A Surprising Discovery: Die Hard as the Ultimate Christmas Movie?
Culture is a funny thing. Even though I’ve lived in America my entire life, I’m always discovering new aspects of our culture. This journey began when the plant manager wore an obscure shirt to the company Christmas party. When he approached my table, the conversation shifted to his shirt, and he seemed disappointed that only one person recognized it as a reference to Die Hard. Despite having watched this film many times, I didn’t realize fans consider it a “Christmas Movie”—or rather, the ultimate Christmas movie. Although I felt a bit guilty for missing the reference, I doubt he’s seen Silent Night, Deadly Night. Anyway, let’s dive into this film.
Why Die Hard Still Thrills: An Action Movie for the Ages
So, first, I am a Die Hard fan. It’s another classic action film from back in the day that everyone my age enjoyed. Although I didn’t get to see it until I was a bit older, I still enjoyed it. The movie is packed with thrilling action sequences, memorable one-liners, tough characters, lots of f-bombs, guns, and explosions. What makes the plot unique is how a cop finds himself in the middle of a terrorist takeover at a company Christmas party and ends up assisting hesitant law enforcement from inside the building. His ultimate goal is to save his wife and reconcile with her. He almost singlehandedly kills all the terrorists except one, I think. If memory serves, he doesn’t kill the German guy using a Steyr AUG—one of the coolest guns I’ve ever seen. Anyway, it’s a fantastic movie.
I decided to revisit the film after talking with my daughter’s boyfriend. When I asked if he had seen Die Hard, he replied, “You mean the ultimate Christmas movie?” Shortly after, my TV was showing Bruce Willis strolling through with a teddy bear. But was he right? Are the super fans right? Is Die Hard truly the ultimate Christmas movie? I did some research to find out why fans feel this way.
Die Hard: Is It Truly the Ultimate Christmas Movie?
Ashley Spencer’s article for Celebrity Nine offers 10 reasons (well, actually 9) why it is not. According to Spencer, here are the reasons: it could happen on any other day and be the same, automatic weapons don’t belong in Christmas movies (nor do handguns), violence doesn’t fit, there’s no dramatic dinner scene, it’s bad for your blood pressure, Alan Rickman doesn’t wear a scarf, the only person who wears a Santa hat is a dead man, the iconic lines don’t mention Christmas, and there are no cute child actors stealing the scene.
However, a writer for the Gazette, Terry Terrones, disagrees and provides 7 reasons why Die Hard is indeed a Christmas movie: it takes place during a holiday party, features Christmas music (which is on the soundtrack), John’s wife has a Christmas name, presents are involved, there is a brief appearance by Santa Claus, it snows at the end, and finally, the stats. In 2020, 1.3 million Americans watched Die Hard on Christmas Eve, a number that surpassed classics like Home Alone. I found many more articles on this topic during a quick Google search, indicating this debate is much bigger than I realized.
My Verdict: Why Die Hard Deserves Its Christmas Movie Status
I’ll wrap up with my own opinion. Since this is such a hot topic, I suppose I need one. I’m siding with the argument that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Here’s why: First, I’ve missed this piece of American culture, and I feel a bit bad about it. Second, the soundtrack—Christmas songs make a strong case. The statistics are also compelling; if more people are watching Die Hard than Home Alone, that’s significant. Additionally, one of Ashley’s reasons swayed me: guns are always part of Christmas. If anyone wants to buy me a Steyr AUG for Christmas, I’m all for it! Moreover, it couldn’t be set on just any day of the year because the holiday party wouldn’t make sense. After learning more about this cultural debate and rekindling my love for this film, Die Hard is now on my must-watch list every Christmas.
What’s your thoughts? Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Let me know in the comments. You’re invited to follow my journey in art, read more of my blogs, and buy my original art here. If you like this film or blog, share it with your friends. Peace.