While promoting their new holiday drama Goodbye June, Toni Collette and Andrea Riseborough took a brief detour into festive nostalgia—sharing the Christmas films that still mean the most to them. In a recent interview with ScreenRant, the conversation turned from their emotionally heavy new project to the movies they return to year after year during the holidays.
- Toni Collette’s Pick: The Polar Express and the Magic of Belief
- Andrea Riseborough’s Choice: The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Why These Christmas Films Still Matter
- Goodbye June: A Different Kind of Christmas Story
- Kate Winslet’s Direction and a Cast Built on Emotional Weight
- Where to Watch Goodbye June
- A Holiday Conversation That Says a Lot
Their answers landed on two very different, but equally beloved Christmas classics: The Polar Express and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Both films have endured for decades, and their continued relevance says a lot about what audiences still crave from holiday cinema—warmth, imagination, and emotional honesty.
Toni Collette’s Pick: The Polar Express and the Magic of Belief
Toni Collette didn’t hesitate when naming her favorite holiday film.
“I kind of really love The Polar Express, to be honest,” she said.
Released in 2004 and directed by Robert Zemeckis, The Polar Express remains one of the most recognizable animated Christmas films of the modern era. Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s classic children’s book, the movie follows a young boy who boards a mysterious train on Christmas Eve, embarking on a journey to the North Pole alongside other children who are beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Claus.
What the film does particularly well—and what continues to resonate with audiences—is its focus on belief. Not just belief in Santa, but belief in wonder itself. The story quietly asks whether growing up has to mean letting go of magic, a theme that has helped the film maintain its emotional pull over the years.
Tom Hanks anchors the film with multiple voice performances, including the Conductor, Santa Claus, and several other key characters. The supporting cast includes Josh Hutcherson, Nona Gaye, and Peter Scolari, all contributing to a story that blends adventure with introspection.
Despite early debates around its motion-capture animation style, The Polar Express has aged into a holiday staple. It’s now a regular fixture on family watchlists, theatrical re-releases, and even live train experiences around the world.
Andrea Riseborough’s Choice: The Muppet Christmas Carol
Andrea Riseborough went in a different direction—one rooted in classic storytelling and practical craftsmanship.
Her favorite Christmas film is The Muppet Christmas Carol, the 1992 musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Riseborough recently revisited the film at the Tyneside Cinema in northeast England, where it was screened on actual film rather than digitally.
“I love The Muppet Christmas Carol, and I saw it at the Tyneside Cinema recently because they had screened it on film,” she said. “It was so beautiful to see. The production design is just gorgeous.”
Directed by Brian Henson, the film balances sincerity and humor in a way few Dickens adaptations manage. Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge with complete seriousness—a choice that grounds the story emotionally, even as he’s surrounded by Muppet characters.
Kermit the Frog stars as Bob Cratchit, with Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit and Gonzo serving as the film’s narrator. Rather than undercutting the story’s emotional weight, the Muppets enhance it, making themes of redemption, generosity, and compassion accessible to all ages.
Over the years, The Muppet Christmas Carol has gained a reputation as one of the most faithful and emotionally effective adaptations of Dickens’ story—despite its playful exterior.
Why These Christmas Films Still Matter
What connects The Polar Express and The Muppet Christmas Carol isn’t style or era—it’s sincerity.
Both films trust their audience. They don’t rely on irony or cynicism. Instead, they lean into emotion, craftsmanship, and timeless themes: belief, kindness, redemption, and connection. That’s likely why they continue to resonate with actors like Collette and Riseborough, whose careers are built on emotionally grounded performances.
Holiday films that last aren’t just seasonal distractions. They become rituals—movies people return to because they offer something familiar but meaningful.
Goodbye June: A Different Kind of Christmas Story
While the actresses’ favorite films celebrate warmth and magic, their latest project takes a far more grounded approach to the holiday season.
Goodbye June is a Christmas family drama directed by Kate Winslet. The film centers on June, played by Helen Mirren, who is terminally ill. As Christmas approaches, her four adult children return home to spend time with her, knowing it may be their last holiday together.
The reunion brings unresolved tensions to the surface—particularly surrounding their strained relationship with their father, portrayed by Timothy Spall. Grief, resentment, love, and regret all collide under one roof, creating a story that feels painfully real rather than sentimental.
Unlike traditional Christmas films, Goodbye June doesn’t offer easy comfort. Instead, it explores how families cope when celebration and loss exist at the same time—a reality many viewers will recognize.
Kate Winslet’s Direction and a Cast Built on Emotional Weight
Kate Winslet’s direction focuses on restraint rather than spectacle. The film allows moments of silence to carry as much weight as dialogue, giving the cast room to explore complex emotional ground.
Helen Mirren’s performance anchors the story, portraying a woman facing the end of her life with clarity and quiet strength. Collette and Riseborough deliver layered performances as siblings shaped by shared history but divided by unresolved pain.
The result is a Christmas film that doesn’t rely on tradition or nostalgia—but still feels deeply seasonal in its themes of reflection and reckoning.
Where to Watch Goodbye June
Goodbye June is currently available to stream on Netflix, making it easily accessible for viewers looking for a more reflective holiday film experience.
A Holiday Conversation That Says a Lot
Toni Collette and Andrea Riseborough’s favorite Christmas films offer an interesting contrast—not just between animation and puppetry, but between innocence and reflection.
The Polar Express celebrates belief.
The Muppet Christmas Carol celebrates redemption.
Goodbye June confronts loss.
Together, they form a surprisingly complete picture of what the holiday season can represent at different stages of life. And that’s what makes this conversation resonate—it’s not just about favorite movies. It’s about how stories grow with us.
