So, What is Illinois' Favorite Christmas Movie?

After reading the list, I may have to move to Wisconsin or Missouri since my favorite Christmas movie is also a favorite in those two states.

We'll get to our Midwestern neighbors in just a minute. But, since the title of this piece is about the preference of Illinoisans, let's get right to it.

The folks at StreamingObserver recently published their Favorite Christmas Movie by State map, and for some at least, there were a few surprising choices.

Here's how they came up with their results:

Using data from Rotten Tomatoes and other public sources, we compiled a list of the most popular Christmas movies of all time. Then, we partnered up with our friends at Mindnet Analytics and used Google Trends data to determine which Christmas movie each state was most obsessed with relative to other states.
Now, when you see some of the picks on this list, you might ask yourself, “Is that really a Christmas movie?” For purists, if it’s not along the lines of It’s A Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street, it’s not a Christmas movie. But we believe (and the Rotten Tomatoes list we referenced agreed) that unconventional Christmas movies, like Die Hard and Batman Returns (is there anything better than Gotham at Christmas?), that subvert your expectations of what to expect from a typical holiday film also have a place on this list.

As for those of us in the Land of Lincoln, not surprisingly, the state of Illinois loves Home Alone, as much of the movie was shot here.

I mentioned Wisconsin and Missouri earlier because their favorite Christmas movie is my favorite, too--even though many claim that it's not a Christmas movie at all. The movie I'm talking about features this dude in the lead role:

WireImage, Getty Images

Die Hard is the favorite Christmas movie for not only Wisconsin and Missouri, but also Virginia and Washington.

Some of our neighbor's preferences for holiday viewing: