I wanted to make sure I was really specific that this Top 5 list is not Reel World Theology’s Top 5 Christmas movies, but mine, personally.  Fizz, Laura, and probably everyone else in humanity would probably take issue that Elf is not in my Top 5, but I have never really been able to get behind that movie, even though Will Ferrell is one of my favorites comedy actors.

All of these picks, as I am sure it is for all of you, have a lot of nostalgia, good stories, and emotional connections to Christmas and family that make them my favorites.  Since we’re all about story here at Reel World Theology, we would hope that your Top 5 Christmas movies would have equally fun and sometimes tear-jerking stories that make them your favorites.  Feel free to share your Top 5 in the comments or leave us your Top 5 on Facebook and/or Twitter and let us know what makes them your favorite.

5) Miracle on 34th Street – You might not believe Santa, but this movie will take your soulless, skeptic heart and put it through the wringer.  This movie makes me cry every single year and is really a fantastic story and is just a great movie, as well.  If there was ever a perfect prototype for Santa, it is Edmund Gwenn’s performance as Kris Kringle.  I remember the first time I saw this as a kid being convinced that Santa was real because it was proved in a court of law in the movie.  It made perfect sense to me and I have to be honest, it still makes perfect sense now.

4) Home Alone – While the success of this movie is seen as somewhat enigmatic, no kid really cares about that, and this is the Christmas movie that I grew up on!  I’m fairly confident that we wore out the copy of Home Alone that we had on VHS.  Is that even possible?  I’m not sure, but I do know that every kid planned what they would do if they were left alone in their house, and I’m pretty sure they all wished it was this awesome when it actually happened.  I’m pretty sure all of you have seen this, but if you haven’t, you can buy or rent it pretty much everywhere.  I suggest doing both, in bulk, for all your friends.  They’ll love you for it.

3) White Christmas – I opine often about my family’s love for White Christmas.  It may just a cheesy re-hashing of Country Inn, but I still like it more than that other movie that Bing Crosby sings “White Christmas” in.  Sporting the likes of Rosemary Clooney (George Clooney’s aunt) and the dance moves of Vera Wilson and Danny Kaye, the music is catchy, the story is emotional, and it is an incredibly fun two hours of Christmas magic.  Tina (my wife) and I watch this movie at least twice during the Christmas season and the kids are starting to memorize all the songs just like their mom and dad.

2) Die Hard – What would Christmas be without blowing up buildings, walking on glass, and heavy machine gun fire?  Well, sir or madam, I tell you it would not be Christmas in my household.  It has never been the same since one Christmas, visiting my wife’s side of the family at her Grandma’s house, when we had all reached the afternoon, post-Christmas lunch coma phase.  As relatives and pets settled down for an afternoon nap, my Father-in-Law, at the behest of his sister, popped in their VHS copy of Die Hard.  “It’s a Christmas movie,” we reasoned, and we all settled in with a good crowd, including Grandma Mary, to watch Die Hard.  It was probably one of the best memories of Christmas I have and it is fondly reminisced about within that side of the family.  If we’re not watching White Christmas, we’re watching Die Hard.  Now I have a machine gun, Ho Ho Ho.

1) It’s A Wonderful Life – One of my favorite movies and by far my favorite Christmas movie.  Every year we go to my wife’s parents house for Christmas and this is my father-in-laws movie of choice every single year of what to watch as a whole family.  Nothing beats all the feels you get when George is rescued by the people of Bedford Falls and that the work he did for the people of the town made a difference.  One of the best tales our culture has ever made about the value of loving your neighbor and the importance of community to our lives.  Make sure to watch my Twitter feed on Christmas Eve for a little live tweeting as we inevitably watch the movie from the quaint, rural paradise of Oakfield, WI.

If you want to submit your own list you can email Josh at J.A.Crabb22@gmail.com with the subject line, “RWT Top 5 Tuesday”, give a short 50-100 word description of the theme and your choices, and you could end up seeing your list right here!

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Joshua Crabb (@HeyItsThatJosh) is an editor at Reel World Theology and sometimes contributor to the Reel World Theology Podcast.  He’s passionate about movies, theology, the Gospel, and meatball sandwiches.