Christmas movies by mood: 14 films from laughing to crying

In December, the question is rarely "which film?" but rather "what are we in the mood for tonight?". With kids on the sofa you watch something different than as a couple with mulled wine, or with friends who have had enough of the sentimental stuff. That is why these Christmas films are sorted by mood, not by rank.

For laughs

Home Alone

1990, 103 minutes. The family flies to Paris for Christmas and leaves eight-year-old Kevin behind at home. He then defends the house against two burglars, with traps only a child could come up with. John Hughes wrote the script, Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin. The slapstick works just as well for kids as for adults.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

1989, 97 minutes. Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, wants the perfect family Christmas: a huge tree, all the relatives in the house and thousands of lights on the front of it. Just about everything that can go wrong does. John Hughes wrote this script too. The more family on the sofa with you, the funnier it gets.

Elf

2003, 97 minutes. A human who ended up with the elves at the North Pole as a baby sets off to New York as an adult to find his father. Will Ferrell plays him in tights and with unchecked enthusiasm for anything that looks like Christmas. Silly, but never mean.

For the whole family

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

2000, 104 minutes. A green, grumpy creature lives above the village of Whoville and hates Christmas. Jim Carrey plays the Grinch under heavy make-up, Ron Howard directed, and the source is Dr. Seuss. For younger children there is the , which is told more gently.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

1992, 85 minutes. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, fairly close to the book, just with Muppets. Michael Caine plays the miser Scrooge completely straight, Kermit is his clerk Bob Cratchit, and Gonzo tells the story as Charles Dickens. The ghosts may briefly scare very small children; otherwise it suits every age.

The Polar Express

2004, 100 minutes. A boy who no longer quite believes in Santa Claus boards a train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Robert Zemeckis made the film with motion capture, and Tom Hanks plays several roles in it. The faces sometimes look a little stiff, but the train ride through snow and ice makes up for it.

Romantic

Love Actually

2003, 135 minutes. Several love stories in London in the weeks before Christmas, loosely connected. Richard Curtis wrote the script and directed for the first time. The cast includes Hugh Grant as the prime minister, Emma Thompson and Bill Nighy as an ageing rock star. Some stories are sweet, others rather sad, and that mix is what holds the film together.

The Holiday