Gathering with your family during Christmas is more than just a cozy dinner. It’s the perfect opportunity to create lasting memories and enhance the festive spirit. So consider adding a delightful touch to your celebration by watching Xmas movies together. From the timeless classic “Home Alone” to the humorous “Christmas With The Kranks,” each film promises to infuse your holiday with bliss and joy.
So, cozy up, grab some popcorn, and let the magic of Christmas unfold on screen with our list of the 85 best family Christmas movies.
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Enjoy Our List of Top Rated Family Christmas Movies
Immerse yourself and your family in the heartwarming stories of these best Christmas movies. You’ll not only share laughter and joy but also strengthen the bonds.
1. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
- Lead actors: Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren
- Supporting Artist: Jayden Fowora
- Director: Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston
- Release date: November 2, 2018
- Run Time: 1h 39m
- IMBD Rating: 5.6
- Revenue: $174 million
- Language: English
A young girl gets transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice, only to learn that her mother has left her with an inheritance in this magical world.
2. A Boy Called Christmas (2021)
- Lead actors: Henry Lawfull, Stephen Merchant
- Supporting Artist: Michiel Huisman
- Director: Gil Kenan
- Release date: November 24, 2021
- Run Time: 1h 46m
- IMBD Rating: 6.7
- Revenue: $3.8 million
- Language: English
This family Christmas movie is about a young boy who goes on an extraordinary adventure with his loyal pet mouse and a reindeer to find his father, who is on a quest.
3. A Christmas Story (1983)
- Lead actors: Peter Billingsley, Jean Shepherd
- Supporting Artist: Ian Petrella
- Director: Bob Clark
- Release date: December 11, 1987
- Run Time: 1h 33m
- IMBD Rating: 7.9
- Revenue: $19.2 million
- Language: English
A Christmas Story is a family movie about a young boy named Ralphie who attempts to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder Range 200-shot BB gun is the perfect Christmas gift for him.
4. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
- Lead actors: Kurt Russell, Judah Lewis
- Supporting Artist: Darby Camp
- Director: Clay Kaytis
- Release date: November 22, 2018
- Run Time: 1h 44m
- IMBD Rating: 7
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
Two siblings, Kate and Teddy, hatch a plan to capture Santa Claus on video on Christmas Eve. However, their plan backfires and turns into an unforgettable adventure for them.
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5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
- Lead actors: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne
- Supporting Artist: Edmund Gwenn
- Director: George Seaton
- Release date: June 11, 1947
- Run Time: 1h 36m
- IMBD Rating: 7.9
- Revenue: $2.7 million
- Language: English
An old man named Kris Kringle is hired as Santa Claus for Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. However, people start questioning his sanity after he claims that he’s the real Santa Claus.
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6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
- Lead actors: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo
- Supporting Artist: Juliette Lewis
- Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
- Release date: December 1, 1989
- Run Time: 1h 37m
- IMBD Rating: 7.5
- Revenue: $73.3 million
- Language: English
Clark Griswold is planning to have a great Christmas with his entire family. However, his happy and harmless holiday plan causes a chain of chaos.
7. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
- Lead actors: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd
- Supporting Artist: Dava Hulsey
- Director: Joe Roth
- Release date: November 24, 2004
- Run Time: 1h 39m
- IMBD Rating: 5.4
- Revenue: $96.6 million
- Language: English
The Kranks surprise everyone when they declare that they won’t be celebrating Christmas. But when their daughter decides to visit them, the Kranks do everything they can to put together a last-minute Christmas.
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8. Black Nativity (2013)
- Lead actors: Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett
- Supporting Artist: Tyrese Gibson
- Director: Kasi Lemmons
- Release date: November 27, 2013
- Run Time: 1h 33m
- IMBD Rating: 4.8
- Revenue: $7.5 million
- Language: English
A street-smart teenager, Langston, is sent to his estranged relatives’ home in New York to celebrate Christmas. While living with them, he embarks on an inspiring journey.
