Kevin McCallister is coming back to Brookline. The Coolidge Corner Theatre has Home Alone on its December calendar, along with The Polar Express, The Muppet Christmas Carol and a 35mm print of Christmas in Connecticut.
Downtown, a live orchestra plays Love Actually, and the Boston Pops bring the Muppets to Symphony Hall right after Christmas. That's 6 ways to watch a Christmas movie with a crowd this year, which beats your couch every time.
Here are the dates, showtimes and where to get tickets for each one, in order.
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The Polar Express at the Coolidge Corner Theatre
Coolidge Corner Theatre · Brookline
The Coolidge kicks off its Christmas movies with The Polar Express at 10:30 AM on Sat, Dec 5 and Sun, Dec 6. It's part of the theater's Kids' Shows series, and the Coolidge recommends it for ages 6 and up. Tom Hanks stars in the 2004 Robert Zemeckis film, based on Chris Van Allsburg's book about a boy who doubts Santa until a train shows up outside his house on Christmas Eve.
The Coolidge, at 290 Harvard St., was built as a church in 1906 and opened as an Art Deco movie palace in December 1933, according to its history page. It has never closed its doors since, which makes it a great room for a holiday tradition.
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Love Actually In Concert
Emerson Colonial Theatre · Boston
On Sun, Dec 6, Love Actually In Concert plays the Emerson Colonial Theatre at 2 PM and 7 PM. The whole movie plays on a full-size screen while a live orchestra performs Craig Armstrong's score, and yes, the orchestra plays All I Want for Christmas Is You live, according to the theater's box office.
The Colonial is at 106 Boylston St., across from Boston Common, so you can walk over to the Common's holiday lights after the 2 PM show. The box office asks you to arrive at least 45 minutes early for bag checks.
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The Muppet Christmas Carol at the Coolidge Corner Theatre
Coolidge Corner Theatre · Brookline
The Muppets take over the Coolidge on Sat, Dec 19 and Sun, Dec 20, with The Muppet Christmas Carol at 10:30 AM both days. Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge, Kermit the Frog plays Bob Cratchit and Miss Piggy is right there with him. It's another Kids' Shows pick, recommended for ages 4 and up, so it works for the littlest movie fans too.
If your crew loves this version, it pairs well with a live stage show from our A Christmas Carol guide.
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Christmas in Connecticut on 35mm at the Coolidge Corner Theatre
Coolidge Corner Theatre · Brookline
For a grown-up night out, the Coolidge screens Christmas in Connecticut from a 35mm print at 7 PM on Mon, Dec 21, as part of its Big Screen Classics series. Barbara Stanwyck plays a famous writer on marriage and homemaking whose publisher asks her to host a war hero for Christmas dinner at her famous Connecticut home. The catch is that she's single, can't cook and doesn't own a home. Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet co-star.
It's the one Christmas classic on the Coolidge calendar that's on film, and it's a Monday, so it's an easy way to start Christmas week.
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Home Alone at the Coolidge Corner Theatre
Coolidge Corner Theatre · Brookline
The day after Christmas, the Coolidge shows Home Alone at 10:30 AM on Sat, Dec 26 and again on Sun, Dec 27. Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara star, and the Coolidge recommends it for ages 10 and up. It's a smart plan for the slow days after Christmas, when the kids have new gifts and everyone needs to get out of the house.
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Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
Symphony Hall · Boston
The Boston Pops close out the season with Disney's The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave., at 2 PM on Sun, Dec 27 and Mon, Dec 28. The film plays while the Pops perform the music live, with Gonzo narrating as Charles Dickens alongside Rizzo the Rat, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig and Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim, according to the Boston Pops.
So you can see the Muppets twice this season, once at the Coolidge and once with a full orchestra.