Patch Picks: Top 5 Holiday Movies

If you haven’t quite felt the spirit of giving, wonder and delight just yet, there are so many movies out there that you can watch that will have you singing somewhat of a joyous tune. This week, Patch recommends five seasonal movies that you can watch to get every festive bone in your body ready for the holidays.

Sachem Patch picks the Top 5 Holiday Movies:

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989): This quirky film has people repeating funny lines like, "Grace? She passed away 30 years ago." People know situations like getting a one year membership to the jelly of the month club and having a few unwanted and unstable relatives staying with you during the holidays can happen, especially during a recession, but at least this movie makes it hilarious.
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946): This film was not meant to be a Christmas movie, but with all of the life lessons taught to George Bailey, how could it not be? In the beginning of the film, George decides he wants to kill himself, but Clarence (an Angel, Second Class) shows him what the world would be like without him in it. So now we, the viewers, start to think, "What would happen to the people I love if I wasn't born? How would their lives be different?" And, our hearts open up just like George's does and it helps us to realize our worth.
3. A Christmas Carol: There are more than twenty versions of this classic Dickens tale, including Mickey’s Christmas Carol, A Muppet Christmas Carol and adaptations from 1908 to the most recent in 2009 by Disney. This film depicts what can happen to you if you are greedy and selfish, especially around the holidays. You are not woken up by indigestion the night of Christmas Eve. There are three spirits that will disturb your slumber to teach you about the error of your ways. So, it's best that you participate in the season of giving.
4. A Christmas Story (1983): This is another movie that has been quoted for years and some of us still watch the marathon on Christmas Eve because it is part of our annual tradition. We all know that we can relate to Ralphy and his brother Randy, even if we never received a bunny costume from our Aunt Clara. And, there was probably at least one year when we asked for something slightly ridiculous.
5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947 and 1994): There are two versions to this movie, the old version stars Natalie Wood and the newer one includes Dylan McDermott and Richard Attenborough from Jurassic Park. Both versions do have the same premise: the existence of Santa Claus. Is the man who calls himself Kris Kringle a delusional senior citizen or is he really Santa? I guess it depends on what you believe and what you feel in your heart each Christmas.

Happy Holidays!