Holiday Feel-Good Films

With the fall semester coming to a close, winter break is just around the corner. Snow will be falling, holiday music will dominate the radio stations and family and friends will reunite once again — it's simply the most wonderful time of the year. Keeping those sentiments in mind, be sure to check out the following films this break.

The Holiday(2006) — Cameron Diaz (Shrek) and Kate Winslet (Titanic) play two lovelorn women who temporarily trade houses in each other's countries for the holidays. While in each other's respective house, they both unexpectedly find love with a local guy for the holiday season. Jude Law plays Diaz's love interest and Jack Black plays opposite Winslet. This light romantic comedy always leaves the audience emotionally satisfied and wanting more.

Miracle on 34th Street(1947) — An American classic, Miracle on 34th Street tells the charming story of a young girl (Natalie Wood, West Side Story) whose mother (Maureen O'Hara, The Parent Trap) tells her that Santa Claus doesn't exist. But when Kris Kringle is contracted as the Santa Claus in both Macy's Thanksgiving and Christmas parades, the adults begin to question Kringle's sanity, as well as their own, as it begins to seem apparent that Saint Nicholas's existence may in fact be real. But the Christmas spirit pulls through in the end, leaving viewers cozy and content.

Love Actually(2003) — Love Actually is a star-studded romantic comedy that takes place around Christmastime, delving into the various aspects of love through 10 interlinking stories. It stars many British actors that have played a considerable amount of roles in American films. From young love to old, innocent to forbidden, neglected to rekindled, Love Actually reminds the audience that love is love is love, and though it may come in many different forms, it is simply irreplaceable.

Home Alone(1990) — Home Alone is an American holiday favorite, as it narrates the entertaining adventures of a young boy named Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin, The Good Son) whose large family, in mass chaos, forgets to bring him on the family vacation to Paris.

When Kevin realizes how much he misses his family despite his newfound freedom, viewers are always reminded of how nice it feels to be surrounded by loved ones at the holidays.