The Funniest Holiday Movies of All Time

Now I know I'm jumping the gun here because Four Christmases hasn't opened yet and any movie that combines the humor of Jon Voight with the understated elegance of Vince Vaughan is sure to be a winner, but I thought I'd risk it and come out with my list of the funniest holiday movies of all time today.

10) Tadpole -- In this odd, Voltaire-ridden coming of age story, we follow a young man in his quest to sleep with his stepmother. It's not a perfect film, it's lacking visually and some of the dialogue falls flat, but it is hilarious when it wants to be and Bebe Neuwirth is awe-inspiring both in her comic timing and sex appeal.

9) The Muppet Christmas Carol -- My favorite part of these movies was always the lack of differentiation between people and muppets, and who better to throw into the mix than the stuffy and sweet Michael Caine. Both hilarious and delightful, the movie makes you feel better about a season so often characterized by greed.



8) Planes, Trains and Automobiles -- This movie teaches us an important lesson: You should always make sure you are reaching for a towel and not John Candy's underwear. Funnier than the film itself, is this mash-up of it and Brokeback Mountain:



7) Santa Clause: The Movie -- Yeah, this movie is awesome. Dudley Moore + evil John Lithgow + a sled that runs on candy canes and hope = unintentionally hilarious. Run, don't walk, to rent this-so-bad-it's-fabulous film.



6) Scrooged -- I love movies in which Bill Murray learns not be an asshole. This one doesn't quite measure up to Groundhog Day, but it'll do.



5) The Ref -- Before Dennis Leary got on everyone's bad side with that autism garbage, he made this film about a dysfunctional Connecticut couple and their bat-shit crazy family, which will definitely make you feel better about your own. It's the funniest he's ever been, but he still gets upstaged by Judy Davis, Christine Baranski and some really mean old lady.



4) Bad Santa -- I never knew Christmas could be so dirty. I'm so glad I was wrong. Plus there's a midget involved.



3) Trading Places -- A revenge fantasy involving corporate greed and the stock exchange set around the holidays? Nice.



2) A Christmas Story -- This movie is the reason I never licked any frozen metal object growing up (yeah, I was a slow kid). It's hokey, and a little slow, but it's a staple of Christmas, in fact, I don't think TBS would have any programming in December without it.



1) Home for the Holidays -- Turns out Jodie Foster is funny, or at least she can direct funny. She gets help from Holly Hunter, Robert Downey, Jr and Anne Bancroft (who is so adorable in this film that I finally understand the urge old ladies have to pinch people's cheeks.)



Feel free to add your favorites below, or simply berate me for nondescript reasons.

 

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Comments

[rektruax]

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS!... not kidding. MST3K harpooned it years ago, but I seem to remember WRAL TV from Raleigh playing it all the time in the early 70's around xmas.

One of the stars is a cute little 9 year old Pia Zadora.

[KrazyKat]

There's a gem of a holiday movie, often shown on TCM, called "The Man Who Came To Dinner" (1942). Absolutely hilarious.

I'm also a fan of "Scrooged" with Bill Murray, and, yes, "Elf!"

And my favorite Thanksgiving movie is definitely "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." I do miss John Candy.

[canow]

Come on, folks - the best holiday movie ever: Die Hard.

[Robert2664]

What no christmas vacation?The dog chasing the squrill,the cat chewing on the lights,the saucer sled
the exploding turkey,a swat team raid,the lights on the house dimming the whole town.Also what about
8 crazy nights.

[customgreen]

Tadpole. I didn't think that was very funny at all, but to each their own. For me without a doubt...Christmas Vacation.

[shel3364]

The Ref......hysterical.



the grumpy old lady??? She was Mrs. Banks (the mom) in Mary Poppins.

[whit4brains]

Love that movie...watch it every year :-)

[indy87]

No Jingle All the Way?!

[deeppeace]

The Ref, The Ref, The Ref. The rest are tied for #10. I love that movie so much, I've given it to all my relatives and I watch it all year.

[goblue137]

This is a good list. But National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a classic that should be near the top of any list like this.

[saami]

Absolutely agree with goblue137; when the squirel and the cat liven up Christmas it is a hoot. If you are feeling down and blue on Christmas, start with the animated Grinch Stole Christmas (not the looser Jim Carey mess) followed by National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and bring it on home with Bad Santa. You will be smiling if not laughing out loud.

[Cynth]

That would be #1 on my list. Each year, it never gets old...

[IowaGirl]

I know not everyone is a fan of the humor of Mr. Bean, but the short sketch comedies that he made for a British audience (vs. the longer movies, which tended to become deadly after a while) have some howlers. They work especially well for large groups with mixed ages because of course the physical comedy is universal and he's just so silly. There is one sketch starring the holiday turkey itself that is priceless. Trust me.

[MagisterLudi]

Very low brow...surely...
Three of my faves:
Joyeux Noël
3615 Code Pere Noel

and THE best Holiday film of all times--- astonishing Russian"The Irony Of Fate, Or Enjoy Your Bath"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073179/

[AmbivalentGuy]

I always watch "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" over the Thanksgiving break,
BUT
you didn't list "Christmas Vacation"?

I couldn't be more surprised if I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet!

[maryyooch]

And though these are only cartoons, I wouldn't miss them for the world.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

[TEEDOG]

I can't believe you didn't even mention the FUNNIEST Christmas movie of all time---HOME ALONE.
The last half of hour is some of the funniest stuff ever put on film.......

[1099]

"The last half of hour is some of the funniest stuff ever put on film......."

I suppose if I was 12 years old the above statement might be true.

[TEEDOG]

Don't tell me that you didn't cry laughing when he put the spider on Marvin's face.....

[ShinjiIkari]

Thanks for not including the Usual Suspects like "Miracle on 34th Street" or "Three Godfathers". As for the latter, there have been two animated spins on John Ford in recent years: "Ice Age", which is pretty lame, and the far superior "Tokyo Godfathers", directed by Satoshi Kon. Here, instead of John Wayne, John Agar, and Pedro Armendariz, an infant in a dumpster is discovered by an alcoholic ex-athlete, a teenaged runaway, and a middle-aged drag queen. Kon loves playing with people's perspectives and assumptions, and some of his films (notably the DePalma-ish thriller "Perfect Blue" and his love-song to movies, "Millennium Actress") can leave one's head spinning; but "Tokyo Godfathers" is funny and feelgood all at the same time. Not an easy trick when you're talking about homelessness and AIDS, among other things.