- Home
- Christmas Movies
- Best Family Christmas Movies
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small commission if you purchase items on this page at no extra cost to you.
Watch The Best Family Christmas Movies To Get In The Mood For The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!
Everyone loves finding movies that they can call the best family Christmas movies. However, it can be hard to find truly good Christmas movies that keep with the true meaning of the Holy Day. On this page you will find honest reviews of some Christmas favorites that are sure to become some of the best family Christmas movies you've ever seen!
1. A Christmas Carol: Our Three Favorite Versions Of The Classic Story
There are many film versions of Charles Dicken's classic Christmas novel, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is a miser and his stinginess made money his everything - his god and mistress, his sole purpose for living. Scrooge is given an opportunity to amend his life through the apparition of three spirits on Christmas Eve.
A truly enduring tale comes to life in these three versions:
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Mickey's Christmas Carol
- Disney's 2009 animated A Christmas Carol
Oh, my goodness! Of course, Christmas would always be Christmas because it is the day that Christ was born, but I think I would feel like I was missing something if I didn’t watch this movie at least once sometime during the season.
Starring Michael Caine as Mr. Scrooge and supported by a cast of familiar Muppet characters, this movie is a spectacular display of music, dancing and fun while still keeping in the true spirit of the story.
This heartwarming story will bring joy to children and adults alike! Definitely one of the best family Christmas movies that will become a must-watch in your home.
2. The Story Behind A Christmas Carol Is Explored In The Man Who Invented Christmas
The Man Who Invented Christmas tells the story of Charles Dickens and his invention of A Christmas Carol. This entertaining film takes a new spin on the story we all know and tells it instead from the author's conception of the story.
Interestingly enough, it isn't Scrooge who must amend his life in this story, but the great 19th century novelist himself.
3. Make Room On Your Best Family Christmas Movies List For Yet Another Variation Of A Christmas Carol Because It's Christmas Again Is An Entertaining Movie With Christ At The Center
We were pleasantly surprised by this film we found on PureFlix. It made us really realize that A Christmas Carol still is the best story because, after all the Christmas stories that have been told, it is the one that continues to reappear again and again through many variations. This was one such variation.
Jake Young goes about the Christmas season thinking that, although it is fun, it is just another holiday like all others, plus presents.
It isn’t until he gets in a skateboarding accident that brings him to the side of the manger on the first Christmas night and experiences what a winter where Christmas isn’t celebrated is like that he understand the true importance of Christmas.
This inspires him to keep Christmas, like Scrooge in the old story, in his heart and outwardly. This movie had singing and dancing and was highly entertaining despite sometimes being rather abrupt.
4. Definitely One Of The Best Family Christmas Movies, Ben-Hur Teaches The Power Of Forgiveness
It has been said that during the golden age of cinema, Jewish movie makers followed the decency standards set forth by Catholic bishops to make movies for a largely Protestant audience.
Ben-Hur is a gem from this golden era! Starring Charleston Heston, this movie takes place during the years of Our Lord's birth and on through His death, but it is not a story about Our Lord.
It is the story about Judah Ben-Hur and how Our Lord's coming changed his life. An epic starring Charleston Heston. Enough said!
5. Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Makes It To The List Of Best Family Christmas Movies Mainly For The Appearance Of Santa Claus
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the first film in Disney's series made on C.S. Lewis’ 7 book series The Chronicles of Narnia.
It follows the story of the four Pevensie children and their adventures when they enter a new world called Narnia through a wardrobe.
The reason this makes it to the list of best family Christmas movies is the appearance of Santa Claus, or "Father Christmas", toward the end of the great winter.
The white witch is losing her power over the Narnians with the appearance of humans in Narnia and Christmas is able to return just before spring comes for the first time in 100 years.
I do want to offer a word of warning that fantasy can have a way of being a little dangerous especially if obsessed over. Sometimes they can become more than entertainment getting under the skin so to speak and captivating the mind in an all-absorbing grip. It is also supposed to be a religious allegory, but it uses flawed theology which makes it just that much more dangerous to obsess over.
But from a purely Hayes Code point of view, there's nothing in this movie that is going to scar you for the rest of your life. There is nothing immodest, over-sensualized or too grotesque. It's highly entertaining and intriguing from a storyline perspective.
A Note On The Subject Of Fantasy From One Of Our Viewers
Out of all the movies they've made off of the Chronicles of Narnia, I like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe best I think. For Hollywood standards it was done pretty well. They stuck pretty close to the book, and you can't get around the story of the Crucifixion.
And I love the symbolism of how Christmas (what Father Christmas symbolizes) conquers evil (the infinite winter). The devil was conquered by Jesus' birth and death, and no matter how the secular world (or the Witch in this case) tries to destroy Christmas, it will fail. Susan was a little too masculine in some parts for my taste though. It's good to know how to defend yourself and your family, but going to war is another thing in itself.
Besides that, overall it was pretty well done, redemption and forgiveness, good vs evil, self sacrifice and many more things. The books are almost always better than the movies though! Not bad, but not as good as they could have done.
I don't think fantasy in itself is a bad, it can be used to give you a good moral or story in imaginary terms that are easier to comprehend. It sometimes is easier to put virtues and symbols into forms in fairy tales on a level where imaginative people can catch the meaning of if they think about it. I like to try to find hidden meanings in stories. There's always something deeper that the author is trying to tell you.
6. It's A Wonderful Life Teaches The Value Of Every Life In Its Wintry Tale
This classic starring James Stewart is a heartwarming tale about George Bailey, a man who comes close to despair. He tells his guardian angel that he wishes he had never been born. His angel proves to him what a disaster his small town would be without him through a strange experience. In the end George realizes that the most important things in life are love and family.
