elf is the best. You're missing some home alone action.

As well as the old move "Santa Claus" with Dudley Moore and John Lithgow. ALways watched that one as a kid

For pure nostalgia, nothing beats A Christmas Story. Present day, the set designs in The Holiday are absolutely gorgeous. As much as I love my little So Cal 1940's traditional I'd gladly trade for Cameron Diaz's light and airy Spanish any day.

jmorey...i agree with the missing home alone action.

i was just thinking of the bookshelves in Kevin's brother Buzz's room this morning!

i really like the lodge for the classic "White Christmas". But how that little stage ends up holding that HUGE extravaganza... holiday magic i guess.

Oh my goodness jmorey! I can't believe someone else in the world remembers "Santa Claus". I used to LOVE that movie and I haven't seen it in so long that I was beginning to think that I'd imagined it. My favorite was (I think it was theirs) Santa & Mrs. Claus' little sleeping cubby.

Home Alone is also a great one that still holds up. And I totally agree with Elf as having fabulous set design. I don't know how they managed to capture the set from Rudolph so well in a live-action movie, but it was pretty amazing.

I agree that Elf should be on the list.

I also feel that It's A Wonderful Life needs to be added. Every time I see their home I just want to wander around and be in love with it.

Also - The Muppet Christmas Carol does a good job of relaying the feeling of the season - Particularly the street scenes.

And OH! I know it's not technically a Christmas Movie (I consider it an awesome movie that happens to take place at Christmas) but you have to add Millions. The colors and the scenes with the red balls. There are some stills that I'd hang on my walls from that movie. Danny Boyle is a Genius.

http://embritadesign.blogspot.com

the question is about "sets," not films, so, although it was not my favourite film, The Grinch w/Jim Carrey has an amazing set. Holiday Inn and White Christmas sets appeal to my sentimental Christmas instincts. Maybe AT should design a mid-century modern, or postmodern, Christmas set, or have a contest.

I really love the house in It's a Wonderful Life--the one in which Mary Bailey (Donna Reed) fixes up to surprise George Bailey after their wedding, before they have renovated. Insta-honeymoon.

Agreed wholeheartedly on "Grinch", and Ill toss in "It's a Wonderful Life"--I've always lusted after that house, particularly as shown during the "I Love You Truly" honeymoon scene.

David Niven's study in "The Bishop's Wife".

"Love Actually" for the sets and I just want to mention that it has become a tradition to watch it every year with my husband. We do nothing but laugh the entire time.

"The Holiday" has an amazing English stone cottage... so cozy. I could just curl up in it for the entire winter.

This puts me in the mood to watch it now...

I guess this is kinda morbid but I love the sets of A Nightmare Before X-Mas. I also love love love the Grinch. Next would be the McAllister house in Home Alone or the sweet suite in Home Alone 2 Lost in NY. I do love the North Pole hideaway from Santa Clause the movie. However all are null and void if you consider the Rene' Magritte inspired sets of Toys. That would definately beat out the Grinch for number one. Fo Sho'. In Toys defense as an X-mas movie, it started and ended at X-Mas and it's about Toys.

Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas!!! Woooooo!
That's my favorite Christmas movie.

They lived in a cute little rustic town (Frogtown Hollow). And they had a small one room house right on the river... so cute. I love everything about that movie. :)

love actually defiantly has best set design, it looks like ikea/ habitat (love habitat) sponsored it all

The Holiday
Home Alone
The Santa Clause 3
Holiday Inn
Christmas with the Kranks (the house is the most realistic)

I think Elf's designs are amazing. I was just watching it last night and was amazed at the North Pole. How they made everything in shades of gray and silver, all in wood grain, with the beautiful scrollwork. It didn't look at all bleak, but let the toys and elves costumes really pop. There are lots of cute little touches as well, like in Papa Elf's bathroom, a reindeer head is the toilet paper holder....

has to be The Holiday for me...because my stepdad worked on the set :) but i hated the actual movie (way, way too much cameron diaz)

also, the sets for Miracle on 34th Street (the original) were pretty sweet!

Without a doubt "The Holiday", by far the best set. Crazy about Cameron's home in L.A. and the little girls room (tent) in England.

In Fanny and Alexander, the Christmas scene (before their father dies) is amazing;

Love the apartments in The Bell Book and Candle;

and the winter scenes in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are magic.

I also have a thing for One Magic Christmas; Santa is the perfect Santa, and the rest is eery.

For cozy, I agree, Home Alone is the one.

I love the Christmas decorations and interiors in Little Women. It is simple and homey, even if they do live in a big draft New England house.

Love Actually and the McAllister house are of course fantastic too!

draft=drafty. Yeesh.

Christmas in Connecticut, the original, with Barbara Stanwyck, is my favorite!

OMG! Emmett Otter! I thought I was the only one who still watched that! They do have good sets. And since I threw in Muppet Christmas Carol, I can add that, too :-)