Staff Reports
As Americans gather around the television to enjoy some of their favorite Christmas classics, a new analysis finds the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” is the most sought-after Christmas flick.
The gambling website CSGOLuck looked at 180 different Christmas movies during its research, pairing movie names with Google search keywords such as “buy,” “blu ray,” “Netflix” and “watch online.” The site then released its Top 10 list of the most searched movies across the country.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” ranked No. 1 by that metric, with an average of 221,818 monthly Google searches. The film stars James Stewart as businessman George Bailey.
The No. 2 movie nationwide is 2006’s “The Holiday,” with 156,644 monthly searches on average. Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Kate Winslet star in the romantic comedy.
Placing third is the modern classic “Elf,” with Will Ferrell in a starring role. The 2003 film had 118,774 average monthly searches.
For the raunchier Christmas movie fans, “Bad Santa” fits the bill. The Billy Bob Thornton vehicle lands at No. 4, with 112,517 average monthly searches.
At No. 5 is 2019’s “Little Women.” The movie, set in 1860s American, had 100,898 average monthly searches, per CSGOLuck’s analysis.
Bill Murray’s “Scrooged” lands at No. 6, with an average of 86,694 monthly searches. The film is a comedic take on the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol.”
Slotted in at No. 7 is 2015’s “The Night Before.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie and Seth Rogen headline the stoner comedy, which netted 69,351 monthly searches on average.
At No. 8 is 2007’s “Fred Claus,” where Vince Vaughn stars as Santa’s older brother. The comedy had 50,290 searches each month on average.
“Arthur Christmas,” the 2011 flick, is at No. 9 with an average of 48,532 monthly searches. James McAvoy voices Santa’s son, Arthur, in this animated comedy.
And round out the Top 10 is 2006’s “Last Holiday. Queen Latifah stars as Georgia Byrd in the romantic comedy, which saw 48,529 average monthly searches.
“The holiday season brings with it many traditions, including the movies we watch at Christmas time. It is fitting that It’s a Wonderful Life tops the list as America’s favorite Christmas movie given that it is a mainstay of many people’s Christmas watchlists,” read a statement from CSGOLuck.
“The tale of a man in despair who is inspired with hope after finding out his life has helped so many, seems to have resonated with a lot of Americans. Combine this with the fact it has been a regular staple of holiday TV programming for years, and it stands to reason it would be America’s favorite.”
The site also released additional data on the next 10 highest-ranking movies, according to Google search data.
Those films are, in order: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966); “Jack Frost” (1998); “The Family Man” (2000); “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” (2005); “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964); “Holiday Inn” (1942); Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” (2009); “Little Women” (1994); “Serendipity” (2001); and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1970).
