The holidays are right around the corner: which movie will Yorktown be snuggling up with blankets and a warm fire to? I conducted an informal research survey asking Yorktown High School students and teachers what their favorite holiday movies are. But before we find out which movie won, what makes a good holiday movie?
The majority of popular holiday films are family-friendly and have a warm atmosphere, full of festive lights and music. There is often an element of magic in holiday films like Frosty The Snowman. These types of movies can remind audiences of their youth, or simpler times and can act as an escape from the pressures of everyday life.
Christmas films usually have uplifting stories with themes of thankfulness or forgiveness. Often a main character has a redemptive character arch. Movies like A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. This experience changes Scrooge into a better person.
All of these factors help form the nostalgic and holiday vibe. Without these factors, a holiday movie would be unfit for watching around the holidays and probably not as interesting. The top picks shown in the survey all have most, if not all of the characteristics listed.
With that being said, the students’ number one pick was overwhelmingly Home Alone, directed by Chris Columbus, with 52% of the votes. Elf, directed by Jon Favreau came in second with 26% of the student’s vote. The Grinch came in 3rd with 12% of the student vote. And tied for 4th was The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Tim Burton, and The Christmas Chronicles, directed by Clay Kaytis. But unlike the students’ top picks, the teachers’ top picks were slightly less recent.
The teachers’ top picks were very diverse, with It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra, Christmas Vacation, directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, and A Christmas Story, directed by Bob Clark. These picks were made less recently than the students’ picks, but two of the teachers’ favorites were Home Alone and Elf, the students’ top picks.
If you are looking for a more recently made holiday movie to watch with your family, try some of the students’ top picks. If you are looking for an older movie with a more nostalgic feel, try some of the teachers’ movies. Are you going to go cozy up by the fire and put on Yorktown teachers’ favorite movies or Yorktown students’ favorite movies?
