In a survey taken by many BC students, the most popular holiday movie is Home Alone, followed closely by Elf and The Grinch. There were many movies I could not include in my data collection but the write-in portion proved to be very entertaining. Some of the most popular write-ins included The Polar Express, a seasonal classic featuring Tom Hanks voicing several characters, and Die Hard, an action movie set on Christmas Day. Many students wrote that their seasonal favorite is special to them because it’s a family tradition, a classic, or a childhood favorite.
The favorite holiday movie Home Alone, follows Kevin around the house after he was left alone by his family over the Christmas break. As his family scrambles to fly home to Kevin, he is living the good life away from his family until “The Wet Bandits” notice a seemingly empty house perfect to rob. The rest of the movie follows Kevin trying to protect his house from the robbers, as well as his mother’s trek back to her son. A loved seasonal movie perfect for everyone in the family.
Following Home Alone, two other seasonal classics stand out. Elf follows Buddy the Elf as he discovers his true identity, a human. As he travels to the real world to discover who he really is, he meets new people, discovers that not everything is perfect, and falls in love. This movie is sure to make you laugh. On the other hand, The Grinch, has been reimagined 3 times now. The original is a hand-drawn animation style made in December of 1966 and is still enjoyed all over the world. In 2000, Jim Carrey took on the role of the Grinch in a live-action remake. In this film, he faced challenges with extensive facial prosthetics and costumes. The most recent adaptation is an Illumination animated film released in 2018. In this version, the Grinch character is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Most importantly, students freshman to senior can all bond over the fact that the holidays are a wonderful time of the year to see family and friends. Whether your personal favorite is Home Alone or Die Hard, holiday movies are a huge part of the celebrations that go on this time of year. TYRO received over 100 responses to a survey sent out to a small portion of the student body, all willing to answer our question: “What is your favorite holiday movie?” When asked why it was their favorite movie, there were a variety of responses ranging from interest in the creation of the movie to nostalgia from past holidays. To everyone reading this article, have a wonderful holiday season!