He also learns that he is most remembered by all he has poured into others rather than his success from a material point of view. This classic takes place at Christmastime and it is a touching Christmas movie the whole family will enjoy.
7. Guardian Angels Protect The Souls Entrusted To Their Care And Preform Christmas Miracles In Buttons: A Christmas Tale
There was nothing explicitly wrong with Buttons: A Christmas Tale, it could have even been a cute Christmas movie, but there were a few things that made it rather painful to watch.
The movie follows a young orphan girl who is picked up by the nuns and brought to a hospital.
When the girl awakes, an elderly lady reads her a fairytale to cheer her up. The movie then flashes between the fairytale and the girl’s reactions.
In the fairytale, Dick van Dyke plays the role of another young girl’s angel as she goes through her many misfortunes, always appearing when she needs a cheering up.
After many misfortunes leaves the young girl almost destitute and nearly drowned, her angel saves her and places her in the path of a wealthy family mourning the loss of their youngest daughter. This family, the Brownings, takes her in and all her troubles are as nought in the Christmas miracle.
Although there was mention of guardian angels protecting at all times and everyone was at church on Christmas Eve, there was no mention of Christmas being the birthday of Christ.
On another note, the story line was not very strong. It would have been much more satisfying if there had been a little more development with the family that took the little girl in and had some sort of vindication with the villains of the story getting their dues.
Instead, as a viewer, I would have liked to get to know the Brownings a little better and would have been happier if the girl’s horrible aunt had somehow been defeated.
The one thing that really took me out of the narrative and actually made this a pretty bad Christmas movie was the transitions. Many fade outs and fade to blacks with color changes before the transition made the editing feel jarring. There was a little singing and dancing, but it felt rather disjointed. As far as the score goes, the music was not bad.
Although, I must say, the kids enjoyed it and didn't notice that there was anything lacking in it.
8. Santa Is The Reason For The Season In Miracle On 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street follows a young girl and her struggle to believe in Santa Claus. She is certain that he is a fairytale until he shows up and shatters her confidence.
Is he just a “nice old man with white whiskers” or is he truly Santa Claus?
The question is left to a United States judge when Macy’s sues this Kris Kringle for referring people to other stores for Christmas presents while on the job as a Macy’s Santa. The entire town practically turns out to save the spirit of Christmas and the magic of Santa Claus.
This movie has no mention of the birth of Christ as the focus of Christmas but instead portrays only the commercialism of the holy day.
9. Dallas Jenkins, Creator of The Chosen Delivers Big in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Beth always knew that her mom was not the most organized person in the world. She acknowledges, however, that her mom is quite stubborn and will set out to do whatever hair brain scheme she puts her mind to when publicly challenged. What Beth does not expect is her mother’s stepping up to help an injured friend out by directing the town’s Christmas pageant and the arrival of “the worst kids in the history of the world” volunteering for all the main parts happening simultaneously.
Disaster seems imminent and things begin to escalate when the aforementioned villains, the Herdmans, stick with the play, and bring ruin in their wake. But Beth’s poor mother, Grace, cannot bring herself to kick any child out of a Christmas pageant. She feels that it would be missing the true meaning of Christmas. But the Herdmans have more than just pranks up their sleeves and are about to impress everyone with their inherent understanding of the Christmas story when they act it out after hearing it for the first time. Instead of becoming the disaster expected, the children’s heartfelt portrayals of the Holy Family, the three kings and the angel make the pageant instead the best Christmas pageant ever.
This movie was very sweet and I cried watching it. I just loved it so much! There were however a few things that I would like to mention that may bother some parents.
Points to Consider: There was some mention of a more natural birth of the Christ Child. Nothing more than how difficult it must have been to not even have a doctor there for the birth.
The Herdmans do use God’s name disrespectfully but are always corrected by being gently told that that is no way to use God’s name.
The Herdmans do portray rather bratty characteristics, but that is just part of the story. The joy and love of Christ is genuinely felt when the spiritually neglected Herdman children experience Christmas for the first time.
You might like these
Animated Christmas Movies
Find the best animated Christmas movies with wholesome messages so that your kids can enjoy a holy, happy Christmas season.
Romantic Christmas Movies
Celebrate the Christmas season this list of romantic Christmas movies. Here you are sure to find your next watch with the family.
Funny Christmas Movies
Don’t run the risk of being surprised by what comes up on the screen by reading through this list of funny Christmas movies with our honest assessment of the films.
By becoming an Industrious Family Films Sponsor you directly support the movement which is rebuilding Christian art.
I'd like to advertise with Industrious Family.
We Respect Your Privacy.
What's New At The Studio
-
Merry Christmas From The Industrious Family Team
Dec 25, 24 12:00 AM
-
Christmas Eve Refections On Past Christmas Films
Dec 24, 24 11:30 AM
-
From Exile to Joy: Lessons from Singing Around The Advent Candles
Dec 23, 24 07:44 PM
Industriousfamily.com promotes Industrious Family Films' independent filmmaking projects. We are able to make movies and support Christ-centered families through the #ReclaimChristianArt blog because of generous contributions from our audience, sales of our movies and merchandise, and our dear sponsors and advertisers. We always give our own beliefs, opinions and experiences and are in no way influenced regardless of the compensation we accept. Thank you for your support.
Disclosure: We show products that we think will help you. If you use our links, we may earn ad commissions at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Copyright © 2024. Industrious Family LLC. All rights reserved.