Having a good list of the best family Christmas movies to watch can sometimes be stressful.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered; this is the best family Christmas movie list. If you’ll be at home for Christmas, it’s time to get the family together and watch some of the best Christmas movies.
This list of the best family Christmas movies for you to see is full of fun classics that everyone will enjoy. Enjoy a movie and get into the holiday spirit.
These are some of the best family Christmas movies you can stream or buy to watch together.
1. Home Alone (1990)
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Star casts: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Kieran Culkin, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard.
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Home Alone’s original and classic version is at the top of the best family Christmas movies list.
When Kevin McCallister was eight years old, his parents accidentally left him behind as they rushed off for their Christmas vacation.
Kevin then goes on a hilarious and crazy mission to protect the family home from two bumbling burglars who try to break in and get caught in Kevin’s confusing set of booby traps!
2. The Polar Express (2004)
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Star casts: Tom Hanks, Eddie Deezen, Josh Hutcherson, Michael Jeter, Nona Gaye, Daryl Sabara.
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
This classic is one of the best family Christmas movies with a feel-good story everyone knows and loves. Tom Hanks does a great job in it.
The film The Polar Express tells the tale of a little boy who, on the evening of Christmas Eve, joins a mighty and mystical train traveling to the North Pole to see Santa Claus at his residence there.
What follows is a voyage of self-discovery that teaches the little kid that the awe and wonder of life are always there for those who maintain their faith.
3. Elf (2003)
- Director: Jon Favreau
- Star casts: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Favreau, Peter Dinklage, Bob Newhart.
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
Will Ferrell is one of the funniest actors in this film, making it one of the best family Christmas movies for the family to watch this Christmas.
This entertaining holiday movie recounts the story of a tiny orphan boy who, on Christmas Eve, climbs into Santa’s bag of presents by accident and, as a result, gets whisked away to the North Pole and raised as an elf there.
Buddy finds out years later that he is not an elf. He decides to go to New York City to find out who he is.
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
- Director: Bill Melendez
- Characters: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus Van Pelt, Lucy van Pelt, Sally Brown, Schroeder, Pig-Pen.
- IMDb rating: 8.3/10
It is now the Christmas season. Joy and merriment are guaranteed. And for Peanuts lovers worldwide, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without this time-honored favorite of the season.
Charlie Brown suffers from the holiday blues even though the Christmas lights are blinking red and green.
He follows Lucy’s recommendation and conducts the Christmas play to get into the season’s spirit.
And a Christmas performance wouldn’t be complete without a Christmas tree, would it? But everyone makes fun of the small, spindly evergreen that Charlie Brown brings back.
They continue to do so until the true spirit of Christmas begins to work its charm again.
5. A Christmas Carol (2009)
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Star casts: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Sage Ryan, Cary Elwes, Ryan Ochoa.
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
This classic is on the list of the best family Christmas movies and has been for a long time.
Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott) is a miser whose obsessive pursuit of financial success has left him a sad and lonely old man with nothing more to say about Christmas.
But a visit on Christmas Eve from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future instructs him to eventually prepare his heart for the delights of Christmas and the company of friends and family.
6. Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
- Director: Ron Howard
- Star casts: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Christine Baranski, Jeffrey Tambor, Josh Ryan Evans, Molly Shannon.
- IMDb rating: 6.2/10
This is an old tale, but our favorite adaptation is the more recent one with Jim Carrey playing the title role of the Grinch.
During this time of year, make it your mission to unravel the mysteries of the Mean One.
In the role of everyone’s favorite Christmas grouch, the irrepressible Jim Carrey brings the character of The Grinch to life on screen.
The Grinch is one of the best family Christmas movies that show the joyful expression of the winter holiday spirit that should be present in every household.
Why is the Grinch acting like such a sour puss? In her quest to discover what Christmas is all about, tiny Cindy Lou takes things into her own hands, turning Whoville and the Grinch’s world upside down, inside out, and funny in the process. No one else appears to know.
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- Director: Henry Selick
- Star casts: Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, Chris Sarandon, Paul Reubens, Ken Page.
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
This is not a scary movie, even though it sounds like one! If you don’t have this movie on your list of the best family Christmas movies, you’re missing an important one. It’s widely thought to be one of the best of its kind.