9. The Santa Clause (1994)
- Lead actors: Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd
- Supporting Artist: Wendy Crewson
- Director: John Pasquin
- Release date: November 11, 1994
- Run Time: 1h 37m
- IMBD Rating: 6.5
- Revenue: $190.3 million
- Language: English
A divorced dad, Scott, after inadvertently killing Santa Claus, gets transported to the North Pole. There, an elf explains to him that he should take up Santa’s place before Christmas arrives and keep this a secret.
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10. Surviving Christmas (2004)
- Lead actors: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini
- Supporting Artist: Christina Applegate
- Director: Mike Mitchell
- Release date: October 22, 2004
- Run Time: 1h 31m
- IMBD Rating: 5.4
- Revenue: $15.1 million
- Language: English
A millionaire named Drew has been lonely for a while. So in a bid to not spend the next Christmas alone, he offers cash to a quirky family to celebrate Christmas with him.
11. The Family Man (2000)
- Lead actors: Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni
- Supporting Artist: Don Cheadle
- Director: Brett Ratner
- Release date: December 22, 2000
- Run Time: 2h 5m
- IMBD Rating: 6.8
- Revenue: $124.7 million
- Language: English
Jack, a businessman, rejected family life many years ago for a carefree bachelorhood. But one day his world turns upside down when he wakes in a completely different world with a wife and children.
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12. Noelle (2019)
- Lead Actors: Anna Kendrick, Bill Hader, Shirley MacLaine
- Supporting Artists: Julie Hagerty, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner
- Director: Marc Lawrence
- Release Date: November 12, 2019
- Run Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
Santa’s daughter, Noelle, is forced to take over the family business after her father retires, and her brother, who is supposed to inherit Santa’s role, gets cold feet.
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13. The Family Stone (2005)
- Lead actors: Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson
- Supporting Artist: Dermot Mulroney
- Director: Thomas Bezucha
- Release date: December 16, 2005
- Run Time: 1h 43m
- IMBD Rating: 6.3
- Revenue: $92.9 million
- Language: English
Meredith Morton, who grew up in a conservative family, visits his boyfriend’s family on Christmas. But soon she realises that she’s a misfit, and so she does everything she can to gel with them.
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14. Northpole (2014)
- Lead actors: Bailee Madison, Stefanie Buxton
- Supporting Artist: Robert Wagner
- Director: Douglas Barr
- Release date: November 15, 2014
- Run Time: 1h 21m
- IMBD Rating: 6.3
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
Santa Claus and his wife are worried that the North Pole is losing its charm during Christmas. Meanwhile, Kevin and his mother try to rediscover the city’s magic.
15. A Christmas Tale (2008)
- Lead actors: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon
- Supporting Artist: Anne Consigny
- Director: Arnaud Desplechin
- Release date: May 21, 2008
- Run Time: 2h 30m
- IMBD Rating: 7.3
- Revenue: $6.3 million
- Language: English
When the matriarch of the Vuillard family requires a bone-marrow transplant, the estranged clan reunites just in time for Christmas.
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Classic Family Christmas Movies List
Create a merry and unforgettable experience for your entire family with these classic old Christmas movies. Trust us, these movies will only add an extra dose of magic to the festivity.
16. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Lead actors: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
- Supporting Artist: Thomas Mitchell
- Director: Frank Capra
- Release date: January 7, 1947
- Run Time: 2h 10m
- IMBD Rating: 8.6
- Revenue: $3.3 million
- Language: English
After a frustrated businessman tries to commit suicide, an angel is sent from heaven to show him what life would have been without him.
17. Home Alone (1990)
- Lead actors: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
- Supporting Artist: Catherine O’Hara
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Release date: November 16, 1990
- Run Time: 1h 43m
- IMBD Rating: 7.7
- Revenue: $476.7 million
- Language: English
Eight-year-old Kevin is accidentally left behind by his family while they are going on a trip. While he’s home alone, he tries to fight off burglars who break into his house.
