Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

The last of the Rankin/Bass stop motion Christmas specials is easily the most famous, and probably the best in most people's eyes.

The film is pretty much a morality story about how being an individual, despite being shunned by your peers, can eventually turn in your favor. It's not just Rudolph who's an outside in this film (because of his shiny red nose). The story also follows Hermey, an elf who just doesn't want to make toys like the other elves, all he really wants to be is a dentist. When he professes his intentions to his co-workers, his slave driving boss goes ape-shit, and the rest of the elves shun him for not wanting to work in a (sweat)shop. Hermey, lacking self esteem, decides to take off and run away.

Meanwhile, back on the old pond, Rudolph is making nice with the other reindeer, under false pretenses, mind you (his parents cover up his shiny nose so that he won't be an outcast), but it doesn't last long. After asking out a young doe, Rudolph is thrilled at her saying yes, that he loses his wits and literally "flips out", which causes his nose to become exposed to the other douchbag reindeer children, who in turn mock him for being different. Hell, even Santa chastises Donner (Rudolph's dad) for having an ugly child. For shame!

The young doe accepts Rudolph regardless, and breaks out in song, much to the dismay of her father, who pulls a Jerry Orbach circa Dirty Dancing move, by proclaiming that no doe of his will ever be with an outcast like Rudolph! How dare he...nobody puts doe in a corner.

So, Rudolph continues on alone until he bumps into Hermey, and they agree to accept each other's differences. Together they stroll along the mountain side, when they bump into Yukon Cornelius, the self proclaimed greatest gold prospector in the land. There be gold in these hills. GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLDDD I tells ya, !

So they all head off together, like a motley crew of Oz rejects, prospecting for gold, until that is, the Abominable Snowman interferes, forcing the group to head off into uncharted waters aboard an ice floe, ultimately crash landing on the island of misfit toys.

They might be misfits, but dang can they carry a tune! After singing their welcome, our crew is off to ask permission to stay on the island with the other misfits, from King Moonrazor. After initially denying them access, the king offer's them a deal (much like the great and powerful Oz). Tell Santa about the misfit toys, and they can stay on the island. Rudolph figures that his nose will give away the group to the Abominable Snowman, so he abandons them and heads off back home.

He finally arrives back home, but he's all grownsed-up now, and finds out that his parents went off looking for him, and that he must rescue them from the Abominable Snowman. He, of course, gets his ass handed to him and must rely on help from his misfit friends to save the day.

After all the hoopla, Santa is threatening to cancel Christmas, because of bad weather. If only he had some sort of light beacon to cut through the blindingness of the storm??? Why, Rudolph has a shiny red nose that lights up the sky. Could it be, is Christmas saved? Why yes it is, prompting Burl Ives to burst into song

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!