be a really good mouse – but ends up discovering who she really is.
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Shrek The Halls (2007)
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz
This special features the Shrek characters putting their own spin on holiday traditions. It's Christmas Eve, and everyone is filled with holiday cheer, except for Shrek. He isn't exactly the picture of yuletide joy.
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The Simpsons - Christmas With The Simpsons (2003)
Spend Christmas with The Simpsons, episodes include 'The Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire', 'Mr. Plow', 'Miracle On Evergreen Terrace', 'Grift Of The Magi' and 'She Of Little Faith'.
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