Holiday movies Canadians love
By Delaney Rombough
Posted on December 20, 2021
With the winter holiday season comes many holiday movies. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, some popcorn, and a cozy blanket and settle in for a winter movie night. Here are some holiday-themed movies that we’d recommend.
Home Alone
Home Alone follows the misadventures of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister when he is accidentally left at home by himself over Christmas. After fighting with his family and being sent up to sleep in the attic, Kevin wishes he had no family. His wish seems to have come true. But now, home alone, Kevin must protect the family home against two robbers. This can only lead to chaos and hilarity. There are four films in the Home Alone franchise and you can watch them all on Disney+.
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story is a series of vignettes. The narrator, Ralphie, reflects on the Christmas where he got the best Christmas present ever—a Red Ryder Range 200 shot BB gun. There are several stories woven within this one such as dealing with the neighbourhood bullies, family matters, and a malfunctioning furnace. All Ralphie wants to do is try and make it to Christmas so he can get the present of his dreams.
Although this movie takes place in Indiana, parts of A Christmas Story were filmed in Toronto and St. Catharines, Ont. You may recognize the view of the Toronto port.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic Christmas story. This movie is based on a Dr. Seuss book of the same name. The Grinch and his dog Max live at the top of Mount Crumpet and like the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, Christmas disrupts this peace and quiet. The Grinch comes up with a plan to pose as Santa Claus and steal Christmas and the town’s holiday cheer.
This story has been adapted many times over the years. There’s the 1966 original animated TV special; there’s also the 2000 live-action feature-length movie, and a 2018 feature-length animated movie. The Grinch has also been made into a musical, and in 2020, there was a live-action television version of the musical.
Let It Snow
Let It Snow is based on the Young Adult novel of the same name. A big snowstorm hits a small town in the midwest on Christmas Eve, bringing together a group of high school students. Friendship, love, and family all collide as these young teenagers try to figure out what’s next after graduation and enjoy the holiday season at the same time.
Let It Snow was filmed in several locations around Ontario including Brantford, Millbrook, and the industry-renowned soundstages at Pinewood Studios in Toronto.
The Man Who Invented Christmas
The Man Who Invented Christmas is a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic book A Christmas Carol. The screenplay for this movie is written by Canadian actress and writer, Susan Coyne. In this movie, Charles Dickens battles the ghosts of his past as he begins writing A Christmas Carol. As he writes, Charles interacts with the characters in his book as they appear before him, including Ebenezer Scrooge. It’s a race against time as Charles struggles to publish his book in time for Christmas.