17 Nostalgic Holiday Movies To Watch With Your Fam
One of my favorite thing to do during the holiday season is to watch holiday shows. Holiday baking shows. That latest holiday Netflix show. And, of course, old school holiday movies from our childhood. I mean, who doesn’t love some nostalgia with their cup of eggnog and fuzzy socks.
If you’re in the mood of laughing, crying, or maybe even cringing through some nostalgic holiday movies from “back in the day,” we’ve got some to get you started.
Planes, Trains And Automobiles (1987)
This one is a classic John Candy and Steve Martin comedy with a touching message. Even better: it’s set over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Streaming on AppleTV.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Full disclosure: I am not a fan of this movie. But because I don’t live under a rock, I know this is peak holiday nostalgia. Bunny suit and all.
Streaming on Hulu and HBOMax.
Babes In Toyland (1986)
Drew Barrymore – who is synonymous with ‘80s nostalgia – and Keanu Reeves star in this remake of the 1961 movie about a girl who wakes up in Toyland and teams up with family and friends to the villain.
Streaming on Amazon Prime and AppleTV.
Prancer (1989)
Sam Elliott stars in this flick about a girl who nurses a reindeer back to health. This one is a must-see for the animal lovers in your family.
Streaming on Amazon Prime and AppleTV.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
This movie is about as old school as you can get. It’s a classic and reminds me of my grandma. Your teens probably won’t dig it though, so maybe save this one for late-night gift wrapping. There is also a virtual version of the classic coming Dec. 5th starring Jason Sudeikis.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
There have been several iterations of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas – starring Jim Carrey in 2000 and most recently in 2018) – but my personal fave is the original 30 minute cartoon from 1966.
Streaming on YouTube, Amazon Prime, and AppleTV.
Home Alone (1990)
I mean, c’mon. This is quintessential holiday nostalgia. If your family is anything like mine, chances are you watch it at least three times between November and December.
Streaming on Disney+.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Full disclosure: I haven’t seen this movie yet, but it’s on my list for this year.
Streaming on Disney+.
The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
Starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington, this movie was nominated for several Oscars, including for best music. Definitely a sing-along holiday fave.
Streaming on fubo and available to rent on Amazon Prime and YouTube.
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The Holiday (2006)
This might be a bit of a stretch since on nostalgia since it came out in 2006 and I refuse to believe that the early-2000s is nearly 20 years ago, but I digress. This is holiday rom-com at its finest. Within two minutes, I’m searching Airbnb for a cottage in the English countryside.
Streaming on Netflix.
Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray plays an asshole TV executive who gets visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. It might be a little too mean-spirited, depending on whether you’re a holiday fan or critic, but it is dripping in ‘80s holiday nostalgia. You can watch on Apple+TV.
Streaming on fubo and Amazon Prime.
Love Actually (2003)
I know, I know. People have BIG FEELINGS about this one. But despite its blind spots and problems, it’s still a nostalgic holiday gem IMO.
Available to rent on Amazon Prime.
A Charlie Brown’s Christmas (1965)
It’s hard to watch this and not be instantly transported back to those early-December evenings when my aunt would call my mom to remind her to turn on channel 9 at 7:00 sharp. We’d warm up some hot chocolate and rush to the TV, lest we miss the one time it was aired on network television all season. There was no streaming. No DVD player. Just a date with the television on a Thursday evening. Ahhh… simpler times indeed.
Streaming on Apple TV+.
Elf (2003)
The quotes from this movie are endless, and Will Ferrell is classic Will Ferrell. Watching Elf the day after Thanksgiving has become a holiday tradition in our house.
Streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Die Hard (1988)
The debate over whether this is actually a holiday movie or not. You decide for yourself.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
Jingle All The Way (1996)
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, and Rita Wilson, Jingle All the Way is a comedic critique about the consumerism of the holidays. Fun fact: the film was inspired by real-life holiday toy crazes like the Cabbage Patch Kids.
Streaming on YouTube, Amazon Prime, and AppleTV.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
You knew this was gonna be on the list, right? The cool thing about this movie is that I went from hating Todd and Margot to kinda sympathizing to fist-bumping Clark in solidarity for trying to make his good, old-fashioned, family Christmas happen.
Streaming on HBOMax, Amazon Prime, and AppleTV.
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