Christmas movies can help a person get into the mood of the season. The following considerations were ranked in a few different ways. First, they had to be movies about Christmas, which does not simply mean that the movie happened to take place around Christmas time. For instance, many Top Christmas Movies lists might include Die Hard. Yet, the movie has very little to do with Christmas. Second, the movies that were selected are ones that elicit warm, Christmas-like feelings, whether that be through humor, a sweetly told story, or another effective method. Here’s a countdown to the top ten Christmas movies.

10. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) – This stop-motion animation is a timeless classic and great for kids. Based on the famous song, the movie features Rudolph’s struggle to overcome being different while Santa and the gang try to save Christmas.

9. Polar Express (2004) - Based on a children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, this animated movie tells a story about a young boy’s doubt in Santa Claus.

8. Home Alone (1990) - This is a comedy for all ages and made Macaulay Culkin a child star. When eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left home along at Christmas, he learns a valuable lesson about what having a family actually means.

7. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - The Charlie Brown series sometimes drags on with slow-paced, ambiguous plots and tedious dialogue. Yet, Charles Schulz had a way of conveying warmth through his young, innocent characters. This movie is simple, yet effective.

6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - Dr. Seuss’ brilliance comes to life in this animated masterpiece. Boris Karloff’s voice fits perfectly in this movie.

5. A Christmas Story (1983) - One of Christmas’ comedic classics about a boy growing up in the ’40s who has his eyes on getting a BB gun for Christmas.

4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) - A Christmas comedy at its finest and the best of the National Lampoon sagas. Clark tries to have the perfect Christmas, but nothing seems to go right. This is the ultimate example of a holiday disaster.

3. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - One of the great Christmas classics that will bring spirit to the holidays forever.

2. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) - This cartoon gem is heart warming, funny and capable of moving viewers on different levels and at different ages.

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) - This is the ultimate feel good movie about a guy who’s lost all hope, but is shown a glimpse of what life would be like had he never been born.

Those that missed the cut:

The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992); A Christmas Carol (1938); The Santa Clause (1994); Frosty the Snowman (1969); Bad Santa (2003); The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993); How the Grinch Stole Christmas (re-make 2000); The Family Man (2000); Scrooged (1988); Elf (2003); and White Christmas (1954).

Denzel Washington is one of America’s  most beloved and critically acclaimed actors. A two-time Academy Award winner, Washington received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in “American Gangster,” which also was a nominee for best drama. His second directorial effort, “The Great Debaters” also stars Washington as Mel Tolson, a professor at a small African-American college in 1930s Texas who coaches the school’s debate team to national prominence while also working as a union organizer on the side.

Listed second  as one “Most Powerful Christians in Hollywood” list, Washington also lent his voice to “The Bible Experience,” an audio Bible featuring some of the country’s top African-American stars. He spoke with Beliefnet about his relationship with God, a long-ago prophecy about his career, and why he made a film about a debate team.

What role does Jesus play in your own life?

I was raised in the church. My father was a minister for 60 years. And I’ve been a member of West Angeles Church of God in Christ for, now, about 27 years, since I’ve been out here in Los Angeles.

I open the film with a prayer and end it with praise. The spiritual aspects of the film weren’t even necessarily in the screenplay. But I added those. It was my desire to start the film with a prayer.

How did being the son of a pastor help you prepare for this career?

I don’t know. When I was young, actually, it was an obligation. You had to go. It wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to do. But I lived in church morning, noon, night, weekends, Sundays, every day. So there was a time, between that time and as a young adult, where I moved away from the church because I was obligated to go. And I just found my way back, maybe 30 years ago, at 27–30 years ago, when I came out here.

How would you describe the role of prayer in your life today?

Even this film–every major decision I made, I made through prayer, about who I was picking to be in it, what it was I was trying to say, praying that the film was saying the right thing and that it would reach the right people. It’s every aspect of it. Every aspect of it. It’s how I start every day, and it’s how I end every day.

What sort of prayers do you say?

There’s a lot of thank you’s. A whole lot of thank you’s.

I started, I don’t know how many years ago, just reading the Bible from cover to cover. And started with the New Testament and went back to the Old Testament, and went back to the New Testament. In fact, today I just finished the Book of Acts, where Paul is back in Rome and living in Rome and preaching, teaching. So that’s how I start my day every morning.

Do you have a favorite biblical story or Bible book?

I don’t know if I have a favorite. Right now I’m with Paul. So, I’d say that’s my favorite.

Every year our pastor suggests that we start the New Year by reading the Book of John. So I think I’m going to do that the first of the year. But there’s so many great stories. I couldn’t pick one.

Do you have a favorite prayer you can recite for us?

One that we start the film with, that my mother always says, is:

“Heavenly Father, we come before thee, knee bent and body bowed, in the humblest way that we know how.”

I always liked that. That’s something that I’ve always remembered, and I promised her that I would share. So I’m proud to have the opportunity to share that.