Saturday, November 21, 2009

Christmas Movies

Nestor the Long-eared donkey

When I was younger, my brother and I waited in anticipation to watch our favorite Christmas shows air on t.v. for the Christmas Season. This was back when there were only around 5 channels and no remote, no dvd's, no Hulu nor Netflix. You actually had to wait until the television station decided to air the shows to see them. One of my favorite Christmas movies was Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. This movie told about Christ's birth in such a simple way, and Nestor always made me a little teary-eyed. I was captivated by the story, the emotion-- and there is just something about the Arthur Rankin Jr. animation that fascinated me as a kid. Of course it didn't seem like Christmas unless we watched the rest of the Arthur Rankin Christmas specials--Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns, and The Little Drummer Boy.

Now with my family, we try to watch several Christmas movies during December as a family. We pop some popcorn and drink hot chocolate (note to self--need to buy popcorn and hot chocolate!). It's becoming a nice holiday tradition. In addition to the movies listed above, here are a few more on our to-watch list this year:

Christmas Movie List

1. The Christmas Shoes Not necessarily a movie for younger children because it does deal with death, but what a touching story!

"Two stories converge as young Nathan learns his mother is dying and tries to get her a pair of red shoes for Christmas while lawyer Robert Layton re-evaluates his life and relationships after a chance encounter with Nathan."

2. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
"The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" is a story of love, redemption and above all, hope. When a broken hearted boy loses the treasured wooden nativity set that links him to his dead father, his worried mother persuades a reclusive, ill-tempered woodcarver to create a replacement, and to allow her son to watch him carve it. The commission takes their relationship to unexpected places as the young boy makes greater and more difficult demands of the woodcarver’s ability, and as Christmas approaches, the three of them struggle to come to terms with each other, their painful memories and the process of putting their unhappiness behind them."

3. My Christmas Soldier I have not seen this movie, but it is on my list to see this year.

"A small Georgia town struggles with the rationing and sacrifices of America at war. Christmas is no exception as 11-year-old Gordy (Aidan Rogers) and his sister Priscilla (Emily Jordan) sense a fear in the train station where they await their father's homecoming. Propaganda posters and tense adult talk drive home the evil of the enemy.

When a train loaded with German prisoners arrives in the station, Gordy's curiosity is stronger than his fear. He dares to approach the prison train and makes contact with a young German soldier named Hans (Silvio Wolf Busch). Through the courage to trust and the song "Silent Night", friends and foes learn the true meaning of Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men, and hearts are forever changed. Narrated by Mac Powell of THIRD DAY"


4. It's a Wonderful Life A timeless classic that I think every kids should at least see once.

5.Veggie Tales: Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving We also like to have several movies specifically for my 1 & 3yr. old.

"When Junior Asparagus and his Veggie friends learn that Laura Carrot’s dad has lost his job on Christmas Eve, Bob the Tomato decides to tell the kids a very special story about giving. Using a big storybook and a little imagination, they all travel back to ancient Greece to meet Saint Nicholas — the world’s greatest giver."

6. The Very First Noel Great movie for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with toddlers and preschoolers.

"History’s beloved story of the Three Wise Men is now an all-new animated Christmas classic! From Exclaim Entertainment, home of the hit DVD series BOZ, The Green Bear Next Door™, comes The Very First Noel, a beautiful animated holiday special that will joyfully draw families together every Christmas for years to come. Join Melchior, one of the Three Wise Men, (voiced by Andy Griffith) as he narrates the story of his travels in search of a magnificent star pointing him to a newborn King. It’s the journey of a lifetime"

7. Miss Patty Cake's Christmas DVD My little girls love to sing along with Miss Patty Cake, so I'm hoping to add this one to our collection as well.

"Your preschoolers---and you---will discover some surprising secrets when Miss PattyCake and her nativity box come to celebrate Jesus' birthday! Children will learn about this special day as they view pop-ups, pictures, poems, and lots of songs such as "It's Christmas"; "Away in a Manger"; "A Baby Is Born"; "Hap-Hap-Happy Birthday, Jesus"; and many more."


What is your favorite Christmas movie?

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1 Comments:

Blogger mollie said...

I just put two movies into my Amazon shopping cart ... numbers 2 & 3. Thanks, Mo ... I have never heard of either of these. They will be good for our older grandchildren to watch while at our house for Christmas. :)

November 22, 2009 at 7:46 PM  

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