Holiday movies are a time-honored tradition for my family. Every year as soon as Thanksgiving day is over, we put on our pajamas and watch as many Christmastime films as possible. From heartwarming classics that make us ugly cry to hilarious comedies that crack us up, we love to watch them all. However, growing up, I always noticed that there were not many holiday movies about Black people. Which always made me cherish the Black holiday movies my parents made an effort to find and watch with us. Thankfully representation of Black people in holiday movies has come a long way over the years. So I have put together my list of 12 essential Black holiday movies for anyone to enjoy this holiday season. From classics and newcomers alike, this Black Holiday Movies list has something for everyone.
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The Preacher’s Wife
Number one on the 12 essential Black Holiday Movies list is, The Preacher’s Wife.When a Pastor Henry Biggs (Courtney B. Vance) begins to doubt himself he is visited by an angel names Dudley (Denzel Washington). The heavenly emissary is supposed to help the good reverend over his midlife crisis, but he starts to get distracted by the pastors’s lovely wife, Julia (Whitney Houston).
Friday After Next
Cousins Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) are back in the old neighborhood where it all began. It’s Christmastime and a Santa Claus burglar breaks into their run-down apartment, stealing all their presents, along with the rent money hidden in their stereo speakers. Their only hope to not get evicted before Christmas is to take jobs as security guards at a local mall, where they learn some comedic lessons about the true meaning of the holidays.
The Last Holiday
Number three on the 12 essential Black Holiday Movies list is, The Last Holiday.When an introverted saleswoman Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) discovers that she has a terminal illness she begins to reflect on what she realizes has been an overly cautious life. Fed up with playing it safe Georgia withdraws her life savings and jets off to Europe where she lives like royalty. With a refreshed upbeat and passionate outlook on life, Georgia charms everybody she meets, including renowned Chef Didier (Gérard Depardieu). The only one missing from her new life is her longtime crush Sean Matthews (LL Cool J).
Are We There Yet?
Attempting to win the favor of the newly divorced Suzanne (Nia Long), Nick (Ice Cube) offers to accompany her children, Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Bolden), on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Canada to see their mother. A mishap with at the airport with TSA gets the troupe banned from the flight. Leaving Nick forced to drive the kids in his prized Lincoln Navigator. Tensions inevitably rise during the long road trip, but Nick is not to be deterred so easily.
Almost Christmas
Walter Meyer (Danny Glover) is a retired mechanic who lost the love of his life one year earlier. Now that the holiday season is here, he invites daughters Rachel (Gabrielle Union) and Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) and sons Christian (Romany Malco) and Evan (Jessie T. Usher) to his house for a traditional celebration. Poor Walter soon realizes that if his bickering children and the rest of the family can spend five days together under the same roof, it will truly be a Christmas miracle.
A Diva’s Christmas Carol
A Diva’s Christmas Carol is a 2000 VH1-original Christmas television film starring Vanessa L. Williams, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, Brian McNamara and Kathy Griffin. The film is based on Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol (1843). When an ego-driven superstar (Vanessa L. Williams) loses her holiday spirit, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future visit her.
Merry Liddle Christmas Series
Inspired by her own recent Christmas catastrophe, Jacquie (Kelly Rowland )—a successful, super-together single tech entrepreneur embraces her messy family’s arrival to her gleaming new dream home for the holidays. Christmas traditions collide and family drama ensues as she struggles to keep her house together in time for a glossy video shoot of “the perfect Christmas.” On top of that, the possibility of romance with a new neighbor has Jacquie questioning all her dating rules, so even though this isn’t the Christmas she envisioned, it might just be the most special one yet.
All I Didn’t Want for Christmas
In a bid to make Christmas not totally suck this year, an aspiring radio DJ Emily Harris drunkenly writes a letter of wishes to Santa. Fortunately, and unfortunately, her wine-soaked wishes start to come true, but she doesn’t remember most of what she wished for.
The Holiday Calendar
Abby Sutton, a struggling photographer (played by Kat Graham) receives an advent calendar from her grandfather (Ron Cephas Jones). Abby isn’t impressed at first, but she decides to take it home anyway. The calendar magically opens up on December 1. Abby begins to connect what is inside each day to what happens in real life, believing that the calendar is magical. Meanwhile, Abby’s childhood friend Josh ( played by Quincy Brown) has been away around the world to focus on his photography, but has come back to see Abby.
The Perfect Holiday
Nancy (Gabrielle Union), a divorced mother of three, feels especially lonely during the holidays. Sensing her sadness, Nancy’s youngest daughter, Emily (Khail Bryant), has a plan to make her mom happy again. She asks Benjamin (Morris Chestnut), a department-store Santa Claus, to pay Nancy a compliment. And Benjamin, who is also a struggling songwriter, knows exactly the right words to say.Queen Latifah and Terrence Howard play omniscient roles in the movie. Howard is a mischievous and sly angel named “Bah Humbug”, while Latifah is the kind, thoughtful angel, called “Mrs. Christmas”.
The Best Man Holiday
Nearly 15 years after they were last together as a group, college friends Lance (Morris Chestnut), Harper (Taye Diggs), Candace (Regina Hall), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan (Nia Long), Murch (Harold Perrineau), and Mia (Monica Calhoun) finally reunite over the Christmas holidays. Though much has changed in their lives, the friends discover just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and passionate romances to be reignited.
This Christmas
Last but not least on the 12 essential Black Holiday Movies list is, This Christmas. Ma’Dere Whitfield (Loretta Devine) assembles her large family for their first reunion in four years to celebrate Christmas together. However, family ties start to strain when secrets come to light, especially concerning Lisa’s (Regina King) husband’s affair, Marine Claude’s (Columbus Short) true military status, Quentin’s (Idris Elba) debts and teenage Baby’s (Chris Brown) secret plans to become a singer.
Did your favorite make the Black Holiday Movies list? Let us know on social media: @butwhythopc.
