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Top 10 Romantic Holiday Movies

© Amy Cunningham

Every holiday season TV networks fill the air with holiday shows, specials, and movies. If you want to settle in for a romantic holiday night, light the fire, grab a large blanket for two, and snuggle up for one of these romantic holiday movies selected by our editors:

1. Borrowed Hearts: A Holiday Romance.
   Borrowed Hearts is an endearing made-for-TV movie about a women, Kathleen (Roma Downey), who's saving to buy a house for herself and her daughter, Zoe. She soon meets Sam (Eric McCormack), a businessman and Kathleen's boss, who pretends to have a family in order to close a business deal with a mysterious man, Javier Del Campo. Sam convinces Kathleen and Zoe to be "his family" for the holiday season. There's more to Javier than meets the eye and it turns out that it's little Zoe who's making the real 'deal' this holiday season. This feel-good holiday movie will bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.
   
   
2. The Family Man.
   Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) is a career driven man who has everything a man could want, or so he thinks, until Christmas Eve, when he intervenes in a convenience store hold-up. On Christmas morning, Jack wakes up with a new life: he is married to his college sweetheart (Tea Leoni), has two children, and is a tire salesman. When Jack suddenly loses his new found life, he realizes that money isn't everything. The Family Man is a romantic holiday comedy that will warm your heart.
   
3. The Bishop's Wife.
   Busy campaigning for the construction of a new cathedral, an Episcopal bishop (David Niven) has become distant and neglectful of his family and marriage. This holiday season marks a new low, and it looks as though nothing short of a miracle -- or perhaps an angel -- can help the bishop's wife (Loretta Young) save her marriage. Cary Grant plays the angel who comes to earth in this heartwarming Christmas fantasy. The Preacher's Wife, starring Whitney Houston, was the 1996 remake of this classic.
   
   
4. The Shop Around the Corner.
   One winter, a romance blossoms between two anonymous pen pals (James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan). Little do they realize that they already know each other - and hate each other - in person! As Christmas draws near, the two decide to meet, but can their new love conquer their old hate? This lovely, romantic film was the inspiration for the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks 1998 comedy, You've Got Mail.
   
   
5. White Christmas.
   Bob and Phil (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) become a popular song-and-dance act after leaving the Army after WWII. The pair soon hook up, romantically and professionally, with Betty and Judy (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen), a song-and-dance "sister" act. When the women head to a Vermont ski lodge to perform a Christmas show, Bob and Phil follow along, only to discover that the lodge is now run by their former retired general (Dean Jagger). Full of fun and romantic mix-ups, White Christmas is one of the best 'feel good' holiday movies.
   
   
6. While You Were Sleeping.
   On Christmas Day, Lucy (Sandra Bullock) saves the life of a handsome stranger, Peter (Peter Gallagher), who then falls into a coma. At the hospital, she is mistaken for his fiancé by hospital staff, who subsequently inform Peter's relatives when they arrive. Lucy is welcomed into their family with open arms and with no family of her own, she can't resist playing the part of daughter-in-law during the holiday season. The illusion would be complete, except for one small problem: Lucy is falling for Peter's brother, Jack (Bill Pullman). This delightful romantic comedy is a perfect pick for a winter evening.
   
   
7. Remember the Night.
   When caught shoplifting a diamond bracelet before Christmas, Lee (Barbara Stanwyck) is put on trial by prosecutor John Sargent (Fred MacMurray). Realizing that it's difficult to get a conviction during the holiday season, Sargent postpones Lee's trial until after Christmas. Despite his lawyerly ways, Sargent embraces the holiday spirit, arranges for Lee's bail, and gives her a ride home to spend the holidays with her family who shun her away. Feeling sorry for Lee, Sargent invites her to spend the holidays with him and his family and the pair soon fall in love. But, with the trial coming up, will their love survive? This charming, sentimental holiday comedy inspires both warmth and cheer.
   
   
8. Untamed Heart.
   It's another lonely holiday season for Adam (Christian Slater), a painfully shy young man. Orphaned and cursed with a heart ailment, Adam has never allowed himself to get close to anyone, that is until he not ices Caroline (Marissa Tomei), a waitress at the diner at which he works. After he rescues her from a violent attack, she begins to notice him, too. A movie about finding love in unexpected places, this one is sure to touch your heart.
   
   
9. Mixed Nuts.
   In Venice Beach, California, on Christmas Eve, the quirky, oddball staff of a suicide-prevention hotline, run by Philip (Steve Martin) and staffed with lovesick Catherine (Rita Wilson), are going berserk. With a serial killer on the lose and an eviction notice on their door, the counselors think they've hit rock bottom. That is until they meet an array of "characters", including an insane Santa. If wacky, wildly funny humor appeals to you, check out this zany holiday film. This hysterically funny movie is also a heartwarming, romantic comedy.
   
   
10. One Magic Christmas.
    It's an especially tough year for Ginny (Mary Steenburgern), a young mother whose worries have robbed her of any holiday cheer. Luckily, her resourceful and loving daughter (Elisabeth Harnois) teams up with Santa and a guardian angel to turn their Christmas around. This tender, charming, and truly magical movie will remind you why the holidays really are so special.