While you can enjoy romantic comedies year-round, the holidays lend themselves especially well to romance. Maybe it’s the snow or the twinkling lights or the countless Hallmark romance movies released every year or the reruns of “Love Actually.” Either way, the holiday rom-coms are here to stay. For those who do partake in an extra lovey-dovey December, here is what you should watch, listen and read:
To Netflix and chill
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
“While You Were Sleeping,” my introduction to the “L”, is one of the first movies I watch every year. Sandra Bullock shines as a CTA employee, Lucy, who is harboring a crush on one of her regulars, Peter. When he falls into the tracks and she must save him, his family assumes she is his fiancée while he is in a coma. Lucy, who doesn’t have a family to spend Christmas with, is taken in by her fake fiancee’s big family and begins to grow closer to Peter’s brother Jack — played by Bill Pullman. It’s a touching movie about family and love, and now I get to rewatch it and spot familiar Chicago landmarks.
Holidate (2020)
Netflix has been pumping out holiday movies without fail for the last couple of years. While many of them are misses or simply overhyped (for example: “A Christmas Prince”), some of them, like “Holidate”, are worth the watch. It stars Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, two 20-somethings who decide to be each other’s holiday dates for every year to avoid the awkward question of “Are you seeing anyone?” at family events. “Holidate” has lots of charm, a comically impeccable Kristin Chenoweth and even an Evanston shout-out!
The Family Stone (2005)
Many holiday film plots revolve around the classic bringing home your significant other to meet the family, but few do it as well as “The Family Stone.” With a cast almost (if not more star-studded) than “Love Actually,” “The Family Stone” creates a family with a superb Diane Keaton matriarch that feels authentic. Sarah Jessica Parker plays Meredith, the outsider brought home to meet her boyfriend’s parents, played by Keaton and Craig T. Nelson and many siblings, where she is instantly an outsider. Watching Meredith try to fit in is a joy, but the real star is Keaton’s heartbreaking performance.
Menorah in the Middle (2022)
Another classic plot of bringing your partner home to meet the parents — but for Hanukkah this time — “Menorah in the Middle” has the classic familial tensions that surround running a family business and moving away from your hometown. It stars Lucy DeVito and Jonah Platt as Sarah and Ben, childhood friends who are reunited for the holiday, despite Sarah bringing her fiancée home with her. While a romance movie, the true fun is in watching Sarah’s and her family’s interactions.
To cozy up with a hot chocolate and blanket
The Kwanzaa Brunch: A Holiday Novella
A workplace holiday romance, “The Kwanzaa Brunch” by DL White, is a light-hearted story that switches the point-of-view every chapter between Sienna Charles, a smart, career-driven woman who has been working the same job for 10 years, and her company’s new hire, Booker LaSalle, whom she meets on her way to their company’s Kwanzaa brunch. Their witty banter alone makes this worth the read.
To groove to some holiday tunes
“Once Upon a Christmas” Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers (1984)
While many Christmas albums are a compilation of the classics rebranded, “Once Upon a Christmas” has a variety of original duets that make them mainstays of any Christmas playlist. “A Christmas to Remember” and “Christmas Without You” are nostalgic tracks capable of channeling anyone’s festive spirit.
“Merry Christmas Darling” The Carpenters (1970)
One of the sweetest Christmas songs out there, “Merry Christmas Darling,” has been a classic for over 70 years. Whenever I hear Karen Carpenter’s melodious voice singing “Greeting cards have all been sent,” it brings a smile to my face. Even if you don’t enjoy the song, it’s impossible to deny that The Carpenters are musical geniuses.
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