The Christmas films set in New York to watch first are Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Elf (2003), Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and Scrooged (1988). Home Alone 2 and Elf are the big family comedies, both rated PG. Miracle on 34th Street is the gentle classic and a U. Scrooged is also a PG on the BBFC's record, but it is the sour one of the four, and we would keep it for twelve and up.
All four are set in New York City at Christmas, which is not the same as saying every scene was shot there. The one that went furthest is the oldest: the 1947 Miracle filmed inside the real Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
| Film | Year | BBFC | Director | The New York you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | 1992 | PG | Chris Columbus | A child let loose on the whole city |
| Elf | 2003 | PG | Jon Favreau | The city through an outsider's eyes |
| Miracle on 34th Street | 1947 | U | George Seaton | Department stores and a courtroom |
| Scrooged | 1988 | PG | Richard Donner | A television network at its worst |
Home Alone 2: the city as a playground
A young boy gets separated from his family and ends up alone in New York City at Christmas. Chris Columbus directed, with Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara.
This is the pick for the biggest, brashest version of a New York Christmas. The fun is scale: the house from the first film swapped for an entire city.
It is rated PG for mild comic violence and language. The slapstick is still violent, even with tinsel on it, so bear that in mind for a first-time viewer. On our scale it scores 83/100 Festive Factor.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York · Film guide →Elf: New York through fresh eyes
Will Ferrell plays a grown man raised by Santa's elves, who travels to New York to find his biological father. Jon Favreau directed, with James Caan, Bob Newhart and Zooey Deschanel in the cast.
The city works here because the lead has no idea how it is supposed to behave, so every ordinary New York habit looks strange. Choose it for a group that wants comedy first and landmarks second.
It is rated PG, with the BBFC noting mild bad language and sex references. It scores 90/100 Festive Factor.
Elf · Film guide →Miracle on 34th Street: the classic department-store Christmas
A department store hires an old man to play Father Christmas, and he quietly insists he is the real thing. It ends up in a New York courtroom. George Seaton directed, with Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara and John Payne.
This is the New York of shop windows and parades, and it was filmed on location. According to TCM, the cast and crew shot scenes in the middle of the real Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on 28 November 1946, with Gwenn riding on the actual Santa float.
Search by year. Les Mayfield's 1994 remake, with Richard Attenborough, has the same title, so a search result that just says Miracle on 34th Street does not tell you which one you have. The 1947 original is rated U and scores 90/100 Festive Factor.
Miracle on 34th Street · Film guide →Scrooged: the city with its elbows out
Bill Murray plays the president of a television network in New York who is putting on a live Christmas Eve broadcast of A Christmas Carol and treating everyone around him with contempt. Then three ghosts arrive. Richard Donner directed.
This is the choice when you want the cynicism along with the lights. It is Dickens, so you know how it ends, but it takes a long and nasty route to get there.
It is rated PG; the BBFC's home-release advice notes moderate language and violence. Our own view is that it is a grown-ups' film despite the letter. It scores 89/100 Festive Factor.
Scrooged · Film guide →A New York double bill
For a loud, cheerful evening, pair Home Alone 2 with Elf. For a better argument, put Miracle on 34th Street next to Scrooged: one sincere and one sour, made forty-one years apart and both asking what Christmas expects grown-ups to believe.
