10 Holiday Movies That Roger Ebert Loved (and Where to Watch Them)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We dug into the catalog and found 10 holidays movies that Roger Ebert gave a thumbs up and looked into where to watch them too! Get the family together and watch one of these season favorites, and check out Roger’s full reviews, quoted and linked below.

“A Christmas Story” (On Max)

There are many small but perfect moments in “A Christmas Story,” and one of the best comes after the Lifebouy is finally removed from Ralphie’s mouth and he is sent off to bed. His mother studies the bar, thinks for a moment, and then sticks it in her own mouth, just to see what it tastes like. Moments like that are why some people watch “A Christmas Story” every holiday season. There is a real knowledge of human nature beneath the comedy.

“The Polar Express” (On Max & Hulu)

“The Polar Express” is a movie for more than one season; it will become a perennial, shared by the generations. It has a haunting, magical quality because it has imagined its world freshly and played true to it, sidestepping all the tiresome Christmas cliches that children have inflicted on them this time of year. The conductor tells Hero Boy he thinks he really should get on the train, and I have the same advice for you.

“Bad Santa” (On Paramount+)

I imagine a few unsuspecting families will wander into it, despite the “R” rating, and I picture terrified kids running screaming down the aisles. What I can’t picture is, who will attend this movie? Anybody? Movies like this are a test of taste. If you understand why “Kill Bill” is a good movie and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is not, and “Bad Santa” is a good movie and “The Cat in the Hat” is not, then you have freed yourself from the belief that a movie’s quality is determined by its subject matter. You instinctively understand that a movie is not about what it is about, but about how it is about it. You qualify for “Bad Santa.”

“Love Actually” (On Prime Video)

I could attempt to summarize the dozen (or so) love stories, but that way madness lies. Maybe I can back into the movie by observing the all-star gallery of dependable romantic comedy stars, led by Hugh Grant, and you know what? Little by little, a movie at a time, Grant has flowered into an absolutely splendid romantic comedian. He’s getting to be one of those actors like Christopher Walken or William Macy where you smile when you see them on the screen. He has that Cary Grantish ability to seem bemused by his own charm, and so much self-confidence that he plays the British prime minister as if he took the role to be a good sport.

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (On Paramount+)

There are a lot of big laughs in “Trains, Planes and Automobiles,” including the moment when the two men wake up cuddled together in the motel room, and immediately leap out of bed and begin to make macho talk about the latest Bears game. The movie’s a terrific comedy, but it’s more than that, because eventually Hughes gives the Martin and Candy characters some genuine depth. We begin to understand the dynamics of their relationship, and to see that although they may be opposites, they have more in common than they know.

“Prancer” (On AMC+)

The best thing about “Prancer” is that it doesn’t insult anyone’s intelligence. Smaller kids will identify with Jessica’s fierce resolve to get Prancer back into action, and older viewers will appreciate the fact that the movie takes place in an approximation of the real world.

“Elf” (On Hulu & Max)

Indeed the whole world has grown too cynical, which is why Santa is facing an energy crisis this year. His sleigh is powered by faith, and if enough people don’t believe in Santa Claus, it can’t fly. That leads to one of those scenes where a flying machine (in this case, oddly enough, the very sleigh we were just discussing) tries to fly and doesn’t seem to be able to achieve takeoff velocity, and … well, it would be a terrible thing if Santa were to go down in flames, so let’s hope Buddy persuades enough people to believe. It should be easy. He convinced me that this was a good movie, and that’s a miracle on 34th street right there.

“A Muppet Christmas Carol” (On Disney+)

Will kids like the movie? The kids around me in the theater seemed to, although more for the Muppets than for the cautionary tale of Scrooge.

“The Ref” (On VOD)

Material like this is only as good as the acting and writing. “The Ref” is skillful in both areas. Dennis Leary, who has a tendency, like many standup comics, to start shouting and try to make points with overkill, here creates an entertaining character. And Davis and Spacey, both naturally verbal, develop a manic counterpoint in their arguments that elevates them to a sort of art form.

“Last Holiday” (On Prime Video)

All depends on the Queen, who has been known to go over the top on occasion, but in this film finds all the right notes and dances to them delightfully. It is good to attend to important cinema like “Syriana” and “Munich,” but on occasion we must be open to movies that have more modest ambitions: They only want to amuse us, warm us, and make us feel good. “Last Holiday” plays like a hug.