Christmas lights twinkle, seasonal carols ring out, and Santa Claus counts down to his busiest night of the year. However, for many, the lead-up to December 25 usually involves its share of travel. This year, many folks are opting to stay home. Therefore, as you prepare to cozy up this holiday season, here are some Christmas classics to download and enjoy.
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York
Traveling at Christmas can be a lot to manage. Nonetheless, you’ll certainly do better than the McCallister family, whose holiday trip to Miami starts with a disaster when 10-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) mistakenly flies to New York and checks into the iconic Plaza Hotel near Central Park. Less sentimental than many seasonal films, Home Alone 2 showcases Culkin outsmarting bumbling burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, creating addictive Christmas slapstick.
Love Actually
More sentimental than a bucket of novelty slime, Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy delivers emotional moments, such as Liam Neeson as Daniel rushing through Heathrow airport with stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster) to meet Sam’s love interest Joanna (Olivia Olson). While it’s undeniably schmaltzy, such emotion encapsulates the essence of Christmas. Airports, characterized by their crowded and anonymous nature, serve as the backdrop for cherished reunions and farewells, thereby highlighting raw human emotions.
Die Hard
The debate continues: Is it a Christmas movie or merely an action film set during the holidays? Regardless, we cheer for this story of an everyman (Bruce Willis) eager to spend Christmas with family but is trapped in a hotel siege by international terrorists led by Alan Rickman. Thus begins Willis’s underwhelming Christmas Eve showcased when he boards a flight to Los Angeles, hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife.
His quick limousine ride leads him to a Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza (technically Fox Plaza), where instead of relaxing, he endures a series of sweaty escapades in a thin vest, battling the bad guys. Therefore, even the busiest holiday schedule can’t compete with McClane’s chaotic Christmas Eve.
The Polar Express
Choo…choo! Robert Zemeckis’s 2004 animated feature, although slightly unsettling in its character designs, effectively conveys the excitement of train travel. This enchanting tale follows a young boy (Daryl Sabara) who hops aboard a non-stop express to visit Santa Claus. With Tom Hanks as the kindly conductor, it becomes a heartwarming Christmas experience.
Holiday Inn
Irving Berlin composed White Christmas specifically for this 1942 film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. One central theme is how travel broadens one’s horizons, demonstrated when Crosby’s character leaves New York to establish a countryside hotel dedicated to celebrating Christmas (and other holidays) every day of the year.
Elf
This time of year, many people venture to big cities, yet none will experience a journey quite like that of Will Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf. Searching for his true identity in New York, his heartwarming adventure is further amplified by the glamorous backdrop of a bustling department store – a frequent stop for many as December 25 approaches.
