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by Public Service Associate Juliana

If you’re looking for heartwarming films this holiday season, start your search on Kanopy! This digital resource is available to you for free with your library card! Kanopy features thousands of movies, from classic cinema and indie film to international films and top documentaries and also plenty of holiday-themed films to celebrate the season.

The following list narrows the assortment down to seven films to help you in your search. It’s heavy on the classics and has something for just about every mood.

The Man Who Invented Christmas (2018) DVD | Kanopy

This is the story of the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up unforgettable characters and a timeless tale, forever changing the holiday season into the celebration we know today.

Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay and Achievement in Make-Up at the Canadian Screen Awards. — From Kanopy

“A surprisingly fresh movie about a story we all know very well.”
– Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) DVD | Kanopy

In this heartwarming drama, Bing Crosby stars as the charming Father O’Malley, who is assigned to a struggling parochial school run by the spirited Sister Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman). As they clash over how best to save the school, the Christmas season brings challenges and unexpected joys, including a miraculous gift that could secure the school’s future. With humor, compassion, and a touch of holiday magic, their journey reveals the power of faith and community. — From Kanopy

The Holly & the Ivy (1952) Blu | Kanopy

It is Christmas Eve in the little country town of Wyndenham. Inside the rectory all is bustling as Jenny Gregory, the vicar’s elder daughter, begins putting up the decorations. But before this particular Christmas is over, the various members of her family will have to come to terms with a number of difficult subjects, only then they can truly claim to have goodwill to all in their hearts. –From Kanopy

The Bishop’s Wife (1947) DVD | Kanopy

In this charming fantasy romance, Cary Grant stars as an angel named Dudley, sent to help a struggling bishop (David Niven) who has lost sight of his family while trying to build a grand cathedral. Dudley’s arrival brings unexpected miracles and a renewed sense of joy, especially to the bishop’s neglected wife (Loretta Young). As Christmas approaches, the angel’s presence brings both warmth and confusion, leaving the bishop to confront his own priorities. But Dudley’s growing affection for the bishop’s wife adds an unexpected complication to his divine mission. — From Kanopy

Santa’s Wild Home (2021) DVD | Kanopy

Green lights dance across a star-filled sky, and snowflakes sparkle on the trees. It is little wonder Lapland is famous as a realm of elves and flying reindeer, the magical home of Santa Claus. This northernmost region of mainland Europe, however, is a real place, with real animals such as reindeer, Great Gray owls, wolverines, eagles, wolves, musk oxen, and Brown bears who live out their lives in the tundra and forest. –From the publisher

Festive Fireplace (2022) Kanopy

Set the scene this holiday season with Kanopy’s Festive Fireplace. Play this crackling fire as atmosphere during any of your Christmas and holiday events and sit back and enjoy the warmth and glow of this virtual winter experience. — From Kanopy

A Christmas Tale (French) (2008) Blu | Kanopy

When steely French matriarch Junon (Catherine Deneuve) learns she has leukemia, she asks her children and grandchildren at the family Christmas gathering to see if they are eligible to become bone marrow donors. This causes deep friction in the family, especially between Junon’s daughter Elizabeth (Anne Consigny) and son Henri (Mathieu Amalric), who already have a tumultuous relationship. Their mother’s sickness also recalls the traumatic loss of their brother Joseph when they were children. — From Kanopy

by Adult Services Library Associate Christian

The convenience of streaming and the past year has changed the way we consume entertainment. While the physical medium has not died out (especially in the library-sphere, where you can still browse new movies on our website), there is much to be said on how streaming has allowed for even more content (tv, movies, music) to be produced as it does not necessarily have to follow the restraints that physical media bare (such as the cost for the production of dvds, blu-rays, CDs, vinyl).

While streaming does offer a litany of entertainment to consume, it comes with a price. Not only has the cost of streaming gone up, but the amount of streaming services have multiplied–spreading out content among several different platforms. This is why offering free alternatives to paid streaming is important, to allow the consumption of entertainment without the high cost of entry.