12 Days of #108Mas: Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

Whenever people talk about their favorite Christmas movies, without fail, someone will say Die Hard.  And that will be followed by someone else saying it’s not a Christmas movie.  So, as we continue the Section 108 12 days of Xmas, let’s break it down and see what we find.

What is the main story?

The story revolves around two characters.  John and Holly are a married but separated couple.  They live across the country from one another and they’re going to see each other for the first time in what seems to be at least months.  They meet up at a Christmas party and through a series of unfortunate events and adventures, they realize they love one another more than they thought.  Their story ends with them cuddled under a blanket holding back tears as they embrace.  That’s a pretty Hallmark style Christmas story if you ask me.  Yeah sure, I didn’t mention all the murder and terrorists and shit, but I also didn’t mention the Christmas miracle that Theo and Hans experience.

Is Christmas important to the plot?

There really isn’t another time of year when a company would have a party at their office where spouses are invited and there is nobody else in the building.  And that is pretty key to everything in the plot.  If it’s just a company party in the summer, John is most likely not there being the fly in the ointment.  The building would probably have other people in it which would make locking down the building way more difficult.  So yes, the Christmas party sets the stage for the whole damn movie.

What else is Christmasy about the movie?

When the elevator opens to Tony dead in a Santa hat and a note written on his shirt, it leads Hans to read “Ho Ho Ho” in his brilliant accent.  This is a great Christmas moment.

John uses Season’s Greetings tape to hide his gun.  If that’s brown packing tape, it’s nowhere near as cool.

There is Christmas music in the movie.  Including one of my favorites “Christmas in Hollis”.

Conclusion

Die Hard is a Christmas movie.  Just because it’s so damn good you can watch it any time during the year should not disqualify it from being a Christmas movie.