Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie

[David in FL]

The correct answer is still holding a narrow lead in the poll...  

[zwon13]

On 12/26/2018 at 9:11 AM, HJJ003 said:

Nah, and I love die hard. It wasn’t released around Christmas, the move takes place around Christmas but Christmas isn’t the theme (change the time of year within the movie and the plot still works just fine), and no elements of the “Christmas Spirit” are being taught or expressed to the audience. Great movie, but not a Christmas movie. 

I agree 100%

[rehmwa]

It's not A Christmas movie.

It's THE Christmas movie.

[saevel25]

24 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

It's not A Christmas movie.

It's THE Christmas movie.

 It's one of the best action movies of all time, redefining the genre, but it is a pitiful Christmas movie IF considered one.

99% of the movie is action movie 1% happens to have Christmas Themes to it. You can place that movie at any other point in the year and it works. Christmas does not make that movie work. You could easily have the theme be a New Year's Eve movie and it works just as well.

So no, it's not THE Christmas movie, because it isn't one. 

[Vinsk]

3 hours ago, David in FL said:

The correct answer is still holding a narrow lead in the poll...  

Yeah...no. Just like ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ isn't a Halloween movie.

[jsgolfer]

Edited December 28, 2018 by jsgolfer

[dennyjones]

My daughter is in town and I asked about her thoughts.   She said it's the best Christmas movie ever....

 

She's wrong!  and I won't let her vote here!

[Typhoon92]

On December 26, 2018 at 9:11 AM, HJJ003 said:

Nah, and I love die hard. It wasn’t released around Christmas, the move takes place around Christmas but Christmas isn’t the theme (change the time of year within the movie and the plot still works just fine), and no elements of the “Christmas Spirit” are being taught or expressed to the audience. Great movie, but not a Christmas movie. 

Also the reason I voted no.

[iacas]

Anyone voting "yes" really only has "it takes place at Christmas time" as the only valid support.

[jsgolfer]

16 minutes ago, iacas said:

Anyone voting "yes" really only has "it takes place at Christmas time" as the only valid support.

I don't agree the only reason it is a Christmas movie is that it only takes place at Christmas.  This is "Home Alone" with lots of guns (LOTS).  The story is about a guy who is flying across country to win back his estranged wife and kids during the Christmas Holiday and meets her at her Companies Christmas Party before they are supposed to see if they can reconcile.  And he ends up being the underdog, out-manned guy who saves Christmas for a lot of people.  Plus when I think of Christmas, Die Hard always comes to mind. 

It's not the festive Spirit of Christmas fare of It's A Wonderful life, but to each his own.  

 

[saevel25]

3 minutes ago, jsgolfer said:

I don't agree the only reason it is a Christmas movie is that it only takes place at Christmas.  This is "Home Alone" with lots of guns (LOTS). 

It's nothing like Home Alone. 

5 minutes ago, jsgolfer said:

The story is about a guy who is flying across country to win back his estranged wife and kids during the Christmas Holiday and meets her at her Companies Christmas Party before they are supposed to see if they can reconcile. 

He could have flown back during Thanksgiving, New Years Even, any time really. A guy making up with his estranged wife isn't a Christmas theme. The movie hardly touches the family notes anyways. It's at the beginning, and at the end. It's 99% action, and 1% what ever else. 

6 minutes ago, jsgolfer said:

And he ends up being the underdog, out-manned guy who saves Christmas for a lot of people.  

He doesn't save Christmas, he saves the day. It's an action movie. 

 

[jsgolfer]

Just now, saevel25 said:

It's nothing like Home Alone. 

He could have flown back during Thanksgiving, New Years Even, any time really. A guy making up with his estranged wife isn't a Christmas theme. The movie hardly touches the family notes anyways. It's at the beginning, and at the end. It's 99% action, and 1% what ever else. 

He doesn't save Christmas, he saves the day. It's an action movie. 

 

To each his own, it could've worked for another holiday but it wasn't set during another holiday.   

I'm off to Florida to play some golf in the warmth.  Yippee-ki-yay   

[nevets88]

While there's disagreement here, I wonder if there's consensus that the Die Hards after the third one were not good.

[iacas]

3 hours ago, jsgolfer said:

I don't agree the only reason it is a Christmas movie is that it only takes place at Christmas. This is "Home Alone" with lots of guns (LOTS).  The story is about a guy who is flying across country to win back his estranged wife and kids during the Christmas Holiday and meets her at her Companies Christmas Party before they are supposed to see if they can reconcile.  And he ends up being the underdog, out-manned guy who saves Christmas for a lot of people.  Plus when I think of Christmas, Die Hard always comes to mind.

I liked Matt's answer. The events could have taken place at any time of year and the script could have remained virtually identical. Defeating terrorists doesn't "save Christmas," and the family theme is just a means to an end: it gets him into his estranged wife's skyscraper to battle the terrorists.

It's an action movie.

Note: Action, Adventure, Drama, Suspense. They listed four genres, and none of them are "Special Interest" or "Seasonal" or "Holiday" or "Christmas."

[Vinsk]

23 minutes ago, iacas said:

I liked Matt's answer. The events could have taken place at any time of year and the script could have remained virtually identical. Defeating terrorists doesn't "save Christmas," and the family theme is just a means to an end: it gets him into his estranged wife's skyscraper to battle the terrorists.

It's an action movie.

Note: Action, Adventure, Drama, Suspense. They listed four genres, and none of them are "Special Interest" or "Seasonal" or "Holiday" or "Christmas."

Sorry ‘yes guys’ ...ya done.

[Lihu]

8 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Yeah...no. Just like ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ isn't a Halloween movie.

Are you saying that lawyers are horrifying? 🤪

7 hours ago, dennyjones said:

My daughter is in town and I asked about her thoughts.   She said it's the best Christmas movie ever....

 

She's wrong!  and I won't let her vote here!

I’m at 3 votes for Christmas movie, my wife says ‘no’ 🤪🤪

[dennyjones]

14 hours ago, David in FL said:

The correct answer is still holding a narrow lead in the poll...  

Not as of 12/28 at 10:04pm...

 

The correct answer is tied!

[jamo]

I watched it for the first time today. My verdict: not a Christmas movie.

Christmas is mentioned as the setting briefly at the beginning and at the end, with one mention (in the form of a Christmas song) in the middle. There is no Christmas-focused central theme, and it could have just as easily happened any other time of year, both of which you can't say about the actual best Christmas movie of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (the 1966 animated movie).