Celebrating AnOther's ten favourite festive moments on film
Sparkling trees, mulled wine and plenty Hugh Grant – one of the best things about Christmas is the vast array of films that come with it. From the most heartwarming romance to the most sinister santa, we pick ten of our favourite Christmas Moments on Film, for your seasonal viewing pleasure.
1. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Poised in his reindeer roll-neck, Colin Firth quickly became the nation’s favourite Christmas Jumper pin-up for his role as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary. One of the cinema’s most popular love triangles, the film is bookended by the festive season, from Jones attempting karaoke at her Christmas party, cigarette askew, to running through the snow-covered streets of London Bridge in her underwear. Oh Bridget!
2. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Stanley Kubrick’s chilling erotic thriller shook up the festive season in 1999, with its sexually explicit content and lingering presence. Starring a young Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman on the brink of their marital decline, it set records for the longest shoot in movie history. Kubrick reportedly set the film at Christmas in order to question the symbolism of the holiday season, drawing parallels between human desire and the indulgence of Christmas, as well as revealing the darker side of consumerism. It also allowed him to employ distinct, dream-like lighting throughout the film, achieved through tinsel and fairy lights.
4. Dogtooth (2009)
Perverse, haunting and surreal, Dogtooth tells the chilling tale of three teenagers confined to their country estate by their overbearing parents. The awkward Christmas dance has become an iconic scene within the film – we wouldn’t encourage it at the Christmas party.
3. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Based on the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie by Miklós László, The Shop Around the Corner is as relevant and enjoyable now as when first screened in 1940. Perhaps an early predecessor to You’ve Got Mail, it follows the story of jarring co-workers, who are unknowingly exchanging romantic letters as pen pals.
5. Love Actually (2003)
With an all-star cast and entwining love stories, it’s not really Christmas until you hear Hugh Grant’s voiceover in the opening moments of Love Actually. From Liam Neeson’s festive roll-necks to the heartbreaking moment when Emma Thompson discovers her husband’s affair, it has become the definitive Christmas film of its decade.
6. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
From Meg Ryan’s preppy cable knits and bouffant blonde curls, to Billy Crystal’s dry, witty portrayal of unlikely lothario Harry Burns, When Harry Met Sally is the ultimate 80s rom-com and a holiday favourite.
7. Mean Girls (2004)
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert – AKA the plastics - were the perfect Sexy Santas in Mean Girls, performing a risqué dance routine to Jingle Bell Rock at the school talent show, dressed in fur-trimmed red PVC. So fetch.
8. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
The dysfunctional Griswold family kept us entertained throughout the 80s, as we watched their holidays go wonderfully wrong. The Christmas vacation was no exception, from the ill-judged Christmas tree and excessive fairy lights, to Cousin Eddie’s eclectic wardrobe choices.
9. American Psycho (2000)
Sarcasm, reindeer antlers and a Vietnamese potbellied pig – the Christmas party scene in American Psycho is brilliantly sinister. The chilling black comedy stars Christian Bale as an investment banker-turned-serial killer, alongside William Dafoe, Jared Leto and chloë Sevigny.
10. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
This 1946 classic is set on Christmas eve, and follows poor George Bailey (James Stewart) on the edge of defeat over his failing family business. The closing sequence remains one of the most popular movie moments in cinematic history, guaranteed to make even the most adamant Scrooge shed a tear.
Words by Mhairi Graham
