娱乐英语新闻:Great Christmas films to check out this holiday

BEIJING, Dec. 25 -- After overeating turkey and ham on Christmas and sipping cinnamon sprinkled eggnog by the fireplace, traditionally, a good movie or a story becomes a fantastic idea that requires zero effort. Curling up on the couch with a good Christmas film and some cookies is a suitable post-supper activity that's hard to argue against.

    Out of all the movies and books that have been written and created, here are just a few to check out this Christmas:

    A Christmas Carol- By Charles Dickens

    Of all the Christmas stories, this one is probably the most important. Many adults cannot remember the first time this was actually read to them or they saw the film, but this movie has been redone countless times and is always shown on TV during the holidays. Based on the 1843 novella by British author Charles Dickens, it is a timeless classic that has moved readers and theater audiences for over a century now. It is a tale of the Christmas spirit of giving, based on a haggardly old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by three ghosts depicting his past, present and future. Seeing the joyful lives of others less fortunate than himself in his Christmas present greatly moves him and he becomes a changed man capable of compassion and joy instead of bitterness against family and society, a hatred that consumed him. It's the most famous Christmas story in print and on film to date, the latest film was released December 2009 by Disney using both animations and actor Jim Carrey. This is a good film for all ages.

    Santa Claus the Movie-by Jeannot Szwarc

    This 1985 heartwarming movie with famous actors Dudley Moore, David Huddleston as Santa Claus and John Lithgow in the story of Santa Claus that mixes both his origin hundreds of years ago and his life present day. When one of Santa's head elves decides to leave the workshop to seek his fortune, everything goes awry. The head elf named Patch, played by Dudley Moore, joins with greedy businessman played by John Lithgow, who is only trying to make money and exploit the holiday season for his financial benefit. The greedy businessman's niece and a homeless orphan befriend Santa Claus to save Christmas from modern day commercialism, which stands for money and none of the Christmas cheer. This is a great modern Christmas story and there plenty of funny scenes as well. This is a good family movie.

    Love Actually-by Richard Curtis

    Of all the modern day Christmas films, here is one that will become a tradition. Unlike some of the other movies mentioned above, this is more of a film to watch with friends because some themes that would be more appropriate for an adult viewer. This stellar cast has well known actors like Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, and Emma Thompson among others. The plot and the characters' intertwining stories mesh beautifully with touching moments of humor and sadness. The stories involve a newly widowed husband and his small stepson and also a British male who decidedly moves to America because he heard that American girls would appreciate his accent. A washed up rock star creates a new and cheesy holiday tune just to make money and an Englishman falls in love with a Portuguese woman with whom he can't communicate. The whole movie leaves a happy feel-good mood and you will wonder why you hadn't seen it before. The movie points out that Christmas really is...all around.

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas-By Dr. Seuss

    Dr. Seuss is known as a beloved author of children's books and this book represents one of his finest. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a story of a Scrooge-like character who decides to do away with Christmas once and for all. During the night while the world is sleeping, he creeps into house and steals trees, ornaments, bells, and presents. He steals the world's Christmas decor and symbols, but what he doesn't realize is that people still feel the joy of Christmas from within. Dr. Seuss gets his message across using rhymes and his characteristic cartoon illustrations. This book has also been made into several musical cartoon TV versions as well as a feature film also starring Jim Carrey, a production that won the 2007 Guinness World Record for Highest-Grossing Christmas Movie.

    There are so many Christmas classics, it's hard to list them all, but here are some other great Christmas movies to look for: It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St., A Christmas Story, and Charlie Brown's Christmas.

    Enjoy the films and Merry Christmas!