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Even more fun than actually going to the annual Xmas Movie, is the months-long nomination and selection process of said Xmas Movie. Normally. This year—the fourteenth year of the Xmas Movie, by the way—was a different story. Not that there’s a lack of good movies in theatres right now, but the three of us just couldn’t seem to come to an agreement about which movie to see. There are criteria at work during the selection process. We try to strive for something light (which rules out Munich and Syriana and movies like those) and not terribly taxing on the brain (ruling out those same movies, coincidentally). We try to pick a movie that hits theatres in December (so we aren’t sick of hearing about it by the time we see it), and one, usually, which is getting good reviews, or which has some characteristic which predetermines our interest in it.

As you know, we have historically had poor luck when it comes to the Xmas Movie. They’re normally pretty crappy. This year we spent a long time arguing about three different movies that met our criteria, and which seemed like strong candidates to actually not suck, with one of us objecting to each one. Alisia was totally opposed to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; NEM was totally opposed to King Kong (2005); and I was totally opposed to Brokeback Mountain (tending not to be interested in A. stories set in the midwest and B. stories about cowboys). Having given up on those three films, we started looking at more middle-of-the-road-type cinematic fare. Movies like The Family Stone and Rumor Has It…. Blah. Sounds like the crap we normally go to, right?

But, really, my theory has always been that it matters not what a movie’s about, as long as it’s good. Everything is interesting if you pay attention. And I’m sick of going to movies that I can’t even remember three weeks after xmas. I’d rather hate the movie than just be numbed by it.

So, I gave in and Brokeback Mountain was the official selection. And, boy, am I glad it was. Here are the brass tacks: this is the best movie love story I’ve seen in a long, long time. Probably since The Piano (1993). It’s probably significant that all three of us were crying at the end of the film. It’s probably even more significant that I could cry again right now if I thought about it enough.

Here is, through this year, the all-time ranking of Xmas Movies, from best to worst (there have been fifteen Xmas Movies over fourteen years), in my not-so-humble opinion:

1. 2005 - Brokeback Mountain
2. 2002 - Catch Me If You Can
3. 2004 - The Polar Express
4. 1997 - As Good as It Gets
5. 2000 - Cast Away
6. 1995 - Grumpier Old Men
7. 1994 - Immortal Beloved
8. 2001 - A Beautiful Mind
9. 1995 - Sabrina (1995)
10. 2003 - Mona Lisa Smile
11. 1999 - The Talented Mr. Ripley
12. 1998 - Patch Adams
13. 1996 - Michael

• 1992 - Beethoven
• 1993 - Beethoven’s 2nd (I wasn’t part of the Xmas movie until 1994, so I can’t rank the earlier films)