Christmas time is here: time for joy and cheer — and, of course, the inevitable question: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
If you know me, you know that I hate this question, mostly because the answer is obvious: No. Absolutely not. Die Hard is not, and will never be, a Christmas movie. But don’t stop reading just yet. Because I know a lot of you out there disagree with me. So, let me explain.
Photo by Alin Anderson from Unsplash
What Makes a Christmas Movie?
I think it’s important we start here. See, Die Hard is not the only film where people ponder that question. Take The Holiday for example. At its core, it’s a romantic comedy that follows two women who decide to switch houses for a much needed vacation.
Sure, it takes place around Christmas time: there are a few scenes involving the snow, some hot chocolate, and a holiday Christmas party. But decorated offices and snowy England does not a Christmas movie make. To myself, and others, it’s just a romantic comedy that takes place around Christmas.
And yea, you’ll say, “But the title of the film is ‘The Holiday’”. Well, there are 11 U.S. Federal holidays in a year, and that’s not specific enough for me. Not to mention half the film takes place in England, and “holiday” is just a synonym for “vacation” there.
There’s just enough about the film that you could question its main genre. There needs to be a better way to determine how you define a Christmas movie. So, I made one.
The Three Tests of a Christmas Movie
The Three Tests of a Christmas Movie are as follows:
Test One: If You Take Christmas Out of the Film, Would The Title Change?
Test Two: If You Replace Christmas with Another Holiday/Event Would The Plot Drastically Change?
Test Three: If You Replace Christmas with Another Holiday/Event Would the Tone Drastically Change?
If You Take Christmas Out of the Film, Would The Title Change?
If you take Christmas out of the film, and the title changes, it’s a Christmas movie.
Why? Because the writers obviously intended it to be about Christmas and nothing else. They knew that when anyone watched their film, or simply just read the title on a poster, their first thought would be about Christmas.
Some examples of movies that pass this test: How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, Jingle All The Way, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Some examples of movies that fail this test: The Holiday (not specific enough), Die Hard, While You Were Sleeping, Home Alone.
Yea, you read that last one right. Home Alone does not pass the first Christmas movie test. Already, my system must be ludicrous, right? Well, keep reading, because there’s more.
If You Replace Christmas with Another Holiday/Event Would The Plot Drastically Change?
If the answer to this question is no - it’s not a Christmas movie.
Let’s go back to the example from the last test: Home Alone. Our protagonist, Kevin, is accidentally left home alone when his family goes on vacation without him. Two robbers try to break into the house while they’re away and Kevin is the only one left to defend the family home. Notice, there was no need for me to mention Christmas in order for you to understand the plot of the film.
Let’s say you take Christmas out of the equation. Couldn’t the family’s vacation easily take place over the summer? What if they were heading out of town to catch some sun on the fourth of July? Why can’t the Wet Bandits do their robbing in the heat instead of the cold?
The argument could be made that if you take Christmas out of the movie Home Alone, the plot would still work. So is this beloved film actually a Christmas movie?
Well, there’s still one more test to look at.
If You Replace Christmas with Another Holiday/Event Would the Tone Drastically Change?
If you replace Christmas with another Holiday or event and the tone doesn’t drastically change, it’s not a Christmas movie.
When you think about your favorite Christmas movie, it’s not just the plot you think about, it’s the feelings and emotions you experienced when you watched it. The snow falling to the ground, the classic Christmas songs stacked into the film’s soundtrack, the theme of family, the spirit of giving — you know, Christmas?
That’s why this question is the most crucial when you’re identifying a Christmas movie. Going back to our previous example: if you take Christmas out of Home Alone, could the basic plot still work? Absolutely. But what happens to the tone?
Don’t we feel something when Kevin goes outside to chop down a makeshift Christmas tree and decorate his house? What about when he walks home on a snowy night, seeing families gather together for Christmas Eve dinner?
You can say you don’t feel anything — I mean, every Christmas Carol needs an Ebeneezer Scrooge. But a majority of people would say otherwise.
Looking at another example, if you take Christmas out of the movie The Holiday, does the tone really change? Not for me. It doesn’t change what the film is at its core, which is a romantic comedy. In the end, two women will still overcome their heartbreak and find true love and happiness. If Christmas wasn’t there, I wouldn’t really notice.
Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
Now for the reason we’re all here: Die Hard.
Test One: If We Take Christmas Out of the Movie, Does the Name Die Hard Change?
No. Easy. Next.
Test Two: If We Replace Christmas With Another Holiday/Event, Does the Plot of Die Hard Drastically Change?
Our protagonist, John McClane, a New York City cop, visits his wife, Holly, during an annual office party to try to patch things up with their marriage. Suddenly, evil terrorist-bad guys storm the party and John McClane has to spring into action to save the day.
Did I need to mention Christmas for you to understand the main plot of the film? Nope.
Sure, we all know it was a Christmas party that he was attending, but why couldn’t it be a summer party? A Halloween party? A retirement party? Christmas was not the plot of Die Hard, Christmas was a rushed-together vehicle that pushed the plot forward.
Test Three: If We Replace Christmas With Another Holiday/Event, Does the Tone of Die Hard Drastically Change?
For me, the answer’s no. I mean, maybe it’s just the suburban, Midwestern, Catholic household I grew up in, but watching John McClane shoot-up a building full of terrorists just doesn’t really scream, “Merry Christmas.”
The last question we have to ask ourselves for this film is: Does taking Christmas out of Die Hard really change anything at all? At the end of the day, it’s a great action movie. One that helped build the genre we know and love today. But I just can’t, in good conscience, call it a Christmas movie.
Why Should You Care About My Opinion?
Another easy question. You shouldn’t.
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Who cares?
You might say: “Well, clearly you do, because you gave us a whole article about it.”
True. But what I actually gave you is the greatest gift of all: another way to debate your family over the Holidays. And isn’t that really what Christmas is all about?
If you haven’t noticed already, each of the three questions I present in my Christmas Movie Test get progressively more subjective as they go. This test is not meant to give you an exact answer. (So, in hindsight, maybe I shouldn’t have called it a test.) What it’s supposed to do is keep the conversation going. Keep the debate alive.
This Holiday season, when your aunt, cousin, or grandma says that Die Hard is, without a doubt, a Christmas movie — I want you to fight them with cold, hard, incredibly subjective questions.
And if you’re one of the people reading this who thinks Die Hard is a Christmas movie, you don’t need my or anyone else’s validation. You go enjoy your Holiday however you see fit!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
From myself and all the rest of us here at S.S. Cinephile
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