Now that Netflix is back up after its deeply unfortunate Christmas outage, there’s a lot of discussion of underrated holiday movies floating around the Twittersphere, and a consensus seems to be emerging around Gremlins. And because no on else has said it, I want to offer a few words in praise of the 2005 Christmas dramedy The Family Stone.

The easiest way to characterize the emotional tone of the movie is to say that it’s the perfect film for people who loved the sad, true parts of Love, Actually more than the dancing prime minister or the Portugese lessons. But more precisely, it’s a holiday story about what happens when you get what you thought want, and find out that it isn’t really what you were looking for at all. And that’s probably why it’s not more popular. This is not a story about a renewal of faith on a single night in Bedford Falls, or six weeks that lead everyone to marvelous realizations. It’s about a holiday visit where people confront the work they have to do to actually become happier people, and reconcile themselves to the insurmountable nature of certain obstacles, like a bad recurrence of breast cancer—and it’s often uncomfortable.

Sarah Jessica Parker is Meredith, a stiff, if successful, woman, who accompanies her boyfriend Everett (Dermot Mulroney) home for the holidays. Her style is a terrible match for his (sometimes self-congratulatory, even snidely) liberal family, and they for her. Little conflicts arise over things like Everett’s mother Sybil’s (Diane Keaton) decision to put Everett and Meredith in the same bedroom, though Meredith’s been raised to think it’s impolite for a unmarried couple to share a bed on a visit, or the intrusion of politics into a dinner-time conversation. Over the course of the weekend, Meredith becomes convinced both that she does not want to marry Everett and that he is planning to propose to her: the scene in which the events that lead her to that conclusion is genuinely painful. Sometimes the happiest ending is for two people not to end up together, a situation that’s often shunted aside in American movies though the road to that point is rich with drama, and it’s both difficult and fascinating to watch The Family Stone get there.

And while it can be a prickly movie, The Family Stone can also be a tender one. It’s one of the few movies I can think of to treat a woman, like Sybil, who has had a double mastectomy, as if she’s still a sexual, sensual being. Rachel McAdams, as Everett’s sharp-tongued sister April, is very good as someone who tells herself she’s defending her family, but in reality, is at least partially motivated by her intense dislike for Meredith. And Claire Danes, who starred in Shopgirl earlier that year, does fine work as Meredith’s sister, who both loves Meredith and finds herself drawn to Everett’s family’s more relaxed style.

Most Christmas or holiday movies let us look at these events as what we wish they were, a time when all our hopes and dreams are fulfilled, all our wounds bound up by the momentum and balm of the season. The Family Stone is about Christmas as it really is, a time when we make mistakes, hurt each other, and try to make amends, in part because we’re all trying so hard to make everything go right.

If you’re running late on your Valentine’s Day planning, never fear! ThinkProgress is here to help! Here are five great movies about progressivism and romance, so no matter if you’re looking for someone new, just started seeing someone, or celebrating a long-term love, you’re covered—even if you don’t have time to get your hands on a disc on the way home.

If you like progressive history: Catch The Loving Story on HBO at 9PM EST tonight. The movie’s both a good recapitulation of the court case that bears the family’s name, and that made interracial relationships in America legal, a Valentine’s Day-worthy story if there ever was one. But it’s also a terrific portrait of the Lovings themselves, bolstered by archival footage of them and their lawyers. Sometimes, we need a reminder that without fiercely dedicated individuals facing up to illogic and inequality, history doesn’t move forward.

If you’re headed out to work on a campaign this cycle: Watch Definitely, Maybe, the rare multi-purpose romantic comedy that works both if you’re trying to keep a long-distance relationship going on the trail, or hoping to meet the person you’re destined to be with! Also if you have an adorable child who’s kind of like Abigail Breslin! But seriously, this is a deeply charming movie that’s rooted in the substance of campaign work. And it offers a nice rebuke to the romantic comedy ideal that there’s only one person that you’re meant to be with if only fate will cooperate—instead, Definitely, Maybe argues that you’ve got to do work to make it work.

If you’ve just started dating someone: Okay, so the movie may be weirdly romantic and optimistic about the role of lobbying in the policy-making process. But The American President is a pretty great movie about the early stages of seeing someone, whether it’s dinner invitations or picking out the right flowers to send your sweetie. Plus, you want to make a big gesture to a policy nerd? This is your template.

You need a reminder that political integrity is sexy: Dick is wildly underrated as a political movie. But it’s also a worthwhile reminder that a) even if you think the President is dreamy, you should weigh in his corruption and meanness to his dog when deciding that you have a crush on him, b) you should never commit your confessions of love to the tape recorder in Rose Mary Woods’ desk.

You’re looking for affirmation that love conquers all—even small towns: Issue movies are fantastic. But sometimes—and Valentine’s Day is such a occasion—there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little uplift. In that case, turn to Big Eden, which is all about what happens when you return to your hometown, work out your issues with your old crush, and find new love in a place you least expected it—and the romances just happen to be gay and interracial.

It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time for a bunch of people to release parody songs, try to rile folks up by getting edgy, or simply to make their share of the annual market. Here are the contenders so far:

1. Johnny Depp, making a cameo on Babybird’s “Jesus Stag Night Club”: Oh, people, this is not good. If you’re at the level of describing Jesus as having “hair like a lady/ Bloody thorns round his ear like he was a crazy,” you’re telling us a lot more about your powers of observation and ability to write creative lyrics — and apparently, your fondness for Tucker Max-inflected bros’ nights out. Take one of this article for The Onion and call me when you have better ideas. And Christians who are offended? Let this one go. It’s not going to find legs:

2. In the parody category, “You’re A Mean One, Newt Gingrich“: Points off for sexist and creative fail referring to Callista as a “bimbo,” and for the media criticism fail of missing the Judd Apatow revolution in telling us “Unless you’re there for pity or laughs, a portly man will never find success on TV, unless you’re Santa Claus, of course.” That said, it’s a decent facsimile, of course. And given the depths that the Republican presidential field has sunk to, musically, this is fitting. Still, it’s hard to beat Adam Sandler for loose, goofy holiday parody.

3. She & Him, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”: My extreme dislike of New Girl doesn’t mean my heart is too stony to occasionally be softened by the dulcet tones of Zooey Deschanel’s side hustle. As Bitch points out, the song doesn’t get any less date-rapey when you swap the genders (the parts in the original song are labeled “mouse” and “wolf”). But the light touch and the creepy material still make this nicely unnerving in a way Johnny Depp and his pals could only dream of:

4. Yoko Ono and the Flaming Lips, “Atlas Eets Chrismas”: They go all Kings’ Chorus and world-historical empathetic on this, and I’m not going to lie. It’s both totally corny and kind of great: