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The best Christmas movies capture the feelings of the season perfectly, often featuring miracles that help the characters feel as if they are not alone and that God or Santa Claus is watching over them. Other movies set in the holiday season focus on giving gifts that people really need or want, or discovering the true meaning of the holiday.
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Every Christmas movie is meant to leave the audience with warm, fuzzy feelings, but not all of them succeed to the same degree. Movies like It’s a Wonderful Life are classic Christmas films because they include perfect endings that help keep the spirit of Christmas alive after the credits roll. There are several Christmas movies that stand out because of their endings.
7) Home Alone
Although Home Alone is best remembered for the inventive ways Kevin foils the robbers that break into his home after his parents accidentally leave him behind, this comedy is also a quintessential Christmas movie. The family accidentally leaves Kevin behind after he’s laughed at and treated by his cousin like he’s inferior, so being forgotten is just another incident that makes him feel like he’s not really part of the family, and some fans theorize that he was abandoned on purpose.
This is a terrible way to feel at Christmas, and throughout the movie, Kevin’s family tries to get back home while Kevin initially enjoys being on his own, but eventually wishes they would return. The film’s ending is exactly what a Christmas movie of this nature needs. Kevin initially thinks his wish didn’t come true, only for his mother to appear a few minutes later. This ending would have been sweet enough on its own, but the final scene is made even better by Kevin witnessing his grumpy neighbor reuniting with his estranged family, too.
6) White Christmas
White Christmas’ charming plot and the music it uses made this 1940s-era movie into a Christmas classic. It is about two performers who become friends while in the Army together and, years later, travel to Vermont, where they try to rescue their commanding officer’s inn from closure by performing there. At its heart, this Christmas story is about camaraderie, though there is also a romantic subplot that includes a misunderstanding.
Towards the end of the movie, it seems like all hope is lost. Protagonists Bob and Phil reject an idea to go on national TV and exploit General Waverly’s misfortune for publicity, but love interest Betty thinks Bob agreed to it and distances herself from him, eventually leaving for New York without hearing the truth. The couple finally reconciles and performs together in Vermont, saving the inn. This happy ending is made even more perfect by snow falling, giving General Waverly and his guest a true white Christmas after all.
5) The Muppet Christmas Carol
There have been many adaptations of A Christmas Carol over the years, including a TV special starring Scrooge McDuck as Scrooge and Mickey Mouse as Tiny Tim. The Muppet Christmas Carol is in the same vein as this special, making it one of the best family-friendly adaptations of the classic story. It features new Muppets as the ghosts and a human Scrooge.
The ending of the film is faithful to the source material, with Scrooge waking up on Christmas Day full of the spirit of the holiday. No longer a selfish miser, he buys a turkey for Bob’s family, raises Bob’s salary, pays off Bob’s mortgage, and celebrates Christmas with his no-longer-estranged family. This ending is made even more touching by the knowledge that it is the first Muppets movie made after Jim Henson’s death and that his son honored his legacy by presenting this story.
4) The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause is a refreshingly modern retelling of the Santa Claus mythos. Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin is obligated to become the new Santa after the original Santa falls off his roof and dies, but this is a problem for his ex-wife, who doesn’t believe it and wants to protect her son from the lie that Santa is real.
The ending is especially effective because Scott/Santa hits such a low point right before it. His ex-wife suspends his visitation rights and has him arrested for kidnapping when he and his son return home after delivering gifts to other children, but after the elves break him out, Scott delivers a heartfelt speech about the meaning of Christmas that convinces his ex-wife that he really is Santa. This ending is perfect because it also heals Scott’s relationship with his son, and he is able to take him with him to finish delivering presents.
3) Jingle Jangle
Jingle Jangle is a unique Christmas movie that takes elements of the Pinocchio story and combines them with standard Christmas tropes. 30 years after inventor Jeronicus is betrayed by his apprentice Gustafson and a toy that magically came to life, he has lost his creative spark, his daughter, and his desire to run his shop, and he now must come up with a new invention by Christmas or the bank will repossess his business.
The ending is brilliant because it not only sets everything to rights but also includes forgiveness. After Gustafon is arrested, Jeronicus gives him a part he needs to perfect his own invention, and both men are redeemed — Jeronicus returns to working for his shop full-time, and Gustafon finishes making his toy while in jail. This ending completely embodies the Christmas spirit and creates those warm, fuzzy feelings that Christmas movie audiences yearn for.
2) Miracle on 34th Street
No movie embodies the spirit of Christmas more than Miracle on 34th Street. This film is about a man, Kris Kringle, who claims to be the real Santa, though no one believes him. Things escalate to the point where Kris needs a lawyer to help convince a judge not to commit him to a mental hospital for his belief that he is Santa.
The ending of this movie is a perfect blueprint for how to wrap up a Christmas film. Kris wins his case after the Post Office delivers thousands of letters to Santa to his address, and Susan finds the dream house she wanted — and gets married so she can live in it. These miracles allow the audience to believe again in Santa for a few minutes, even though they’re too old for it.
1) It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life’s ending is as perfect as the rest of this classic Christmas movie. It’s a Wonderful Life is about saving the life of a depressed man, George Bailey — his guardian angel decides to show him how much the world would lose if he were never in it so that he will want to go on living.
At the end of the movie, the intervention works, and Bailey awakens eager to live. He returns to town, expecting to be arrested for a mishap that caused a lot of money to go missing. In true Christmas fashion, however, the townspeople have paid off the debt, allowing him to celebrate with his family — and get one last message from Clarence, confirming that Clarence got his angel wings. This beautiful ending leaves viewers eager to celebrate their own Christmases and wraps everything up on a positive note.
What Christmas movie do you think has the most perfect ending? Leave a comment and join the conversation at the ComicBook Forum.
