| Die Hard, a cult classic movie, has been the talk of the school since the beginning of December. Many have been pondering the same question: is it a Christmas movie or not? Many others have been confused and frustrated as they don’t know the answer, but fear not Harwood. The question will be answered right here, on Common Ground.
Die Hard stars actor Bruce Willis who plays a New York City cop named John McClane. IMDB summarizes the movie by saying, “A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza Los Angeles.” Now comes the question: is Die Hard a Christmas movie or is it an action movie that just happens to take place on Christmas Eve at a Christmas party? To start in answering this question, we must first learn what makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie. What music and tropes are expected? What characteristics does the main character typically display? What time does it take place? To answer these imperative questions we look to the Harwood community. Freshman Trinity Mazzilli says a Christmas movie must be “wholesome and interesting.” In her mind, a Christmas movie must also have some action to be interesting as well as a “problem… something gone wrong on Christmas”. She later explains that the main character has to “save Christmas.” As far as music goes it needs to be Christmas music. Her sister, Junior Antonia Mazzilli, agrees but also adds that “The main character also needs some form of coming home, whether it’s to family or just to their hometown, and the ending needs to be happy and full of family.” When I asked her to elaborate she went on to describe some other classic movies such as Home Alone, The Grinch, and The Polar Express. All of these examples include Christmas music, a problem on Christmas, and some form of coming home. Senior Theo Ritter shared similar thoughts but also stated “If Little Women is a Christmas movie, why not Die Hard? The only reason Little Women is a Christmas movie is because it happens in Winter.” He even went as far as saying Die Hard is “more Christmasy”. In the end when comparing Die Hard to other Christmas movies and their music, tropes, and feel, Die Hard is comparably similar. The movie ends with McClane reuniting his family, having saved them and everybody else from the terrorists while some classic Christmas music plays (Let it Snow by Vaughn Monroe). Common Ground has officially concluded that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. |
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Is Die Hard a Christmas movie or not? Let’s see the facts.
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