For the past few years, ABC Family has become known for their 25 Days of Christmas. The network airs many of their own ABC Family Original Christmas Movies, as well as, other popular holiday films and other popular movies like Harry Potter. While many are fun to catch when they air in December, many of their own original movies are out on DVD so you can add these holiday favorites to your DVD collection. Missing, so far, is their last Original Movie: Christmas Cupid which was a more updated version of A Christmas Carol that’s cast includes Chad Michael Murray.
Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)- Melissa Joan Hart stars as Trudie, a woman who is down on her luck who resorts to extreme measures when her boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her right before their Christmas with her family. Not wanting to show up without her boyfriend she kidnaps David Martin who is played by Mario Lopez and tells her family that he is Nick, her boyfriend. They believe her lies and David is left trying to escape the holiday retreat. In a classic holiday film fashion, unexpected circumstances lead the couple to realize that maybe there is more to their connection than Trudie’s desperate measures.
Christmas in Boston (2005)- Two pen pals (Gina and Seth) get to meet after years of writing. They became pen pals back when they were 15 years old and had continued their friendship throughout the years with letters and photos. The problem is they used pictures, unbeknownst to each other; they each have used pictures of their friends instead of themselves. When one of the friend’s business trips sends them to Boston, it provides the perfect opportunity to finally meet. Since, they have been using their friend’s photos they send their friends for the initial meet up. The friends end up falling in love but eventually the truth has to come out.
Snowglobe (2007)- Angela Moreno (Christina Milian) receives a mysterious snowglobe at Christmas. When she shakes it up it takes her to a magical place that resembles what she always dreamed the perfect Christmas would be like. She soon is left to choose between the “perfect” boyfriend and world and the one back home. This movie like other holiday movies, addresses the idea that although our lives might not always be what we dreamt of, they are even better than what we could have planned.
Christmas Caper (2007)- Cate (Shannon Doherty) is a professional thief that goes home to watch her niece and nephew after her last job goes bad. But she spends most of the her time planning out her next job scoping out the neighborhood like the thieves on Home Alone. The rest of her time is spent planning on how to get back at her partner that caused it all to go bad. The longer she is at home the more she gets used to a different life that makes her reconsider what her life is all about.
Snow (2004)- In the spirit of the Santa Clause movies, Tom Cavanaugh is Santa Claus or Nick Snowden, albeit one without a Mrs. Claus. A reindeer gets lost and ends up in a zoo so Nick sets out only a few days before Christmas to get him back. While there he meets a friendly Zoo-Keeper (Ashley Williams) who might just be the perfect Mrs. Clause.
Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008)- Too many sequels return with a different cast than the original. Fortunately, for fans of the first Snow, Tom Cavanaugh and Ashley Williams are back and Nick finally is married. But once again, trouble occurs right before Christmas. After forgetting to spend time with Mrs. Clause before he walks through a magical mirror that leaves him with Amnesia. The fate of Christmas is left up to his wife who needs to help Nick remember who he is.
Santa Baby (2008): Mary (Jenny McCarthy) is the only child of Santa. She has spent her life trying to build up a career away from the North Pole (Polaris) but when the Elves get behind in the Toy Shop because Santa is sick, he asks Mary to come help get the toys made before Christmas. Mary tries to run the shop the same was as she has her career and when her boyfriend comes out to meet her family, Polaris is in jeopardy of being found out. Will she side with the boyfriend or her old friend she left back at the North Pole?
Santa Baby 2 (2009)- Once again Mary (Jenny McCarthy) is needed to come in and save the family business, Christmas! This time her dad, Santa, has had a mid-life crisis and has decided to quit his job. She goes back to Polaris where one elf is also stirring up trouble amongst the other elves. Can Mary handle protests and demands that the Elves are making up while handling her high profile job back in New York and her relationship with Luke?
Looking for more Holiday Movies? Check out our article on Christmas movies on Hallmark.