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16 Best Christmas Films and TV Adaptations 2000-2005

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The best Christmas films and TV adaptations, from 2000 to 2005, are great DVD gifts to give for the festive holidays, and fun to watch with family and friends. Resources, facts and information include the year the film was released, film director, writers, leading stars and brief summaries.

Christmas Films and Television (TV), Years 2000-2005

1. The Angel Doll (2000)

Director and writer: Alexander Johnston
Based on the novel by Jery Bledsoe
Film stars: Betsy Brantley, Beatrice Bush, Pat Hingle

Two small town boys come from different sides of the tracks. This is 1950’s self-redemption and childhood. While young “Whitey” Black lives in poverty with his single Mom and a sick 4-year old sister, Jerry Barlow lives in a middle class lifestyle with both parents and younger brother. Along the way, Jerry and Whitey met and their formed friendship open and come to terms with realities around them.

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Director: Ron Howard
Screenplay writer based on the book by Dr. Seuss
Film Stars: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen

This is a remake of the the popular classic cartoon about Grinch, intent on stealing the wonderful season of Christmas.

3. Silent Night (Canada, 2002)

Director: Rodney Gibbons
Writer: Roger Aylward
Film Stars: Linda Hamilton, Romano Orzari, Martin Neufeld, Matthew Harbour

The story is set during the Second World War, 1944. On the war front, a German Mother and her son is seeking refuge in a cabin. Something heartwarming happens when she is invaded by three American soldiers and three German soldiers. She convinces them to put their differences aside and share a Christmas dinner together.

4. A Christmas Visitor (2002)

Director: Christopher Leitch
Writers: George Samarjan and David Saperstein
Film stars: William Devane, Meredith Baxter, Dean McDermott

This is a story of loss and renewal. A father is struggling with the past, a mother searching for answers and a daughter fighting for the future. For 11 years, the family hasn’t celebrated Christmas since losing their son to the Persian Gulf War. A stranger about their son’s age joins them, and changes their lives forever.

5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2002)

Director: John Shepphird
Writers: Randy Vampotic and Mike Sorrentino
Film star: Connie Sellecca, Corbin Bernsen, Cole Sprouse

A boy sees a man in Santa’s suit kissing his mother. He believes that the real Santa Claus wants to replace his father. Naturally, he goes out on a “war” with Santa.

6. Elf (2003)

Director: Jon Favreau
Writer: David Berenbaum
Stars: Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, , Edward Asner, James Caan, Bob Newhart

A man is raised as an elf at the North Pole. After inadvertently creating havoc on the elf community, he is sent to the United States to search for his true identity.

7. A Carol Christmas (2003)

Director: Matthew Irmas
Writer: Tom Amundsen
Film star: Tori Spelling, Dinah Manoff, William Shatner

The story is a modernized version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The miser Scrooge character of Dickens is a talk show host Carol who hates Christmas and makes life miserable for those around her especially on Rebecca, her assistant, a single mother who desperately needs her job. When Carol takes a nap, she is visited by the ghost of her aunt and later the other ghosts: Past, Present and Future. All’s well that ends well with Carol’s self-transformation.

8. Bad Santa (2003)

Director: Terry Zwigoff
Writers: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Film star: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham

A conman and his partner disguise as Santa and his helper. They rob department stores on Christmas Eve. The security boss discovers their plot when they run into problems as the conman befriends a troubled kid.

9. Eloise at Christmastime (2003), TV

Director: Kevin Lima
Drawings by Hilary Knight, based on the book by Kay Thompson
Stars: Julie Andrews, Sofia Vassilieva, Kenneth Welsh

The child Eloise insists on helping with Christmas nuptials.

10. Eve’s Christmas (2004), TV

Director: Timothy Bond
Story writers: Jeffrey SChenck and Peter Sullivan
Stars: Elisa Donovan, Cheryl Ladd, Sebastian Spence

A successful and wealthy career woman gets a second chance in life when a magical wish brings her back eight years in time when she walked away from her fiance to start a business life in New York.

11. A Boyfriend for Christmas (2004), TV

Director: Kevin Conno
Writer: Roger Schroeder
Stars: Kelli Williams, Patrick Muldoon, Charles Durning

Santa Claus brings two lonely people together on Christmas Day.

12. Angel in the Family (2004), TV

Director: Georg Stanford Brown
Writer: Duane Poole
Stars: Meredith Baxter, David Chisum, Ronny Cox, Dalton Brooks

This is another of those magical stories for Christmas. An ailing widowed father and his two estranged daughters experience a miracle when their demised mother returns to spend Christmas with them.

13. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Director: Joe Roth
Screenplay by Chris Columbus based on the novel by John Grisham
Stars: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd

A daughter decides to come home for the Christmas holidays. The family has a big uproar having to prepare last minute since her parents have decided to skip Christmas.

14. The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve (2004), TV

Director: Martha Coolidge
Story writers: Steven Weber and Stefanie von Pfetten
Stars: Steven Weber, Stefanie von Pfetten, Mark Krysko, Chad Willett

Calvin Carter is a successful business executive but takes for granted those closest to him. Things take its turn on Christmas Evewhen the sign on his office building falls on him. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a hospital bed being attended by nurse Angie who cautions him that he has 12 days to get his acts together for the “perfect” Christmas Eve or else face another consequence.

15. Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004), TV

Director: Harvey Frost
Writer: Pamela Wallace
Stars: Steve Guttenberg, Dominic Scott Kay, Crystal Bernard

The plan of Nick to let destiny bring his wife to him is altered since he needs to replace his father as Santa Claus the day after Christmas. Ernst, the right-hand man of several generations of Santas, produces a list of potential mates. Nick sets off to meet them, but fate may have a candidate after all.

16. Meet the Santas (2005), TV

Director: Harvey Frost
Writer: Pamela Wallace
Stars: Steve Guttenberg, Crystal Bernard, Marcia Ann Burrs

This is a sequel to 2004’s Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus. Since Beth is marrying the man who assumed the mantle of Santa Claus last December 26^th, her wedding is rescheduled for Christmas Eve. Overwhelmed by selling the house that she shares with her son, and more, the prospect of being Mrs. Claus, she calls on her estranged socialite mother to arrange the wedding. And naturally, her mom has never met her future son-in-law.

These Christmas films and TV adaptations, regarded best in Hollywood from 2000-2005, are timely for the festive season’s entertainment. DVDs can be rented out at video rental stores or online video rentals.

Resources of Best Christmas Films, 2000-2005

The Internet Movie Database (IMDB)

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