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20. Ernest Saves Christmas(1988)

Look, I know, it’s an ’88 release. But c’mon, this thing is pure 90s in its soul. It was on TV constantly and lived permanently on video store shelves, so it’s basically an honorary citizen of the decade. It's a whirlwind of glorious slapstick, with the lovably goofy Ernest P. Worrell trying to help a completely burnt-out Santa find a replacement. The whole movie has this weird, homemade charm that feels a million miles from today's slick blockbusters. And you’ve gotta love his panicked, "How’d you get in here? I had this place locked up tighter than a drum! Did you get past the guard dog? The electric fence? The landmines?"

19. Mixed Nuts(1994)

If your family holidays have ever felt less like a Hallmark card and more like a hostage situation, this one’s your spirit animal. Set around a crisis hotline on Christmas Eve, Mixed Nutsabsolutely nails that dark, neurotic holiday energy we all know too well. With a killer cast—Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, even a baby-faced Adam Sandler—it gets it. The holidays aren't always peaceful snowscapes; sometimes they're just about surviving the frantic, beautiful chaos.

18. The Christmas Box(1995)

Don’t you dare let that "made-for-TV" label fool you—this thing packs a serious emotional punch. It follows a young family (Richard Thomas and the legendary Maureen O’Hara) who move in with an elderly widow. They stumble upon a box of old letters and unlock a powerful, heartbreaking secret. It’s quiet, moving, and gently reminds you what the season’s really about: love, loss, and the connections we make. The famous line says it all: "The first gift of Christmas is love."

17. The Nutcracker(1993)

Macaulay Culkin was still riding that Home Alonefame when he introduced a whole generation to ballet. This big-screen take doesn’t have much dialogue, but who needs it? It’s a stunning visual feast. To a 90s kid, it felt impossibly magical and fancy—those huge sets, the incredible costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s score booming through theater speakers? Pure magic.

16. A Flintstones Christmas Carol(1994)

Who knew Bedrock and Charles Dickens were a match made in heaven? This animated special is a clever, surprisingly heartfelt take on the classic. The plot is genius: Fred gets cast as Scrooge in a local play, but he takes the role way too seriously, and his crankiness starts leaking into real life. It’s a smart way to retell a timeless lesson with characters we adore, and it’s stuffed with gloriously terrible dino-puns.

15. Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas(1997)

For us 90s kids raised on Disney, this direct-to-video sequel was a hugedeal. The story rewinds to that first winter in the castle—Belle’s trying to bring Christmas cheer, but the Beast is having absolutely none of it (shocker). It’s a beautiful animated story about hope and forgiveness, and it let us live just a little longer in a world we already loved.

14. All I Want for Christmas(1991)

This movie bottled the ultimate 90s kid fantasy: scheming to get your divorced parents back together. It’s a cute, over-the-top plan hatched by two siblings (including a young Thora Birch). I mean, Leslie Nielsen plays Santa—how cool is that? It’s sweet, funny, and deeply relatable, all about how far you’ll go for the people you love.

13. Prancer(1989)

Another late-80s gem that found its true home in the 90s. At its heart, Pranceris about the power of stubborn, pure belief. A young girl finds an injured reindeer and becomes convinced it’s one of Santa’s. She nurses it back to health, and her unshakable faith becomes a beacon of hope. It’s a great film because it never talks down to kids; it takes their feelings dead seriously.

12. Jack Frost(1998)

Let’s be real: the premise is bonkers. Michael Keaton plays a musician who dies and comes back a year later as his son’s snowman. I know, it’s wild. But if you can get past the, uh, unique SFX, there’s a genuinely gut-wrenching story here about a dad getting a second chance. The movie’s most memorable (and gloriously goofy) line says it all: "Snow-dad is better than no-dad."

11. I’ll Be Home for Christmas(1998)

If you wanted to bottle the late 90s, this is it. You can almost smell the CK One and hear the screech of a dial-up modem. It stars Jonathan Taylor Thomas—a total heartthrob and a walking time capsule. He plays a slick college kid promised a vintage Porsche if he makes it home for Christmas dinner. Naturally, a series of disasters leaves him stranded in the desert, broke, and stuck in a Santa suit. It’s a fun road trip romp, but it’s really about learning that home isn’t just a place.

