With the holidays upon us, and many of us gathering with family for the first time in a while, there’s no better way to get into the spirit of the season than by sitting down to watch a good old-fashioned holiday movie — either by yourself or with loved ones. (If you’re stuck having awkward conversations at the dinner table this holiday, we highly recommend a funny Christmas movie for dessert!) We asked Katie, John, and the staff at KCM about their favorites — and some of their answers might surprise you! Whichever one you choose to watch, we guarantee these films will leave you feeling both holly and jolly.
“Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). I love the song ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ It makes me cry, and is so resonant with the words ‘next year all our troubles will be out of sight.'”
– Katie Couric
Where to watch Meet Me in St. Louis: Tubi
“I can’t pick just one, so here are three. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987): Steve Martin and John Candy star in a John Hughes masterpiece. OK, so it technically takes place over Thanksgiving but it’s a film about the importance of family and friends being together. ‘Hey, those aren’t pillows! Go Bears!’ Next up? Die Hard (1988). Bruce Willis as John McClane saving his ex-wife (imagine!) and some other hostages at a holiday party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Don’t bet against Bruce. And last but not least, Casino (1995). Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and James Woods. Come on. Who cares whether there’s a holiday theme (there isn’t) when there is just great movie-making by Martin Scorsese?”
– John Molner
Where to watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Paramount+
Where to watch Die Hard: Peacock, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video
Where to watch Casino: Starz, Hulu
“A Christmas Carol starring George C Scott (1984). I watch it every year with my dad on Dec. 1, which is his birthday.”
– Adriana Fazio, producer
Where to watch A Christmas Carol: Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+
“I think mine has to be White Christmas (1954). It’s long as hell — but it’s the movie my family and I always watch on Christmas Eve. Nothing makes you feel better about consuming a massive Christmas Eve meal (and copious amounts of wine and cookies) than watching Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen in their cinched outfits (their waists are SO tiny). I couldn’t imagine a Christmas Eve where my whole family didn’t pass out on the couch while watching White Christmas — a holiday classic! But a close second would have to be The Santa Clause (1994) because Tim Allen is hysterical in that movie.”
– Julia Lewis, producer
Where to watch White Christmas: Prime Video
Where to watch The Santa Clause: Hulu, Disney+
“Love Actually (2003), obviously — Hugh Grant is a Christmas must. The Family Stone — I love to hate Sarah Jessica Parker as neurotic Meredith! And it’s going to hit different this year as we continue to mourn the loss of iconic Diane Keaton. I’m also going to throw in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) — which admittedly is not really a traditional holiday movie, but it’s got holiday/New Year’s themes, and I watch it every year (alone, with wine, in true Bridget Jones style) and fall in love with her all over again. I guess I have a thing for Brits and rom-coms at the holidays!”
– Laura Buczik, VP, accounts
Where to watch Love Actually: Peacock, Prime Video
Where to watch The Family Stone: Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video
Where to watch Bridget Jones’s Diary: Peacock, Paramount+
“It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). I could recite this entire movie by heart, and I quote it all the time, and I take personal offense when people don’t understand the reference. This movie is a national treasure and we don’t deserve it. Up until about six years ago, my family would watch it every year on an old VHS that my parents taped off of the TV back in the ‘90s, so I truly believed the movie had commercials in it (even though it’s in black and white and the commercials are not) and I never thought twice about it.”
– Emily Pinto, producer
Where to watch It’s a Wonderful Life: Prime Video
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) has been my favorite Christmas flick since I was a small child, and for good reason. The vintage animation is exquisite, the story is uplifting, and the whole movie wraps up in just half an hour. As a bonus, you get plenty of Seussian nonsense here — the hottest toys of the year in the Grinch universe are “jingtinglers” and “floofloovers,” which always makes me laugh. – Diana Valenzuela, assistant editor
Where to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: Peacock
“Would I call Gremlins one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, artistically speaking? I would not. But I watched it obsessively as a kid, so it’s wrapped up in all the warm and fuzzy nostalgia I’m looking for in a holiday film. Come for the adorable image of little Gizmo the mogwai in a Santa hat, stay for the unhinged behavior of the fully-grown gremlins as they wreak havoc on the entire town (depicted with perfectly ’80s VFX). – Ryan Buxton, features director
Where to watch Gremlins: Hulu, HBO Max
“Aside from the A Rugrats Chanukah — which, to be clear, is an absolute perfect masterpiece — Adam Sandler’s animated film Eight Crazy Nights is pretty much the only Hanukkah movie we’ve got. Back before we had memes, quoting this movie was considered peak humor when I was growing up, and it also brought us some top-notch tunes. ‘Technical Foul’ still gets stuck in my head some two decades later.” – Sara Levine, managing editor
Where to watch Eight Crazy Nights: Pluto TV, Paramount+, Hulu
“Four Christmases (2008), starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, is a must-watch holiday comedy. It’s a guaranteed laugh as the characters navigate chaotic family visits throughout the season. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face — and you know it’s good when clips from the movie go viral every year as fans rediscover it through their holiday rewatch sessions.” – Becca Sweredoski, senior account manager
Where to watch Four Christmases: Hulu, HBO Max
“Oddly, when I saw The Holiday in theaters in 2006, I wasn’t immediately hooked. But I must have needed to let it simmer and age because by holiday season 2007, I was desperate for a rewatch. This was pre-streaming but post-Blockbuster, so I tracked down a friend who had the DVD and watched it a dozen times through New Year’s. In fact, I might still have her DVD (sorry, Sara W.!). The cozy English town, the adorable little girls, Mr. Napkinhead, the witty dialogue, the Hanukkah party, and the wholesome relationships that develop over the course of the movie keep me coming back year after year. In short: You’ve got to see it; it’s so funny, you’ll fall off your chair, it’s so funny. If you don’t know the reference, you’re not a real Holiday-head. Also, the fact that it moves streamers every year tells me it’s a hot ticket. Good luck finding it for free, but you can’t borrow ‘my’ copy.” – Maggie Parker, site director
Where to watch The Holiday: Prime Video
“I am not usually a fan of Kristen Stewart films — sorry, KStew. So, I love everything about 2020’s Happiest Season besides her character. It follows a woman (Stewart) to her girlfriend’s family’s home for the holidays. Unfortunately, her girlfriend (whom I also sort of ignore during rewatches) hasn’t told her family she’s gay, which Stewart’s character doesn’t learn until they arrive. They have to pretend they’re roommates. There’s a more profound message about acceptance at play, which is lovely, but it’s layered nicely among hilarious characters (especially the sister), supporting stories, high-quality cameos (Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza!), and mishaps. – Maggie P.
Where to watch Happiest Season: Hulu