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18. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (1970)
- Lead actors: Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney
- Supporting Artist: Keenan Wynn
- Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
- Release date: December 13, 1970
- Run Time: 48m
- IMBD Rating: 7.7
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
When the ruler of Sombertown decides to destroy all the Christmas toys, Kris and his friends try to deliver the gifts themselves. But the ruler gets a whiff of their plan and lays a trap to capture them.
19. The Polar Express (2004)
- Lead actors: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye
- Supporting Artist: Peter Scolari
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Release date: December 24, 2004
- Run Time: 1h 40m
- IMBD Rating: 6.6
- Revenue: $314.1 million
- Language: English
On Christmas Eve, a young boy goes on a journey on a train called the Polar Express to the North Pole. On the way, he learns about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas while meeting a bunch of special people.
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20. Elf (2003)
- Lead actors: Will Ferrell, James Caan
- Supporting Artist: Zooey Deschanel
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Release date: November 7, 2003
- Run Time: 1h 37m
- IMBD Rating: 7.1
- Revenue: $225.1 million
- Language: English
Buddy is raised by the elves on the North Pole. But when he discovers that he’s not an Elf but a human, he travels to New York to find his biological father.
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21. White Christmas (1954)
- Lead actors: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye
- Supporting Artist: Rosemary Clooney
- Director: Michael Curtiz
- Release date: October 14, 1954
- Run Time: 2h
- IMBD Rating: 7.6
- Revenue: $30 million
- Language: English
Bob Wallace and Phil Davis help the Haynes sisters escape from their evil landlord. The duo then asks the sisters to perform a joint Christmas show to help their old commander’s failing inn get back in business.
22. A Christmas Carol (1951)
- Lead actors: Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison,
- Supporting Artist: Mervyn Johns
- Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
- Release date: October 31, 1951
- Run Time: 1h 26m
- IMBD Rating: 8.1
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
A spiteful and miserable man named Ebenezer Scrooge encounters three spirits who show him the error of his ways on Christmas Eve.
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23. Holiday Inn (1942)
- Lead actors: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire
- Supporting Artist: Marjorie Reynolds
- Director: Mark Sandrich
- Release date: September 4, 1942
- Run Time: 1h 40m
- IMBD Rating: 7.3
- Revenue: $3.75 million
- Language: English
After being left heartbroken by Lila, Jim leaves the town and starts a holiday inn. There he falls in love with Linda, but his world turns upside down when Lila’s former lover arrives at his inn and again tries to steal Linda.
24. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
- Lead actors: Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien
- Supporting Artist: Annette Funicello
- Director: Mary Astor
- Release date: December 14, 1961
- Run Time: 1h 53m
- IMBD Rating: 6.1
- Revenue: $4.6 million
- Language: English
In the year 1904, four Smith daughters, who are attached to their ways of life, reluctantly move to New York after their father gets transferred there.
25. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
- Lead actors: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan
- Supporting Artist: Sydney Greenstreet
- Director: Peter Godfrey
- Release date: August 11, 1945
- Run Time: 1h 41m
- IMBD Rating: 7.3
- Revenue: $3 million
- Language: English
An unmarried columnist pretends to be a wife living on a farm with her husband and kids. However, her world turns upside down when a war hero invites himself to her house.
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26. The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
- Lead actors: Cary Grant, Loretta Young
- Supporting Artist: David Niven
- Director: Henry Koster
- Release date: December 9, 1947
- Run Time: 1h 49m
- IMBD Rating: 7.6
- Revenue: $3 million
- Language: English
This romantic-comedy Christmas movie is about an Episcopalian bishop and his wife who receive help from a debonair angel. The angel helps the couple to raise money for their church.
27. Scrooge (1970)
- Lead actors: Albert Finney, Alec Guinness
- Supporting Artist: Edith Evans
- Director: Ronald Neame
- Release date: November 5, 1970
- Run Time: 1h 53m
- IMBD Rating: 7.5
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
Ebenezer Scrooge gets a visit from his business partner’s ghost on Christmas. The ghost reveals that three more ghosts will visit him and help him realise the importance of the festival.
