Which less common films do you have a family tradition of watching?

[Pirrin]

We enjoy watching a lot of the bog standard Christmas classics- Its a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, Elf, The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, The Nativity, The Snowman etc.

But my absolute favourite is Beatrix Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester even though it's only 20mins and just watched via YouTube. It's so Christmassy and lovely and made me wonder if any one else has any less obvious gems? I also love 'Santa Claus The Movie' but couldn't decide if that fell into the bog standard or lesser watched category!

Muppet Family Christmas. DH bought it the year DS was born and 18 years later it’s our Christmas Eve film.

It's not a film so I'm cheating but every year I watch the East Idaho news channel Secret Santa on YouTube. It's someone in the community who anonymously gives away a fortune to be spent on deserving people in the community who've had a hard time, giving them cheques, cars, store gift cards The stories are often heartbreaking but it's really touching too and the host, Nate, is so lovely.

m.youtube.com/@Eastidnews/videos

There's an article here about the making of Box of Delights that a few of you have mentioned:

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/dec/12/how-we-made-christmas-classic-the-box-of-delights-the-canal-death-scene-may-have-been-fuelled-by-vodka?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

"every year I watch the East Idaho news channel Secret Santa on YouTube*

This sounds right up my street! I used to love Oprah when she was giving away cars and houses. Thanks for this recommendation.

The Family Stone - love it!

The Box of delights
The Bishop's Wife (discovered thanks to mumsnet!)

For those who loved the family stone, there is a film on prime ‘almost christmas’ which has similar big family cosy vibes, its. A bit funnier but overall a fun festive watch

or Christmas with the coopers is another one.

i love big family xmas movies.

The Night They Saved Christmas, very old cheesy TV movie about drilling for oil and nearly blowing up the North Pole.

I also really like watching Deck the Halls with the kids.

Thank you for the recommendation, I love the family stone, it's one of my favourites and I watch it a few times every December, cry at the end every time! I like Christmas with the Cooper's too so I'll check out almost Christmas

Did you watch? Any good? Considering tonight

or About Time

what a dilemma!

I started to watch it the other night, but only got 10 minutes into it as I was feeling awful and went to bed, have come down with a flu virus. I'll finish watching when I feel better

Krampus. The one with Toni Collette. It's scary but not too scary. DD already watched Home Alone at a movie night at school so we are going to try this as our Christmas Eve movie.

Great suggestions. We love classics It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, also A Charlie Brown Christmas and Grinch (original) cartoon, Rudolph and all the 60s stop motion Christmas specials. Die Hard, several of the ones mentioned.

A less common one we like is an episode of the Andy Griffith Show where a grumpy businessman (like Scrooge) embraces the spirit of Christmas.

Going to watch The Tailor of Gloucester!

Jaws and When the Wind Blows

Hardly family viewing (and I should mention my 8 year old has not seen either yet) and definitely not Christmas related but my siblings and I have been watching them together every year since the 80s.

We also throw on Watership Down (the old version, not the crappy remake).

Also the original Black Christmas.

Still the only ‘scary’ movie that’s actually scared me.

Love Krampus!

Don’t bother. It was utterly shit!

Oh, that's a shame. Thank you for letting me know

Click and Collect with Stephen Merchant - it's now mandatory viewing in our house.

Mary Poppins - my little boy insists on this every year at some point over Christmas.

Gone With The Wind - I know it's rather dated, but it's one of those big sweeping films that would be on at Christmas. My nana (she was basically like my mum) also really loved it, and this our first Christmas without her as she passed away in March, so watching it will bring back happy memories of watching it with her.

For those wanting to watch Bernard and the Genie, it's on Britbox, if you have that. 🙂

Yes that’s our new Christmas Eve movie

We watch The Hogfather on Christmas Eve every year.

Love to watch Wuthering Heights, the original B&W version with Merle Oberon and Lawrence Olivier on Christmas Eve evening. So atmospheric gets me in the mood for Christmas.

Get Santa is our fave, its a British film with Jim Broadbent as Santa who gets put in prison after he crashes his sleigh. Steven Graham, Rafe Spall and Warwick Davis help him break out. Very funny, my son and I love it

This is our first Christmas film every year. Me and my daughter absolutely love it.

Love that a lot of it is filmed in my home city too :)

Gruffalo's Child.

DD was always loved the Ice Age films and there is a short Xmas one which is very funny.

Happy Feet. Love the shrimp.