Each movie listed includes: 

(1) Title (2) Rating (3) Genres (4) Starring (5) Synopsis (6) My Personal Review (7) Scoring 1-5

 

 

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Oddsville Christmas (2016)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Family

Synopsis: A young girl and her two friends from the strange land of Oddsville make plans to celebrate Christmas together, but when she is late to pick them up, the pair wander out on their own leading to a series of mishaps until they find their little friend, who finally shows them the true meaning of Christmas.

Review: This may be the silliest movie I’ve ever seen.  It was filmed in Finland so the English voices don’t match how their mouths are moving which is a little distracting.  I think kids will really enjoy the follies and adventures and parents won’t mind watching it.  It was interesting to see Christmas through the eyes of two people who didn’t know about it.

Scoring: 2

Office Christmas Party (2016)

Rated: R

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Rob Corddry, Kate McKinnon, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, Randall Park, and Courtney B. Vance

Synopsis: When the CEO tries to close her hard-partying brother's branch, he and his Chief Technical Officer must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.

Review: I was so disappointed. I expected to be in hysterics. When it started, I thought it might have the feel of Bateman’s movie Game Night. This was a horrible wannabe. I kept waiting to laugh once. It’s beyond slapstick and crude. It’s just trying way too hard. Bateman is the only likable character.

Scoring: 1

An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010)

Rated:  G

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Jacqueline Bisset

Synopsis: The story of An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving continues. Isabella and Tilly pay a visit to Ireland, hoping Isabella's long-ago suitor, the Earl of Shannon, can assist Tilly in getting her writing published.

Review:  I found this movie to be a little more interesting than An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving. The scenery and story kept my interest but it still felt like it was lacking a little something. 

Scoring: 2

On Strike For Christmas  (2010)
Rated: PG
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family
Starring: Daphne Zuniga, David Sutcliffe, and Julia Duffy
Synopsis: Joy Robertson's two sons will both be off to college next year, so she wants to make this "the best Christmas ever." Joy is feeling unappreciated, however, since her husband and sons are preoccupied with their own concerns, and providing no assistance with the many Christmas preparations, while still expecting Mom to handle all the arrangements for hubby's office party and parties for her sons' friends, as well. Inspired by a grocery workers' strike in town, Joy decides to follow suit, and goes "on strike for Christmas."
Review:  Another favorite of mine. Joy goes on strike with the hope of her family learning what she does to make Christmas special every year. They learn to appreciate her and she learns her family is more important than decorations and everything being perfect. A good reminder for us all. 
Scoring: 4

On The 12th Date of Christmas (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Mallory Jansen and Tyler Hynes

Synopsis: Two seemingly incompatible game designers team up to create a romantic city-wide scavenger hunt with the theme of the “12 Days of Christmas.”

Review: I love, love, love, this movie.  The stars are absolutely charming and work so well together in their roles.  The story is unique and offers an interesting and fun way for the characters to get to know each other.  The addition of Aiden’s family and their home adds extra dimension to the story. I can’t wait to watch it again.

Scoring: 4

On The 2nd Day Of Christmas (1997)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family

Starring: Mary Stuart Masterson, Mark Ruffalo, and Howard Hessman

Synopsis: Con-woman Trish and her niece/ward Patsy are caught trying to steal from a department store right before Christmas. With the holidays so near, Bert, a store employee, agrees to be responsible for the pair so that Patsy need not spend the holidays in social services. Romance ensues.

Review:  The relationships between these characters are warm and they remind us of the Christmas spirit. Patsy is a special treat. This is a classic. 

Scoring: 4

 

On The Twelfth Day Of Christmas (2015)
Rated: G
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Starring: Brooke Nevin and Robin Dunne
Synopsis: Maggie is thrilled when Mitch, her long-time crush, moves back to town. When she learns Mitch's love for Christmas has drastically changed, she tries to bring his holiday spirits back by showing him the magic of Christmas.
Review:  Delightful tale of friendship and the Christmas spirit. Learning why Mitch turned away from Christmas and seeing their relationship develop is sweet. I really wish I had Maggie’s crafting abilities and creativity. 
Scoring: 3
 

On Valentine’s Day (1986)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama

Starring: Hallie Foote, Michael Higgins, and Matthew Broderick

Synopsis: Christmas unites a small-town family divided by a couple’s elopement in 1917 Texas.

