Best Christmas Film Characters

by Helen Earnshaw | 18 December 2012

Christmas is now just a week away and over the years festive themed movies are an essential during the holiday period.

And to celebrate all of the Xmas movies that are coming out way we take a look at some of the best Christmas movie characters that we have enjoyed watching over the years.

- Kris Kringle - Miracle On 34th Street

Now Christmas is complete without watching 1994's Miracle on 24th Street with Richard Attenborough in the lead role of Kris Kringle.

And Kris Kringle is one of out favourite Christmas movie characters as he is a man who tries to bring the joy of the festive period to all children.

But his belief that he is the real Santa Claus lands him in a whole heap of trouble and his friend Bryan Bedford must not only prove the Santa exists but that Kris is him.

This is such a charming movie from start to finish and Attenborough delivers a fantastic performance in this lead role.

Kris Kringle is a kind hearted character who wants nothing more but to share the joy of Christmas with as many people as possible.

- Ebeneezer Scrooge - A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is the ultimate Xmas tale and has been adapted for the small and big screen many times over the years.

Ebeneezer Scrooge is a complex character who is cold-hearted, greedy and certainly doesn't get into the Xmas cheer.

Over the years many actors have taken on this role from Alistair Sim, Albert Finney and Patrick Stewart and have all put their spin on this story.

The 1951 movie starring Sim is widely regarded as one of the most faithful adaptations of the Dickens novel but Albert Finney starred in the fantastic musical version in 1970.

This character goes on one of the best journeys of a Christmas movie as he is visited from ghosts of the past, present and future to make him see the error of his ways.

- Buddy the Elf - Elf

In recent years one of the most popular Christmas films has been Elf starring funnyman Will Ferrell - it remains one of his best loved roles.

The movie follows Buddy, an 'elf' who was raised at the North Pole, who is set to the U.S. in search of his true identity.

Ferrell plays this man-child wonderfully and he is a character that you laugh with and at as well as feeling totally sympathy for him.

Elf is a charming and fun movie that really embraces what the holiday period is all about and no Christmas is complete without watching this on the box.

- George Bailey - It's A Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life is the ultimate Christmas movie and one of the most enduring as it was released back in 1946.

And the character of George Bailey is one of the most iconic and was played by James Stewart who delivers a very moving performance.

It's A Wonderful Life is a real gem of a movie and Stewart depicts George as a man who doesn't understand his own worth.

There are moments in this film that we can all relate to and it is always great to see a character get the redemption that they so rightly deserve.

- Jack Skellington - The Nightmare Before Christmas

It was back in 1993 when The Nightmare Before Christmas was released - it was directed by Henry Selick.

Jack Skellington (voice by Chris Sarandon) is a character that is meant to celebrate Halloween so when he discovers Christmas Town he doesn't quite understand what it is all about and tries to give it a makeover.

This is a movie that mixes magic and darkness and the stop motion animation make it a visual treat.

Jack Skellington is one of the greatest animation characters of all time and it is a movie that sees this character come to understand what Christmas is all about.