Best Christmas movies: Holiday movie superlatives

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And the winners are...

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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.

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MOST TANTALIZING CHRISTMAS FEAST: The roast beast, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

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The Grinch himself carved it, for crying out loud!

RUNNER UP: The Cratchit family’s prize turkey

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MOST ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS: Love Actually

Peter Mountain/Universal Studios

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

Continued on next slide.

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MOST EXTRA HOLIDAY DÉCOR: A Bad Moms Christmas

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

RUNNERS-UP: All movie Whovilles

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STINGIEST MISER: Ebenezer Scrooge

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

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MOST FESTIVE WARDROBE: Martha May Whovier, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

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Just look at that dress!

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MOST COVETED INVITATION: The Nutcracker Ball, The Night Before

Sarah Shatz/Columbia Pictures

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.

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MOST WONDERFUL LIFE: George Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life

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

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JOLLIEST SANTA CLAUS: The Santa Clause

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

Continued on next slide.

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MERRIEST ELF: Buddy the Elf, Elf

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Obviously.

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SWEETEST SNOWMAN: Frosty, Frosty the Snowman

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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.

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SHINY-NOSEDIEST REINDEER: Zero, The Nightmare Before Christmas

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

Continued on next slide.

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SISTERLIEST CHRISTMAS: Little Women

Everett Collection

If only every December could be this March!

RUNNER UP: Ladies and gentlemen, the Haynes Sisters!

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WHITEST CHRISTMAS: Amanda's English holiday, The Holiday

Everett Collection

We mean this in terms of weather, wardrobe, and race!

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DRUNKEST GRINCH: Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa

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It’s not called Good Santa.

Continued on next slide.

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BEST CHRISTMAS SWAP: The Princess Switch

Netflix

Stealing The Holiday‘s crown!

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FROZENEST POLE: A Christmas Story

Everett Collection

We triple-dog dare you to challenge this winner.

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SADDEST CHRISTMAS BALLAD: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Meet Me In St. Louis

MGM

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

Continued on next slide.

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YIPPEE-KI-YAY-EST MOTHERF---ER: John McClane, Die Hard

Peter Sorel/Fox

Happy trails, everyone else.

Replay gallery

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Holly-jolly holiday movie superlatives

1 of 20

And the winners are...

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MOST TANTALIZING CHRISTMAS FEAST: The roast beast, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

3 of 20

MOST ROMANTIC CHRISTMAS: Love Actually

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MOST EXTRA HOLIDAY DÉCOR: A Bad Moms Christmas

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STINGIEST MISER: Ebenezer Scrooge

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MOST FESTIVE WARDROBE: Martha May Whovier, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

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MOST COVETED INVITATION: The Nutcracker Ball, The Night Before

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MOST WONDERFUL LIFE: George Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life

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JOLLIEST SANTA CLAUS: The Santa Clause

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MERRIEST ELF: Buddy the Elf, Elf

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SWEETEST SNOWMAN: Frosty, Frosty the Snowman

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SHINY-NOSEDIEST REINDEER: Zero, The Nightmare Before Christmas

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SISTERLIEST CHRISTMAS: Little Women

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WHITEST CHRISTMAS: Amanda's English holiday, The Holiday

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DRUNKEST GRINCH: Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa

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BEST CHRISTMAS SWAP: The Princess Switch

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FROZENEST POLE: A Christmas Story

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SADDEST CHRISTMAS BALLAD: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Meet Me In St. Louis

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YIPPEE-KI-YAY-EST MOTHERF---ER: John McClane, Die Hard

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