Holly-jolly holiday movie superlatives

We've been counting down the days until Christmas, and now that it's almost here, we've finally figured out the best of the best. Who is the absolute jolliest Santa? What is the all-time saddest Christmas ballad? And who across the entire yuletide cinematic tradition has the most wonderful life? Read on for the honorees in our Christmas superlatives.

This story was originally published Dec. 21, 2018, and most recently updated Dec. 15, 2021.

The Grinch himself carved it, for crying out loud!

RUNNER-UP: The Cratchit family's prize turkey, A Christmas Carol

Honestly, we tried to avoid this. There's just no way around it. You can't even listen to 30 seconds of the Love Actually score and deny that it is the most romantic movie Christmas ever, period.

Only a yuletide battle of the Bad Moms could result in an ice-blue winter wonderland of such tacky grandeur.

RUNNERS-UP: All movie Whovilles

Nice try, Heat Miser, Snow Miser, whatever other misers — no one can compete with this squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner. Bah, humbug!

Just look at that dress!

No amount of drugs or lost phones or creepy encounters with a mysterious Christmas Michael Shannon should be enough to keep you from this party.

When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

Miracle on 34th Street gave him a good run for his money, but Tim Allen's reluctant Kris Kringle takes the top prize, if only for being most improved.

Obviously.

Who can resist a snowman who hangs out among ice cream cakes and greets every person, on any day, with "Happy Birthday?"

RUNNER-UP: Sorry, Olaf.

Take that, Rudolph! Jack's ghostly stand-in for the red-nosed icon gets extra points for all-over glow.

If only every December could be this March!

RUNNER UP: Ladies and gentlemen, the Haynes Sisters!

This one's a white Christmas in every sense of the word.

No subsequent version of this song has ever been quite so heartbreaking as the original in Judy Garland's velvety contralto.

It's not called Good Santa.

Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis play the couple you're supposed to root for, I guess. But when Stewart's Abby meets Aubrey Plaza's Riley? That's when the real sparks fly.

Stealing The Holiday's crown!

We triple-dog dare you to challenge this winner.

Happy trails, everyone else.