The Christmas Movie Canon

That's right, there's a Christmas movie canon, just like there's a scripture canon and a literature canon. If anything, the Christmas movie is just as sacred and important as the other canons in the world. And just like every canon contains differing things with every person you ask, the Christmas movie one is different depending on you and your family.

There are, however, a few classics that are pretty much required to be present in your family's Christmas Movie Canon:
1. It's a Wonderful Life: There is a law (I'm sure) that says it is not Christmas unless you watch this movie. The end.
2. White Christmas: While this one is not quite as important as "It's a Wonderful Life," it is still one of those movies that helps ring in Christmas. I mean, who doesn't love Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye cross dressing? (If for some reason the musical aspect of this movie is too much for you, feel free to add/replace this with "Miracle on 34th Street" (old school or remake).)
3. Some version of A Christmas Carol: Come on, there's like 500 versions, surely you can pick one to include in your Christmas canon. Personally, I have two--Scrooged and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
4. A claymation/animated classic: It's just not a true Christmas season without watching at least one of the claymation/animated movies. Take your pick: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (my choice), The Little Drummer Boy, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, The Year Without a Santa Claus, A Charlie Brown Christmas, not to mention the Disney/Mickey Mouse Christmas movies; heck, I'd even let you count The Nightmare Before Christmas if you wanted!
5. A Modern Christmas movie: Although I tend to pick many in this genre to include in my own canon, you can just pick one if you want (or can). Here's the one's I pick--Elf, The Santa Clause (I could care less about the sequels), The Polar Express (which could be considered an animated also), The Grinch, Christmas Vacation, and Love Actually (which isn't explicitly a Christmas movie, but it's set during Christmastime, so it's good enough for me). There are plenty more (and new ones come out every year) then these. If anything, turn on the Lifetime or Hallmark channels (or ABC Family) during the season, and you will be barraged with thousands of made for TV modern Christmas movies (many are cheesy and predictable though, just to warn you).
6. Lastly, A Christmas Story: If you have not seen this movie, you have obviously lived a terrible, deprived childhood. If you've seen it and didn't like it, I encourage you to give it another chance and don't watch it for an explicit plot or moral life lesson. If you're telling me, "Look, Mattie, no matter how much you plead, I am not going to like this movie!" then I am sorry for you. If you have already made up your mind, then there is no way I can convince you. Go watch "A Christmas Vacation" or a few Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movies to make up for the gaping hole in your Christmas movie canon. For the rest of you, this movie is an American Christmas classic. It is silly, hilarious, and just all together enjoyable for the whole family. It completes any Christmas movie canon.

And with that said, it completes my Christmas movie canon. How is yours shaping up?