Is there still hope for Christmas? Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, is sick of doing the same old scare-and-scream act and yearns to bring Christmas cheer to the citizens of Halloween Town.
But his joyful goal puts Santa Claus in danger and turns Christmas into a nightmare for all the nice boys and girls in the world.
8. The Santa Clause (1994)
- Director: John Pasquin
- Star casts: Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, David Krumholtz, Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, Paige Tamada.
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
This Christmas classic is one of our best family Christmas movies; it’s a warm and fuzzy film that should be on the watch list for the best family Christmas movies.
Tim Allen shines brightly in Disney’s beautiful, larger-than-life smash comedy that “People” magazine labeled “the most joyously funny, innovative cinematic tale in many decades!” Tim Allen is one of the film’s stars, and the film is a success.
9. Home Alone 2 (1992)
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Star casts: Macaulay Culkin, Daniel Stern, Joe Pesci, John Heard, Tim Curry, Devin Ratray.
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
This is an excellent follow-up film if you like one of the best family Christmas movies you can find, Home Alone.
The fantastic news is that Kevin McCallister will be celebrating the holidays in New York City.
It’s unfortunate because his parents will be spending the holidays in Florida. Kevin is once again separated from his family.
Still, he can get food, shelter, and entertainment by using the credit card that belongs to his father.
But when the Wet Bandits, Harry, and Marv, get out of jail and arrive in New York City simultaneously, his high-spending solo act takes a sinister and perhaps lethal turn.
Now, Kevin has to outrun and outrank them once again in this high-flying adventure that has twice as much cleverness, twice as much child power, and twice as many laughs as the first one did.
10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
- Directors: Larry Roemer, Kizo Nagashima
- Characters: Rudolph, Yukon Cornelius, Sam the Snowman, Hermey the Misfit Elf, King Moonracer.
- IMDb rating: 8.0/10
This guy’s name is well-known to all of us. Who among you has a nose for the holidays? It “has” a Christmas present from a frenzied shopping excursion on Christmas Eve.
The product in question is a ninja turtle. Watch this movie if you have been searching for the best family Christmas movies.
11. The Perfect Holiday (2007)
- Director: Lance Rivera
- Star casts: Queen Latifah, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charlie Murphy, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love.
- IMDb rating: 4.7/10
This is one of the best family Christmas movies that is a fun-filled comedic romance with lots of laughter, lots of love, and just a bit of magic.
The only thing that Nancy Taylor wants for Christmas is to go out and talk to a decent guy.
Therefore, when her young child tells an enchanted shopping mall Santa, Benjamin Armstrong, about Mommy’s request, he does all in his power to make her dream come true on this lovely Christmas and give her a treat that the whole family will love.
12. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
- Director: Brian Henson
- Star casts: Dave Goelz, Michael Caine, Frank Oz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Theo Sanders.
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
No one should be surprised that a Muppets movie is at the top of a list of the best family Christmas movies to watch.
This 20th Anniversary Edition of Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol will surely get you in the holiday spirit.
You can keep it with you until your Aunt Ruth again complains that no one is eating the fruitcake she brought.
For even more of my sadness, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Scrooge, as well as great songs by Academy Award winner Paul Williams and, of course, my friend Rizzo the Rat, it’s now available on Blu-ray with high-definition sound and picture. A holiday favorite that will make you laugh and warm your heart
13. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
- Director: Les Mayfield
- Star casts: Mara Wilson, Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, Jennifer Morrison.
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
Miracle on 34th Street, which came out in 1994, may surprise people who don’t like new versions of family Christmas movies. This new miracle is based on the holiday classic from 1947.
It stays true to the original story, but it’s more modern, has a faster pace, and has a tone that seems more thoughtful and even sad than before.
The classic story of how Kris Kringle from a department store spreads Christmas cheer by making a cynical little girl believe in Santa Claus.
14. Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special (2011)
- Director: Karen Disher
- Star casts: John Leguizamo, Karen Disher, Ray Romano, Chris Wedge, Denis Leary, Josh Peck.
- IMDb rating: 6.4/10
Include this fan favorite on your list of the best family Christmas movies to watch with the whole family.
