Die Hard is a Christmas Movie
Die Hard is unequivocally a Christmas movie. Yes, another one of these articles.
The debate about whether Die Hard should be placed in the holy pantheon of Christmas movies has been raging for decades (at least three). It’s time to put the debate to rest and prove, once and for all, that Die Hard is indeed a Christmas movie.
I’ll try to lay out the argument as simple as possible using different categories to define Christmas movies and compare those to Die Hard.
1.) The Time Frame
We all know John McClain lands in LAX on Christmas Eve. But does it matter? Does the time frame make a Christmas Movie? Does the plot have to take place on Christmas Day? Christmas Eve?
A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, Jingle All The Way, The Polar Express, White Christmas, and Scrooged all take place on Christmas Eve. There are other movies, including Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, and Elf that invest heavily on Christmas Eve.
Die Hard safely falls into the prescribed time period of Christmas Classics. This is a no-brainer. But does this, in itself, make it a Christmas Movie?
Not necessarily. Other movies have been set during the Christmas season, including Lethal Weapon, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, and Gremlins (I would argue is a Christmas movie, but that is for next year). These movies are not traditionally considered Christmas movies.
So would it be safe to say that just because a movie was set during Christmas that it’s not automatically considered a Christmas movie. That statement misses one important point—it doesn’t take into account the creative intent for the story to take place during a specific season.
The directors/producers of Home Alone 2 sure thought it was important enough to have the sequel set during Christmas.
The directors/producers of Die Hard 2 sure thought it was important enough to have the sequel set during Christmas Eve.
There’s something at work here…
2.) The Setting
Die Hard takes place almost entirely in the fabled Nakatomi Plaza. More importantly, it takes place after a gang of exceptional thieves (led by an exceptional actor by the name of Alan Rickman) hijacks…a Christmas party. But it’s in tower. Not exactly a traditional setting for a Christmas movie.
Or is it?
Does the story have to take place in something comparable to a Hallmark Channel village where every single bare wall is stapled with wreaths and holly? Do we have to see reindeer flying through the sky or packed mall scenes? Actually, Die Hard does a pretty good job of shoving Christmas in your face with the various scenes of Christmas.
How does the setting—a commercial tower—stack up with other Christmas movies?
A Wonderful Life takes place in multiple locations not necessarily associated with Christmas or that took place during the season.
A Christmas Carol took place through time, including a stock exchange, a boarding school, and a cemetery.
Miracle on 34th Street had scenes in a courtroom.
A Christmas Story had plenty of scenes in the schoolhouse and a significant sub plot revolved around a lamp, with plenty of scenes dedicated to that lamp.
Elf had scenes in a publishing house and a mailroom.
One would argue that all these locations were decked out for Christmas with plenty of decorations. So was Die Hard.
The fact that Die Hard took place in a commercial building should have no bearing on whether it’s a Christmas movie.
Let’s get to the important part. Let’s get to the story.
3.) The Story
What sounds more like a Christmas movie to you?
Man contemplates suicide, wishing he was never born, but is accosted by an individual claiming to be an angel. Angel shows him visions of his past and a world where he was never born. After witnessing both worlds man decides he no longer wants to kill himself. Man learns the importance of love and family.
A fairly wealthy miser hates everybody around him. Miser is visited by a ghost who warms him that if he continues to live his life that he will end up in a horrible place. Said ghost claims more ghosts will visit him to show him the way. After miser sees visions of his past, present, and future, he decides he doesn’t want to be a miser anymore. Wakes up on Christmas morning, gives bonuses to his worker. Decides to have dinner with his nephew. Man learns the importance of love and family.
Man arrives to see his estranged wife, who is still at work, waiting to attend a Christmas Party for her work. Christmas Party goes awry as terrorists invade the party and take everyone hostage with the exception of the husband. Husband goes to great lengths to rescue his wife, who is one of the hostages, by taking out all of the terrorists. He sacrifices his own body to accomplish this. Eventually takes down the last of the hostages and rescues his wife. They go home with family for Christmas. Man learns the importance of love and family.
Arrogant and self-centered man travels to a rural town for work. Wakes up in an endless loop of repeating the same day. When he finds himself stuck, he attempts to live each day differently in an attempt to woo the woman he admires. After ten years of living the same day he abandons his selfish goal and begins to help other people until the loop is broken. Man learns the importance of love and family.
Extended family travels to Paris for Christmas. Parents leave child at home by mistake, who previously prayed not to have parents. Child then guards his home from burglars by setting up booby traps, eventually allowing police to arrest them. Parents arrive home Christmas morning. Child learns the importance of love and family.
There’s nothing particularly outwardly Christmas about any of the storylines, but they do all take place during Christmas. Well, with the exception of Groundhog Day. It could be argued that the moral of each story has something to do with the Christian religion. Morals. Family. Love. Becoming a better person.
So, with that being said, Die Hard, with its theme, setting, and time period, fits neatly within the parameters of other Christmas movies. Just because it contains terrorists, guns, and killing does not disqualify it from being a Christmas movie. Home Alone had burglars try to accost a kid. They tried to commit Santa Clause in Miracle on 34th Street. Scrooge witnessed his own tombstone in A Christmas Carol.
But there’s more proof that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Plenty more proof.
4.) The Nuances
Die Hard incorporates several pieces of Christmas—not just decorations—in the movie.
Christmas in Hollis, Winter Wonderland, and Jingle Bells are all used in the Die Hard soundtrack. Let’s not forget that the closing scene and credits were set to Let It Snow!
What was the name of John McClain’s wife? Holly!
How did McClain fool Hans? With Christmas tape.
Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho.
“Show him the watch.” This is important and often lost. Gruber ultimately dies at the hands of greed and flamboyance. Holly earned a Rolex as part of her Christmas bonus. She wore the watch throughout the movie. When Hans was shot and fell through the window, he was only able to avert death (temporarily) by grabbing Holly’s wrist, the portion of which was covered by her watch. It wasn’t until McClain was able to loosen the watch when Hans fell to his death. Morals. Christmas is all about morals and symbolism.
What is the catalyst for the movie? McClain visiting estranged wife and family for Christmas. Or, in the adverse, Hans Gruber (Grinch) trying to steal Christmas.
There’s so many nuances that it’s beginning to become hard to argue against Die Hard being a Christmas movie.
5.) Finally, was it ever intended to be a Christmas Movie?
Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza settled that debate last year. He came out and stated that Die Hard is indeed a Christmas movie.
Read John McTiernan: Rise and Fall of An Action Movie Icon’. McTiernan was Die Hard’s director. He wanted the characters and music to carry the Christmas tone through the movie.
But, the critics didn’t. But critics are usually wrong.
What is Christmas at its heart? We Christians celebrate Christmas to commemorate the birth of our savior. It’s much more than that these days. It’s about family. It’s about food. It’s about traditions.
And like all traditions, they are adopted.
Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and candy canes are all modern inventions of Christmas.
Let is Snow and Winter Wonderland were adopted as Christmas songs.
Ghost stories were a staple of Christmas at one time. Now, not so much.
And just those traditions Die Hard is mandatory holiday watching in my house. With all the various articles and arguments about Die Hard being a Christmas movie it would
Die Hard is a Christmas Movie. I’d encourage you to listen to my podcast’s review of the movie and the subject.
Otherwise, Merry Christmas.
