Christmas time is here again, which means it's time for that annual holiday movie debate.

No, we're not talking about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. We're talking about "favorite Christmas movies." Of course, we all have well-known classics that we quote throughout the season:

"Hey Griswold, where do you think you're going to put a tree that big?"

"You smell like beef and cheese. You don't smell like Santa!"

"You'll shoot your eye out, Kid!"

But in the shadow of those heavyweights, there are plenty of Christmas classics that have flown under the radar. We talked to our team to develop this fun list of five underrated Christmas movies your family should consider revisiting this holiday season.

Our Picks: Five of the Most Underrated Christmas Movies 

Scrooged (1988) 

This modern (or at least modern in the late 80s) take on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol features Bill Murray in the role of Frank Cross, a wealthy and successful businessman in the TV industry who is forced to come face-to-face with the selfish and crass decisions of his past. The movie was appreciated in its time, netting over $100 million at the box office. But today it's rarely shown in the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday. Scrooged holds up to the test of time and is worth another watch!  

The Family Man (2000)

Starring Nicolas Cage and Tea Leone, The Family Man tells the story of Jack, another wealthy and successful businessman (a popular theme in holiday movies) who's living the high life in Manhattan. Jack has a chance meeting with a mysterious stranger on Christmas Eve, then goes to bed in his plush Manhattan apartment that night. He wakes up on Christmas morning in a strange house in New Jersey. He's now married to the girlfriend he left behind 13 years earlier for an internship in London—and he's also the father of two young kids. The film received mixed reviews from critics on its release, but if you're looking for heartwarming sentimentality this time of year, it absolutely delivers.

Trading Places (1983)

This movie has it all. There's Christmas, corruption, and Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy at the peak of their careers. There's also an implausible bet that reverses the fortunes of the two men and turns them both into fish out of water. And of course, there are successful, wealthy businessmen. Trading Places was a box office hit in its time, but it rarely makes anyone's list of favorite holiday movies. Some of the jokes are a bit dated, but there's still plenty of laughs in this one. Little-known fact: the writers of Trading Places wrote it with Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder in mind for the starring roles.

The Family Stone (2005)

Despite performing well in theaters, this holiday romantic comedy has been all but forgotten over the past 20 years. It features an A-list cast headlined by Rachel McAdams and Sarah Jessica Parker and follows a woman who comes home with her boyfriend for the holidays to meet his family. Personalities clash, making for some tense moments for the characters and plenty of laughs for the audience. There are no wealthy and successful businessmen in this one, and that may be what's kept it out of the limelight for so many years. But it's recently started trending on Prime Video, so perhaps it's a classic 20 years in the making. Time will tell…

Daddy's Home 2 (2017)

A sequel? Yes, a sequel. Part two in any movie series is an underdog out of the gate. But Daddy's Home 2 delights and delivers with laughs. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are back from the original installment, but they're joined by John Lithgow and Mel Gibson as their respective fathers. As Ferrell and Wahlberg's characters continue their adventures in odd couple co-parenting, they decide to celebrate Christmas as one big family, joined by their dads. Sequels to successful movies can be easily dismissed as the same gift in a new package, but in this case, as Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com noted, the sequel is even better than the original.

Holiday Movie Magic Starts at The Sound Room

 Whether you're indulging in a Christmas classic or digging for a diamond in the rough from this list, The Sound Room is your holiday headquarters for creating a memorable home viewing experience. The Sony Smart TVs and projectors we carry feature the latest technology and unparalleled picture quality you won't find off the shelf with other retailers. Combined with our home theater audio solutions, they have the power to put you right in the middle of the action.

If you're looking for out-of-the-ordinary home entertainment technology, check out our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide, filled with our team's picks for the best and most unique products on the market this year.

Check it all out in our Chesterfield Valley showroom, the only place in the St. Louis area where you can experience the breadth and depth of the latest home AV technology in person before you buy.