10. The Preacher’s Wife(1996)

With this cast, it was destined for greatness. This fantastic remake stars Denzel Washington as a charming angel sent to help a struggling preacher and his wife (the incredible Whitney Houston). The movie shines because of its ridiculously charismatic leads. Add in a powerhouse gospel soundtrack that’ll give you chills, and you get a uplifting story about faith, community, and love that still holds up.

9. While You Were Sleeping(1995)

Is it technicallya Christmas movie? Sure, why not. The holiday season is the perfect cozy backdrop for this perfect rom-com. Sandra Bullock is adorable as a lonely transit worker who saves her crush from a train. When he ends up in a coma, his wonderful, chaotic family mistakes her for his fiancée—and she accidentally finds the family she’s always wanted.

8. Miracle on 34th Street(1994)

This remake had massive shoes to fill, and it absolutely nailed it. Richard Attenborough was bornto play Kris Kringle—the department store Santa who might just be the real deal. It’s a beautiful defense of faith and imagination in an increasingly cynical world. The courtroom scenes, where they try to prove Santa exists, are both hilarious and oddly moving. For my money, this is the definitive version.

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas(1993)

Ah, the eternal debate: Is it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? The fact we’re stillarguing about it 30 years later tells you everything. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, gets bored and decides to take over Christmas. What follows is a weird, beautiful, stop-motion masterpiece about finding your joy in the most unexpected places.

6. Jingle All the Way(1996)

This movie is a chaotic, brilliant satire of Christmas commercialism that gets more relevant every year. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a workaholic dad on a desperate Christmas Eve mission to find the year's hottest toy, Turbo Man. His escalating, unhinged rivalry with a manic postal worker (a brilliant Sinbad) is comedy gold. It’s a hilarious ride that ends with a sweet heart: the best gift is just being there. And who could ever forget, "PUT THAT COOKIE DOWN! NOW!"

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol(1992)

For a lot of us, this isn’t just a good adaptation of Dickens—it’s theadaptation. The secret weapon? Michael Caine. He plays Scrooge completely straight, which makes it even funnier when he’s acting opposite frogs, rats, and a Ghost of Christmas Present who looks like he’s celebrating a fruit festival. It captures the story’s heart but adds that classic Muppet blend of sharp wit and warmth. It’s timeless.

4. The Santa Clause(1994)

The premise is pure 90s genius: Tim Allen plays a cynical dad who accidentally kills Santa (whoops) and gets magically forced to take his place by a contract—the "Santa Clause." It’s a funny, clever twist on the myth, but it works because it’s grounded in something real: a dad learning to believe in magic to reconnect with his son.

3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation(1989)

Yeah, it’s from ’89, but let’s be honest, this thing ownedthe 90s Christmas. Clark Griswold’s desperate, doomed quest for a "fun, old-fashioned family Christmas" is the pinnacle of holiday disaster comedy. Every scene is a masterclass in failure: the absurdly oversized tree, the 25,000 lights that blackout the city. It’s eternally relatable because it gets it—the "perfect" Christmas is a myth, and the real magic is in the chaos.

2. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York(1992)

How do you top a perfect movie? Easy: give the kid a credit card and send him to New York. This sequel goes bigger—more elaborate (and painful) traps for the Wet Bandits, a sweet subplot with the pigeon lady. But it keeps the heart: it’s about a kid who’s clever and independent but just wants his family. Plus, it gave us the legendary, "Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal… and a Happy New Year."

1. Home Alone(1990)

C’mon. Was there ever any doubt? Let's be real—this isn't just a movie. It's a cultural monument. The undisputed, undefeated king of 90s Christmas. The story of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, accidentally left behind by his family, is the perfect blend of heartfelt emotion and cartoonish slapstick. Everyone remembers the booby traps—the iron, the paint cans, the tarantula. But what makes it a true classic are the quiet moments: Kevin’s grown-up chat with his lonely neighbor, that heart-stopping, tearful reunion with his mom on Christmas morning. It captured a generation's imagination, and for a lot of us, Christmas just doesn’t feel right without it.

That's our official ranking of the 90s Christmas classics. What movie is your non-negotiable #1 for the holiday season? Post your top pick in the comments