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We have an ongoing battle in my house regarding what qualifies as a good Christmas movie and what doesn’t. We battle for the television remote when it’s prime time and argue over what to rent at the movie store. I think this dilemma is a an apt representation of the variety of preferences and points of view. Should a Christmas movie make you laugh or cry, teach a lesson or make you cheer for the underdog?

The answer…It depends. On what moves you, what speaks to you, what gets your attention. What one person fimds hilarious, another might find offensive or stupid. And what one person finds touching and wise another finds sappy and irrelevant.

I find this to be a good lesson in life. In order to be happy in our relationships, successful in our businesses and content in our lives, we need to remain curious and interested and tolerant of differences. If you want to understand and relate to others, be curious, have a sense of humor and engage them in conversation. That’s always a good practice both in business and in life. And besides, Christmas movies are fun!

So, at the risk of sparking a heated debate here are my top 10 Christmas movies. Some have changed over the years, and some just keep drawing me back. You’ll notice I have left many holiday classics, like White Christmas and Holiday Inn. They never appealed to me, much to my mother’s dismay.

10. Home alone (1990) – While not technically a Christmas movie per se, we can’t help but laugh at the crazy antics and applaud the determination of one small, but very resourceful young boy.

9. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – Because everyone matters! No matter what kind of losers we might think we are, each of our lives mean something and we do make a difference in the world.

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – This brilliantly creative movie from the horrifyingly creative mind of Tim Burton makes my list, because it’s a different twist on the traditional holiday movie with humor, love and fantastical characters. But most of all, it’s a movie that my teens would sit and watch with me every year and that’s what matters most.

7. The Preacher’s Wife (1996) – The songs are wonderful (Whitney Houston,) the cast charming (Denzel Washington) and the message on target. It’s a sleeper that many haven’t seen and it’s worth a look if you’re curious.

6. The Polar Express (2004) – Magnificent animation, heart-warming story and Tom Hanks. A fabulous combination for all ages.

5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – Jim Carrey…enough said. Jim Carrey makes the Grinch both lovable and laughable at the same time while giving us a little nudge to be kind.

4. The Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – The original was my favorite as a child, but I think this version with Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott is fabulous. They made this heart-warming story relevant again for a whole new generation of viewers.

3. Elf - (2003)  - It took me a few years to warm up to this movie, but now I have  a new appreciation for Will Farrell. We laugh hysterically throughout most of this movie and my children still frequently refer to “the throne of lies.”

2. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – I usually get some argument here for going against Jim Carrey or the old version, but Michael Caine and the Muppets can’t be beat.

1. The Santa Claus - (1994) – This movie just hits all the right buttons for me. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and makes me laugh at the same time. And Tim Allen is hilarious as Santa.

In the interests of fair play I will give an honorable mention to A Christmas Story (1983), my husband’s perennial favorite and Die Hard (1988) because while it’s not really a holiday movie, it always reminds me of Christmas and makes me want to cheer for the good guys!

Bring on the discussion! What are your favorites? Which movies do you agree? Disagree? What have I forgotten?