Is Die Hard a Holiday Movie?

BY MATTHEW LIU '27

One of the best activities to do during the holiday season is to sit on the couch, grab a hot mug of cocoa, and, along with a bowl of popcorn, watch a movie. Now, even though you are in the holiday spirit, you might not want to watch another Christmas rom-com for the seventh time, so choose something different this time. Die Hard is your answer. It is the perfect blend of two worlds, making one of the best action and Christmas movies. 

​On Christmas Eve, New York City police officer John McClane visits his estranged wife and two young daughters. He joins his wife at a holiday party at the headquarters of a Japanese-owned real estate business that she works for. However, the party quickly turns into a hostage crisis as a terrorist group takes control of the high-rise and all of its occupants. Amid the chaos, McClane quickly realizes that there is no one left to rescue the hostages but himself. The movie gets its name because they originally based the movie off of the book “Nothing Lasts Forever” but they thought this sounded too much like a romance movie, so they renamed it Die Hard to symbolize how McClane doesn’t give up and he is hard to kill, so he isn’t dying without a fight. Even the writers didn’t want this movie to be like the other Christmas romance movies, so they created a masterpiece, mixing an action movie and elevating it to a new level and enriching the story with the Christmas aspect. 

While at first this might not sound like it would be a holiday movie, in reality, it is. There are 21 references to Christmas, which is far more than you might expect from the run-of-the-mill action movie. Not only that, Christmas is the reason for all the events and character evolutions in the film. McClane arrives in L.A. attempting to rekindle his relationship with his wife by using some good old Christmas spirit. The robbery occurs at the Plaza due to the ease of taking hostages—and because the police will be less active, all because of the Christmas party theming. In reality, it's a Christmas movie with a lot of action. This movie wouldn't be the same or have the same effect if it wasn't set at Christmas. The theme elevates it from the other plain action movies or holiday movies. Including action within it is a genius idea and makes this movie very interesting and unique compared to other romantic holiday movies. This movie’s blend of two genres makes it distinctive and entertaining.

Not only is it about Christmas, but it also has many winter based themes which are presented in a more entertaining way. The rekindling of family ties and the hunt for the lone savior (McClane)— all seem pretty Christmas-like. Die Hard values family over greed and materialism—a solid Christmas message! The whole movie is about forgiveness, being kind, and doing your part. These themes simply could not exist without the Christmas backdrop, and the film is indisputably more resonant with those morals in place. These deeper values not only teach a better lesson than the rest of the normal rom-com Christmas movies, but also present meaningful messages in a fun and entertaining way. However, remember that it is still an action movie, and is pretty violent, despite its bright Christmas elements. So be prepared for some darkness amid the holiday cheer!

While some may argue that it came out in summer, so it isn’t a holiday movie, remember that Miracle on 34th Street, a very popular Christmas movie, also came out in the summer. It is pretty clear that Die Hard is more than just an action film because of the references and theming of the movie. So the next time you are bored and looking for a good holiday movie, look no further than Die Hard.