Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The holidays mean different things to different people. But if there’s one thing all winter revelers can agree on, it’s that the holidays have inspired some of the most memorable moments in movie and TV history. Without further ado (and a-ho ho ho), we present The Ultimate Holiday Showdown, a bracket-style tournament to determine the best pop culture moment that the month of December has ever produced. Vote early and often! And Happy Holidays!
Let’s be honest with ourselves — as much fun as 80’s and 90’s holiday movies are, they’re starting to feel outdated. What you want to watch as you celebrate the season are raunchy and quotable comedies and heart-wrenching dramas. That is where modern holiday classics shine. From Will Ferrell adventuring away from the claymated North Pole to a star-studded best friend gang’s hilarious and then tear-inducing reunion, these modern classics are guaranteed to add some holiday cheer.
Though all these picks make use smile (and smiling’s our favorite), not all of them can make it to The Ultimate Holiday Showdown championship round later this month, which is where you come in. Head over to decider.com/the-ultimate-holiday-showdown and cast your vote on who should win Round One of our showdown. However, before you do that, refresh yourself on the modern holiday picks and mashups below.
Elfin Antics vs. Family Drama
It’s the ultimately showdown between two mistletoe-decorated misfits. So how do you like your outcasts — as a 40-year-old elf (Will Ferrell) with an intricate knowledge of the actual four food groups (candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup) or as a fabulous but uptight Manhattan executive (Sarah Jessica Parker)? Based on ABC reruns and the ever-increasing popularity of Zooey Deschanel, the odds are Elf‘s favor, but don’t be too confident. After all, a certain Meredith was 100% sure she would be getting a ring by spring in The Family Stone, and look how that turned out. Buddy the elf, what’s your favorite movie?
#1 seed Elf [Where to stream Elf] vs. #8 seed The Family Stone [Where to stream The Family Stone]
VOTE ON ELF (2003) VS. THE FAMILY STONE (2005)
Loving Ensembles vs. Animated Redemption
So what do you look for in your holiday movie fare — feel-good tales of airport-centered love or animated poop jokes wrapped up into one surprisingly sweet life lesson? This is going to be a tough one. Eight Crazy Nights has its cult following and many catchy musical numbers on its side, but the British rom-com Love Actually, which explores the many ways people relate to each other, has a substantial fan base as well. Also on this classic British film’s side? Who’s in that cast. The film stars High Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kiera Knightly, and Martin Freeman, just to scratch the surface of that large list. I’m pulling for a drunk Sandler, but I think old-school holiday love is going to win this one.
#2 seed Love Actually [Where to stream Love Actually] vs #7 seed Eight Crazy Nights [Where to stream Eight Crazy Nights]
VOTE LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) VS. EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS (2002)
Drunk Santa vs. Stoner Slipups
We all know that adding substance abuse to any heart-warming family occasion is a surefire way to create comedy gold, so pick your poison. Would you rather have a drunk, sex-addicted Billy Bob Thornton burglar or stoners reunited through their love of pot and Neil Patrick Harris? For a long time, Bad Santa was the resident raunchy holiday pick, but John Cho and Kal Penn’s A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas has a chance of upsetting this champ with its increasingly random and modernized antics. This seems like a pretty even match, but there’s one thing working in our White Castle duo’s favor — NPH. He didn’t die in that Texas whorehouse, you guys.
#3 seed Bad Santa [Where to stream Bad Santa] vs. #6 seed A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas [Where to stream A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas]
VOTE BAD SANTA (2003) VS. A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS (2011)
A Reimagined Classic vs. Emotional Reunions
Almost everyone knows the story of the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, but not as many know the story of The Best Man’s 2013 sequel, The Best Man Holiday. However, I’m still pulling for the ornament-adorned tragicomedy starring Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, and Regina Hall, just to name a few members of its ensemble cast. As cute as the Tom Hanks Christmas adventure is, the CGI animation has been known to give kids nightmares, which is the last thing you want from your children’s movie. Also, this follow-up to The Best Man is just good, often switching between funny and serious moments. That being said, I could definitely go for some of that train cocoa.
VOTE ON THE POLAR EXPRESS (2204) VS. THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY (2013)
#4 seed The Polar Express [Where to stream The Polar Express] vs. #5 seed The Best Man Holiday [Where to stream The Best Man Holiday]