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28. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
- Lead actors: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart
- Supporting Artist: Frank Morgan
- Director: Ernst Lubitsch
- Release date: January 12, 1940
- Run Time: 1h 39m
- IMBD Rating: 8
- Revenue: $380,000
- Language: English
Alfred Kralik and Klara Novak are employees at a general store but can barely stand each other, disagreeing almost on everything. They find solace in their respective pen pals only to realise that they are each other’s, pen pals.
29. Remember the Night (1940)
- Lead actors: Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray
- Supporting Artist: Beulah Bondi
- Director: Mitchell Leisen
- Release date: January 19, 1940
- Run Time: Mitchell Leisen
- IMBD Rating: 7.6
- Revenue: N/A
- Language: English
A New York district attorney lets a petty shoplifter out on bail and gives her a ride to her home. Along the way, they meet each other’s parents and eventually fall in love following other incidents.
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30. The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
- Lead actors: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman
- Supporting Artist: Henry Travers
- Director: Leo McCarey
- Release date: December 6, 1945
- Run Time: 2h 6m
- IMBD Rating: 7.2
- Revenue: $21,333,333
- Language: English
Father O’Malley is transferred to the Roman Catholic inner-city school St. Mary’s where he quickly conflicts with the headmistress, Sister Mary regarding the school itself.
Best Funny Christmas Movies For Family
Not just wholesome movies, give these funniest Xmas movies for family a chance to make lasting memories with your fam.
31. Fred Claus (2007)
- Lead actors: Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti
- Supporting Artist: Miranda Richardson
- Director: David Dobkin
- Release date: November 9, 2007
- Run Time: 1h 56m
- IMBD Rating: 5.7
- Revenue: $97.8 million
- Language: English
Santa’s brother Fred is in dire need of money and, hence, reaches out to his brother for a loan by keeping his bitter feelings aside. Santa agrees, but on a condition.
32. Deck the Halls (2006)
- Lead actors: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick
- Supporting Artist: Kristin Davis
- Director: John Whitesell
- Release date: November 22, 2006
- Run Time: 1h 33m
- IMBD Rating: 5
- Revenue: $47.2 million
- Language: English
Buddy moves into a new neighborhood and rubs off Steve in the wrong way, even though he’s a nice guy. They then try to outdo each other by decorating their houses for Christmas.
33. The Night Before (2015)
- Lead actors: Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Supporting Artist: Anthony Mackie
- Director: Jonathan Levine
- Release date: November 20, 2015
- Run Time: 1h 41m
- IMBD Rating: 6.4
- Revenue: $52.4 million
- Language: English
Three friends, Ethan, Isaac, and Chris, have been celebrating Christmas together for the last 10 years. But as Isaac prepares to become a first-time father, the friends realise that their annual tradition is coming to a sad end.
34. Trading Places(1983)
- Lead actors: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy
- Supporting Artist: Ralph Bellamy
- Director: John Landis
- Release date: June 8, 1983
- Run Time: 1h 56m
- IMBD Rating: 7.5
- Revenue: $120.6 million
- Language: English
Rich Duke brothers swap the lives of a poor street hustler and an employed aristocrat as part of a bet to see if either heredity or environment plays an important role in a person’s well-being.
35. Jingle All the Way (1996)
- Lead actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad,
- Supporting Artist: Phil Hartman
- Director: Brian Levant
- Release date: November 23, 1988
- Run Time: 1h 29m
- IMBD Rating: 5.7
- Revenue: $129.8 million
- Language: English
A mattress salesman is always busy with his work. On Christmas, he realizes that he forgot to buy his son a toy and, he runs all over the town while competing with other parents to buy his son a Turbo Man action figure, a very popular superhero toy.
36. Four Christmases (2008)
- Lead actors: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon,
- Supporting Artist: Robert Duvall
- Director: Seth Gordon
- Release date: November 26, 2008
- Run Time: 1h 28m
- IMBD Rating: 5.7
- Revenue: $163.7 million
- Language: English
A couple, Brad and Kate, who have been together for three years, have no intention to get married or have kids. So, on Christmas, they plan an exotic vacation to avoid meeting their parents. However, their plan takes a hilarious turn.
37. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
- Lead actors: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen
- Supporting Artist: Jeffrey Tambor
- Director: Ron Howard
- Release date: November 17, 2000
- Run Time: 1h 44m
- IMBD Rating: 6.3
- Revenue: $345.8 million
- Language: English
A revenge-seeking Grinch lives on the outskirts of a town called Whoville and plans to ruin Christmas for the people living there. But his plans get affected after he meets a six-year-old girl named Cindy Lou Who.
38. Bad Santa (2003)
- Lead actors: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly
- Supporting Artist: Lauren Graham
- Director: Terry Zwigoff
- Release date: November 26, 2003
- Run Time: 1h 32m
- IMBD Rating: 7.1
- Revenue: $76.5 million
- Language: English
A conman, Willie, and his partner, Marcus, dress up as Santa and an elf to rob a mall. However, their plan fails when they meet and befriend an eight-year-old boy.
39. The Best Man Holiday (2013)
- Lead actors: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan
- Supporting Artist: Nia Long
- Director: Malcolm D. Lee
- Release date: November 15, 2013
- Run Time: 2h 3m
- IMBD Rating: 6.6
- Revenue: $72.8 million
- Language: English
A group of College friends reunites after 15 years over the Christmas holidays. Though nothing much has changed, they realise how easy it is to forget old rivalries and reignite new romances.
40. Christmas With The Coopers (2015)
- Lead actors: Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Ed Helms
- Supporting Artist: Marisa Tomei
- Director: Jessie Nelson
- Release date: November 13, 2015
- Run Time: 1h 47m
- IMBD Rating: 5.8
- Revenue: $42.4 million
- Language: English
The Coopers and their extended family members come together for an old-fashioned traditional Christmas celebration. But the event takes an unexpected and chaotic turn.
41. The Ref (1994)
- Lead actors: Denis Leary, Judy Davis
- Supporting Artist: Kevin Spacey
- Director: Ted Demme
- Release date: March 11, 1994
- Run Time: 1h 37m
- IMBD Rating: 6.9
- Revenue: $11 million
- Language: English
A cat burglar gets abandoned by his partner and finds himself embroiled in a dysfunctional family. He then tries to get to the bottom of the problem and help them resolve their issues.
42. Office Christmas Party (2016)
- Lead actors: Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn
- Supporting Artist: T.J. Miller
- Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
- Release date: December 9, 2016
- Run Time: 1h 45m
- IMBD Rating: 5.9
- Revenue: $114.5 million
- Language: English
An uptight CEO tries to close down her brother’s branch. To save the day, the brother throws an epic party to impress a big client and retain his branch, but it goes way out of his hands.
43. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)
- Lead actors: John Cho, Kal Penn
- Supporting Artist: Neil Patrick Harris
- Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
- Release date: November 4, 2011
- Run Time: 1h 30m
- IMBD Rating: 6.2
- Revenue: $36.2 million
- Language: English
Harold and his old roommate Kumar accidentally destroy Harold’s father-in-law’s Christmas tree. They then go on a mission to find its exact replacement.
44. Just Friends (2005)
- Lead actors: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart
- Supporting Artist: Anna Faris
- Director: Roger Kumble
- Release date: November 23, 2005
- Run Time: 1h 36m
- IMBD Rating: 6.2
- Revenue: $50.9 million
- Language: English
Chris goes back to his hometown during Christmas. There, he runs into his old high-school crush and best friend who once broke his heart when he was overweight and turned him into a womanizer.
45. Mixed Nuts (1994)
- Lead actors: Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn
- Supporting Artist: Robert Klein
- Director: Nora Ephron
- Release date: December 21, 1994
- Run Time: 1h 37m
- IMBD Rating: 5.4
- Revenue: $6.8 million
- Language: English
Philip manages a suicide hotline called Lifesavers. On Christmas Eve, he learns that his landlord is evicting him and his employees from the building. But things get more chaotic than he imagined.
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