These '90s Holiday Movies Bring the Best Holiday Nostalgia

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by Hadley Mendelsohn
Hadley was the Associate Editor at MyDomaine for two and a half years before joining the House Beautiful team as the Design Editor.
Updated 10/07/19

 

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This article is updated monthly with our latest picks.

There's nothing quite like snuggling up for a holiday movie marathon, especially if said marathon consists exclusively of festive throwbacks. Home Alone? The Nightmare Before Christmas? It doesn't get more classic than those '90s flicks.

Share them with your little ones or call up some friends for a night of seasonally on-point nostalgia. Some are heartwarming while others are funny and cheesy in the best way possible, but they're all definitely worth revisiting throughout the years and keeping alive for generations to come. To spread the cheer (and occasional kitsch), check out of all our favorite '90s Christmas movies below.

Here are our picks for the best 90s Christmas movies.

01 of 15

Home Alone (1990)

home alone

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

We all know what happens if you're being a brat during the holiday season… You get a lump of coal. Or, if you're Kevin MacCallister, you get left behind at home when the rest of the family heads to Paris for Christmas. Kevin is excited to spend some time alone until two robbers show up and he has to spend the day protecting the family home in Home Alone. You can also check out the film's four sequels.

02 of 15

To Grandmother's House We Go (1992)

to grandmother's house we go

 Amazon

Silly, adorable, uplifting, and wholesome, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's themed movies always hit the spot when we're craving family-oriented throwbacks with the perfect dose of cheesiness. In the holiday special called To Grandmother's House We Go, the twins encounter a couple of villains when they run away from home in the hopes of making their way to their grandmother's house. 

Available On: Vudu, Amazon

03 of 15

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

the nightmare before christmas

Amazon 

Two holidays collide when Jack Skellington leaves spooky Halloweentown and discovers cheerful Christmastown in this Tim Burton animated classic. The Nightmare Before Christmas is gripping, kid-friendly, and full of magical adventure. 

04 of 15

Look Who's Talking Now (1993)

look who's talking now

Amazon

John Travolta and Kirstie Alley play two charming parents that bring two new dogs to the family during the holidays who spend their time roasting the humans in their household (they can't hear them of course). The voices of a prissy poodle and scruffy mutt are portrayed by Diane Keaton and Danny DeVito respectively, so you can imagine the fun shenanigans and commentary they make throughout the film. Look Who's Talking Now is a silly, fun, and family-friendly rom-com. 

05 of 15

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

while you were sleeping

 Amazon

Sandra Bullock, who is totally decked out in on-trend '90s sweaters, falls for Bill Pullman in this holiday family comedy. A whimsical love story, While You Were Sleeping is often credited, alongside Speed, with launching Bullock to superstardom. It also defined an archetype years before Sex and the City's Aidan Shaw came on the scene: the dream guy who makes his own furniture. 

Available On: YouTube, Amazon Prime, iTunes

06 of 15

The Preacher's Wife (1996)

the preacher's wife

 Amazon

Do you love the classic Cary Grant film The Bishop's Wife? The black-and-white '40s film casts dreamy gentleman Cary Grant as an angel on earth, which seems not too far of a stretch for the devilishly handsome icon. But we love this 1996 remake starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, too. Buoyed by the debonaire charisma of Washington and Houston, The Preacher's Wife's sweet story—which emphasizes the importance of family above money and ambition—is entirely charming and appropriate for all ages. 

07 of 15

If You Believe (1996)

if you believe

Amazon

Little Hayden Panettiere plays young Susan Stone, who time travels to meet her future self and reintroduce her to optimism, joy, and her purer values in If You Believe. It's an interesting narrative device that's fun to watch on screen and then imagine how it'd play out in our own lives after. 

08 of 15

Jack Frost (1998)

jack frost

Amazon

Jack Frost is surprisingly dark but also funny and entertaining to rewatch as an adult. It's about a young boy who lost his busy father in a tragic accident, only to have him come back to life on Christmas in the form of a snowman on the family's front lawn. It's about second chances, the power of family bonds, and the joy of the holidays.  

09 of 15

The Santa Clause (1994)

the santa clause

Amazon 

A divorced dad must take Santa's place after accidentally killing a man in a Santa suit in The Santa Clause. And he physically transforms into Santa, too, gaining weight and growing a beard.

10 of 15

Jingle All the Way (1996)

jingle all the way

Amazon

A busy working dad played by Arnold Schwarzenegger promises to buy his son the hottest Christmas toy of the season in Jingle All the Way. But, with the toy almost being sold out, he must go on a great quest to find it, learning the meaning of Christmas along the way.

11 of 15

Miracle On 34th Street (1994)

miracle on 34th street

Amazon 

What if the New York City Macy's Santa Clause were the actual real deal? Well, he just may be in Miracle On 34th Street. This remake of the classic film is a classic in its own right.

12 of 15

All I Want for Christmas (1991)

all i want for christmas

Amazon

Two siblings want their divorced parents to get back together in All I Want for Christmas. After much scheming, they may actually find success.

13 of 15

A Christmas Carol (1999)

a christmas carol

 Amazon

There have been several film adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol, but check out 1999's. The mean-spirited Scrooge is alone on Christmas Eve of 1850. The ghost of his late friend and business partner comes to visit and informs him that he only has one chance to fix the mistakes of his past in order to avoid eternal punishment for the suffering he's caused others.

14 of 15

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

the muppet christmas carol

 Amazon

And then there's the more lighthearted Muppets version. It's the same Christmas Carol plotline, but just add America's favorite puppets.

15 of 15

Home for the Holidays (1995)

home for the holidays

Amazon

This film is technically about Thanksgiving, but it's full of holiday spirit. A single mom reluctantly goes to her childhood home after her daughter decides to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend's family in Home for the Holidays. Her family may be nutty, but thankfully a love connection sparks between her and her brother's friend.

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