Rebuilding Rob

I cant exactly remember when or where, but several years back, I saw someone first air the belief that “Die Hard is a Christmas movie”. When i first saw it online, I thought it was cute

Die Hard was a box office hit when it came out back in 1988. The movie turned Bruce Willis into an Hollywood superstar. Although co-star, he suddenly eclipsed the popularity of his Moonlighting co-star Cybil Shepherd.

What has always stood out to me about Die Hard is the fact that the premise, if not, the overall plot itself, seemed plausible when compared to other other action movies of its day. A police officer ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time on the wrong day, and has to go to work. I think the thing for me about this movie was that this was the beginning of the end of the Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Weightlifter action types. For all accounts, Bruce Willis looked like a regular guy. John Mclane got shot. He bled. He got hurt. He had run over broken glass. YEOWWWW! All he was was to be was a cop, hoping to reunite with his wife. It seemed relatable enough.

This Hollywood Reporter article from 2018 goes into good depth on the difference between what is an is not a Christmas movie is determined by

"the meaningful use of Christmas in their storytelling. In a full-fledged Christmas movie, some aspect of the season informs our experience of the story in a significant way

By this train of thought movies in which Christmas is essential to the plot, a theme or a motif of the story are “Christmas movies”. A few examples of these include:

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• A Christmas Story
• Miracle on 34th Street
• Home Alone

One the other hand, you have movies whose overall plot is independent of the Christmas holiday; yet they happen to take place at or around Christmas. These include:

• Batman Returns
• Iron Man 3
• The Harry Potter series
• Die Hard and Die Hard 2

The Harry Potter movies are not Christmas movies. The movies, and the books upon which they are based, take place over the course of an academic school year. During said school year, Christmas is generally thought of as an unofficial midpoint. Christmas is, at best, a minor plot point in each of the Harry Potter movies, the holiday itself is not essential to the overall storyline. Harry doesn’t fight Voldemort at Christmas. No main characters die during the holiday. The story does not move as a result of the holiday itself.

As far as Iron Man 3 and Batman Returns are concerned, would you have even remembered that either movie took place at Christmastime if I hadn’t said so just now? I rest my case.

Likewise, the Christmas holiday is not essential to the overall plot of Die Hard. DIE HARD IS NOT A CHRISTMAS MOVIE. There. I said it and I will die on this hill. But I also realize I my view will not convince anyone other wise on this, THE proverbial hot button of the Christmas movie debate.

Before anyone asks, I refuse to sully the purity of “The Christmas movie Debate” with any mention of the Hallmark Christmas movies.

The Christmas status of a movie really is in the eye of the beholder. When one is trying to decide if something is a Christmas movie, it all comes down to one question: “Would I watch this movie at any other time of year?” I know there are a lot of people who love the Christmas holiday, like Mick Foley. However, I think that most people choose to only watch “Christmas movies” during Christmas season, like A Christmas Story. That’s just not a movie could see myself watching during the dog days of summer (Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, that is) I cannot say the same thing about Die Hard, even though it is set during the holiday.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this timely topic. Feel free to add any movies in the comments and we can discuss! Here’s some of my more recent posts…

• Acknowledge Me: The Simple Art of Being Seen
• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision

The article “A Christmas movie, or not a Christmas movie. That is the question…” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.