With the holidays just around the corner, it’s not too soon to start planning your holiday movie watching. To be honest, there still aren’t any good Hannukah or Kwanzaa movies, so you’ll see a strong Christmas bent here. First, let’s go over the obvious choices: It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). Not just the greatest holiday film ever, but simply one of the greatest films of all time. Also on the holiday list is Miracle on 34th Street (1947). This movie is a favorite of many people, but although I find it enjoyable, I also think it’s a bit flat. The White Christmas (1950) Bing Crosby–Danny Kaye romp feels like they made it up as they went, but it’s got lots of holiday spirit, and when Bing sings the title song, it’s always a holiday highlight. Alistair Sim’s version of A Christmas Carol (1951, and also known as Scrooge) is the beloved, and quintessential, Christmas tale of greed and redemption. As for A Christmas Story (1982), I dare you not to love this movie.

Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. (Courtesy photo)

Next come the more recent films that have earned annual viewings: Scrooged (1988). Yes, it’s too long, too noisy, and too mean. But watching crotchety Bill Murray go soft is worth it every time. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). The third in the National Lampoon “vacation” series has its share of icky jokes but it’s also a surprisingly sweet, thoughtful movie with a delightful supporting cast. The Santa Clause (1994). While it’s Disney and it’s formulaic, the Christmas miracle is that its heart turns out to be in the right place. Elf (2003). Oversized Santa’s helper Will Ferrell forces Christmas spirit down the throats of everyone he meets. It shouldn’t work (and according to my parents it doesn’t), yet somehow Ferrell wins us over with his hilarious good will. I think it’s already a classic.

Okay, you know all those. Now let’s dig a little deeper and find some holiday films that aren’t so obvious: Babes in Toyland (1934). When I was a kid, this was a Christmas morning staple, but time seems to have passed it by. More visual oddity than engaging narrative, Babes in Toyland (or March of the Wooden Soldiers, as it is often called) stars Laurel and Hardy in their most ambitious sound film. Toyland’s fairytale setting anticipates The Wizard of Oz, and borrows some of the set-bound mystery of the German expressionists. Ollie Dee and Stannie Dum are two oafs who work for the Toymaker: when Little Bo Peep falls under the eye of the evil Barnaby, they rush to protect her. This causes the furious Barnaby to unleash his bogeymen on Toyland. Loosely based on the operetta by Victor Herbert, Babes in Toyland does get lumpy in sections. But this whimsical fairytale casts a strangely magical spell.

Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy in Tading Places. (Courtesy photo)

Trading Places (1983). This buddy movie starring Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy is certainly considered a staple of the comedy genre. As a bonus, much of its story plays from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve in a cold and snowy New York City. Akroyd is the rich stockbroker who loses everything, and Murphy is the poor con man who becomes rich. Eventually both realize they’ve been duped by rotten old pros Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy. They team up with a sly prostitute (Jamie Lee Curtis) to turn the tables on the old men. Much of the comedy holds up, and amidst all the ’80s R-rated nonsense is a genuine festive spirit.

Die Hard (1988) Never mind that it remains the best American action film ever made. The important thing is that it all takes place on Christmas Eve. New York Cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) goes to visit his estranged wife in Los Angeles and finds himself battling a gang of thieves in a high rise. This movie made a star out of Willis and introduced the world to the magnetic Alan Rickman (as world-class villain Hans Gruber). The director also found a way to make it snow on Christmas Eve in Los Angeles. The holiday spirit may not be essential to the story, but it adds a surprisingly satisfying note.

Little Women (1994). This wonderful version of the Louisa May Alcott classic seems to have been lost in the shuffle, yet it remains a wonderful winter tale. Winona Ryder doesn’t make for the ideal Jo March, but she is supported by amazing performances from Susan Sarandon and a mesmerizing young Claire Danes. The story slips in and out of various holidays, but the overall feel is like a beautifully embroidered Christmas blanket.

Martine McCutcheon in Love Actually. (Courtesy photo)

Love Actually (2003). This is essentially a straight Christmas movie, but since it was somewhat overlooked on its initial release, I’ll give it a place here. The dubiously named film was written and directed by Richard Curtis, who for the past decade has been our favorite tour guide of England (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary). The first time I saw Love Actually, I cringed through many of the interweaving storylines. The film has an undeniable case of the cutes, and it’s a little more delighted with itself than it deserves to be. But on repeated viewings one can look past the silly bits and enjoy a plethora of terrific performances. Foremost is Emma Thompson as a career housewife whose executive husband (that Alan Rickman again) may be cheating on her. Also memorable are Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Colin Firth and the incredible Bill Nighy (Davy Jones from Pirates 2). None of the stories are substantial enough, and a few are best viewed with your hand on the fast-forward button (press it whenever you see poor Laura Linney), but if—darn it—if you’re not all swept up by the stirring, very festive finale, Love Actually’s determination to be positive and hopeful makes its shortcomings all the easier to forgive.

Happy holidays, and happy movie watching.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.