‘Tis the season to be streaming! There are so many Christmas movies to fit into one short month. With all of the Grinches, iterations of Christmas plus a prince on Netflix, and holiday specials for every franchise, it can be overwhelming to pick one to watch.
To me, nothing can beat the classics- the 90’s classics that is!
Here are my top five classic 90’s Christmas movies to share with your kids:
The Santa Clause
Free on Disney+
Rent on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu
Summary: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) accidentally makes Santa fall off his roof on Christmas Eve. By donning his suit and travelling to the North Pole with his son, Charlie, he becomes the next Santa.
This Christmas film was such a staple in our home growing up that the Drifters’ cover of White Christmas is the soundtrack to my December. Back then the special effects seemed revolutionary. Now I’m sure your kids will get a kick out of them!
Jingle All the Way
Free on Hulu, Sling TV, TNT, TBS
Rent on YouTube, Google, Vudu, Amazon
Summary: Fathers Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Myron (Sinbad) are both desperate to get a sold-out Turbo-Man action figure for their sons for Christmas.
The Terminator and postal worker Sinbad fighting over a kids toy? What’s not to love? Although, I do find movies like this slightly more stressful now that I am a parent myself responsible for what’s under the tree!
Home Alone
Free on Disney+
Rent on YouTube, Google, Vudu, iTunes, Amazon
Summary: After eight-year-old Kevin is accidentally left behind when his family goes on Christmas vacation, he alone must defend their house against two burglars.
While John Hughes is most well-known for his 80’s hits like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, he kicked off the 90’s with Home Alone. And if your kids love this one they will be happy to know there are two sequels. Caution- this movie may inspire them to booby-trap your house!
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Free on Disney+
Rent on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Google, Vudu
Summary: After being stranded in the California desert, college student Jake (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, aka JTT) has three days to get home to New York so his dad will give him his vintage Porsche. Fun fact- part of the film takes place in our very own Amana Colonies!
Looking for a family-friendly movie for your tweens and teens? This is the one for you! It is only rated PG, focuses on a couple of college students instead of young kids or Santa Clause, and ends with a family-friendly message.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Free on Disney+
Rent on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu
Summary: The film follows Charles Dickens’s original A Christmas Carol with British film icon Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, Kermit the Frog as his employee Bob Cratchit, and the other muppets as supporting characters.
When we were a little older, A Christmas Carol was one of the books that my mom read aloud to us each December. After we finished the book we enjoyed seeing the Muppets put their own spin on the classic tale.
Plus one for you:
While You Were Sleeping
Free on Disney+
Rent on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Google, Vudu
Summary: Lonely Chicago Transit employee Lucy (Sandra Bullock) is stuck in an odd love triangle after she is mistaken as the fiancee of a comatose man whose life she saved but falls in love with his brother.
Need something to play in the background while wrapping presents? I’m a sucker for a good rom-com, especially a throwback Sandy B.! While it isn’t necessarily a holiday-centric movie, it does begin on Christmas.
What’s your family’s favorite 90’s Christmas movie? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
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