Review: This starts at Christmas.  The title refers to when they eloped.  This movie is so very slow with what seems like a never-ending parade of characters and side stories.  It took effort to focus on it.  The story felt like the surface of what could’ve been a really moving one.  It kept shifting focus.  Skip this one.

 

Scoring: 1

Once Upon A Christmas (2000)
Rated: G
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Starring: John Dye and Kathy Ireland
Synopsis: A widower, Bill Morgan, took in his brother-in-law, Uncle Johnny, after the death of Bill’s wife. Bill’s children scare away every new nanny. The kids' misbehavior and disbeliever comments on a 'Santa Smells' website got them on the naughty list. When Santa sees so many on the naughty list, he refuses to go on. His younger daughter Kristen agrees to go and get the Morgan’s back on the nice list so Santa will return. 
Review:  This movie is so much fun. Between the different characters, like the tooth fairy, Kristen’s wicked older sister Rudolpha, and the Morgan Family, there’s so much to enjoy. There are sweet moments as well as those that make you laugh. A good mix. And of course, there's plenty of North Pole magic to go around.
Scoring: 4

Once Upon A Christmas Miracle (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: Aimee Teagarden, Brett Dalton, and Steve Bacic

Synopsis: Told she would have less than a few months to live without a new liver, Heather’s time was running out when a kind stranger heard of her plight and discovered he was a perfect match. The two met and before long a friendship developed into romance. 

Review:  After reading the synopsis I thought this movie would be all about Heather’s illness and it would be depressing. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a beautiful story of friendship and love. Learning it was based on a true story made it all the more impactful. 

Scoring: 3

 

Once Upon A Holiday (2015)
Rated: G
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Briana Evigan, Paul Campbell, Greg Evigan, and Jay Brazeau
Synopsis: When a princess escapes her entourage to explore New York over Christmas, she meets a young man who shows the beautiful stranger his side of the city.
Review:  I love the kindness of strangers, an interesting collection of personalities, in this movie with a New York backdrop. It’s a little slow but has moving moments.  Where I feel it falls short is Briana Evigan as the princess.  She just doesn't seem royal in any way to me.
Scoring: 3
 

One Christmas (1994)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Henry Winkler, and Swoosie Kurtz

Synopsis: A young man is sent to visit his estranged father for Christmas in 1930 in New Orleans. Based on an autobiographical short story by Truman Capote.

Review:  Seeing a piece of the childhood of Capote along with the cast makes this worth watching. The intricacies of the relationships and the historical time period are a bonus. 

Scoring: 3

 

One Christmas Eve (2014)
Rated: NR
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family
Starring: Anne Heche
Synopsis: A series of mishaps threaten a recently divorced mom's attempts to make her two kids' first Christmas "without dad" perfect.
Review:  First of all, this could only happen in a movie, hopefully. The cast is a perfect grouping of personalities.  There are tender moments but lots of laughs. So many funny things I didn’t see coming. 
Scoring: 3

One Crazy Christmas (2018)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family

Starring: Aleeah Rogers

Synopsis: Sabrina, a successful divorced attorney must juggle her family and guests during Christmas dinner when her daughter, Leslie, surprisingly brings home her new fiance, Juan, and also invites her father, Glen, Sabrina's ex-husband.

Review: The movie starts and ends slowly and a little boring.  The middle is the best part.  If you like awkward situations and slapstick innuendo, this is the movie for you.  Christmas dinner is towards the end but other than them saying it’s Christmas there’s no other holiday aspects here.  It’s not rated but I’d say it’s an R movie. 

Scoring: 2

One Fine Christmas (2019)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Marla Gibbs and Rick Fox

Synopsis: A group of neighbors struggle to find time for their families during the holiday season. 

Review: I found this to be truly interesting. It took me a minute to catch up to which neighbor had which story but once I did, I was hooked. The stories are so relatable and the characters are as flawed as we all are. It ends with a true feeling of Christmas. 

Scoring: 3

One Magic Christmas (1985)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Religion

Starring: Mary Steenburgen, Harry Dean Stanton, and Elisabeth Harnois

Synopsis: Gideon, a Christmas angel, is sent, by Santa, to help Ginny Grainger. Ginny is a cynic, and she hates Christmas. She and her family (husband, Jack and two kids, Cal and Abbie) have fallen on hard times, making it even harder to believe in anything that can't be seen. With help from Abbie, and a trip to see Santa Claus himself, can Gideon find a way to make Ginny believe again?

Review:  I found it to be so depressing and some aspects were almost anti-Christmas.  Christmas is about believing in magic. Ginny has to be given tangible proof in order to believe. Their Santa is a little scary. If you want a heavy drama you may like it. 

Scoring: 1

 

One Royal Holiday (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit

Synopsis: When Anna offers a stranded mother and son shelter in a blizzard, she learns that they are the Royal Family of Galwick. Anna shows the Prince how they do Christmas in her hometown, encouraging him to open his heart and be true to himself.

Review: It wouldn’t be Christmas without a movie where a girl falls for a prince.  This movie is just as charming as the prince is-at the end of the movie.  At the beginning he’s quite sour.  The supporting characters and town traditions are full of Christmas spirit.  I especially liked the Queen.  She perfectly bridged the gap between royal and non-royal.   A very lovely romance.

Scoring: 3

One Special Night (1999)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: James Garner and Julie Andrews

Synopsis: Robert, a contractor, is visiting his ailing wife in a nursing home. When it's time for him to leave, he can't get a taxi home, because of a snow storm. Catherine, one of the doctors, offers him a ride. However, their car gets stuck, requiring them to overnight in an empty cabin nearby. They talk and bond, but afterwards seem to have difficulty beginning a relationship.

Review:  The fact that actors as tremendously talented as Garner and Andrews star make this worth watching. Seeing two people, stripped of the extras in so many Christmas movies, communicate and learn to move past their dislike of each other is special. 

Scoring: 3

 

One Starry Christmas (2014)
Rated: G
Genres: Drama, Family, Romance
Starring: Sarah Carter and Damon Runyon
Synopsis: Holly, an aspiring astronomy professor, is upset at her boyfriend Adam's scheduled business trip over the holidays.  To surprise him and her parents she plans a trip, by bus, to go see them.  Holly befriends Luke on the bus and invites him and his brother to join her family for Christmas.  Will she choose Adam or Luke?
Review:  A sweet love story about very likable characters. Their relationship evolves slowly but kept my interest. Charming. 
Scoring: 3
 
Operation Christmas (2016)
Rated: G
Genres: Drama, Family, Romance
Starring: Tricia Helfer, Marc Blucas, and Gabrielle Rose
Synopsis: As her new romance blossoms, a single mother is dismayed when her boyfriend, a military sergeant, is deployed right before Christmas. Determined to not let it ruin the holidays for her and her children they decide to give back to the struggling military families on his base and, as their efforts go viral, they are rewarded in ways they never imagined.
Review:  This movie gives a little glimpse into what life is like for those who serve in the military, but even more, their families. We get to see Olivia learn about the sacrifices and struggle with whether she can handle it.  As with many others, the children are a delight as they try to get their parents together.  The children always seem to see a good match before the adults do.  It’s a charming story I've watched countless times.
Scoring: 4

Operation Christmas Drop (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Kat Graham, Virginia Madsen, and Alexander Ludwig

Synopsis: Congressional aide Erica forgoes family Christmas to travel at her boss's behest. At a beachside Air Force base, she clashes with Capt. Andrew Jantz, who knows her assignment is finding reasons to defund the facility.

