Winter holidays are around the corner and festivities have already begun, with people preparing for their upcoming vacation, family gatherings, festive brunches and new year celebrations. To make the most of this festive time of the year, you can watch and rewatch a couple of Hollywood feel-good flicks which will take care of any holiday stress and put you in the right mood for celebrations. Here’s a list of recommended movies you can watch while taking a break from the holiday preps:

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

This fantasy-drama film, directed by Frank Capra, is a much-loved holiday movie with an important message. It stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man contemplating suicide when his guardian angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) intervenes and shows him how he has made a difference in his community and touched the lives of the people around him. Although the film was not a commercial success in the 1940s, it received several award nominations and is now considered one of the greatest films of all time and one of the 100 best American films ever made.

Home Alone – Lost in New York (1992)

The second part in the Home Alone series, this film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, the youngest son of  Peter and Kate McCallister. While the first part of this comedy film shows how Kevin is left home alone by mistake, as his enitre family goes away for a holiday, the sequel follows his journey to New York City as he gets on the wrong flight, and how he later gets entangled in a robbery. Directed by Chris Columbus, Home Alone 2 is regarded as a classic holiday film and also features Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Tim Curry, Brenda Fricker, and Catherine O’Hara in vital roles.

The Family Man (2000)

Nicholas Cage portrays a wealthy investment broker Jack, a bachelor, who wakes up on Christmas morning to find himself in another life, in which he is married to his ex-girlfriend Kate Reynolds (Téa Leoni) and has two children. During the day, Nicholas realises how his life would have been more meaningful had he made different choices. This comedy-drama film has been directed by Brett Ratner.

Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)

This movie, directed by  Sharon Maguire, is based on a book of the same name and is a reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. It follows the story of Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger), a single, overweight woman in her 30s, who also has a drinking problem. Colin Firth plays the role of her “true love” (Mr Darcy) while Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver is similar to Mr Wickham’s character in Pride and Prejudice. The comedy film and its two sequels — Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) — subtly and lightly highlight the themes of self-love, self-esteem and body positivity.

Love Actually (2003)

Directed by Richard Curtis, this romantic-comedy has been a long time favourite for many fans of the genre. It features a number of incredibly talented actors, including Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. The film follows the story of eight couples — of varying age groups, social status and nationalities — which are beautifully linked together and reach their destinations during the holiday season.

The Family Stone (2005)

This comedy drama, helmed by Thomas Bezucha, has an ensemble star cast including Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, and Tyrone Giordano. Sarah plays Meredith Morton, an uptight and conservative executive, who is hestitant to meet her boyfriend’s family during the holidays and feels like an outsider in their home. The movie touches on the subjects of love, compatibility and family, against the backdrop of the festive season.

The Holiday (2006)

Also considered one of the top holiday movies, the film follows the story of Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet), a heartbroken wedding columnist, who temporarily swaps her quaint cottage with a luxurious home in Los Angeles, owned by a workaholic exectuive Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), who is also struggling in her romantic life. In their new environments, these women gain a new perspective on their lives and fall in love with more deserving men. Directed by Nancy Meyers, the film features Jude Law and Jack Black as the male leads.

A number of Hallmark movies – such as The Mistletoe Secret, Christmas in Rome, A Christmas Miracle, Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays and many others — also revolve around the themes of holidays and festivals. These are feel-good, romantic films that typically follow a girl-meets-boy routine with some subtle conflict in between that always ends well, with the couple falling madly in love and living happily ever after. These movies are great for binge-watching if you are in the mood for consuming content which is completely stress- and drama free, visually appealing, promotes love and family harmony, and has some light romantic moments.