I. Love. Movies. If you have a few 100 hours to spare I will talk your ear off about all things movies. I used to wake my parents up after coming home from a movie to give them every detail… EVERY DETAIL. (Now, I just email them). So it’s no surprise that I get really pumped up to break out the Holiday movies every year. I love the extra-cheesy ones, the made-for-television Christmas movies, the big budget comedies, the romantic comedy ones – I love them all. I also have strong feelings about movie Santas, so in no particular order (because it would be like asking me to pick which one of my kids is my favorite)….

Tim Allen in The Santa Clause – 1, 2 and 3

Don’t laugh. You have not seen Tim Allen act until you have seen these movies… Allen doesn’t start off as Santa, he inherits the role after the previous Santa falls off his roof, but by the 3rd film he has taken on the role with such bravado that you forget he was ever a suit-wearing executive. And it doesn’t seem odd at all that Santa Claus has to deal with his ex-wife’s new husband – the oddly-named Judge Reinhold (seriously, never got past that name). The 3rd movie in the series, with the addition of Martin Short as Jack Frost… well that’s comedy gold right there friends.  Allen is the type of actor that does best when he plays a version of himself and that’s what he does in these movies. Always a hit with kids (and me).

Paul Giamatti/Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus

Giamatti makes an excellent Santa when it comes to appearance and demeanor and when Vaughn dons the red suit… well, he doesn’t look like Santa, but it’s Vince Vaughn so it works. This one gets bonus points because I was nearly plowed down by 50 Santas running down Michigan Avenue while they filmed this movie in Chicago. At one point I was 3 feet from Vaughn in his awesome leather jacket watching playback and laughing hysterically. Fred Claus scores high for the great cast (Vaughn, Paul Giamati, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Spacey, Ludacris, John Michael Higgins as Willie the Elf, Rachel Weisz AND Kathy Bates) and great laughs mixed in with your traditional Christmas movie message of peace, love, happiness and families coming together.

Tom Hanks in The Polar Express

Santa Claus in this movie has an air of authority about him that reminds me of how I always felt as a child around a stern older relative (or now when I am at the DMV or Dentist); I barely know you, but I know you can have a huge impact on my life so I better straighten up. Hanks (who does the voice for 6 characters in this film) has the perfect voice for this, if not the appearance and you can’t help but find him endearing (and also kind of scary). The mysterious, almost alternate universe, that exists in this film is different than the usual movie version of the North Pole and for some reason this movie always reminds me of Eyes Wide Shut with it’s eerie feeling (Yes, I realize that’s an odd connection). The Polar Express is a fabulous film when it comes to sharing the magic of Christmas with little ones.

Ed Asner in Elf

While Will Ferrel and James Caan own this movie with their dysfunctional father/son relationship (You think you’ve got kid problems? How ‘bout finding out you had a son who thinks he’s an elf?!), Asner delivers a classic Santa performance – Santa as Santa should be – a little gruff, but loving. Directed by Jon Favreau, this movie comes loaded with wit and sarcasm (my favorite) but part of the charm of Santa in this movie is how much Buddy the Elf is enamored by Santa … “SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA’S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!” And this is another Christmas movie with an all-star cast: Ferrell, Caan, Asner, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, Amy Sedaris and Andy Richter! Non-stop laughs but still gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling that every good Christmas movie should.

What are your favorite movies to watch over the Holiday season?

Photos: Fred Claus, The Santa Clause, Elf, The Polar Express