A quality adaptation for the book of the same title, this tells the tale of the strange year when the Herdmans, the worst kids in the whole history of the world, decide to take over the church Christmas pageant. It sadly sits firmly in 1980s made for television production values, otherwise it could possibly be a true Christmas classic. It serves as a reminder that perfection and adherence to every little tradition is not what really makes the holiday special to most of those who celebrate. It also has an adorable young Fairuza Balk providing commentary to those unfamiliar with the characters and location. 

Despite publisher Sidney Greenstreet’s insistence on honesty above all, single New Yorker Barbara Stanwyck writes a regular column for one of his magazines describing her married life on a farm in Connecticut. To fulfill the wishes of returning war hero Dennis Morgan, she is forced to finagle a Christmas dinner at her imaginary farm with the soldier, her publisher, and her supposed family. Stanwyck is radiant amidst all the hijinks, pretending to know how to cook, milk cows, and care for an infant all while trying to balance the feelings of her editor and new fiancé Reginald Gardiner with her own feelings for the soldier. The soundstage version of a Connecticut farmhouse provides just enough warm hominess to make it a comforting holiday flick.    

Oklahoman oil worker Matt Damon travels to France to visit his daughter Abigail Breslin who is serving time there for murdering her college roommate. When her lawyer refuses to reopen her case, Damon decides to stay in country and investigate some new information that has been found. For a good portion of the film, it’s a fish out of water tale with Matt performing better than I’ve ever seen him as the middle-aged, blue collar American trying to find his way in French society. His accent and redneck-iness is a bit over the top at times and the film takes some incredulous twists in its latter half, but following the character’s arch and the changes he undergoes finding connections in his life where he had previously failed makes the entire film an intriguing exploration of American myths and masculine culture.

Horse enthusiast Barbara Stanwyck is married to Robert Cummings, a popular Civil War scholar. When his dislike for horses and her jealousy toward his overly-familiar fans get between them, they decide to divorce. It’s not one of my favorite Stanwyck films, but it does have enough humor and silliness to make it worth a watch. It’s a rare film that allows all of the characters to shine equally, even a teeny Natalie Wood in a small role as the couple’s daughter, but it definitely does nothing to making me think the Steeplechase is a good idea for horses. 

Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey are a bickering, on the verge of divorce, married couple who are expecting a full house for Christmas. Surprisingly, burglar Denis Leary is added to the guest list as he holds them hostage while hiding from the police. Despite its crazy premise, it somewhat perfectly encompasses the chaos that families can bring over the holidays. It’s also is hilarious, has a wonderful cast, and is immensely quotable; no one encapsulating all of that more perfectly than the impressive Glynis Johns as Spacey’s controlling mother. It’s the rare Christmas film that I have no qualms about watching throughout the year.