1. Love Actually

“Love Actually” is an enticing film that follows nine intertwined storylines at Christmastime. Each storyline examines the different types of love experienced around the holidays. Some of these stories include the newly elected Prime Minister of Britain (Hugh Grant), who falls in love with one of his employees; Daniel (Liam Neeson, a loving father who helps his young son (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) learn to play the drums to impress the girl he loves; Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who falls in love with his best friends wife (Kiera Knightly); and the troubled relationship between a married couple played by Emma Thomspon and Alan Rickman. The film expertly shows how the holidays can unite people through all forms of love.

2. United States of Tara

“United States of Tara” is a hysterical TV show that follows the Gregson family in the late 2000s. Tara (Toni Collete) is a professional artist and mother of two who has recently ended treatment for her Dissociative Identity Disorder, a condition that causes her to shift identities or personalities without warning. Some of these include Alice, a traditional 50’s housewife; Buck, a violent war veteran and “man’s man”; and T, a rebellious teenage girl. The show follows Tara and her family (played by renowned actors such as Brie Larson, John Corbett, and Keir Gilchrist) as they deal with the fallout of her condition as well as the everyday troubles of modern-day life.  

3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

“Talladega Nights” is a comical movie that follows Will Ferrel as Ricky Bobby, an unhinged NASCAR hotshot who seems to have it all: a trophy wife, two kids, fame, fortune, and success. However, when a French Formula One champion comes to town and beats Ricky Bobby, he loses it all and is forced to return to his roots by going home to his even more unhinged parents (Jane Lynch and Gary Cole) to work hard to reclaim his spot as number one. With the help of his family and friends, and with many bumps in the road along the way, Ricky Bobby slowly climbs his way back to the top. 

4. The Sopranos

“The Sopranos” follows the notorious Jew Jersey mobster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he struggles to balance his criminal life and personal life. When Tony starts suffering from panic attacks from the stress of the mobster life, he starts seeing the therapist Jenny Melfy (Lorraine Bracco) who talks him through the various complexities of his life including murder, affairs, betrayal, authorities, and more. The show follows various riveting storylines of the people who are interlinked with this mafia family.

5. Die Hard

In the film “Die Hard,” policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Los Angeles to visit his wife and kids for Christmas. At his wife’s corporate Christmas party, a group of terrorists hold everyone hostage in an attempt to rob the company. McClane finds that he is the only one who has not been captured and takes matters into his own hands to fight off the violent criminals and free everyone from their capture before it is too late.