You finish Little Women, and you're still thinking about the house. The sisters talking over each other. The clothes. That feeling of wanting everyone you love around one table, even when they're driving you a little mad. These Christmas movies like Little Women give you seven places to go next.
Some have a Christmas story at their center. Others share the books, old houses, close friendships, or winter mood that make Little Women such a good December watch. Two aren't Christmas films, and we'll say that clearly so you can choose the kind of evening you want.
Meet Me in St. Louis is the closest match for sisters and family life. A Little Princess and The Secret Garden lean into the bookish side. The rest bring a village, a writer, a ghost story, or a snowy world through a wardrobe.
How to choose your Christmas movies like Little Women
Start with the part of Little Women you want more of. If it's the family, choose Meet Me in St. Louis. If it's a girl with a strong inner world, try A Little Princess. For a grand old house and a story that slowly opens up, choose The Secret Garden.
For a film built around Christmas, The Man Who Invented Christmas or The Christmas Candle may suit tonight better. A Christmas Carol brings the ghosts, while Narnia brings the snowy adventure. Those last two have darker scenes, so they're different choices from a quiet romance.
Choose the film, find the blanket that actually covers your feet, and put your drink within reach. The title is settled; the good seat is still up for grabs. Our cozy reading corner ideas can help if you'd like a lamp-lit spot to read before the film.
If you're watching with friends, ask which mood sounds good first. Agreeing on a family musical or an adventure takes less time than passing the remote around seven times. You can save the other titles for another evening.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) for sisters and a house full of life
Meet Me in St. Louis follows the Smith family across the seasons before the 1904 World's Fair. Esther's interest in the boy next door sits alongside her sisters' lives and the family's worries about a possible move. The TCM guide to Meet Me in St. Louis gives the setting and family story behind the musical.
This is the closest pick if the March sisters are what bring you back to Little Women. Family members have their own concerns, yet the home holds their lives together. You get romance and small household moments rather than one holiday problem to solve.
It isn't set only at Christmas. The year moves through different seasons, which makes the winter scenes feel like part of a family life you've already joined. Choose it when you want sisters, songs, and a story about what it means to leave a home.
A Little Princess (1995) for imagination and loyal friendship
Sara Crewe arrives at a boarding school with a love of stories and a strong bond with her father. When her life changes, the school treats her very differently. The film follows what she holds on to when the comfort around her falls away.
This isn't a Christmas movie. It's here for the readers who love Little Women's young characters, close friendships, and belief that a girl's inner life matters. Sara's imagination gives the story color, but her kindness has a practical side, too.
The school has rooms, rules, and sharp differences in how people are treated. That setting gives the film some of its beauty and much of its sadness. There are difficult scenes involving loss and cruelty, so choose another title if you're looking for something light all the way through.
Make sure you select the 1995 film when you search. There are other versions of the story. This is the one for an evening when you'd like a book adaptation that feels rich and full of feeling, even without a Christmas plot.
The Secret Garden (1993) for an old house and a hidden place
The Secret Garden follows Mary Lennox as she comes to live at a large English house and discovers a locked garden. The American Film Institute's entry for the 1993 film identifies this adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel.
Like A Little Princess, it isn't a Christmas film. Choose it for the old house, the sense of a world waiting beyond a door, and a young character who changes through friendship. It fits the part of a December watch list that makes room for a well-loved book.
The story has grief and loneliness in it. Mary doesn't arrive ready to be everyone's friend, and the house doesn't become welcoming at once. That slower change is part of the appeal if you enjoy watching characters learn how to care for one another.
This is a quieter choice than Narnia. The discoveries feel close to home, even when the setting is grand. If the house sends you into a bookish decorating mood afterward, our Christmas decor for book lovers has ideas you can try with books you own.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) for the story behind a story
The Man Who Invented Christmas imagines Charles Dickens at work on A Christmas Carol. The official film page describes the writing story, with Dickens's imagined characters becoming part of the world on screen.
This is the pick for anyone who loves Jo March's writing life as much as the family scenes. You get a writer trying to turn ideas into a finished story. The creative work gives the film its movement, with Christmas as more than a pretty background.
It is a drama, so take its scenes as a film's telling of the process rather than a documentary record. You can enjoy the desks, rooms, and characters without treating each conversation as a historical fact. The writing desk has some very lively company.
Choose it when you want a Christmas film with a book at its heart. It also makes a fitting lead-in to the 1984 A Christmas Carol on this list. You don't have to watch both in one sitting; the second can wait for a night when you're ready for the ghosts.
The Christmas Candle (2013) for a village Christmas
The Christmas Candle takes place in an English village where a special candle is tied to a local Christmas belief. A new minister arrives with his own ideas, and the village's hopes shape the story. This is a faith-centered Christmas drama, which is useful to know before you choose it.
The connection to Little Women is the community around the main characters. People's lives cross through the village, and the Christmas season brings their needs and wishes into view. Choose it for that small-place feeling rather than for a story about sisters.
It has a different pace from a modern holiday comedy. The village setting and the candle tradition do much of the work, so it suits an evening when you want to settle into one place. If your favorite part of a period film is getting to know the people who live nearby, this may be your next pick.
Keep the film's religious focus in mind when you're planning for a group. That can be the reason someone chooses it, while another friend may prefer the family musical or book adaptation. A quick check before pressing play helps you find the right fit for tonight.
A Christmas Carol (1984) for a darker Christmas classic
This is the live-action version with George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. The official 1984 A Christmas Carol page confirms the film and cast, which helps you choose the right version among several with the same title.
Pick it if you like the period setting of Little Women but want a story with more shadow. Scrooge's visits take him through Christmases past, present, and future. The rooms, streets, and changing moods make this a very different evening from a cheerful family musical.
The ghosts are central to the film, and some scenes are frightening or sad. A Christmas setting doesn't make every part gentle. If someone in your group wants a soft watch before bed, Meet Me in St. Louis may be a better choice.
For a night when you do want a ghost story, this version gives you a clear one to search for. Choose the year and George C. Scott's name together. That avoids starting a different adaptation when you've planned around this particular watch list.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) for a snowy adventure
The first film in this Narnia series follows four siblings who find another world through a wardrobe. The snowy landscape gives it a strong winter mood, while the story grows into a larger adventure. Choose the 2005 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The sibling bond is the link to Little Women. These children disagree, make choices that affect one another, and have to find their way back to trust. A wardrobe is quite the change of address, so choose this one when you want a bigger adventure.
It isn't a Christmas-centered story, even though Father Christmas appears. There are battles, danger, and a serious sacrifice scene. That makes it a stronger fit for an adventure mood than for a gentle holiday romance.
Have your snack ready before the wardrobe opens. Our hot chocolate topping ideas give you a few choices for your mug. Then choose your seat and let this be the evening's plan; the other six films can stay on the list for later.
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