7 BEST MOVIES TO WATCH WHILE BEING ON WINTER BREAK

by Donna James

Winter breaks are an excellent time. They give you some time off to spend with your family and friends. Some people love to spend that time out and about, going to their favorite holiday destinations, while others prefer to stay indoors and kick it with family and friends watching a few movies and drinking wine. If you’re the latter type, you’ll enjoy this article! Here are 7 of the best movies to watch as you enjoy your well-deserved winter break.

1. Home Alone (1990)

One of the most famous Christmas movies of all time. This one follows 8-year old Macauley Culkin as Kevin McAllister. He’s been left behind by his family, which went out of town for Christmas. It starts out fun enough, as the kid realizes he has free rein in the house. After all, this is the dream for many children. However, the joy is short-lived, as Kevin soon realizes he has to defend his home against a pair of burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern).

In a supreme example of bad parenting, the parents leave Kevin behind yet again in the 1992 sequel, though this time he gets to take a trip to New York. If you’re looking for an excellent mix of comedy, commentary on pop culture and family, then it’s hard to outdo this classic.

2. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

This romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock is something of a hidden gem, since it’s not often recommended on movie lists. It starts on Christmas, but ends a few days into the new year. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy, a lonely transit worker in Chicago who saves Peter, her longtime crush, from walking onto the path of an oncoming train on Christmas Day. A passing comment causes his family to firmly believe they are engaged. As Peter lies in a coma, his family warmly welcomes Lucy, his ‘fiancee’, which is all good until Lucy falls in love with Jack, Peter’s brother. The funny twists in this movie are bound to have you laughing yourself out of your chair.

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

This movie is based on the 1957 Christmas book by Dr. Seuss. It’s a great thing that we finally got a live-action version of the book. It was a great rendition, featuring Jim Carrey as the furry Grinch. Watching him in his green suit, going down the mountainside in his sleigh with his dog Max by his side was probably one of the highlights of 2000. Carrey’s style of comedy, which often includes lots of improvisations and includes his entire body, made the Grinch one of the most beloved movie characters, and seeing the Whoville village grow life-sized was just a magical experience.

4. Elf (2003)

Will Ferell stars in this movie as Buddy the Elf, who goes through all the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest and the sea of swirly twirly gumdrops, eventually walking through the Lincoln Tunnel. Buddy is visiting New York to see his birth father after learning that he isn’t an elf from the North Pole after all. Meanwhile, he experiences a great budding romance with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), which teaches him a lot about love. This great movie won the hearts of many, and continues to do so many years after it premiered.

5. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

This one is an adaptation of the Nutcracker ballet, which is famous in its own right. It follows Clara as she travels to a magical kingdom and tries to unlock a Christmas gift that her late mother had for here. While there, she meets Captain Phillip Hoffman, the nutcracker, and Sugar Plum Fairy, played by Keira Knightly, and Mother Ginger, played by Helen Mirren. She soon finds herself in an epic adventure where battling realms are involved. The best part of this movie for me is that Morgan Freeman also appears, and the ballerina Misty Copeland.

6. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

This one follows Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, who are played by real-life couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. It’s a great action-comedy that follows two kids as they try to catch Kris Kringle delivering presents. Their plan causes an accident, as Santa crashes his sleigh. Now the little mischief makers have to team up with the crew from the North Pole to try and save Christmas before it’s too late. Twiftnews advices that if you like this movie, you can also watch the 2020 sequel that brings Belsnickel, a European gift-bringer that wears fur and a cantankerous personality to life. 

7. Dear Santa (2020)

Operation Santa is a program by the U.S. Postal Service that seeks to bring together volunteers to answer letters to Santa by children around the country. It’s been around for centuries. Sometimes, the volunteers even get the children the gifts they asked for. This one’s a documentary that explores this rather noble mission and brings it to life, giving viewers a much needed light end to a rather heavy year.

Conclusion

These are some great movies you can consider watching this holiday to enjoy your break. They all have great stories to them and are well worth the time spent watching. Until next time, Happy Holidays!