Pass the Popcorn: The Magic of Holiday Movies at Film Streams

December 24th, 2025

December in Omaha has a personality all its own. The wind cuts sharply through downtown streets, sidewalks turn slick overnight, and every drive begins with a small act of faith that the car will start. But alongside the cold comes something else, a season defined by lights, shared rituals, and the quiet comfort of gathering indoors.

That’s where holiday movies come in, especially the kind you leave the house for.

At Film Streams, the holiday season is about more than staying warm. It’s about the experience of bundling up, stepping out of the cold, and settling into a darkened theater with popcorn in hand as a familiar story unfolds on the big screen. This December, Film Streams is celebrating that tradition with a lineup of films that explore what makes a movie a “holiday classic”, and whether some favorites belong in that category at all.

One of the highlights is the Holiday(ish) film series, which leans into the ongoing debate about what qualifies as a holiday movie. The final film in the series is John Landis’ 1983 comedy Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. While it’s best known as a sharp, satirical Wall Street comedy, the film checks several holiday boxes. It takes place in December, includes an office holiday party, and centers on themes of generosity, redemption, and second chances. Whether that makes it a true holiday film is up to the audience to decide. Trading Places screens Tuesday, December 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ruth Sokolof Theater.

The following day brings one of Film Streams’ most beloved holiday traditions, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Year after year, audiences return to see Charles Dickens’ classic brought to life by a cast of Muppets alongside Michael Caine’s surprisingly earnest performance as Ebenezer Scrooge. Despite the songs, puppets, and the addition of Gonzo as Dickens himself, the film remains remarkably faithful to the original story, even lifting dialogue directly from the novel. Seeing it on the big screen, surrounded by a full house, continues to be a joyful reminder of why this adaptation has endured. The final screening takes place Wednesday, December 24 at the Dundee Theater.

No holiday film season would feel complete without Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. Though now considered essential December viewing, the 1946 film was initially met with mixed reviews and modest box office success. Its transformation into a holiday staple came years later, after it entered the public domain and began airing regularly on television. Over time, audiences embraced its message of community, compassion, and the unseen impact one life can have on others. Film Streams invites viewers to take part in that tradition with screenings at Noon on December 24 and 25 at the Ruth Sokolof Theater.

In a season often defined by cold and chaos, Film Streams offers a simple invitation: come inside, sit together, and let a great film do what it does best, bring warmth, reflection, and a little magic to the winter days.

By Kitty Tyree.