There is a raging debate that goes on in our household this time of year: how soon is too soon to start watching holiday movies and listening to Christmas music.
Dave and the girls are on the bah humbug, Scrooge side of the mistletoe, saying November is way too early, whereas I’m ready to curl up with a cup of tea or some hot chocolate and start watching holiday movies as soon as the first feathery snowflakes start to fall.
In the spirit of the holiday season and keeping harmony in households across the nation, this week my gift to you is my personal list of holiday flicks that will keep everyone in your family happy from now until December. I’ve checked it twice and all of these selections have some naughty bits but made it on my nice list:
Laurie’s list of holiday movies you can watch in November
- Bad Mom’s Christmas: a sequel to the popular Bad Moms, rebellious Moms Amy, Kiki and Carla rebel against the pressure to create the perfect holiday for their families
- Love Actually: I’ve always loved this ensemble movie for its beautiful acting (the scene where Emma Thompson sits on her bed listening to Joni Mitchell after she learns her husband is having an affair is masterful) and exploration of the meaning of love on different levels
- Just Friends: still one of my favourite Ryan Reynolds’ movies of all time—a Hollywood movie executive Chris Brander finds himself stranded in his hometown over Christmas with his psychotic pop diva client played by Anna Ferris. The scene where Reynolds visits his former flame’s house and Ferris shows up makes me laugh out loud every single time
- The Family Stone: Another great ensemble cast movie about a dysfunctional family and the ties that bind the ones we love set over the holidays
- The Holiday: Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz switch houses and lives for two weeks over Christmas
- The Holidate: this Netflix original is a cute romcom starring Emma Roberts who finds a guy who agrees to be her plus-one for every holiday all year long
- Office Christmas Party: Tired of going to boring office Christmas parties? Grab some spiked nog and enjoy this epic ultimate party thrown by a bunch of employees whose company is failing and vow to go out with a bang. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman with Kate McKinnon stealing the show as the HR person.
Of course, if you really want to embrace the Christmas/non-Christmas holiday movie debate, you can always watch Die Hard.
Finally, here are three movies I wouldn’t bother with that are on the naughty list: Four Christmases, New Year’s Eve and Bad Santa. And any Hallmark/Women’s Channel movie–all the producers deserve coal in their stockings for the terrible tripe this movies have become.
Happy Act 
G’day from Melbourne,
This year in Australia we will be viewing two new holiday films.
Christmas on the Farm –
on December 1, Christmas on the Farm is the newest Christmas movie that looks set to showcase a truly Aussie festive vibe as it follows the hilarious antics of Clementine Jones (Poppy Montgomery), an author who tries to pass off her late mother’s journals about her experience on a Queensland farm as her own. When the big shot New York publishers decide to head Down Under to check out an authentic “Clementine” Christmas, she attempts to pull the wool over their eyes. National treasures Darren McMullen and Hugh Sheridan also star in this modern comedy.
A Sunburnt Christmas –
For most of us in Australia, our festive season is more sun-kissed than snow-filled and 2020’s offering, A Surnburnt Christmas, captures this perfectly. The comedy, directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren of Bondi Hipsters fame follows the story of a single mum (Ling Cooper Tang) and her three kids living on an Outback property in South Australia and who are financially struggling due to drought. A spanner is thrown into the works when a runaway criminal dressed as Santa (Daniel Henshall) unexpectedly gatecrashes their Christmas.
Happy Holidays
Wow, not sure these would make my pre-holiday viewing list, but I’ll take your word for it David!