Having now completed two seasons of Film for the Holidays, I’ve realized that it may be beneficial to offer an overview of the films I’ve reviewed here. I also know that you might show up looking for particularly good movies (or to read reviews of particularly bad ones, for fun), or for particularly holiday-fueled flicks, and want an easy place to skim my ratings. Any numbers you see below are straight from the reviews, of course. I’ve simplified my annotations for sections like “Party Mood-Setter?” to one word synopses just for the sake of the table. Obviously, I’m hoping you’ll read the whole review, or at least parts of it, to get a good sense of my full reaction to each film. But no matter why you’re here, thanks for reading, and I hope the blog gives you what you’re looking for!
Before I get to the comprehensive spreadsheet, I know sometimes it’s just nice to have a top ten list to access rather than dozens of lines to search through. So here are some lists you might find interesting places to start. First, here’s the 10 highest rated films I’ve reviewed here by quality (my subjective measure, obviously), roughly in order:
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
- The Snowman (1982)
- Carol (2015)
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
- Scrooge (1951)
- A Midwinter’s Tale (1995)
- Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
- Remember the Night (1940)
Alternatively, here’s a list of the 10 films I’ve given the highest ratings for “holiday vibes” if that’s all you’re looking for. Although, I ask you, remember that I have a STRONG dislike for a couple of these (some others are real favorites, to be sure): I’m not enthusiastically recommending all ten movies. I’m saying, if you want something to help conjure the feeling of Christmas at any time of year, these films are the best at achieving various versions of that feeling, in my opinion:
- A Christmas Story (1983)
- Happiest Season (2020)
- Single All The Way (2021)
- The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
- Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)
- Last Christmas (2019)
- Let It Snow (2019)
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
- Boxing Day (2021)
I hesitate to make this third list, but I know the reality: sometimes you want to read someone really hammering a film they didn’t enjoy. Roger Ebert sold several book-length collections of his most negative movie reviews, and I can’t deny, they’re fun to read. I’m no Ebert, but if you want to read about what I liked least, with apologies to these flicks’ fans, here’s the ten movies to which I gave the lowest quality ratings (starting with the worst):
- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
- Jack Frost (1998)
- The Silent Partner (1978)
- Mixed Nuts (1994)
- Bernard and the Genie (1991)
- Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)
- Scrooged (1988)
- Single All The Way (2021)
- Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
Lastly, the table for all non-Christmas Carol adaptations reviewed prior to the current year (separated from the Christmas Carol flicks due to slight variations in ratings categories):
Second, just ratings for the Christmas Carol adaptations (and related works):
| Movie | Christmas Carol Vibes | Actual Quality | Scrooge? | Supporting Cast? | Recommended Frequency? |
| Carol for Another Christmas (1964) | 6 | 9 | Stern | Effective | Occasional |
| Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009) | 10 | 4.5 | Miscast | Floundering | Nope |
| Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) | 2.5 | 2 | Insufferable | Undercooked | NO |
| The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) | 9.5 | 10 | Nuanced | Muppety | Annual |
| Scrooge (1935) | 8.5 | 7.5 | Stiff | Limited | Once |
| Scrooge (1951) | 10 | 9.5 | Fearful | Restrained | Often |
| Scrooge (1970) | 8.5 | 7.5 | Affected | Uneven | Occasional |
| Scrooged (1988) | 6 | 5 | Smug | Disjointed | Once |
