HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #6

#6. Love Actually (2003)

Life is not a fairy tale; it's filled with good times and bad. When times get tough, people usually turn to those they love for support. As Hugh Grant states in this movie, "If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion that love actually is all around."

Love Actually portrays the different lives of a group of couples in the weeks before Christmas. As depicted in the movie some relationships endure, others struggle throughout. Some miss out on their chance with others and some find comfort where they least expect it.

Love Actually is witty, entertaining and has you falling in love with most of the richly scripted and developed characters. If you're looking for a movie where everyone lives happily ever after, this may not be the film for you. But if you're looking to watch a romantic comedy that has a bit more truth to it than most, sit back, relax and fall in love with this engaging work of art.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #7

#7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

A tagline for this film read: "Capture the spirit of Christmas with this timeless classic!"

This is a film that truly represents Christmas and the spirit of believing. The film depicts a man who tries to convince the public that he is the true Santa Claus.

This movie teaches us that sometimes you don't have to see something to know it's truly there. The truth should already be in your heart.

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #8

#8. Home Alone (1990)

In this classic holiday movie, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind by his family when they leave to go on vacation for Christmas. Kevin loves the idea of being at home alone until he is faced with defending it against two idiotic burglars.

This is one of the first films I saw in the movie theater so it holds a special place in my heart. Funny and touching, this movie is a treat for people of all ages.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #9

#9. Elf (2003)

This hilarious comedy surrounds Buddy (Will Ferrell), a man raised as an elf at the North Pole. After learning the truth that he is not an elf, he journeys to the United States in search of his true identity.

If you're feeling down during the holiday season, this is the movie to watch! Entertaining for children and adult audiences alike, Elf brings out the spirit of family and the holidays.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #10

#10. The Holiday (2006)

In this romantic comedy, two women swap homes in each other's countries for Christmas with the hope that they can recover from their recent break ups. While on 'vacation', they each meet a local guy and sparks start to fly.

Aside from the gorgeous cast that keeps you rooting for them, this movie is full of hope; hope that there is someone special out there for everyone. The film also teaches us to value ourselves and not settle until we have found the one we're meant to be with.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #11

#11. The Family Stone (2005)

In this holiday movie, Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his prim and proper girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home to meet his over-the-top, outlandish family.

What I find most engaging about this film are the relationships between the family members. This movie is a refreshing look at the relatable ups and downs that families go through. Although they may have their differences, the love they share for one another provides the curative elixir to heal the wounds that surface in every day life.

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #12

#12. The Family Man (2000)

In every man’s life, he comes to a fork in the road and must make a decision as to which path he takes.

What if you were able to have a glimpse of the path you didn’t take and realized how truly fulfilling your life could have been?

Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) is a successful investment broker working and living in New York City. On Christmas Eve, while shopping in a convenience store, a shopper (Don Cheadle) pulls a gun on the cashier. Jack diffuses the situation and persuades him to put the gun away. Jack and the gunman exit the store together and start talking. Towards the end of their conversation, Jack tries to convince the gunman that he needs professional help. The man laughs in his face and then asks Jack what more he needs out of his own life. Jack’s response is simply, “I got everything I need.” In this life, perhaps, but a new dawn will allow Jack a glimpse of the path he didn’t choose.

Jack wakes up the next day to find himself sleeping next to his college girlfriend, Kate (Tea Leoni), in a house he doesn’t recognize, with children he has never seen before. Startled, he leaves the house and drives back into the city. Lack of recognition at his apartment building and place of business add to his frustration. He then runs into the gunman from the previous night who, in angelic fashion, explains he has granted Jack a glimpse of the life he left behind.

What transpires is an education not found in business school or the boardroom; it’s the lesson learned as a family man.

Check out the movie trailer below: