If you happen to be a big fan of action movies, there’s no doubt that you have seen Die Hard more than once. With nonstop action, plenty of explosions, and a great storyline behind it, it started a franchise that is still popular down to this day.
Of course, that isn’t even to mention the fact that Bruce Willis is an action star like no other. Now that 30 years have passed, however, there is a debate that continues to be problematic, to stay the least. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
Some people may doubt the fact that Die Hard has anything to do with Christmas but when you really look behind the scenes, you realize that almost everything about it has to do with the holidays. The music, the overall theme, and the timing of the movie show that it is a holiday flick.
Of course, there are those who say that Christmas Eve was just the day of the year in which the movie took place. Although that may be true, the director has said undeniably that Die Hard is a Christmas film. When we take a closer look at the movie, we can see why that is the case.
First of all, diehard is not a movie that was written without any changes to the script. The original script was actually inspired by A Midsummer Nights Dream, which just so happens to be a Shakespeare creation. The original storyline was to take place over three days but the director decided that it would only last for one night.
One of the reasons why Christmas was incorporated into the movie is because they wanted it to have a little heart. The fact that there were evil terrorists was a no-brainer, but Christmas added something warm and fuzzy to the movie.
In fact, Christmas seems to be the perfect time of year for the movie to happen. A man is trying to get to his family for the holidays and there is a huge Christmas party taking place in a Los Angeles skyscraper.
It’s the perfect setup for terrorists to come in and try to do something evil. From the very start, you see that the holidays are part of the theme and it lasts until the very end. You would have a hard time saying that Die Hard was not a Christmas movie at this point.
Next, let’s take a listen to the soundtrack. There are some classic Christmas songs associated with the movie, including “Let It Snow,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Winter Wonderland”. How could you deny that it Was a Christmas Movie?
One of the reasons why Die Hard was so popular is because of the characters. Bruce Willis plays a New York City cop named John MacLean who is trying to get to his family for the holidays. You can tell that the marriage isn’t perfect, but he wins her back by being her rescuer during those difficult hours when the terrorists are taking over the skyscraper.
In the end, it all comes together in time for the holidays, making it even more of a holiday flick.
One final argument is what the director and actors have to say about the movie. Many of those who were responsible for the movie, including the screenwriter and director have said that Die Hard is, without a doubt, a Christmas movie.
The unfortunate thing is, Bruce Willis once made the public statement that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. I guess we are all entitled to our opinions!