Have you heard of the recent developments? Your beloved characters from below zero are returning in a brand-new holiday-themed adventure that the entire family can enjoy together.
Sid goes on a fun trip to the North Pole to fix things after he accidentally breaks Manny’s family Christmas rock and ends up on Santa’s “naughty list.”
Still, he ends up making matters much worse than they were before. It is now up to Manny and his prehistoric crew to join forces to rescue Christmas for everyone throughout the globe.
15. Frozen (2013)
- Directors: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck
- Star casts: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Jennifer Lee, Santino Fontana.
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
I can’t leave out “Frozen” from the list of the best family Christmas movies since it’s a movie set in winter, and it captures the spirit of the season so well! Anna, a fearless optimist, joins forces with Kristoff on an epic quest!
16. Prancer (1989)
- Director: John D. Hancock
- Star casts: Sam Elliott, John Joseph Duda, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, Johnny Galecki, Cloris Leachman.
- IMDb rating: 6.4/10
Prancer is a classic movie from the 1980s that we’ve come to love and one of the best family Christmas movies filled with magic.
A reindeer doesn’t have to be able to fly to be magical, as Prancer can demonstrate. In this family movie from 1989, Rebecca Harrell plays 9-year-old Jessica, who has never known her mother.
Her father, an apple farmer named Sam Elliot, raises her after her mother dies, but he mostly ignores her.
While Jessica’s dad struggles to put food on the table for the family, the little heroine worries about a hurt reindeer she meets and thinks are part of Santa’s team.
17. Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
- Director: John R. Cherry III
- Star casts: Jim Varney, Bill Byrge, Douglas Seale, Noelle Parker, Gailard Sartain, Oliver Clark.
- IMDb rating: 5.6/10
In this fast-paced and upbeat comedy hit, you can look forward to a wonderful dose of holiday cheer, funny greetings for the season, and spellbindingly amazing effects.
When Santa Claus decides to retire and give his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new St. Nick, he asks for help from a group of funny characters, including Ernest P. Worrell, a loveable know-it-all.
Along the way, Santa and Ernest help a jaded teenager feel the joy of Christmas in a way he has never felt before.
And with that, the merriment and the magic may now begin. Ernest saves Christmas is one of the most exciting, unexpected, and best family Christmas movies you won’t soon forget!
18. Santa Buddies (2009)
In this Disney film, two best friends who are puppies go to the North Pole to investigate Santa’s gift workshop.
- Director: Robert Vince
- Star casts: Craig Anton, Liliana Mumy, Christopher Lloyd, Danny Woodburn, Danny Woodburn.
- IMDb rating: 4.5/10
However, since they still have so much work, Santa’s elves are so busy that they are beginning to lose their Christmas spirit.
Can the puppies lend a hand or paw to bring back the holiday spirit of goodwill? To find out, watch one of the best family Christmas movies on this list.
19. Jingle Jangle (2020)
- Director: David E. Talbert
- Star casts: Madalen Mills, Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Phylicia Rashad, Ricky Martin.
- IMDb rating: 6.4/10
A Christmas Journey is one of the best family Christmas movies intended for children aged 10 and up, but it will become a favorite among tweens, younger and older children, and adults.
The plot centers on a duchess who makes a life-changing decision and trades places with a commoner from Chicago who is an exact physical match for her.
20. Annabelle’s Wish (1997)
- Director: Roy Wilson
- Star casts: Randy Travis, Jerry Van Dyke, Jim Varney, Jim Varney, Cloris Leachman, James Lafferty.
- IMDb rating: 6.4/10
Another heartfelt and morally sound cartoon that has cemented its place as a holiday staple.
Annabelle’s Wish is a fictional film set in Tennessee that features music by Dolly Parton and Randy Travis.
The film begins on Christmas Eve in a town called Annabelle, where a calf named Annabelle is born.
When she finally gets to see Santa, she is captivated by the ability of his reindeer to fly. She imagines herself soaring into the sky and becoming one of Santa’s reindeer.
Conclusion
This list of the best family Christmas movies will make spending time with loved ones during the holiday season that much more enjoyable.
The movies on this list are unquestionably entertaining to watch with your family this holiday season. Have a wonderful time with your loved ones during this festive season.
