Colin:
To be a Christmas movie, or not to be a Christmas movie–it’s an age old debate that may never have an answer. Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, has frequently been debated as to whether or not it is a Christmas movie, and frankly, it is not even a debate. Die Hard is clearly a household Christmas movie, even though many people refuse to admit it.
Popular Christmas movies such as the Home Alone franchise follow the same tropes and plot points as Die Hard, but touch on them in a less intense way. Die Hard follows John McClane, a police officer who comes home from New York to see his wife on Christmas. Hans Gruber, a German terrorist who executes a robbery scheme, the antagonist, takes over the building they’re in, and John goes into defense mode. Just as such, Home Alone follows Kevin McCallister, whose parents accidentally leave him at home while they go on a Christmas trip. The famous robbers Harry and Marv, also known as the “Wet Bandits,” try to rob Kevin’s house, but he also successfully defends himself. So if Home Alone, a tamer version of Die Hard, can be considered a Christmas movie, then why can’t Die Hard?
The main argument from many other people is that Die Hard only takes place during Christmas but has nothing to do with Christmas itself. However, a lot of Christmas movies could not be considered holiday staples if the time of year was switched, especially Home Alone. If that movie took place during any time other than Christmas, it would still be the same movie but during a different time of the year. While Die Hard is definitely not your traditional Christmas movie,it certainly invokes the Christmas spirit and can totally be a staple in everyone’s holiday movie rotation.
The Die Hard Christmas debate has become a worldwide phenomenon and is talked about a lot around the holiday season. This argument brings up the question: what are the criteria for something to be considered a Christmas movie? The one thing wanted in a Christmas movie is the Christmas spirit, which Die Hard has, so if the movie takes place during Christmas and the plot somewhat revolves around Christmas, then why can it not be a Christmas movie?
The debate over whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie is straightforward. It is, without a doubt, a Christmas movie, albeit with a different twist. Die Hard captures the holiday spirit and wintery atmosphere, even though it happens to be action-packed. While some may argue it does not fit the typical Christmas movie mold, it delivers the necessary festive vibes and the holidaysetting.
Aiden:
The age-old debate of what makes a true Christmas movie has been argued over for years, one of the most contentious movies in this discussion is Die Hard. While Die Hard is a classic movie, it is not a Christmas movie. There are some requirements to be a holiday staple; For example, the movie should have a theme that both relates to Christmas and affects the plot. Die Hard is an action movie through and through, and does not have any of the required Christmas elements.
John McClain and his wife attend a Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza. The party is interrupted by a group of terrorists who take many of the party-goers as hostages, so John McClane then takes it upon himself to rescue them. While “Die Hard” may take place on Christmas Eve, the themes of the movie do not relate to Christmas at all.
The themes in “Die Hard” are rather typical of an action movie, in place of traditional Christmas themes, like family, joy, or the sense of home. These can be seen in many Christmas movies like “Home Alone,” where Kevin helps Old Man Marley reunite with his family.
Another unspoken requirement of a Christmas movie is that the movie cannot have taken place in another season. For example in How the Grinch Stole Christmas the movie can only take place during Christmas, not any other holiday or time of year in order for the plot to make sense. This cannot be said the same for “Die Hard” however, as one could replace the word “Christmas” with any other holiday, and it would not detract from the plot.
Some people who think that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie say that since John Mcclain reunites with his family at the end of the movie, it gives the movie a “familial theme”–something that is also present in many holiday movies. However, this statement is misguided because during the movie itself, John’s family fades into the background in place of the stereotypical action movie plot.
While “Die hard” is an excellent movie, and undoubtedly a classic, the lack of traditional holiday themes and the emphasis on action and suspense all contribute to the fact that “Die Hard” is an action movie with a Christmas background rather than a true Christmas movie.
