What is a Christmas movie? That can be debated. In fact, every year there are sure to be discussions — arguments? — around the holiday table as to whether or not “Die Hard” qualifies. The Bruce Willis action film kicks off when attendees at a glamorous Christmas Eve party are taken hostage by thieves posing as terrorists — but that’s about it for Yuletide content. “Lethal Weapon,” “Dr. Zhivago,” and “Batman Returns,” among other movies, touch glancingly on the holiday as well, but probably aren’t what most people think of as Christmas movies any more than “Die Hard” is. (Here are 14 winter holidays that aren’t Christmas.)
On the other hand, there’s little doubt about the bona fides of the animated “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or “Frosty the Snowman,” or mid-20th-century classics like “White Christmas” or “Miracle on 34th Street,” or indeed more modern takes on the holiday like “Elf” and “Christmas with the Kranks.”
Speaking of that 2004 family comedy, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, while it is not the highest-grossing Christmas movie of all time (that honor goes to the “The Grinch,” from 2018), it is the most popular one in seven states this year, making it the most popular in the nation. That’s according to a study by the TV and film news and review site Looper, made available to 24/7 Tempo.
The site analyzed every state’s Google search traffic for the “best Christmas movie,” based on a list identified by IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon. “The Grinch” doesn’t show up at all, though the No. 2 film is an earlier version of the famed Dr. Seuss story, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966).
Perhaps the most celebrated and often watched Christmas movie of all, Frank Capra’s fantasy drama “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has the highest IMDb score of any entry on the list, at 8.6, but is the favorite in only one state — Iowa. “Die Hard,” at least some movie fans will be disappointed to hear, doesn’t show up at all. (These are considered to the best Christmas movies of all time.)
Here is the favorite Christmas movie in every state
| Ranking | Christmas Movie | Year | Genre | IMDb Rating | States Where It Was Favored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christmas with the Kranks | 2004 | Comedy, Family | 5.4 | Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Vermont, Virginia, Washington |
| 2 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas! | 1966 | Animation, Comedy, Family | 8.3 | Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, South Carolina, West Virginia |
| 3 | Four Christmases | 2008 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 5.7 | California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin |
| 4 | The Santa Clause | 1994 | Comedy, Drama, Family | 6.5 | Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Texas |
| 5 | A Christmas Story | 1983 | Comedy, Family | 7.9 | Hawaii, Idaho, Montana |
| 6 | Last Christmas | 2019 | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy | 6.5 | New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota |
| 7 | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 1964 | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 8 | Missouri, Ohio, Oregon |
| 8 | A Christmas Carol | 1951 | Drama, Family, Fantasy | 8.1 | Kansas, Utah |
| 9 | Elf | 2003 | Adventure, Comedy, Family | 7.1 | South Dakota, Wyoming |
| 10 | Frosty the Snowman | 1969 | Animation, Short, Comedy | 7.3 | Alabama, Oklahoma |
| 11 | Jingle All the Way | 1996 | Adventure, Comedy, Family | 5.7 | Delaware, North Carolina |
| 12 | Miracle on 34th Street | 1947 | Comedy, Drama, Family | 7.9 | Georgia, Illinois |
| 13 | Violent Night | 2022 | Action, Comedy, Thriller | 6.7 | Michigan, Tennessee |
| 14 | White Christmas | 1954 | Comedy, Musical, Romance | 7.6 | Alaska, Nevada |
| 15 | Home Alone | 1990 | Comedy, Family | 7.7 | Rhode Island |
| 16 | It’s a Wonderful Life | 1946 | Drama, Family, Fantasy | 8.6 | Iowa |
| 17 | Love Actually | 2003 | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 7.6 | Nebraska |
| 18 | Scrooged | 1988 | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy | 6.9 | Florida |
| 19 | The Polar Express | 2004 | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 6.6 | Maine |