Review: It’s got all the meaning of Christmas, especially the spirit of giving, but it didn’t evoke the feeling of it. There were some corny and cliche moments overall it’s a feel-good movie. For much of the film it felt like an educational/recruitment video. When I saw at the end that it’s based on what the armed forces actually do, I got why. I wish they’d made it feel less informative and more personal  It’s slow but enjoyable.

Scoring: 3

Operation Christmas List (2016)

Rated: TV-Y

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Family

Starring: Colton Gobbo

Synopsis: 12-year-old Barney is on a mission to get what he really wants for Christmas this year. He hatches a plan to beat the Christmas rush and buy the entire stock of the most sought-after gift, The Patty Panda doll! Barney and his friends sneak into the local department store after hours hoping to use the rare toys to swap for things on their own list. Things don't go exactly as planned when Forte and his slick gang of tight suit wearing thieves, show up with the same idea.

Review: This is a movie about children, on an adventure, that’s best enjoyed by children. Families will like watching it together but it’s not made for adults. The characters are almost cartoonish and very silly.

Scoring: 2

Ornaments (2008)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Synopsis: Religion, alcohol and politics are three things best avoided at holidays - but it's something this group of friends haven't learned. In this dark comedy, six friends have reunited for what may be their last holiday together.

Review: This low budget indie film is very amateur from the acting to the camera work.  The story jumps around so much you don’t really get to know or care about the people before they come together.  Then it’s like watching your most awkward and uncomfortable family dinner.  Like the family dinner, you’ll want to run from this movie.

Scoring: 1

Our Christmas Love Song (2019)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Musical, Romance

Starring: Alicia Witt and Brendan Hines

Synopsis: When country star Melody Jones is accused of plagiarizing her holiday single, she returns home to spend Christmas with her estranged family and old flame and learns what’s important in life. 

Review: A very enjoyable movie. The time flew as I watched it. It had a lot of familiar parts to it but felt original. It’s full of family, Christmas, and music.  I really appreciated the nod to our soldiers away from home for the holidays.  A good family film.

Scoring: 3

Our Dream Christmas (2017)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Olivia Brown

Synopsis: A Mississippi woman brings her family to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with her dying mother.

Review: In the beginning I was having a hard time figuring out who everyone was and how they were related.  The middle was many slow moments that just dragged.  Then the end came and made it worth watching the rest.  It really illustrated the family dynamics and how they can overcome their issues and just be there in good times and bad.

Scoring: 2 

Our First Christmas (2008)
Rated: G
Genres: Drama, Family
Starring: Dixie Carter, Julie Warner, John Ratzenberger, and Steven Eckholdt
Synopsis: Widower Tom Baer, a school counselor, recently married school coach Cindy Noll, a widow. Their respective offspring get along fairly well, despite different parenting styles, but as their first Christmas with all step-siblings approaches, each set is desperate to respect their own seasonal traditions, reminiscent of their late parents. Tom's father, retired preacher Joe Noll, and Cindy's mother-in-law (from her deceased husband, Dave), Evie, a businesswoman, each liked by both, hoped to bridge the gap, but when that fails, she returns home alone. Just that gets the kids reconsidering their pouting pact.
Review:  This is a delightful story. The children bond so much over trying to have separate Christmases they realize they want to be together. Unlike real life, everyone disagrees with respect and kindness. This is one we watch every year. 
Scoring: 4

Ozie Boo!  Learn to Live Together: Winter Adventures (2009)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Fantasy

Synopsis: The Ozie Boo penguins are really excited about Christmas. They are on their way to deliver their letters to Santa. During their winter adventure, the penguins discover a Mammoth, must solve the mystery of the missing toys, and learn that a wish will not come true overnight

Review: I definitely recommend this for younger children.  It has nice messages about friendship and kindness but this is not geared for all ages.  I didn’t mind it but I didn’t enjoy it.

Scoring: 2