The Christmas season is finally here again, and that means that along with grabbing their trees and wrapping presents, people will be looking for some great movies to enjoy during the festive season. While there are plenty of live-action classics, Christmas is also a holiday that lends itself to animation very well.
There's something very nostalgic about animated Christmas movies, and it's a feeling that's harder to replicate with live-action. Maybe it's the ability to tell a more visual story, and maybe it's that little bit of extra magic, but an animated Christmas film is just very hard to beat. From Charlie Brown to Jack Skellington, there are plenty of classics for everyone to enjoy.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Based on the beloved Peanuts comic strips by Charles M. Schulz, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the first, and best, animated Peanuts movie (It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, a close second). Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the story centres on the principal Peanuts character as he wrestles with his feelings towards Christmas. Characteristically cynical, Charlie Brown begins the film depressed about the commercialization of the holiday.
When Lucy asks him to direct the Christmas play, however, his spirits are raised and through Linus and a pathetic-looking Christmas tree, he learns the true meaning of Christmas. This is set to music provided by Vince Guaraldi, composer of the signature melody “Christmas Time Is Here.” Both heartfelt and funny — “What is it you want [for Christmas]?” “Real estate” — A Charlie Brown Christmas is a foolproof Christmas classic the whole family can enjoy, if not admire for its craftwork. Made up of around 13000 cel drawings, a painstaking amount of time went into this 30-minute short.
The Snowman (1982)
Not to be mistaken for the 2017 movie starring Michael Fassbender, The Snowman (directed by Diane Jackson and Jimmy Murakami) is another short that was wholly hand-drawn. Based on the Raymond Briggs picture book of the same name, The Snowman is about a boy who, on Christmas Eve, builds a snowman that miraculously comes to life. Scored by Howard Blake, and iconic for its song "Walking in the Air," the otherwise wordless movie is not without emotion.
Taken on a magical journey to the North Pole, the young boy meets Santa before returning home for Christmas. His spirits, however, are dampened (pun intended) when he discovers the fate of his companion the next morning. A bittersweet tale of friendship and grief, The Snowman is guaranteed to melt even the coldest of hearts and should be watched with a box of tissues.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Both a Halloween and Christmas movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas wins points for its versatility. Conceived by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop-motion animated musical set in a world where each holiday has its own town. At the heart of the story is Jack Skellington, the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town. Bored of his duties, Jack accidentally stumbles upon Christmas Town and is immediately enamored; wishing to take over Santa's role, he abducts the Christmas figure and chaos ensues.
As with the previous shorts, the process of making The Nightmare Before Christmas — a feature-length movie — was no easy feat. As the making-of documentary reveals, it took three years for the stop-motion musical to be completed due to each second of the movie taking a whole week to film. Fortunately, this was time not wasted; quirky and visually fascinating, The Nightmare Before Christmas holds up as one of the best holiday movies to date.
The Polar Express (2004)
Creepy CGI aside (google "uncanny valley") The Polar Express is a favorite of many. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, and based on the Chris Van Allsburg children's book of the same name, The Polar Express tells the story of a skeptical boy who, on Christmas Eve, steps aboard a magical train bound for the North Pole. On this journey, the boy makes several special friends — including Tom Hanks' train conductor — and learns a thing or two about Christmas before meeting the big man himself.
At its core, The Polar Express is a beautiful story about the power of faith and unbridled imagination; as Josh Groban sings during the end credits, "You have everything you need if you just believe." Warm and fuzzy, it is best enjoyed with a cup of "Hot! Hot! ... Hot chocolate!"
A Christmas Carol (2009)
Also directed by Robert Zemeckis is Disney's A Christmas Carol, adapted from Charles Dickens' widely celebrated story of Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim. As the story goes, mean old Scrooge is quite content with his miserable life and hatred of Christmas until he is visited by three ghosts from the past, present and future. These ghosts show him the error of his ways, and (successfully) attempt to reform him before it's too late.
On Christmas day, Scrooge wakes up a changed man and spreads his newfound love of Christmas to his clerk Bob Cratchit's family, buying them the biggest turkey he can find. Tiny Tim, Bob's young and feeble son, is elated by the gift and the film ends with Cratchit telling viewers Scrooge becomes a father figure to the young boy. Featuring stunning visuals and fantastic (vocal) performances by Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and other big-name actors, Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol is one of the better adaptations, if not the best.