The run-up to the holiday season is always busy af with all the work that needs to be done before the year is over, shopping, planning and travelling home, but now that Christmas is actually here, I’m going to plop myself down on the sofa, watch movies all day every day for days, and eat all the food.
I decided to put together a little list of my favourite Christmas-themed rom-coms, mostly so I had an excuse to watch them all again.
It was research.
The Holiday
Everything about this movie is utter perfection, from the casting to Iris’ beautiful cottage, to the movies-within-a-movie, and of course Jude Law’s performance as Mr. Napkin Head. Can I please swap house with someone who has a beautiful cottage in the English countryside?
Bridget Jones’ Diary
I love Bridget Jones’ Diary because it’s not, strictly speaking, a Christmas movie, but the festive touches are perfect. And let’s face it, we all have a little (or a lot) of Bridget in us. Who hasn’t dreamt of meeting their very own Mark Darcy, complete with a terribly ugly Christmas sweater, over a turkey curry buffet? Who hasn’t drunkenly sung “AAALL BYYY MYYYSEEELF” in a cozy holiday pyjama while snuggling a bottle of vodka? Who hasn’t run through the streets in their panties to have that perfect Christmas kiss in the snow? Erm…Okay, maybe not that one.
Love Actually
This movie has everything, including peak Hugh Grant and Colin Firth rom-com action and many problematic storylines that I’m happy to overlook because it’s so damn good. The soundtrack never fails to put me in a festive mood, and the nativity lobster gives me life. And Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister dancing through 10 Downing Street? I’d vote for him.
Elf
Elf is so quotable. I can’t imagine Christmas without such gems as “YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES!” (my dream is to shout this at a mall Santa, but I’m too nice) and “SANTA’S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!”. The love story in Elf is pretty secondary, but it had a happy ending and is definitely proof that there’s someone out there for everyone.
Four Christmases
I watched this movie for the first time a couple of days ago while doing very important research for this post, so this is a brand new holiday romantic comedy for me. It’s not Christmas classic material, and it’s honestly just kind of awful in every way, but I’ll forever love Reese Witherspoon no matter what she does because she gave us Legally Blonde. Plus, Christmas is all about napping in front of the tv, isn’t it?
Merry Christmas!
