Think Die Hard isn’t a Christmas film? Then this ‘classic’ definitely can’t be-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro

Every year like clockwork, the second that Mariah Carey defrosts and tells us that ‘it’s time’, the debate around Christmas movies begins – with both sides ready to stake mince pies on whether Die Hard is a festive classic or not.

During this annual dispute, Bruce Willis’ John McClane is completely ripped apart in the hunt for some merry ‘proof’ while one film seems to get off completely scot-free but no more.

It’s time to admit that the Holiday isn’t a Christmas film.

Yes, seriously – for those of you who have Nancy Meyers’ flick up there with Home Alone, Love Actually, Elf and Meet Me In St Louis, let’s be honest: It has nothing to do with the festive period.

If you’re not familiar with the film, Cameron Diaz plays LA-based movie trailer producer Amanda, who dumps her cheating boyfriend, Ethan (Edward Burns).

Hoping for a change, she trades homes with Kate Winslet’s Iris, a newspaper columnist – with a picturesque cottage in Surrey – who coincidentally wants to get away from her newly-engaged, cheating ex, Jasper (Rufus Sewell).

Jude Law and Cameron Diaz starred in the Holiday (Picture: Columbia)

Kate Winslet and Jack Black had an interesting love story in the flick (Picture: Sony Pictures)

As the title suggests, it’s about a holiday. Well, two holidays to be accurate. Non-time-specific trips that could happen at any point of the year.

Jasper could have popped the question in spring, or Ethan could have been unfaithful in the dead of summer, and it wouldn’t have made a blind bit of difference to the overall terrible plot.

Barring a few scenes in the film, mostly involving Amanda slipping in the snow while trudging up to Iris’ cottage, the entire thing could have been set at any time.

Every year, there is a debate around whether Die Hard is a Christmas film (Picture: 20th Century Fox)

Why doesn’t the Holiday get the same treatment? (Picture: Shutterstock)

They barely even mention Christmas or New Year until the very end, when Jack Black’s Miles magically remembers he needs to make some plans so invites himself to Surrey and crashes whatever Iris has going on.

Fair play, it was filmed in 2006 so no one had been added to – and then passively aggressively left – a dedicated WhatsApp group, but to go two hours into a ‘Christmas’ film without barely mentioning it? Come on!

Love Actually is also a terrible ‘festive’ film but at least there was a countdown and discussions on gifts, with that exceptional Rowan Atkinson scene – though the less said about Joni Mitchell, the better.

We would spend the entire festive period in that bath tub (Picture: Sony Pictures)

The Holiday has a severe lack of Christmas but no one seems to bat an eye, and we’re instead subjected to endless discussions over whether Die Hard is appropriately titled for the festivities.

If you compare the two, the action flick kicked off on December 24 when John McClane landed in a heavily decorated LA airport to spend the festive period with his family. He was literally holding a giant teddy bear while Christmas music swelled around him.

It also had to be set at Christmas because of a meticulously planned heist at an office holiday party – Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) needed all the employees in the same place, which wouldn’t have worked at Thanksgiving, summer or Easter.

Sorry Cameron and Kate, Bruce wins this one… (Picture: Shutterstock)

We’ll concede that ‘holding people ransom’ doesn’t quite have the same festive message as Jingle All The Way, but neither does a child being left at home by himself, where he’s forced to do battle with two burglars…

Also, while Die Hard is mainly an action film, it features the sweet love story of a tough New York police officer travelling across the country to be with his wife and family, overcoming tyrants putting aside their differences and spending the holiday together.

We’ll take that over whatever Amanda and Iris had planned for Christmas any day…

This article was first published on December 20, 2023.

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